Have you ever wondered what was said at the time about the game-changing inventions we take for granted?

Wonder no more; here is a selection for your amusement and erudition. Some are funny, some are true, all are interesting.

In 1878 and internal memo at Western Union described the future of the telephone—or not.

“This `telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a practical form of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.”

This next one proves that even those whose careers are tightly bound with the course of innovation can be short-sighted, if not totally blind. In 1899 Charles H. Duell, US Commissioner of Patents, proclaimed for all to hear that the Patent Office was out of a job.

“Everything that can be invented, has been invented.”

Obviously, Duell was a tad off-base in his prediction, but then so were our next three experts.

In 1913 the American Railroad Congress pronounced the fate of the automobile.

“It is an idle dream to imagine that automobiles will take the place of railways in the long distance movement of passengers.”

Everyone knows, or should know, who Thomas J. Watson Sr. was, but in case you aren’t aware he was Chairman of IBM.  In 1943 he shared his view on the size of the market for computers.

“I think there is a world market for maybe five computers.”

Television was amazing technology when it first appeared, but not everybody was impressed. In 1946 Darryl Zanuck, Head of 20th Century-Fox, predicted a short life-span for the new technology.

“Television won’t be able to hold on to any market it captures after the first six months. People will soon get tired of staring at a plywood box every night.”

My last two offerings not only bring things up to date, but are also the only two that are accurate.

The first is from the mid-nineties. I can’t find attribution for, but, anonymous or not, it hits the nail on the head and people would be wise to take it to heart.

“You can’t take something off the Internet – it’s like taking pee out of a pool.”

Finally, what would comments about inventions be without something on Twitter? In 2007 Bruce Sterling offered a definitive comment on the possibility of quality tweets.

“Using Twitter for literate communication is about as likely as firing up a CB radio and hearing some guy recite ‘The Iliad.’”

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/spullara/1926198/

I am a digital dinosaur.

I don’t Tweet; I don’t do Facebook; I don’t own a cell phone; I refuse all the invitations to join yet another 2.0 platform; I’m mostly inactive on LinkedIn, not and open networker and wonder, when I think of it at all, how to politely disconnect from the people whose invitations I accepted before I knew better;

I spend my time working on Option Sanity, the new product my company is launching; I write; I spend time with friends, in person and on the phone; I read, not “worthwhile” or business books, but for pure pleasure; I play in the dirt in my garden, which, after seven years, is actually looking good to me; I cherish my brain.

I know many people who are wired; who can’t imagine life without their smartphone; who have hundreds, if not thousands of friends; who totally freak out at the idea of not being connected 24/7.

What about their brains? Is the cumulative effect of all that information and connectivity positive or negative?

A series called in the New York Times this week offers a look at much of the brain research being done on this subject and it’s not a pretty site.

The Risks of Parenting While Plugged In (This one really horrified me—the mother, not the kid.)

The boy, who Ms. Im estimates was about 2 1/2 years old, made repeated attempts to talk to his mother, but she wouldn’t look up from her BlackBerry. “He’s like: ‘Mama? Mama? Mama?’ ” Ms. Im recalled. “And then he starts tapping her leg. And she goes: ‘Just wait a second. Just wait a second.’ ”

Finally, he was so frustrated, Ms. Im said, that “he goes, ‘Ahhh!’ and tries to bite her leg.”

Hooked on Gadgets, and Paying a Mental Price

They [scientists] say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information.

These play to a primitive impulse to respond to immediate opportunities and threats. The stimulation provokes excitement — a dopamine squirt — that researchers say can be addictive.

An Ugly Toll of Technology: Impatience and Forgetfulness

Some experts believe excessive use of the Internet, cell phones and other technologies can cause us to become more impatient, impulsive, forgetful and even more narcissistic.

More Americans Sense a Downside to an Always Plugged-In Existence

Younger people are particularly affected: almost 30 percent of those under 45 said the use of these devices made it harder to focus, while less than 10 percent of older users agreed. … One in seven married respondents said the use of these devices was causing them to see less of their spouses. And 1 in 10 said they spent less time with their children under 18.

And if the articles aren’t enough to make you rethink your wired state, here is a review of Nicholas Carr’s new book ‘The Shallows’: Is the Net Fostering Stupidity?

Americans now spend 8.5 hours a day frenetically interacting with their PCs, TVs, or, increasingly, the smartphones that follow them everywhere. In the process, writes Carr, we are reverting to our roots as data processors. “What we’re experiencing is, in a metaphorical sense, a reversal of the early trajectory of civilization: We are evolving from being cultivators of personal knowledge to being hunters and gatherers in the electronic data forest.”

