Vol. 2.8 "The Better Angels of our Nature"

Those were the closing words used by Abraham Lincoln in his first inaugural speech in 1861 when the country was divided over the slavery issue.  It seems appropriate at this moment, when our country is  torn by ideologies, to talk about those "angels".  If we ever needed to be using the better part of our natures, it would be now.

I believe that everyone of us has a good side to our nature and an equally dark side.  Most of the time, the good nature is the only one that is on display -- we try to keep that other side to ourselves.  However, it seems more and more that the dark side of our natures is on exhibit daily -- our elected officials, our government officials, our corporate executives and on and on.

And it is being allowed...by all of us.  We expected our elected officials to be watching out our best interests, we expected that federal regulators would be regulating all of the industries that they were supposed to -- financial institutions, off shore oil rigs, etc...now even those attached to the secret service are no longer regulating themselves...there are no watchdogs anymore looking at for anything but their own best interests.

No one wants to step up and tell the truth and hold those accountable for their bad acts...only when the media glare is so intense that they have to...and with as many scandals happening these days, it is easy for the rest to just slip way unnoticed.  If overseers were to really tell the truth about much of anything they would be forced out of their jobs and probably black listed -- their livelihoods threatened....unless they could score a cushy job with a big fat pay check as a reward for looking the other away when they were supposed to be paying attention.

I think it is about time for me to say this loud and clear, folks, WE ARE ON OUR OWN.  I don't think that we can rely on anyone to be "fair and balanced" as is said by Fox News on the radio.  It is incumbent  on all of us to be and demand "those better angels of our nature", if we are going to mend and heal this country.  And we must demand it of ourselves too.  Perhaps many of those people in positions of power may have a reason that they operate from their dark "shadow" side...it just may be in their nature to do so.

That's a heavy concept....more on that subject soon.

Vol. 2.7 Culture Matters More Than Strategy

Like I have not said this enough, but yes, I am going to say it again -- PEOPLE MATTER!!  In the workplace or your own personal life -- people are the most important ingredient. Companies spend boatloads of money developing strategies -- from the "10,000 foot level, down to the granular level", etc. whatever...but the point they keep missing and do not value, is that without the workforce (people) behind them, it will never work -- they cannot be successful.


Strategy is rational and culture is emotional.  Which is why so many leaders ignore it -- they undervalue the fact that employees (their greatest asset) are living, breathing human beings with emotions.  And if employees are engaged on an emotional level, and feel respected, valued and part of a team working toward a noble goal, those employees will work their tails off for that leader and organization -- why?? because they know that someone sees and cares about them and they will in turn care also--about the leader, organization and its mission. 


Shawn Parr*, published in Fast Company, Inc., states that "Culture is a balanced blend of human psychology, attitudes, actions and beliefs that combined create either pleasure or pain, serious momentum or miserable stagnation".  He further writes that "Your people either create or undermine value, cultivate or kill relationships, drive or reduce success.  A well-conceived strategy living in the hands of unhappy, misdirected, misinformed people is a sure way to a slow and painful death.  There is no comparison to being in the hearts and hands of energized,  informed, and motivated people".


Lastly, he states that "Culture is the field on which the strategy plays.  A vibrant and functional culture is like a blanket that embraces, protects, and nurtures the strategy.  A company without a strategy lacks direction.  A strategy without a culture that understands or embraces it is like a sport team without a spirit".


I could not have said it better.  If there is no spirit -- no one wins. Caring (spirit) infused from the top down is what makes the difference.  Remember "Friday Night Lights -- Clear Eyes, Full Heart, Can't Lose"? That's what I was talking about...

*The Guvner & CEO of Bulldog Drummond, an innovation and design consultancy headquartered in San Diego.  Clients have included Starbucks, Jack in the Box, MTV, Nestle, Pinkberry, Virgin, Disney, Nike, Mattel,  Heineken and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s, among others.