Rockstars, Rebels and Rogues

The business environment is moving so quickly today it is often difficult to identify where focus and discipline need to be applied to achieve the organizations vision. Throughout my experience, in my career, speaking to mentors and gaining insight from gurus there are three types of professionals in any organization today – Rockstars, Rebels and Rogues. These archetypes are not necessarily new, but understand that two of the three have both positive and negative characteristics.
If you are not one of these archetypes then you are on the periphery and not realizing your full potential. Let’s start by looking at the apex archetype – Rockstars.

“You have to have a big vision and take very small steps to get there. You have to be humble as you execute but visionary and gigantic in terms of your aspiration. In the Internet industry, it's not about grand innovation, it's about a lot of little innovations: every day, every week, every month, making something a little bit better”.
- Jason Calacanis

Rock stars in music, business and in life are constantly evolving and challenging themselves to realize their full potential. They are the future leaders and visionaries that will help innovate the organization. Their focus is not just on themselves they are focused on developing others as well as themselves. Rockstars tap into experts across and outside their own sphere of influence, or organization, to help fuel new ideas and serve as sources of inspiration.


Their curiosity helps drive different perspectives and understanding of burgeoning technology and how that applies to trends impacting them personally and organizationally. They creative personal narratives of taking in new information and technology to drive personal goals and behaviors. Be and stay tech current or be passed by, no one has time to catch people up on what is driving technology – you have to fight to stay current.


We all know that early in our lives we learn how to be good at school – in the real world, we quickly learned that you have to over deliver on the assignment - You need to blow the freakin’ doors off expectations. It is about volunteering for things to stretch your comfort zone and imagination. Rockstars challenges themselves to perform at a higher level – it is not about the competition it is about them competing against themselves. They know what success is and they are constantly challenging convention.


In this type of environment, most employees don’t raise their hands to offer suggestions or new ideas “out of turn” because they fear they will be branded as troublemakers. Those brave enough to do so anyway are often burned in the process, become dispirited, and/or resort to bad rebel behavior.

Perspectives on Rockstars and Key Qualities
What is it that makes a Rockstar high achiever? Is it luck, looks, intelligence, talent, dedication or bone crushing hard work? All of these things figure into the equation – they all make a difference. But we all know intelligent, talented, hard-working people who do not consider themselves very successful or even happy. And we know people who are not exceptionally bright but seem happy and successful right?

You have the power to change your habits – to acquire new skills and fully use the skills you now have. You can improve your performance, your productivity, and feel the reward in what you accomplish. While some people gravitate to the monetary elements of success there is so much more out there - if the monetary aspect is your only focus then the feeling of accomplishment will slowly dissipate. If you want to maximize your talents and pure potential - get unreasonable with yourself and get out of the comfort zone. The only way to do this is through small steps in learning how to use your talents.

So there must be something else, some secret to success. Actually there are several secrets to achieving your peak performance – being a Rockstar.  The number one secret is attitude:

• Rockstars have indelible positive attitudes. I have always hired for attitude first, agility then aptitude. One of the most important steps you can take toward achieving your greatest potential in life is to learn to monitor your attitude and its impact on your work performance, relationships and everyone around you.
• Elevate their Personal Brand - Bringing their best self to the role every day.
• Willpower - succeed at just about anything they try – is largely determined by their own self-image.
• Mindset - Attitude is critical as it shapes the way you perceive the world and the way the world perceives you. Everyone has a choice each day they wake-up to be a motivator of yourself and others or fall into the victim pit where everything and everyone is against you. The mind plays a serious role in your attitude and outlook on life itself. Many of us have behavior patterns today that were programmed into our brains at a very tender age. The loudest and most influential voice you hear is your own inner voice, your self-critic. It can work for or against you, depending on the messages you allow. It can be optimistic or pessimistic. It can wear you down or cheer you on.

What’s your perspective?
What are other differentiators of high performers or Rockstars – let me know?

