Whether we choose to or not, we learn from the day we are born to the day we die. Sometimes our learning is conscious and intentional, but not always. Sometimes it makes us better people, sometimes not.

I have two stories for you today that clearly illustrate my premise.

Let’s start with the unconscious/unintentional (so we can end on a happier note).

For years before the global meltdown the media shared stories about the opulent lifestyle led by the wealthy and ultra wealthy. And the last couple of years the stories have revolved around how, instead of shopping until you drop, to shop so no one knows.

Two professors, HBS’ Roy Y.J. Chua and Xi Zou, an assistant professor at London Business School wondered if the people who lived this life style are different from the rest of us. Specifically, they asked,

“Does the availability of luxury goods “prime” individuals to be less concerned about or considerate toward others?”

Surprise, surprise; the answer is ‘yes’.

Next is a look at how intentional learning can not only reverse your life, but take you to rarified heights—as it did Shon R. Hopwood.

Hopwood was a mediocre bank robber—five banks over two years yielded only $200K— who spent a decade in prison. Now, prison is boring and a lot of felons spend their time in the library, specifically the law library, and Hopwood was one of them, but unlike most of them.

Mr. Hopwood spent much of that time in the prison law library, and it turned out he was better at understanding the law than breaking it. He transformed himself into something rare at the top levels of the American bar, and unheard of behind bars: an accomplished Supreme Court practitioner.

As you can see, unintentional learning can make you a jerk, whereas intentional learning can change your status from jerk to highly respected.

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I love mondegreens and had the same reaction when I read an article about palindromes.

A palindrome is a word or phrase that is a mirror image of itself.

Numbers and dates, when they are written month-date-year, can do the same thing and that’s where it gets really interesting.

Saturday was a palindrome, 01/02/2010; the previous one occurred 10/02/2001 and before that?

“The amazing thing is, the one before that was Aug. 31, 1380 or 08-31-1380,” said Aziz Inan, a math puzzle enthusiast. “That was 620 years ago.”

(Here’s a link to Inan’s original article.)

Palindromes are far less frequent than the blue moon that occurred this New Year’s eve.

How infrequent?

“We have 12 palindrome dates this century; the rest of the world has 29,” he said. “Our 12 all will occur on the second day of the month. Theirs all occur in February.”

The U of Portland prof doesn’t limit this sort of thing to numbers. Take his name…
Print AZIZ in all capital letters; turn each Z on its side, and then swap the vowels. The result? His last name, INAN.

Now I have a suggestion for you. Share the articles with your kids in an age appropriate way, not just numbers, but words. Then play together with family birth dates, names, etc.—not as a lesson, but as fun.

As Inan says, it’s a great way to get kids interested in math and words.

Image credit: Aziz Inan

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Hat tip to Dan McCarthy who cites a study by Deloitte and asks whether best practices are reality or illusion.

Their research shows that luck alone can account for above average corporate performance for many years.

I haven’t read the study, but I did read Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers: The Story of Success and there is a lot to be said for luck.

Not the kind of luck that wins a lottery, but the “right time, right place” kind.

I saw it first hand during my 20+ years headhunting. When the economy was hot and talent scarce anybody could (and did) become recruiters because companies were so desperate they hired almost every warm body that even vaguely fit the opening.

During the expansion of the nineties, what percentage of a stock rising was skill and how much market serendipity? By the same token how much of the rise was leadership skill and how much a market that not only lifted all boats, but also responded with outsize euphoria to anything that sounded good?

This applies just as much to individuals.

I’m not saying that skill isn’t important or that it won’t offset many factors, but so is timing.

The problem is that you can’t choose when you are born or what the economy will be like when you reach the corner office or get that great promotion; you can only do your best with the situation in which you find yourself.

So when you do look to others for pointers and best practices, be sure that the economy and their circumstances are the same as yours or at least parallel enough to be worthwhile.

Think about it.

