Wearing baggy pants doesn't make you a skater, wearing spandex doesn't make you a cyclist, looking at the world through Oakley shades doesn't make you a snowboarder, saying, 'dude' doesn't make you a surfer and-in business—printing 'leader' on your card doesn't make you lead. Real leaders take us to places we've never been, turn nothing into something, transform good into great, help us grow as human beings and change the pieces of the world that they touch for the better. Real leaders are, in other words, Extreme Leaders. This site will help you make the choice to be one of them. So spend some time, poke around, and when inspiration strikes, chime in on the blog below...
“ Raising someone up does not reduce your stature—in fact, it exalts you in ways you have to experience to believe. Greater Than Yourself shows how you can begin improving the world by giving of yourself. It’s a wonderful message wrapped in a highly entertaining, well written story.”
- Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager® and Leading at a Higher Level
My friend, Timna Pilch, described this video as “the most adorable, weirdest thing” she’s ever seen. “Adorable” and “weird” are words you don’t often hear in combination, but I think they’re fitting in this context.
I offer you this adorable/weird video of our cat, Rudy, and dog, Ellie, as a treat for the holidays. May its message of boundary-less, cross-cultural love stand as an example for us all.
The inspiring folks at smokin’ hot  Kineticom (whom I’ve written about many times on this blog) have done a remarkable job of integrating The Radical LEAP into the fabric of their company. For one thing, they give a yearly award for Love, Energy, Audacity and Proof to the team member who best embodies each quality in the way he or she approaches work. This plaque honoring the past recipients hangs in their company’s lobby:
The magic, I believe, is in their ability to identify and describe the behaviors associated with each element of LEAP and put it in their own cultural framework. To illustrate, I’ve pulled some examples from the plaque. For today’s installment, here are some of the specifics of Love as described in Kineticom-ese:
“commitment to our company…willingness to take on any role and additional responsibility…big heart and friendly personality…diligence and willingness to go the extra mile…spreads her own brand of sunshine…beaming smile and infectious laughter…understanding the critical importance she plays as the centralized voice & attitude of the Kineticom brand…heart and soul and desire to elevate our mission and vision…throws her heart and soul into every challenge and opportunity…unwavering passion for our cause and our people…capacity to develop, evolve, inspire and lead…exemplifies Kineticom’s culture…actively demonstrates love of who we are and what we can be”
What does/should Love look like in your actions and in the behaviors of your colleagues, coworkers, and management?
The other morning, I was a guest on Montel Williams Across America radio show. It came together kind of fast, so I didn’t have a chance to get the word out ahead of time.
It’s not too late, though. And while the full-length show is available as a podcast on the AirAmerica website,
you can listen to my excerpt below. And I loved the wrap-up he gave after I signed off–so be sure to listen through to the end:
The National Retail Federation reports that while the number of shoppers went up compared to last year, the average dollar amount spent per person fell–telling us that “shoppers are willing to open their wallets for a bargain.”
Well…have I got a bargain for you. What if you could give someone a really special gift that will cost you no money at all? And what if that no-cost gift could significantly change another’s life?
Well, you could and it will.
You can give YOURSELF as a “gift” to someone you love by taking that person on as your GTY Project (and if you’re a bit behind on the GTY curve and don’t know what I’m talking about, watch this video to get up to speed).
We’ve put together a gift certificate for you to present to your GTY Project. It reads, in part: “With this gift I promise to pass along my Knowledge, Give My Time, Deliver to you my Connections, Life Lessons, Insights and Counsel….With this Certificate, I dedicate Myself to You and Your Success.”
Please download it and–more important–USE IT. And then encourage your GTY to do the same for someone else.
I wish you and yours the happiest of holiday seasons.
Present This Document to Your GTY Project: "With this Certificate, I Dedicate Myself to You and Your Success."
Greater Than Yourself:
A Video Introduction
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