I seem to be on a roll around my house and garden getting all kinds of stuff that I’ve been procrastinating for months done leaving me with a giant sense of accomplishment. I love that feeling; I make task lists just to cross off the items and get that feeling of accomplishment.

So I thought that would be an apropos to see what others have to say about accomplishments.

There is an old saying that sums up why accomplishing stuff makes me feel good, “Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness has something to do with struggling, enduring, and accomplishing.”

Even though the lists help me get things done and make me happy, I’m heedful of the German Proverb, Who begins too much accomplishes little,” which, when you think about it, is why so many people end up accomplishing so little.

Obviously, accomplishment has a major place in business environment.

As Barry C. Forbes said, “Ideas are the raw material of progress. Everything first takes shape in the form of an idea. But an idea by itself is worth nothing. An idea, like a machine, must have power applied to it before it can accomplish anything.”

Power means people, not companies, but individuals working together. Colin Powell said it best, “Organization doesn’t really accomplish anything. Plans don’t accomplish  anything, either. Theories of management don’t much matter. Endeavors succeed or fail because of the people involved. Only by attracting the best people will you accomplish great deeds.”

And while you are searching for the people who can accomplish the great deed, it’s wise to remember what Doug Larson said, “Some of the world’s greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible.”

Combine that with the words of Harry S. Truman and you have an unbeatable combination as well as the hallmark of a great leader/manager., “It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit.”

Finally, Fred Allen offers us a kernel of wisdom inside a little bit of levity; read it carefully and if the shoe fits throw it out!

“A molehill man is a pseudo-busy executive who comes to work at 9 AM and finds a molehill on his desk. He has until 5 PM to make this molehill into a mountain. An accomplished molehill man will often have his mountain finished before lunch.”

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Since several of next weeks posts involve the idea of trust in one form or another, I thought it would be a good topic for today’s quotes.

I tried to find some that weren’t the typical popular wisdom, such as, “Trust is like a vase… once it’s broken, though you can fix it the vase will never be same again.” Well, duh, never would have thought it, would you.

Then there are the silly ones, such as Pat Boone’s classic, “Don’t trust anyone over 30” or Henry David Thoreau’s “Distrust any enterprise that requires new clothes.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Self-trust is the first secret of success,” and Golda Meir elaborated on the idea when she said, “Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.” But as you follow this advice always remember what a wise person once said, “I don’t believe you have to be better than everybody else. I believe you have to be better than you ever thought you could be.” And most of all, as Duane Michals says, “Trust that little voice in your head that says “Wouldn’t it be interesting if..”; And then do it.”

Nobody will argue that to grow we need to learn and trust plays a large role in that, but not necessarily in the most obvious way.

It’s not just about who we trust, but about others trusting us or, as T.S. Eliot said, “Those who trust us educate us.”

Trust is a constant in any kind of management discussions. John Akers understood that and offers a short guide for managerial success, “Set your expectations high; find men and women whose integrity and values you respect; get their agreement on a course of action; and give them your ultimate trust.” But, as is often the case the best advice is anonymous, “Trust each other again and again. When the trust level gets high enough, people transcend apparent limits, discovering new and awesome abilities for which they were previously unaware.”

Leaders in positions of power are constantly invoking trust, which is really ridiculous, considering how often the abuse it. This has been remarked on many times throughout history, among them were

• “No man is wise enough, nor good enough, to be trusted with unlimited power.” –Charles Caleb Colton
• “The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.” –James Madison
• “You can’t trust anybody with power” –Newt Gingrich

I find Gingrich’s comment the most interesting considering his love affair with the halls of power and his personal pursuit of it.

So the next time you find yourself wondering if you should trust someone because they are in a certain position or espouse a similar philosophy remember the words of the elephant in Narnia, as written by C.S. Lewis,

““Smelling isn’t everything” said the Elephant.”Why,” said the Bulldog, “if a fellow can’t trust his nose, what is he to trust?” “Well, his brains perhaps,” she replied mildly.”

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Unlike many people I like slow. I don’t like my days jamb-packed, I don’t over-book myself and am very good at saying no when necessary. I enjoy conversation and have found that real communications can’t be rushed.

In short, I believe as Gandhi did when he said, “There is more to life than simply increasing its speed.”

Computers have sped everything up, but as common wisdom says, “All computers wait at the same speed.”

I also chuckle at David Ferrier’s view of the technology, “Computer: a million morons working at the speed of light.”

Two thoughts from Edward R. Murrow are worth sharing. The first is, “The newest computer can merely compound, at speed, the oldest problem in the relations between human beings, and in the end the communicator will be confronted with the old problem, of what to say and how to say it.”