Baby Powder

George Bernard Shaw said that “People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it”.

There are some wake up calls that people have throughout life – and it is a signal to take accountability for action be it mental, physical or spiritual.  It is not about being ultra-organized and over-committed to a task list – but rather it is truly about holding yourself accountable for your own goals.  If you are not on that path take out some baby powder douse some on your hand and smack yourself into reality.  The baby powder is meant for effect since the talc will cause a prolonged sting on the skin.  The reference can also be compared to an infantile view of your own personal potential and perceived limitations.

 

We have all experienced ruts, now is the time to get out and hold yourself accountable. If you can’t get anything done, you need to confront these seven harsh truths that reveal why you procrastinate.

 

Shiny Objects -  Toys and technology interrupt you constantly. People like to complain about how “distracted” they are, and most of them aren’t willing to accept that they are responsible for that reality.

Whether it is texts, the number of to-dos on a list somewhere or the number of emails you need to respond to – you need to take prioritize based on your goals at work or life in general.  No time make time through prioritization and communication. If you feel overwhelmed, you need to deal with the fact that it is your fault – stings a little I know, I have been guilty of that and I know many of friends, family and co-workers face the challenge daily. 

I knew a person a long time ago who had Sunday Night Syndrome, freaking out about what she needed to do during that week. After some level of venting she moved from complaint to commitment in less than thirty minutes. With that story it is a great idea to get quiet with yourself, no cell-phones or television, and pre-game your day or week – what do I need to do in order to achieve my goals this week.  Take stock in yourself by holding a high level focus session at a set time every week and every day if possible.

 

Feats of Strength - You consume your headspace with things you have no control over.  You create more stress in your life by falling down this slippery slope.  The self-inflicted anxiety it causes will only lead to regret and more energy spent on things you have zero control over.  If you do have some modicum of control over the situation – do something, don’t complain do something – anything.

 

Camaraderie versus Focus - Everyone needs friends, co-workers and family to feel valued and part of a something larger than themselves. While it’s great to have camaraderie, you can’t expect to achieve anything worth talking about if you spend all of your time with other people. Highly productive people know they must spend the occasional day or night working alone if they want to achieve their goals.  Stop avoiding what needs to get done and plan your day with and without other people.

 

Another distraction Multi-tasking - Focus is a skill that is in short supply especially today where alerts are common place, emails are rampant and now smart-watches will steal even more mindshare from the day, if you let it. Everyone is so obsessed with doing more things that they never stop to consider the fact that it might be more productive to do fewer things more effectively. One question I had for my son, just this week, how efficient is it to stop writing your essay every five minutes to answer a text that isn’t urgent? How successful do you think you will be if you’re so accustomed to distraction, that you don’t even know what concentration feels like? During your weekly focus session with yourself try to define what concentration feels like.

 

Random Acts of Mental Sabotage - Other random excuses why you cannot get anything done - your problems were caused by other people.  While some aspects of this could be true based on work and your personal capacity to accomplish new tasks and asks, you need to employ your daily and weekly prioritization and communicate.  If you get upset when another person gets ahead instead of you, then I am not sure if any of this post will help or even a larger container of baby powder.  Look — even if you deserved the position, how productive is it to gossip about another person and how does that impact your personal brand or ethos?  Look for different ways of making other people successful every day and you will be investing in your own personal potential.

 

Accountability and action are inextricably linked whether you like it or not.  I believe venting in certain situations has a purpose, but just really wastes a great deal of energy – your personal energy.  Hold yourself accountable, by keeping focus on the actions below and a proverbial container of baby powder at the ready.

 

• Get Quiet - Take stock in yourself by holding a high level focus session at a set time every week and every day if possible.
• Wasting Energy and Feats of Strength - If you do have some modicum of control over the situation – do something, don’t complain do something – anything.
• Get out of Your Comfort Zone - Stop avoiding what needs to get done and plan your day with and without other people.
• Stop Multi-tasking – Define and experience what concentration feels like
• Don’t Sabotage Yourself - Look for different ways of making other people successful every day and you will be investing in your own personal potential.

