Facing the right demands

We had steak in Jack's Place last night. Because it was also Mother's Day weekend, we couldn't seem to get the server's attention. The server is scurrying all around us, but for some reason we can't catch his eye.

There are some sales people I know who are just like this incompetent server. They refuse to take the responsibility for hearing what's needed from them by their associates.

I know it's a cliche, but it's still good advice: make the time in quiet moments off the job to think hard and be imaginative in finding ways that put your gifts and values into play on what your organization wants done. Do this right and people will stay out of your way! They'll want you to do what you do best.

14

ACE celebrates his 14th birthday today!

At this stage, he is beginning to argue and express his unique and different opinions. Even when I don't agree with his point of view, I at least appreciate his logic.

This, i believe, is an important stage of his development. He especially needs the freedom to think differently and form his own opinions.

Parenting has always been a challenge. Although it takes extra time in the beginning to learn, it is well worth it.

By giving ACE the freedom to discover and express his true self, I hope to give him the gift of greatness. I pray he grows up confident, cooperative and compassionate.

Ritualize it

"I’ve made it such a habit, it’s like brushing my teeth," Gwyneth Paltrow recently spoke about her workout routine while promoting Iron Man 3.

I, too had new routines and regiments in place.

So many of those things we learned growing up - with our parents creating morning rituals to develop good habits in us - frankly we kind of lose that when we get older and more stressed

Once I rediscovered what mattered to me, I felt a huge burst of strength and i was able to stick to my new routine because I began to ritualize it. I was able to follow through on my commitment, easily, even joyfully, without falling back because purpose fueled the change.

Communicate that vision

"By the time you get to the top, you are expected to have a vision and to know how to communicate that vision," Brian pointed out.

I have seen leaders who don't make it because they are not strategic enough....they were either too tactical, too operational, too narrow minded or too conservative. One of the fundamental flaws with leaders is they are too busy doing and not leading.

Then there are people who are brilliant at developing a point of view but can't articulate it even with all the help in the world.

Second adulthood

"Though the work makes you very busy, as long as you're happy, that's the most important thing," Clement said philosophically on the phone.

When I moved from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore in June 2005, it was an opportunity to have a new beginning, a clean slate. I have a second adulthood ahead of me.

8 years down the road, I have to confess that this is my favourite time of life. I love making the business at my work place grow, seeing the production numbers increase, and adding to the value of the company I work in.

These 8 years has been a great epic journey of mature life and everyday itself is its own dividend. Returns on investment, returns on relationship, returns on effort. Sure it's a risk. But with risk comes adventure.

Now that I have identified my mainspring, I can choose to give myself in a focused way to that which supports my mission. That is immeasurably liberating. I also have built up some reserve to provide security. I have a much larger knowledge base, a network. I know how to work smarter versus working harder and all these resources make this time of my life better. I also know how to play through pain...things that might laid me low 10 years ago, is not as devastating to me. I'm tougher, mentally. That's a tremendous comfort as I head out into the unknown.

The International negotiator

"As you know the middle east market is one of our key feeder markets so I will be in Dubai attending ATM," so reads the email from anna Olsson yesterday.

This post is by way of a short salutation to the men and women who go out at all times of the year and negotiateto get the business that their company depends upon. Undertaking business abroad is no easy task and it takes a special breed of executive who is willing to fly off to a distant land and negotiate on behalf of their company. The international negotiator is one of the great unsung heroes of modern times.

Every year hundreds and thousands of new faces join the ranks and try their best to extend their company's business or hold on to what it has already.

The best of the breed of international business negotiators have one thing in common...we get used to the idea of being a foreigner. There is no substitute for a little national humility. We accept our place as a foreigner in the order of things and this means above all that the world neither owes our country a living nor does it necessarily owe it a good turn. We learn about the manners and customs of the people with whom we do business with. We do not assume that anything that is quite acceptable in our culture is necessarily acceptable in all other cultures.

We happy few

I held our 3+9 review meeting with the team yesterday.

I strongly say and believe that a leader needs to foster an esprit de corps team spirit, because although a team is made up of individuals, in order to be high-performing, these individuals must be directed ot a common goal. And in the crush of the battle, he/she will risk death or die for the small group of team members with whom he/she had shared goals and experience.

As Shakespeare would say in Henry V..."We few, we happy few, we band of brothers....."