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If you are a manager and despair at the quality of people that fill your entry level positions, not their attitude, but their skills and basic education, prepare for it to get worse.

Perhaps instead of ranting and whining about America’s loss of global leadership we should look closer to home for the real cause—US education.

The ethnic groups with the worst outcomes in school are African-Americans and Hispanics. The achievement gaps between these groups and their white and Asian-American peers are already large in kindergarten and only grow as the school years pass. These are the youngsters least ready right now to travel the 21st-century road to a successful life.

By 2050, the percentage of whites in the work force is projected to fall from today’s 67 percent to 51.4 percent. The presence of blacks and Hispanics in the work force by midcentury is expected to be huge, with the growth especially sharp among Hispanics.

No, whites and Asians aren’t smarter, but they do have socioeconomic advantages that are lacking for these minorities.

Advantages that our educational system and politicians at all levels are doing little to address.

It’s not always about money, although that is a part of it, nor is it about standardized tests that do little to improve true education, it’s about innovation and educating outside the box.

Harvard Graduate School of Education is creating a new doctoral degree to be focused on leadership in education. It’s the first new degree offered by the school in 74 years. The three-year course will be tuition-free and conducted in collaboration with faculty members from the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. The idea is to develop dynamic new leaders who will offer the creativity, intellectual rigor and professionalism that is needed to help transform public education in the U.S.

Creativity, intellectual rigor, professionalism; this leadership isn’t just about visions and influence, it’s about creating people who will roll up their sleeves, get their hands dirty often toil in relative obscurity on the biggest problems facing this country.

Kathleen McCartney, the graduate school’s dean, explained one of the dilemmas that has hampered reform. “If you look at people who are running districts,” she said, “some come from traditional schools of education, and they understand the core business of education but perhaps are a little weak on the management side. And then you’ve got the M.B.A.-types who understand operations, let’s say, but not so much teaching and learning.”

Will it work?

Can the program make a difference quickly enough to change the current downward trajectory of our future?

Will other schools step up to the plate now or will they wait a decade or so and see how the Harvard program fares?

Does anybody care enough about what will happen in 20, 30, 40 years to accept a little discomfort now or should we just build more prisons?

Leadership Turn is ending; its last day is December 29. I’ve enjoyed writing it and our interaction since August 16, 2007 and I hope we can continue at my other blog where Leadership’s Future will carry on.

If you enjoy my views and writing, please join me at MAPping Company Success or subscribe via RSS or EMAIL.

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It’s been awhile since I posted one of my rules and this seems like a good time to give you another.

At first look it may seem to be targeted to a teen or twenty-something audience, but I don’t think so.

I think it’s applicable to anyone breathing.

It’s what you learn
after
you know it all
that counts!

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Manhattan, home of Wall Street, financial sorcery, hyper-competitiveness—and tutoring for 3 and 4-year-olds.

This story is one of the saddest I’ve read lately.

That is an age when a child should spend time being a child, exploring their world, running around, creating imaginary worlds, friends, situations and enjoying unconditional love.

Instead, they are learning that to please mommy and daddy they have to get a certain teat result and get into a certain school.

…3- and 4-year-olds whose parents hope that a little assistance — costing upward of $1,000 for several sessions — will help them win coveted spots in the city’s gifted and talented public kindergarten classes.

Granted, I didn’t read all 166 comments, but 98% of the ones I did read were negative on tutoring. Many of them reacted as I did—let kids be kids.

But many parents see their kids as a reflection or symbol of their own success; that means pressure to excel—even at that age.

Of course, those who do get in will be labeled “high potential” and “leadership material,” which is ridiculous at that age. And so we destroy potential in the rest.

Life is so short and childhood is even shorter. There is plenty of time to compete, set goals, worry whether you are achieving enough vs. what others are doing. Time to find out that love can be conditional on accomplishing your parent’s expectations.

But is it really necessary to start at age three?

