Be Classy

Yes, I am a bit old fashioned.

Lately the dinner music in our house has been Tony Bennett.  There is something about his smooth voice and the wonderful classics that brings out the old fashioned side of myself.  The music is all about the feel-good vibes we need to bring to our day.  Not only that, but it just has some class.

That class really shines when we talk about service.  If only everyone could have the smooth edge of Tony Bennett or the ease of a good jazz standard as they deliver world-class service.

Lately, I have just been happening to notice when people stand out with some class.  It is not just that they want to deliver more than what we expect, but they have a genuine ease in serving.  And they aren't afraid to have a bit of an old fashioned touch.

One example was my recent visit to a local hardware store.   I have to admit I was delighted because of the attention to details you wouldn't normally expect.  They remembered my name, they smiled, they had a big stone fireplace for cold, rainy days.  In a hardware store?  Yes!  And, my kids and I really loved that they used old Radio Flyers for you to lug your goodies from the greenhouse.  They helped you to your car, and even loaded it up for you.  Yes, that is what I am talking about.  Good old-fashioned class. Looks a little different from a jazz standard, but has the same feel-good vibe.  It made me look forward to my next visit and a proud new customer. 

So, class comes in many different forms, but let's go back to Tony Bennett.

From New York Magazine:

 “…his voice is still a technical marvel, and no one else on Earth can make a lyric written eight decades ago sound as natural as a conversation at a coffee shop.”

This summer, The Five Workshop challenges you to Be Classy.  Bring a little Tony Bennett to your day.


leadership lesson:  Being classy is really all about authenticity in serving and not being afraid to be a bit old-fashioned.

dream builder:  Look for opportunities to create a feel-good vibe and a touch of class in everything you do.  It stands out, brings joy, and never gets old.

Now, for your listening pleasure, sit back and enjoy.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIrcxGdyUdk


 

 

#adayinthelifeofme: April 25: Don't Wait Until You're Dying to Really Live

A great read from my friend Jacqui.  Thanks, Jacqui!

#adayinthelifeofme: April 25: Don't Wait Until You're Dying to Really Live

Look Again

Bring on the Chandelier

Re-imagining the Flower Stand

A modern coffee shop

It is Saturday.  I wake up at 3:30 in the morning and I can't sleep.  Sometimes this time in the morning brings the unusual quiet I need to think.  What do I do?  Well, naturally, I start up my computer and decide to listen to a message on being limitless.  Now that is a sure way to get me back to sleep!

The message challenges me in this quiet hour of the morning with two words: "Look again."  Being limitless means being able to go back and see something (even if it just feels like a little bit of nothing) from a different perspective, with an eye of appreciation, or a mind that inquires, "How can I make something more of this?"

It is like going back in the kitchen cupboards and seeing what kind of meal you can create out of a few ingredients.  It can be very limiting to have only a few things, but it may also inspire a new and creative recipe.

I was inspired all week to test this out.  Pictured above are places where I looked again at Cleveland. This city is a place that is being reborn, and every time I venture out, I find a surprise by giving myself permission to look again.

So, I embarked on some adventures inspired by those very words.  I enjoyed a day at the park right in my neighborhood, wading in a creek, walking through the trees, and eating PB & J on a big swing while the kids played on the playground. 

I took a lunch break to check out the amazing new chandelier in Playhouse Square.  The design is fascinating, and I am really curious to see how it bears these Cleveland winters!  I can already imagine the beautiful crystals glistening above the snowy streets.

Then, I had a fabulous time at the 5th Street Arcades on Thursday.  It is buzzing with coffee and tea shops, clothing stores, and plenty of food places that include sugary treats to vegan delights.  I even picked up a little bunch of paper roses at a fresh take on a flower shop called Love Anji.  My lunch walk reminded me to notice the stunning architecture of the arcades, with intricate details in the buildings and wonderful sky lights.

