July 2019 – Walk Into the Future

The Big Harvest—Collecting Race Bling

‘Any idiot can run, but it takes a special kind of idiot to run a half marathon.’

(Spectator sign, Nashville 2019)

The process of running a half marathon has many layers. You have the training, nutrition, travel to the race site, EXPO and the actual race. Sounds like a lot but each layer gets easier the more you invest into the process of being a runner.

Took me a while to get comfortable with the concept of labeling myself a runner but finally stopped fighting the term and gladly accept it. Hi, my name is Calvin and I’m a runner! 😊 Felt good getting that off my chest. The quote above is from a spectator’s sign I saw while running the 2019 Nashville Rock ‘n’ Roll half marathon. There are thousands of similar and funnier signs at every race. The spectators are there to cheer, motivate and at times make runners laugh to help get through their respective race. I make a point to acknowledge sign holders especially when they display a clever sign. Another of my favorites:

‘Worse parade…EVER!’

The signs and spectators are welcome distractions from the actual process of completing a 13.1-mile race. Music helps break up the miles, but the spectators always make me laugh with their encouragement and clever signage.

‘You know you’re a runner when…bling has nothing to do with jewelry.’

(Runners World)

An overlooked layer to the half marathon is what happens directly after crossing the finish line. A legion of volunteers waits for each runner to cross the finish line and present us with city/race unique bling. I never thought race medals would mean much to me but getting crowned after finishing a half marathon completes the journey. I would feel I accomplished something big without the bling but let’s be honest—what’s the fun in that?! 😊

I always write about races and my training routine to get prepared. The race city and entertainment options are other favorite things I have written about. Decided to invest in a medal holder for the bling I’ve collected over the years to properly display my ‘adult trophies’. Didn’t realize how many medals or how cool some of them are prior to researching the medal holder. I didn’t have much of an organizational system for them either. This will all change since I put in the work to earn the bling—will get these properly displayed on a medal holder where everyone can see them and then must listen to me explain each one—just joking!

Seriously, runners put in a lot of work to get ready for the races and perform their best. The bling is a nice reminder of the race and city. The bling is something we cherish and look forward to seeing what next year’s bling will look like.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll series has a Heavy Medal program that allows runners to collect additional bling based on number of events:

https://www.runrocknroll.com/Programs/Medals/Heavy-Medals

Of course, I’m trying to get the Don’t Worry Just Run medal. I’m sure you can figure out why! Everything Irie!

Had an interesting conversation with a tree branch last month about race bling. He selects race participation strictly on the bling available for the race. Bling not up to par and he will not run in your race! I’m not there yet, if there’s beer at the end I’m probably going to run your race! 😊

How do you display your race bling? How important is this aspect of the race for you? Thanks!

Emulate great leaders ‘and’ learn from bad bosses

“Never step on enthusiasm.”

(Colin Powell)

thumbnail_Leader

(Image by Jackie Zamora)

I love the image above for the simple message it sends. True leaders are not afraid to engage to ensure team success. Leaders display a level of humility when they show direct reports they are a part of the overall team, not just the person demanding results.

Contrast the two examples in the image. Who would you want to work for? The leader or the boss? Why?

I have been lucky to work for some truly great leaders in multiple work environments. They all shared a vision of what success looks like and made sure everyone was working toward the same goals. These great leaders always led by example and made professional development/learning a priority in the workplace. This enhanced direct report engagement and made everyone want to get more accomplished. Regardless of style (authentic, transformational, democratic, etc.), great leaders provide positive interactions and examples we can emulate and utilize within our own leadership practice.

Luckily, I have not experienced too many of the boss examples in the image above, but I have made a point to learn from these people as well. Don’t be so quick to write off the lessons you gained from a boss:

How did your boss make you feel daily?
How easy was it to bring them problems?
Did they explain tasks or just say go get things done?
How competent were they getting the job done?
How invested were they in your professional development?
How much fun were they to be around?
How much staff turnover did your office have?

I could add more things to this boss check list but believe you see my pattern now. So, what lessons can you learn from a boss? I’ve learned to never repeat a boss trait I viewed as a negative.