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Recently Dan McCarthy wrote 10 Ways to Get the Most from a 360 Degree Leadership Assessment and it’s really good stuff.

But the thoughts and actions that Dan recommends could just as easily be called ‘10 ways to get the most from any feedback you receive.”

And I do mean any—feedback from bosses, peers and subordinates, of course, but also from spouses/partners, kids, close and extended family, friends, acquaintances and even strangers with whom you interact.

I recently told a client this and she was surprised. She said that most were logical and she sort of understood including acquaintances, but strangers made no sense to her.

So I explained.

Most people, most of the time, have the most positive interactions with those with whom we are close; in other words, we’re on our best behavior.

Sure, we may disagree, yell, fight, say unpleasant things on occasion, but, by and large, people are on their best behavior the closer the relationship.

That’s why many managers check to see how candidates treat the receptionist when they come in for interviews. I know of many times that managers rejected a strong candidate because of admin feedback. The feeling is that if they are rude to the admin they won’t play well on the team.

Strangers don’t think about giving feedback, but you do get reactions. It may only be a look that is gone in a flash, but that doesn’t lessen its value as feedback.

That means you need to stay aware of the reactions of the people around you, but that isn’t likely to happen when you’re intently focused or upset, which is when you’ll get the most feedback—often negative.

But what you don’t notice the people you hang with will, so ask them for feedback. Ask widely, ask often, listen well and then apply Dan’s 10 points, tweaked as needed for the situation.

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To reach their goals entrepreneurs and other small businesses are big users of advisory boards and there’s no reason you can’t create one on a more personal level.

Here’s how to do it; note that the process needs to be done in writing, not just in your head.

1. Think through what you want to accomplish and how the advisors can/will help; write it down.
2. Describe specific areas in which you want assistance, e.g. managing, career planning, job hunting, parenting, etc.
3. Describe what you want from each advisor and explain how their acting as an advisor will also be to their benefit.
4. For each area think about the people you respect, who will listen to you and to whom you will listen.
5. Present your request with enough context for them to understand the above points, the approximate time commitment and your specific reasons for asking them.
6. Discuss it with the person, don’t push them or guilt them into doing it. You want people who are excited/pleased to work with you.
7. In terms of benefits there are many things you can offer other than formal compensation, e.g., be appreciative; if appropriate offer to do the same for them, take them out and discuss stuff over a meal; send flowers; give them chocolate; use your imagination and knowledge of the person.
8. Never overload or abuse your advisors time/energy/interest

How many advisors do you need?

That depends on

• what you want to accomplish,
• the people you can access, and
• the time involved.

Don’t put your advisory group together to impress others (yes, I’ve seen this done), because advisors don’t commit for life and don’t grow on trees you want to access them wisely.

Finally, your advisors aren’t there to stroke you—if you want strokes call your mom—they’re there to tell you hard truths, help sort out confusion and assist you to overcome challenges.

No matter their age they have wisdom, experience and smarts—otherwise why did you ask them in the first place?

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I have a yummy brain-treat to add to your Halloween swag, or make up for what you missed.

Dan McCarthy at Great Leadership put together a collection of some of the best posts on leadership, management, teams, personal growth and a lot more for you to gorge on.

So, without more ado, here is a great collection of wisdom from some very savvy people (including me).

We lead off with Wally Bock presenting Let’s hear it for the role models posted at Momentor.

Next up is Mary Jo Asmus presenting Choosing posted at Mary Jo Asmus.

Anne Perschel presents Never Waste A Good Recession posted at Germane Insights.

Steve Roesler presents Team Leaders: Do You Do This? posted at All Things Workplace.

Becky Robinson presents Leading in Relationships posted at Mountain State University LeaderTalk.

Ideas for leaders to ponder when using metaphors to inspire followers: Jennifer V. Miller presents In the Family Way posted at Jennifer V. Miller.

Mark Stelzner presents What Costume Are You Wearing? posted at Inflexion Point.