So, the 5 workshop sends a challenge your way this spring. 
Look again.  Before condemning something or writing it off as nothing, take a second look.  Take even a little bit of something and build on it.  From the message: "Look again.  Go look again in your community, in your church, in your city, in your home, in your family, in your marriage . . . Go look again!"

It works everywhere.  Sometimes, we even write ourselves off as people who don't have anything really great to give.  We may have failed or took a detour on our life journey. 
We may even write others off as being useless or lacking potential or worse yet, total failures.  Well, what if we look again?  We all love the idea of buried treasure . . . so let's find one thing we can appreciate.  And then take it one more step:  see how we can turn it into something more.

leadership lesson:  Looking again is a great way to see potential that leads to transformation.

dream builder: Looking again may inspire a new adventure or spark a new idea on something where we felt all hope was lost.

If you want to know more about the 5th Street Arcades, take a peek at the website!  The story is sure to inspire.

http://www.5thstreetarcades.com/info/aboutUs

hello, how are you?

I haven't thought much about these four words so much in my life.  The last few days, though, I realized again the beautiful importance of these words.
Only if we listen.


When I ask how are you, it can easily end with  "Fine.  Everything is going great.  Yes, yes it is."
It seems so quick.  But, it is rather convenient.
It takes a bit more work to have to engage in talking to someone.  And, sometimes we run from it because it doesn't feel very productive.  I have things to get done!

But, in those moments, those precious moments when something else isn't tugging at you, these sparkling jewels of transformation appear! And when I meet someone in that way, where I get to hear their story, my whole self lights up!  It ends up feeling very selfish.

They give me a great gift of really knowing them.  I am changed each time I choose to embrace that moment.  I learn about how someone aches for their mother years after her death.  I learn about someone's travels to the United States from another country.  I hear about someone's spouse, child, sister, brother, friend, niece, or nephew.  Others share what may be happening at work, or at their church or community.  I hear how people have tried to run their own businesses, opened their hearts to a dream, just got back from a weekend trip.  Others have shared to the point of wonderful laughter, teary eyes, and anger (yes, anger).  It is a lovely gift.  It is our connection to one another and our humanity.

Now, I know every conversation cannot be transformational, but I have encountered the beauty of others so many times when I decide to enter in after the "Hello, how are you?"  This risk we take may lead us to having to see another person beyond what we need from them at that moment.  

This week, the 5 workshop invites you to take 5 minutes, and ask someone how they are with a bit more behind it . . . curiosity to know more. 


leadership lesson:  Curiosity behind leadership is inviting.  People have ideas and stories to share.

dream builder: Our curiosity opens us up to possibilities.  When you learn about others, it is possible to learn something about yourself, too.

What does a grand piano have to do with leading?

 

What does a grand piano have to do with leading?

88 Keys.  Sleek.  Sophisticated.  The right player will captivate the audience.

Now what does that have to do with leading?

The piano forces you to embrace every aspect of music:  rhythm, sound, volume,  dynamics, emotion, focus, discipline.  When it was first developed, it could have been thought of more as a machine that should be conquered.  According to The Telegraph, it takes over 12 months and 50 people to create the perfect piano.  The grand piano can be an intimidating instrument, with so many things to control. You have to think about the notes you are playing, when to use the pedals to sustain, how long to sustain. You can dampen the sound of the notes.  You can infuse emotion into the sound.

And all of this comes from within the person.  They must think, respond, act, and pull something out of this machine that is full of emotion and still sounds like music.  A true pianist may ask if they will ever master this beautiful instrument, or if they will be a forever student in process of creating a masterpiece.

And so is leadership.  We are students of what we are leading.  We are called to listen, maybe even with more intensity that we may be willing to risk.  We have so many things to think about at one time, and yet we have to produce something grand.

Soft piano is playing now in the background in my home, bringing a sense of peace (where 5 kids are now tucked in bed), reminding me that we must not stop feeling if we are going to lead well. 

So, may we take a risk and lead with feeling, listening intently to what is happening around us.  This risk may lead us to our greatest work.