Getting up from behind a desk or closed door to engage with people daily is an easy task for everyone. Never get so comfortable with a position you forget your responsibility to the people you serve. Servant leadership is centered on the idea the leader serves their people. Take the time to explain the WHY of a task not just the WHAT needs to be done. Leverage the strengths of everyone on the team. This requires the leader to know the strengths and weaknesses of each team member.

It’s okay to have fun at work! No, really, fun and work can go together. Look at some of the most successful organizations and the culture they build in the work environment. Work still gets done but fun happens daily—may be a coincidence but these type organizations are able to retain their staff members.

Consider implementing a stay interview process. Stay interviews allow great leaders to engage staff to see what they need in the work environment. The stay interview builds a dialogue to enable both sides to enhance relationships and create a productive culture. The leader does not have to promise anything they can’t back up and allows them to explain these things directly to staff members.

Note: Had a great conversation during a virtual networking event last week in Orlando about the term stay interview. Some organizations/leaders do not like this term. That’s fine, call it ‘professional development interview, career development orientation, etc.’ but look for ways to engage staff on their professional needs.

So, continue to emulate the great leaders you have had in your work life but don’t miss the valuable lessons the bosses have provided.

What leadership traits do you emulate daily? What have you learned from a boss (no names needed)?

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

(Maya Angelou)

war chess

Photo by Gladson Xavier on Pexels.com

“Play chess, not checkers.”

(Dr. Calvin Williams)

The Voice of a Leader

orange and and brown chess pieces

Photo by Markus Spiske temporausch.com on Pexels.com

“True leadership stems from individuality that is honestly and sometimes imperfectly expressed—Leaders should strive for authenticity over perfection”.

(Sheryl Sandberg)

Had a great lunch meeting and chat with one of my Orlando tree branches at the end of May. We were able to catch up before my scheduled guest speaking role on the Intern Pursuit podcast. Always love catching up with my tree branches in-person and jumped at the chance to hear the great things she was doing in Orlando with her small business marketing firm.

We were able to share professional and life updates during this visit and got into the concept of leadership in the workplace. Just general stuff but I’m a big believer in leadership development and the impact ‘good’ leadership can have on the work environment.

Most people have heard numerous leadership styles mentioned: transactional, transformational, authoritative, authentic, etc. I recommend new leaders have a good understanding of multiple leadership styles and then work to find their inner voice within the work environment.

What’s your inner voice? This concept can be used to determine your true leadership style and then put things into place to ensure your work environment and people can grow. I tell anyone who listens I’m a huge believer in the authentic leadership style. Guess what, authentic leadership takes some of the best aspects of other leadership styles and packages them into a concise, four variable approach to leadership. The variables of self-awareness, relational transparency, internalized moral perspective and balanced processing are used by authentic leaders to develop their inner leadership voice. An authentic leader needs to ensure these variables are on display and utilized daily to truly be an authentic leader.

Please note, all leadership styles have variables of some level. Transformational leaders are called ‘quiet leaders’ because they are described as leading by example. Transactional leaders can be viewed as reactive and ‘may’ be more beneficial within large corporation settings.

So, as you can see, there are a lot of leadership styles available to new and experienced leaders.

“It can be done. Leaders make things happen. If one approach doesn’t work, find another”.

(Colin Powell)

The key to finding your leadership inner voice is assessment of your work environment and flexibility. I can say I practice authentic leadership, but this style may not be practical for every direct report. A direct report who is not performing to standards may need daily transactional interactions whereas the rest of the staff thrive with the authentic leadership environment created. Knowing the needs of your staff is something that comes with experience, lots of reading and training. The ability to adapt to changing work situations and needs of direct reports allows a leader to impact the work environment in a positive manner.

It’s okay to take a personal interest in direct reports and things they are interested in. You may be able to adjust work assignments to keep them engaged based on strengths and interests. It’s also okay if you can’t accommodate everything your staff would like to do in the work environment. Example: staff may want to work from home but if that model does not fit the mission then it’s up to the leader to say so. Saying no in this situation is not a personal attack, it’s just the way the organization must operate.