It would be unfair not to offer up a bit of hope with all this.

Ear Plugs to Lasers: The Science of Concentration

Or you can recognize your brain’s finite capacity for processing information, accentuate the positive and achieve the satisfactions of what Winifred  Gallagher, author of “Rapt,” a guide to the science of paying attention, calls the focused life.

It’s a lot of reading on a summer weekend, but the information will impact you and your kids for the rest of your lives—whether you accept all of it or just a tiny bit.

Darn! I knew I forgot one link. It’s in one of the articles, but here it is directly.

Test How Fast You Juggle Tasks

Test Your Focus

Test How Fast You Juggle Tasks

Image credit: pedroCarvalho on flickr

Yesterday I commented on the fact that leadership is dependent on both context and culture to be effective.

In a review of The Leadership Illusion at Leading Blog Michael McKinney says,

This gets to the heart of the leadership illusion: seeing leaders and leadership in one dimension. We ignore the context. When we evaluate the causes of the success or failure of leaders, we tend to “focus predominantly on the individual (sometimes the context), but very rarely both at the same time. The need to see someone as “fabulously successful or woefully inadequate” is strong. … Leadership is not a solo performance.

The importance of context is especially timely because of the upcoming election.

Consider Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina, two in a long list of business executives who will tell you that if they can lead successfully in the corporate world they can lead in government.

For the sake of this article we’ll accept their claim to successful corporate leadership.

Now comes the real question: how transferable is that success in the context of government service?

Whitman is running for the CEO slot in California, AKA governor.

When you are a corporate CEO you need a great vision and Whitman had that, but you also need a management structure that supports that vision and works to make it happen—not just a strong senior staff, but the whole management team.

What it really comes down to is support the CEO’s vision or find a new company.

But there is no such power structure available for a governor dealing with the legislature. The governor has little to no say in who is hired, they aren’t likely to leave if they don’t like the vision; they certainly can’t be laid off or fired, their reviews are only done every four years and not by the executive team.

Given that context how many corporate CEOs would succeed?

For an interesting look at a darker context read Dan Gillmor’s article in Salon.

And if you really want to get depressed take a look at this opinion piece on the “Rise of the Richies.”

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brunoagostinho/3952264896/

Almost every day I read at least one article or blog post to the effect that people should consciously start the day by deciding to lead, whether at the office, at home or in one of their varied activities.

And every time I clench my teeth and mutter to myself about the idiocy of the attitude.

Of course, it’s just my opinion, but here is why I think that way.

First, it is the court of public opinion that designates a person a leader, not the individual’s announcement that she is one, and the designation comes whether the leadership is lauded or lampooned.

In fact, talk of leadership is technically future or past tense—what should be done and what was done as opposed to what is being done in real-time.

Second is context. I have always found that discussions ignoring context seem nonsensical to me.

For example, the multiplicity of articles in the early 2000s that compared a company’s stock price and growth at that time to it’s high before the crash.

Even worse is the comparison of CEOs’ skill during that recession to their predecessors, or their own performance, during the expansion of the nineties.

Moreover, leaders are a product of their culture; drop them into a non-synergistic culture and watch them fail—often spectacularly and often taking the company down with them—think Bob Nardelli’s move from GE to Home Depot.

While culture is a company’s internal context, what is usually referred to as context is the external world situation and both affect leadership outcome.

So I have a suggestion for all those who jump out of bed promising themselves that today they will lead with no consideration of context.

Instead, try jumping out of bed each morning with the promise that you will show initiative within whatever context you face.

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ingorrr/449613774/

Flickr image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/notionscapital/2883224652/

In a recent post Steve Roesler asks this question “Is your organization deliberate about identifying–up front–people who have the heart to learn about themselves and the humility to make changes accordingly?” and ends with this summary comment, “A well-bred head lights up a single office. A smart heart lights up the organization.”

I believe that a “smart heart” goes beyond the changes required for personal growth.

Whether you are a manager, aspiring leader or team member a smart heart will advance you in any arena.

It is the quality that draws people to you; it makes people want you on their team; it assures people that you have their best interests in mind; a smart heart goes hand-in-hand with trustworthiness.

Faking a smart heart for an interview might get you hired, but faking isn’t sustainable. People aren’t stupid and the truth will out.