For extra fun on understanding the beauty of the grand piano, read The Telegraph Object Lesson on Steinway & Sons grand piano.  A wonderful video accompanies . . .

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/luxury/design/7593/object-lesson-the-steinway-sons-model-b-grand-piano.html

leadership lesson: Be challenged to listen in ways we have never done before, embracing a new perspective or understanding.

dream builder:  Listening & leading with feeling may lead us to discovering our greatest work.

the 5 best things I ever gave up to pursue my dreams

So, my dreams have changed over the years, that is true.  But each time I have chosen to go after one of my dreams, I knew that I must sacrifice something.  the5workshop topic for today: focusing on the 5 best things I gave up to start transforming my own life (which in turn has helped me as a leader).

The 5 best things I ever gave up to pursue my dreams . . .

the way the laundry is done
My husband and I have had to be partners for a long time as we have worked, gone to school and raise 5 kids.  When I finally admitted I needed help running the house, one of the hardest things to do was to give up how the laundry was done.  I wanted it done my way.  The strangest thing happened, though.  He didn't want to do it my way.  It was time to make a decision.  If we were going to keep up, then I was going to have to stop caring about it being my way and just take the help.  That lesson goes way beyond just the laundry.   
leadership lesson: Help is a great thing, and modeling help as a way of working together builds a solid team (even in our house).
dream builder:  It's easier to reach goals with the right support.

the idea that I can't
Somewhere along the way, each time I have been faced with a decision that would push me forward, I suddenly have this attack that paralyzes me and says, "What are you thinking?  You can't do this!  You have no idea what you are doing!"  What have I done every time I face that paralyzing moment?  I have no idea.  Nothing brilliant comes to mind.  But, here are a few tips: I decide to put one foot in front of the other and stop listening to that voice.  I think of all the people that chose to do something outside of their own comfort zone, and get inspired.  I may even check in with someone who has mentored me along the way.  I also decide that I have only one life I am living, and I don't want to miss an opportunity to learn something new.  
leadership lesson: We start seeing other people as can-do people, too.
dream builder: Find others that see you as someone full of potential and let them coach you.


fear I will say the wrong thing
This is the hardest one to give up, note the word "is."  This is an active sacrifice for me, but it no longer keeps me up at night.  I know I will say the wrong thing occasionally, and I just have to learn how to deal with it when it happens.  I may have to humble myself and ask for forgiveness if I hurt someone.  Most times, though, I have had to trust in my relationships enough that people will come to me if I said something wrong.  And public speaking?  Well, I just keep working on that one.  Sometimes I just dare myself to do it.  Other times, I have worked with coaches and mentors along the way to help me polish some of my speaking and writing skills.
leadership lesson:  If we say the wrong thing and hurt someone (even an employee or  child), it's OK to be humble about it.  We may have to ask for forgiveness occasionally.
dream builder: Our voice is a very powerful tool that can bring great change.

my past faux pas
I daily make mistakes, and I have also made big ones over my lifetime.  This one is simple.  We are not who we were yesterday.  We wake up every day and have to make a choice to live differently and accept those things, forgive them, and even use them to remind us that we have come a long way and can be grateful for that.  It is a great reminder to keep making choices that will positively affect our future.  
leadership lesson: Lead others like we are watching them transform before our very eyes.    
dream builder: We are not who we were yesterday (we all can choose to be transformed).


unforgiveness
This is a big one.  As leaders and parents, we don't even like to talk about it.  I am not sure I have ever heard the word forgiveness in a business setting.  It is a big topic, and may require a lot of deep work.  Find someone you trust, and ask them to help.  My own lack of forgiveness has, at times, affected my ability to lead well.  Not everyone will appreciate this one, so risk-takers welcome!
leadership lesson:  Forgiveness leads to thriving relationships and is not limited to just our family.
dream builder:  Forgiveness is freedom.  Letting go of things that hold us back is always a good thing.


 

Launching the 5 workshop January 12. 10:57 pm. the Sunday before Monday. 2014.