Sadly, the old problem is often solved as it always has been, by saying whatever comes to mind without consideration for its clarity or even its veracity. Murrow had something to say about that, too, “The speed of communications is wondrous to behold. It is also true that speed can multiply the distribution of information that we know to be untrue.”

Isaac Asimov said “I am not a speed reader. I am a speed understander,” but that’s only true for those who take the time to actually listen. These days most folks are so busy multitasking that I doubt they listen with more than 20% of their mind.

Finally, listen and take heed of a very wise woman (not me).

Maya Angelou said, “Since time is the one immaterial object which we cannot influence–neither speed up nor slow down, add to nor diminish–it is an imponderably valuable gift.”

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I love words. Words are why you visit and how we get to know each other.

There are hundreds of quotes about words and writers, so I picked a few of that would give you more insight into moi.

The first thing you need to understand is that, for me at least, writing is easy; as Walter Wellesley “Red” Smith said, “There’s nothing to writing.  All you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein.”

My goal has always been the same—to effortlessly pleasure my readers, but, as Nathaniel Hawthorne points out, “Easy reading is damn hard writing.”

Mark Twain said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug,” and I dearly love a good lightening storm.

Isaac Bashevis Singer, “The wastebasket is a writer’s best friend,” but today the delete key is for most of us, although not all.

I often get asked why I keep writing when I get so little feedback from my readers and I can do no better than quote E.L. Doctorow to explain, “Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.”

Finally, for all those who think that I and my fellow writers, past and present work hard just to supply you with great words, sans footnotes or attribution, with which to dazzle your professors, bosses and friends take heed of the words of Jen T. Verbumessor, “Imitation is the highest form of pissing me off.  Quit stealing my content and violating my copyright.”

Hat tip to the Quote Garden for making my search so simple.

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Approval—something we all enjoy and sometimes chase, but isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be.

Self-approval is a good; something to strive for and actively work to achieve, but craving approval from others is a different matter as Chris Morris warns,“The pursuit of approval usually ends in disaster.”

Mark Twain believes that “A man cannot be uncomfortable without his own approval,” which is not only true, but the analog to Tehyi Hsieh’s words, “Lean too much on the approval of people, and it becomes a bed of thorns.”

Rachel Naomi Remen describes the pursuit of approval best, “To seek approval is to have no resting place, no sanctuary. Like all judgment, approval encourages a constant striving. It makes us uncertain of who we are and of our true value. Approval cannot be trusted. It can be withdrawn at any time no matter what our track record has been. It is as nourishing of real growth as cotton candy. Yet many of us spend our lives pursuing it.”

Pursuing approval from others also leads to a lonely life, because, as Maurice Chevalier says, Those whose approval you seek most give you the least.”

Self-approval may not come easily, but it comes fastest to those who follow Johannes Kepler’s approach, “I much prefer the sharpest criticism of a single intelligent man to the thoughtless approval of the masses.”

All this can become a moot point is common wisdom is followed early, “If a child lives with approval, he learns to live with himself.”

Please join me tomorrow for a true story about the quest for approval.

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Ethics. Integrity. Both words weave their way through most business and political news these days. So I thought is would be fun to see what some famous folks have said about them over the years.

As I read through dozens of quotes I couldn’t help wondering at the hypocrisy of so many in politics and the financial industries had ever done the same—or if they would even recognize themselves if they did.

Think about it; Albert Camus said, “A man without ethics is a wild beast loosed upon this world.” If that is the case there are a lot of beasts running around these days.

If it’s true that “integrity is doing the right thing, even if nobody is watching,” I wonder what it means when people skip, ignore or just don’t bother when people are watching—maybe that’s the real definition of arrogance.

If Samuel Richardson was correct when he said, “Calamity is the test of integrity,” then Washington and Wall Street fail miserably and they certainly don’t believe Anon’s common wisdom that says, “Don’t worry so much about your self-esteem. Worry more about your character. Integrity is its own reward.”

Perhaps they aren’t guilty by reason of insanity—that is if we concur with Nietzsche, “In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs it is the rule.”

The last word goes to Albert Einstein, “Relativity applies to physics, not ethics.”

Join me tomorrow for a look at why flexible ethics are what really pave the road to Hell.

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Everything today is about creating a brand and/or brand management. Whether a product, company or person, the brand is all important.

David Ogilvy understood this when he said, “Any damn fool can put on a deal, but it takes genius, faith and perseverance to create a brand.”

Warren Buffett has a handle on what puts a brand at the top, “Your premium brand had better be delivering something special, or it’s not going to get the business.”