Think about it.

Then go and light up your world.

Image credit: Svadilfari on flickr

Another month, another Leadership Carnival—the first of summer.

At least I hope it’s summer where you are, it’s not in the great Pacific Northwest. We’re having cool temperatures and lots of rain—the rain we didn’t get this winter. According to the meteorologists it is happening because the El Nino (no rain) of this winter flipped and immediately turned into La Nina (lots of rain).

But whether it’s summer in your neck of the woods, still spring or even winter, here are 34 great reads for the beach, swimming pool or curled up by a warm fire.

Miki Saxon presents brilliantly-powerful thought regarding the “real alpha male”, who to trust, and who to follow.

Stephen Warrilow presents How To Manage Change – Putting It All Together posted at Change Management – Practical Strategies For Success, saying that in the current economic climate, all organisations are experiencing the impacts of change and many could now benefit from the practical knowledge of how to lead and manage change.

Eric Klen presents The problem with being positive posted at Dharma Consulting.

Dan McCarthy presents A View from Inside the Leadership Pipeline posted at Great Leadership where he provides a summary of research from CCL and his recommendations on how to manage high potentials.

Gilda Bonanno presents Dress Rehearsal for Your Presentation posted at Gilda Bonanno’s blog. Gilda thinks that public speaking is an essential success skill for leadership development yet many aspiring leaders still struggle with it. This post explains how to conduct a dress rehearsal of your presentation so you can avoid preventable glitches and prepare for potential obstacles.

David Zinger presents Zinger’s 5-Item Employee Engagement APGAR Pulse Assessment posted at David Zinger Employee Engagement.

Wally Bock presents The Perfect Leadership Book for You posted at Three Star Leadership Blog saying that you’ll search the stores and online sites in vain for the perfect leadership book. But don’t despair.

Nissim Ziv presents Teamwork Motivation: How to Motivate a Team? posted at Job Interview & Career Guide, saying that as it can be hard to motivate yourself, motivating others can be even harder. How would you inspire people to work together for a certain goal?

Utpal Vaishnav presents Contribute Beyond Your Title With Assumed Responsibility And Take The Right Decision! posted at Utpal Writes where he shares a great story about a leader beyond his title who chose the road less traveled by assuming responsibility and making a difference.

Heather Stagl presents 3 Traps that Keep Change Agents from Getting the Support They Need posted at Enclaria: Change Starts Here.

Steve Roesler presents Managing: You’re Still In It Together posted at All Things Workplace where Steve has a reminder for managers about how to be a successful.

Richard Cummings presents Project Management: Creating Self-Managed Employees posted at Richard Cummings where he talks about how to create self-managed employees and motivate them to get the job done by having the employees tell you what they are going to get done.

Matthew Alberto presents How to Have the Self-Confidence to Change the World – Social Business Tips posted at Matthew Alberto .com. Matthew suggests that building self-confidence is so significant if you’re wanting to create and build your social business. And it is significant if you want to be changing the world.

David Burkus presents The Hawthorne Studies posted at LeaderLab where David explains the Hawthorne studies and how they changed management/leadership thinking.

Jane Perdue presents Tea Stains, Blind Spots and Simple Pleasures posted at Get Your Leadership BIG On!.

Michael Lee Stallard presents Summer: A Season to Connect posted at Michael Lee Stallard.

Bret Simmons presents Want Your People To Care More? Help Them Perform Better posted at Bret L. Simmons – Positive Organizational Behavior.

Nick McCormick presents What?s on Your Plate? posted at Joe and Wanda on Management. In this ten minute Management Tips Podcast, Nance Guilmarten, author of the Power of Pause, offers up her work prioritization technique.

Tanmay Vora presents Building a Culture to Promote Differential Thinking posted at QAspire Blog by Tanmay Vora. Tanmay feels that the ability to think differently and bring out alternative perspectives is one of the most important leadership skills. This post offers some very practical ideas to build the culture of differential thinking. A useful post for leaders at all levels

Jason Seiden presents Seiden’s 16 Rules for Giving Feedback posted at Fail Spectacularly!. Jason feels that most advice out there about giving feedback is, frankly, wrong and he’s got the real deal skinny.

Mike Henry Sr. presents Impossibly Good posted at Lead Change Group – Helping Leaders Grow Leaders where he says that self-leadership is the first step in maximizing influence and possibilities.

Bill Matthies presents Problem Assessment posted at Business Wisdom: Words to Manage By where he points out that you can’t solve problems if you don’t understand what they are.