A lot goes into being a leader. Understanding leadership styles, your strengths and weaknesses as well as continual learning will help as you develop your inner leadership voice.

“Outstanding leaders go out of the way to boost the self-esteem of their staff. If people believe in themselves, it’s amazing what they can accomplish”.

(Sam Walton)

blank paper with pen and coffee cup on wood table — Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com

The happy spot: Negril, Jamaica

Curry Goats

Made my annual pilgrimage back down to Negril, Jamaica in May. Decided a few years back I would travel yearly to Jamaica to enjoy the sun, rum and reggae. I’ve missed a year here and there but have been consistent getting my Jamaica passport stamp.

The Jamaican Tourist Board (JTB) created the ‘Once you go, you know’ slogan in 2003 to generate tourism interest and get more people to visit the island. I always thought about the slogan because I wanted to ‘know’ what Jamaica was about but thought it was beyond my price point. A simple check on Expedia highlighted how affordable a trip to Jamaica can be—prices vary based on brand names (Sandals, Beaches, Palladium) to more economic options (Samsara, Legends, Rock House). You can spend as much or little as you want based on resort brand, location and all-inclusive food/drink options.

Samsara

My preferred resort is Samsara which is situated on the west end of the island. The unique feature for Samsara is the resort is located on a cliff. The cliffs provide unique experiences for guest to ‘cliff dive’ while enjoying the water. I don’t cliff dive but use the access to put my snorkel gear to good use. I spend about 3 hours daily exploring underwater caves, following fish and watching Jamaican spear fishermen catch barracuda.

Samsara is close to other west end resorts, so I have made a point to visit some of them while on the island. This allows me to experience additional waterfront views, menu options and drink specials. My favorite lunch spot on the island is the Rock House. The Rock House has an expanded menu with a lot of traditional Jamaican food options. Steamed snapper, peas and rice and callaloo is my go-to meal ‘every’ time I’m there. Callaloo has a look and feel of collard greens but I will warn you, the Scotch bonnet peppers are smoking hot. I spend more time pulling them out, but they do add flavor to the dish.

Rock House

I got a bit adventurous and decided to stop at a new spot on this trip. I pass the Kool Vybes Bar and Jerk Centre every time I’m in Negril but never stopped. Just assumed everything on the menu would be smothered in Jamaican jerk sauce but they provide the option to have the sauce on the side. The food at the Jerk Centre was great and may be the best food bargain in Negril. I will ensure to make it back to the Jerk Centre—recommend getting the jerk sauce on the side if you’re not into spicy food—Jamaicans like food with a kick!

http://realnegril.com/koolvybes/

Jerk Centre

Samsara has a sister resort (Legends) on Seven Mile beach. Guests have full privileges at both resorts which provides additional options while in Negril. I can spend time snorkeling off the cliffs at Samsara and then trade for beach activities to include jet skis, catamaran excursions, shopping and dining. This 2 for 1 resort option is a ‘hidden’ gem to enhance the overall enjoyment while in Negril.

7 mile beach

Reggae

My go to spots to listen to live reggae in Negril are Alfred’s and Bourbon Beach. I always ask the locals for places to visit and they all agree Alfred’s Ocean Place and Bourbon Beach are the best places to hear live music and catch the Irie vibe. I’ve never been disappointed with the music or the vibes while at either place. Both locations are right on 7 Mile beach so you can kick back with a cold drink, listen to the bands and hear waves crashing at the same time. Very enjoyable experience!

A new place I added to the rotation this trip was Roots Bamboo Beach resort. Large stage with an impressive sound system with live reggae on Monday and Wednesday nights. Roots Bamboo Beach is extremely close to Alfred’s and Bourbon Beach—went back and forth between venues when a band had to take a break.

Negril’s uniqueness with cliff and beach access keeps people like me coming back year after year. It’s always great to meet someone from Europe or Canada and hear they are on their eight trip to Negril—most are like me and stay at the same place every time. They are in the ‘know’ about Negril.

So, now you know—Negril is my happy spot and I plan to visit as often as possible. Already looking forward to my next trip down.

What is your happy spot to visit? When’s the last time you were there?

Sunset 1

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