Chris Young presents Maximize Possibility Blog: Are You a Victim of “Satisfactory” Performance? posted at Maximize Possibility Blog.

Bret L. Simmons presents Leadership Integrity: Touchy-Feely Crap? » Bret L. Simmons – Positive Organizational Behavior posted at Bret L. Simmons – Positive Organizational Behavior.

Can you teach someone to be a great leader? Or does something else have to happen? Wally Bock presents Can leadership be taught? posted at Three Star Leadership Blog.

Mike Myatt presents CEO Success…It’s not Random posted at N2Growth Blog.

Everyday management lessons from a popular reality TV show: Sharlyn Lauby presents What I’ve Learned About Business From Mike Rowe posted at HR Bartender.

This post is a description of my most recent personal journey to do hard things: Michael Ray Hopkin presents Do hard things posted at Lead on Purpose.

Adi Gaskell presents How far are you spreading your talent web? posted at The Management Blog.

Alice Snell presents Home Grown Leaders Get Respect posted at Taleo Blog – Talent Management Solutions.

This is a list of the 7 books that were most influential in my develop as a leader: Tom Glover presents 7 Books That Made Me the Leader I Am Today posted at Reflection Leadership.

Some important takeaways from the recent “Talent Management Challenge” around Strengths focus and Self-assessments: Amy Wilson presents A Couple Things to Learn about Leadership posted at TalentedApps.

The most important actions that foster engagement aren’t rocket science; they just require a little consideration and common sense. Miki Saxon presents Ducks In A Row: The 7 Word Genius Of Engagement : Leadership Turn – Articles, tips, and resources about leadership. posted at Leadership Turn.

Lisa Rosendahl presents On NOT Making a Decision posted at Lisa Rosendahl.

Building the bench is not reserved for good economic times. It is just as critical when times are tough and is a critical leadership responsibility. Tom Magness presents Building the Bench posted at Leader Business.

Chris Young presents Maximize Possibility Blog: Are You a Victim of “Satisfactory” Performance? posted at Maximize Possibility Blog.

Bill Matthies presents Business Wisdom: Words to Manage By posted at Business Wisdom: Words to Manage By.

Janna Rust presents Leadership & Management: What’s the Difference? posted at Purposeful Leadership.

If you’re looking to develop leadership talent in your organization, start by getting the support of your top executives. According to the preliminary results of i4cp’s major new study on leadership competencies, conducted in partnership with the American Management Association, executive support is the number-one factor that contributes to proper leadership development. Erik Samdahl presents It Takes Good Leadership to Develop Good Leaders – i4cp posted at Productivity Blog.

As more and more followers yearn for their leaders to be real, this post explores what steps are needed to lead with authority. Eric Pennington presents So Many Masks, So Little Time posted at Epic Living – Leadership Development Career Management Training Executive Life Coaching Author.

Management must strive to transform their organizations into engaged and authentic communities during the next 10 years. David Zinger presents Henry Mintzberg on Creating a Community of Employee Engagement posted at David Zinger Associates.

Anna Farmery presents Who is at the centre of your world? posted at The Engaging Brand.

Wayne Turmel presents Why can’t IT speak our language? posted at TPN :: The Cranky Middle Manager Show.

Silence truly is golden, it allows your mind to soar, explore and be creative; it also encourages you to become friends with yourself. Miki Saxon presents MAPping Company Success posted at MAPping Company Success.

Nick McCormick presents Ready to Take ?The Leap?? posted at Joe and Wanda on Management.

There are many theories on every aspect of leadership. The reason for this amount of theories is that leadership is complex and variant. Given the importance of effective leaders in any organization, the companies try to ask many questions for evaluating leadership characteristics of a candidate. Nissim Ziv presents Leadership Interview Questions and Answers: Examples of Skills for Leaders posted at Job Interview & Career Guide.

Dan’s note: this one’s a little off the theme of leadership, but it’s a great list of writing resources: Barbara Williams presents The Ultimate Guide to Better Business Writing: 100 Tips, Tools, and Resources posted at Online Degree Programs.org.