Charles Chua C K presents 10 Instant Productive Working Habits posted at All About Living with Life.

Lisa Rosendahl presents Employment Law and Leaders posted at Lisa Rosendahl.

Eric Pennington presents Situational Mentoring posted at Epic Living – Leadership Development Career Management Training Executive Life Coaching Author where he illustrates the importance of finding the right type of mentor for your specific need and how to avoid the perils of engaging in the wrong type of mentoring relationship.

Alice Snell presents Develop, Engage, and Retain posted at Taleo Blog – Talent Management Solutions.

Sharlyn Lauby presents I Don’t Know About That posted at HR Bartender where she reminds us that part of being a leader is not turning a blind eye to questionable behavior.

Benjamin McCall presents The Problem With 2 Ears… posted at ReThink HR.

Mark Bennett presents It can happen to you? posted at TalentedApps where he shares the story of how Dreamworks found talent in a surprising place.

Elyse Nielsen presents Creating Performing Teams is Key posted at Anticlue suggesting that in order to be a successful manager, you have got to be able to create performing teams. You can have a list of initials after your name detailing certifications, accreditations, or titles but without an understanding of how to establish an environment where collaboration and self-motivation are a part of the team’s culture – you have just met the Peter Principle.

Mark Stelzner presents Twitter 101 for HR posted at Inflexion Advisors.

Mary Jo Asmus presents Ten Things That Will Foster Safe Conversations posted at Aspire Collaborative Services.

Jennifer Miller presents Redemption posted at The People Equation.

Working Girl presents Diversity and good management posted at Working Girl.

Kathy C presents Four Similarities Between Dog Training and Employee Management posted at The Thriving Small Business where she illustrates the similarities between managing employees and concepts used in training dogs.

See all mY generation posts here.

I ran across this comment by Joseph Mason, professor of finance at Louisiana State University in an article I was reading and I couldn’t resist sharing it with you.

“Wall Street will always have more lawyers and more accountants and more brains than the regulators.”

So I scavenged around and found a few more to make up today’s QQ list.

Let’s start with a Wall Street proverb that sounds as if it were written by Goldman.

“Buy on the rumor; sell on the news.”

Economist Paul A. Samuelson also seems to have a fairly jaundiced view of Wall Street;

“The stock market has forecast nine of the last five recessions”

I can’t imagine why, can you?

This next one is from everybody’s favorite crook, Bernard Madoff. Knowing what we know now makes this comment even more ironic.

“Whenever I go down to Washington and meet with the SEC and complain to them that the industry is either over regulated or the burdens are too great they all start to roll their eyes, just like all of our children do when we talk about the good old days.”

But it’s will Rogers who gets the last word today.

“Let Wall Street have a nightmare and the whole country has to help get them back in bed again”

Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/stoneford/2671172459/

Becky Robinson at LeaderTalk presents other bloggers with a monthly theme, posts their submittals, and I pass them on to you; I hope you enjoy them.

This month’s theme was A Leader Allocates Decision Making and Senses Social Realities and Becky says she is continuing that theme in June.

The first post comes from Miki Saxon. It’s a fun look at the way managers delegate tasks to others. Read the post and ask yourself Miki’s question: “Do You Pass the Nanny Test?”

Wally Bock gives practical advice about decision making in his post “Tips for Better Decision Making.”

This post from Utpal Vaishnav tells the story of a leader beyond his title who dares to make a tough decision.

Mike Henry, Sr. tackles the topic of sensing social realities in his post, “Miracles.”

Steve Roesler offers a great model for decision making in his post “Decision Making: Remember Z.”

This guest post on leaders and decision making at Dan McCarthy’s blog gets to the heart of why good leaders sometimes make bad decisions.

Sometimes a decision seems to be between a perfect and “good enough” solutions. Scott Eblin gives some questions to consider when making those decisions in his recent post “Perfect or Good Enough.”

Lisa Rosendahl says that knowing when NOT to make a decision may be a very important skill for leaders. Read her post for perspective about when to wait on a decision.

Here’s a post from Siddharta Herdegen about “The Number One Reason Leaders Fail.”

This last post is one I wrote last year about empowering leaders in organizations. “Empowering Leaders: Hand Over Your Keys” focuses on the importance of developing leaders by letting go of control in order to help people develop competence.

And please join me Monday for a look at the latest and greatest from the Leadership Development Carnival.

Image credit: pedroCarvalho on flickr