Timm F Crull, Chairman & CEO of Nestle sees brands as the basis of successful marketing, “Long-term brand equity and growth depends on our ability to successfully integrate and implement all elements of a comprehensive marketing program.”

Harley-Davidson President John Russell sees a deed tie between the brand and its customers, “The more you engage with customers the clearer things become and the easier it is to determine what you should be doing.”

Robert Haas, of Levi Strauss fame, has a far clearer understanding of what constitutes a brand, “Companies have to wake up to the fact that they are more than a product on a shelf. They’re behavior as well.”

But it was ex Disney CEO Michael Eisner who offered the most food for thought when he said, “A brand is a living entity – and it is enriched or undermined cumulatively over time, the product of a thousand small gestures”

As you may have guessed, I didn’t randomly choose today’s topic; the quotes are a lead-in to tomorrow’s post, so read them carefully (there will be a pop quiz in the morning).

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The Fourth of July; a day we celebrate our freedom that should include freedom from fear, hate and intolerance.

That thought reminded me of something I wrote in 2007 and it seemed apropos to share it with you today.

What responsibility does leadership—business, political, religious, community—bear in fostering hate and intolerance?

I’m not talking about race or gender issues, but prevalent the attitude that I’m/we’re-RIGHT-so-you-should-do/think-our-way-or-else.

It’s not the ‘we’re right/you’re wrong’ that bothers me, but the ‘do-it-our-way-or-else’ that shows the intolerance for what it really is.

During my adult life (I missed being a Boomer by a hair) I’ve watched as hate and intolerance spread across the country masked by religion, a facade of political correctness or a mea culpa that is supposed to make everything OK—but doesn’t.

Various business, political, religious and community leaders give passionate, fiery talks to their followers and then express surprise and dismay when some of those same followers, in the name what their leader preaches, steal trade secrets, plant bombs, and kill individuals whose only error was following their own beliefs.

No longer are we all entitled to the pursuit of happiness if our happiness offends the person next door or someone living at the other end of the country.

It is the worst kind of selfishness.

I remember Ann Rand saying in an interview that she believed that she had the right to be totally selfish, where upon the interviewer said that would give her freedom to kill.

Rand replied absolutely not, in fact the reverse was true; since her selfishness couldn’t take away anyone else’s right to be selfish.

That about sums up my attitude

I just wish there were fewer people following all the Ellsworth Toohey types in today’s world.

Have a wonderful, safe and tolerant holiday.

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Yesterday you heard the stories of five innovators, so today I thought we would look at some of the things that have been said about innovation and by innovators.

Just so we are all on the same page, let’s start with Theodore Levitt’s definition, “CREATIVITY is thinking up new things. INNOVATION is doing new things.”

Not that innovation is always welcome—never has been, never will be.

Fyodor Dostoyevsky knew that when he said, “Innovators and men of genius have almost always been regarded as fools at the beginning (and very often at the end) of their careers.”

You know the old saying, ‘if you aren’t moving forward you’re going backwards’?

Francis Bacon knew it well and warns all of us, “He that will not apply new remedies must expect new evils; for time is the greatest innovator.”

The how of innovation has changed radically over the years, but one thing hasn’t changed. True innovation isn’t something about which you can ask for suggestions. As Steve Jobs said, “It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” Steve Jobs

To most people innovation is everything. They can’t wait for the latest version, the newest item, the trendiest trend, the bleeding edge, but not everyone feels that way (I don’t).

I tend to the view of Coco Chanel, “Innovation! One cannot be forever innovating. I want to create classics.”

That’s why I’m known as a digital dinosaur.

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Well, what did you expect today, if not quotes about fathers? I did try and find some that weren’t too common and made good points with wit and a touch of irreverence, since I don’t easily digest saccharine.

I think Louis Adamic hits the nail on the head with this bit of wisdom, “My grandfather always said that living is like licking honey off a thorn.”

More than century ago Wilhelm Busch made an excellent point that is even truer today than it was then, “Becoming a father is easy enough, but being one can be very rough.”

I always get a laugh out of watching my male friends’ reactions when their daughters start dating; they rightly assume that every guy who comes around is thinking the same thing that they thought when they were the same age. Enid Bagnold summed it up neatly when she said, “A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again.”

Obviously, the movers, shakers and wannabes of Wall Street never heard the same advice from their fathers that Dexter Scott King heard from his, “My father said, ‘Politics asks the question: Is it expedient? Vanity asks: Is it popular? But conscience asks: Is it right?’”

Finally, all you dads struggling to find the right words to connect and communicate with your kids (it applies just as much to daughters) would do well to factor in this final quote from the sage Anon, “Every father should remember that one day his son will follow his example instead of his advice”

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