 

If anyone has other ideas to stay focused and hold yourself accountable, I would welcome your contribution.

 

Kickstart - In Search of Personal Motivation

Kick Start - In Search of Personal Motivation


Everyone wants a happy beginning and ending in their journeys and activities, but guess what – life is not perfect.  The subtle art of KICKING A** is about kicking your own a** with a personal smack down.  Not about negative speak to yourself, but about committing yourself to a broader plan of attack.  Complaints and venting are often cathartic, but you need to move from “complaint to commitment”. There are times where we get so caught up in what everyone else is doing and telling us that we need to do that we stop listening to the signals that our bodies are sending us. If something feels wrong, it probably is.  Sometimes the stress that we place on ourselves for results, in and of itself, is enough to make us sick and unsuccessful in our pursuits. We get so obsessed with trying to ‘feel’ something that we can actually create that effect or symptom.

I’ve done it to myself and I see it over and over again in the misguided and futile attempts of people who are not committed – this is small stuff and obsessing about it is sucking the life out of you. It’s not okay to spend your life caught up in the idea that life stinks because you are not making the right amount of money, have a specific title, weigh a certain amount or because you look a certain way, have this number of friends on social media platforms. Until you start to know yourself – where you are and for who you are – you aren’t going to find happiness.

 

So the fine art of KICKING A**, is about motivating yourself to live and be the best you that you can be – because that’s enough.

 

It is true that that hard work doesn’t always equal success. Some people work really hard, but fail. They tried and didn’t succeed.  The simple fact is that people tried and there is a subtle difference in what I just referenced – “hard work doesn’t always guarantee success, but working harder than anyone else opens unique opportunities and insights if you are paying attention”.

 

While it may not appear to many people that know me that my confidence is not based purely on my innate talents, it is based  on the fact that I try to work harder than anyone else.  No one is going to come out of the shadows and hand you things. A good friend and associate joked around with me that he would have to get up at 3:45AM to get a jump start on me – get ahead of my morning emails, rants, celebrations and personal expectations.  The fact is he was as passionate about the day as I was! It is about passion and jumping, crawling, careening out of sleep to meet the day represents an opportunity. Kicking A** is about sucking the marrow out of life and realizing that every day you have an opportunity to be at your personal best – seize it as fortune favors the bold.

Early riser or night owl doesn’t really matter it is about finding the morsel of motivation – if you can’t find a way, make one!

Are you Committed or Do you need to be Committed?

It's funny – the most ordinary situations create new perspectives.  I was speaking to a gentleman coming up in his career during a holiday celebration and this individual was clearly frustrated with his job.  The mental exhaustion and the general malaise primed me to ask “are you committed or do you need to be committed”?  Commitment and willpower are two powerful elements that are often elusive if the emotional dynamic is not there.  There was still a general sense of confusion from this individual on “when should I get myself focused for the day ahead”?

The “time is now”, bringing energy and initiative to your roles* every day show commitment. Caring more about your role and behaviors will show in the results you produce. Showing commitment can demonstrate your leadership potential to key influencers and lead to career opportunities. 

(* all of us have different and multiple roles throughout our lives, father, spouse, professional, artist, athlete, etc. – this applies to every role)

 

The primary source and ongoing frustration of this individual – How can you keep yourself and others motivated when peers commitments wane?

 

The simple answer is that “do whatever you do, but professionals need to take personal responsibility for their own actions and results”. The market is in a state of constant disruption, placing additional demands on the business that spreads throughout the entire organization. Keeping yourself and your peers motivated can show your commitment to the overall challenges and increased demands of your business. It can be challenging keeping up high performance standards when your co-workers’ commitment to their jobs fades. 