Albie presents Your personality affects your global leadership style posted at iDevelopWorld.

Bill Bubenicek presents 10 Ways To Get A Seat On A Small Business Advisory Board posted at BoardMyBiz.com.

Here are a few tips to help you create powerful presence when you open any presentation: Angela DeFinis presents Create a Powerful Presence posted at DeFinis Communications.

Kara Wirt presents Good questioner = good person posted at Dr. G.

Linda Jones presents 101 Business Books Everyone Can Learn From posted at AccreditedOnlineColleges.org.

This post is about how managers can help survivors of layoffs and keep them productive and committed to the company: Aaron Windeler presents Helping survivors through layoffs: the importance of feeling in control posted at Scientific Management.

Trent Cotton presents 7 Ways to Increase Morale and Productivity posted at Helping Businesses Succeed.

Wise_Bread presents How to Get Laid Off by a Step by Step Guide posted at Wisebread.

Karthik Raj G presents What makes a good leader? posted at KARTHIK RAJ G.

I became more productive and focused throughout my day by waking up earlier. Learn the techniques I used to accomplish much more with my business. Ralph Jean-Paul presents How To Wake Up Early Without Hating It: My 3 A.M. Experiment posted at Potential 2 Success.

Leaders need to be sure they are taking care of themselves, so they can bring the most benefit to others. Erin Schreyer presents Be the Best You, To Be the Best Leader posted at Authentic Leadership.

When hiring new employees, jargon specific to the workplace should not be used or explained up front. Dallas Bragg presents Watch that Workplace Jargon! posted at Developing Daily.

Jane Perdue presents Losing Your Leadership Wings posted at Life, Love & Leadership.

Bob Lieberman presents The Identity Crisis posted at Cultivating Creativity – Developing Leaders for the Creative Economy.

Albie presents 10 Reasons why you should keep a journal posted at iDevelopWorld.

This blog posts discusses how to manage whining into a constructive activity: Elyse presents How to manage Whining with no Problem Solving posted at Anticlue.

Image credit: Phajnalka on sxc.hu

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I write and talk a lot about what happens when you choose to change your MAP through awareness and the resulting boos to your energy and creativity.

What I can’t remember sharing with you is a critical ingredient in the change sauce that I call the Philosophy of ER.

I consciously developed it formally and have shared it for decades to offset all the talk about failure when people are working to change.

First, you have to understand that I don’t believe in failure; I don’t think that someone has truly failed unless they’re dead. As long as they’re breathing, the worst bums on skid row have the potential to change, i.e., the possibility is there, even if the likelihood is not.

For decades change has focused on setting goals and if they aren’t achieved as stated, then you had failed.

Over the years I’ve worked with a lot of people (including myself) whose self esteem was at best badly bruised, at worst like Swiss cheese.

They started by telling me how they had failed at this or that, but in more detailed discussions it turned out that, although they hadn’t achieved their stated goal within the deadline, the goals and deadlines (one or both) weren’t exactly reality based or had changed along the way and not been restated.

To be valid, goals must come with delivery dates, but those dates must be achievable—not easy, but achievable.

When you set goals without taking into account minor details, such as friends/family/spouse/kids/working/sleeping/eating, then you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Beyond being reality-based, we all need an ongoing sense of accomplishment, especially for that which can’t be done in a few days, to sustain the long term effort that big goals take—thus came the Philosophy of ER.

Over the last couple of decades I’ve ERed almost everything (even when it’s grammatically incorrect).

• I may not be wise, but I’m wisER.
• I may not be rich, but I’m richER.
• I may not be patient, but I’m patientER.
• I may not be skinny, but I’m skinniER.

You get the idea.

So start ERing today and tomorrow you too will be happiER, smartER, healthiER and successfulER.

Just keep reminding yourself that to err is human, but to ER is divine.

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