Consider these two elements to bolster commitment:

1. Putting People and Customers First - Striving for customer satisfaction shows your commitment to your employer’s objectives. Even if your job doesn’t involve interacting with clients directly, your role is contributing to the objectives in keeping your organization’s client base satisfied and growing. Handling every task with the idea fresh in your mind that your work impacts client, performance and ultimately your potential may also boost your pride in your work and lead to improved job performance.
2. Self motivation - Encouraging yourself to develop new skills, improve operations and process or take new risks to advance the business can awaken new levels of commitment. You own your success.
3. Collaboration & Teamwork – The concepts of reliability and trust are a much deeper issue and are the essential underpinnings of any successful team. Making significant contributions to any group task shows commitment to your group, team and organization. Displaying confidence in your ideas, skills and solutions is a trait that many organizations value. Being reliable shows commitment to your team’s objectives and an understanding of the part you play in a bigger picture. Taking on any form of leadership roles and organizing team members to cooperate with each other, or collaborate with other groups, shows a commitment to big picture achievement.

 

Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek.

Wild thing

Birthdays are great opportunities to recalibrate your goals and objectives. I have heard the common, "what's wrong with you and when do you sleep, as well as, "I have to get up at 3:30AM just to get a jump start on you". Energy, ideas and persistence is what matters - You never can run out of energy if you commit yourself fully.

Most of what society says is not to go for it, but to be safe so you can be comfortable. What is odd is that many people are uncomfortable and set goals to change that condition. I think of a poem entitled Self Pity, by D.H. Lawrence

Self-pity

I never saw a wild thing
sorry for itself.
A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough
without ever having felt sorry for itself. 

While quoting D.H. Lawrence sounds incredibly pretentious it is meant to illustrate perceptions of motivation. The most valuable asset you have is not money it is your mindset and drive and various methods and creativity for achieving your goals and objectives.

There is no limit to action - Attack your goals ruthlessly.

There is no failure unless you quit - there is no shortage of ideas.

If you are not creating new problems for yourself you are not growing or moving forward. Find your passion! 

Brand New Day, Brand New Way

The blog was designed to address insights into the topic of personal branding through inquiries, existing relationships at work and in my personal life.

Many of the discussions that I have on this topic deal with work in standing out and getting noticed through the blur of activity.  The person you are in the office and the authentic self you are in the rest of your life are one in the same. The images and impressions you make in all contexts of your life relate to your personal brand.  As we march through the stages of life we need to be cognizant of those elements that are authentic to ourselves.

Breakthrough and Attack Your Goals

Breakthrough is about your personal potential and living the life you not only want, but ultimately need.  Standing out of the shadows and building upon the person you are today and who you will become.  Your personal brand is similar to that of the products and services you consume, use and love.  Every interaction you have either builds, maintains or erodes your personal brand.  I say interaction as it could relate to the people you meet, your thoughts and actions.

We spend most of our time externally ruminating over the “how-to” address the daily challenges and opportunities we face life.  The speed in which you address these challenges and opportunities is often valued more than the quality of your actions.  Your actions are critical Very few people ask the question why, often hiding in the shadows or process and prescribed emotions. 

There is no magic bullet, algorithm or solution it requires time and a personal investment to truly understand yourself and who you want to become. It is about focus and goals - What does it mean to you personally of going all in? There is no limit to action - Attack your goals ruthlessly.

Attitude is the key to everything you do both personally and professionally.  We are often overwhelmed by the time, so speed takes over.  There is a natural comfort in being busy as we can delay and ignore the critical elements that will feed our personal brand, passion and goals.

This is the time to stand out, step out of the shadows by going within, quieting the mind asking the questions to ultimately shine.  Take stock in identifying who you are and what you need to assess your personal brand. Getting started should focus on who you are now and who you would like to be.  This requires introspection and basic questions – What’s working in my life and what’s not? What do I want or need? What’s best for me to focus on now?

The question I ask on a daily basis is “how can I breakthrough the static” and achieve my personal best – my brand? Find your passion in every role your have and demand more of yourself to maintain that passion.