49

Bob Dylan sang of "days of 49", Ernest Hemingway had a collection: the first forty-nine stories, john Travolta acted in "Ladder 49", and I turn 49 today.

49 is a nice number for the telephone country code of Germany (perhaps next year's World Cup winner) but it is not a number I had prepared to have hung on me. 49 is supposed to be my father's age, but now I am stuck on these elevated number and everything they mean.

I have loads of stories to reveal about how aging feels to me -physically, mentally and emotionally. But I'd rather share how poet Robert Browning puts it:

grow old along with me
The best is yet to come!

I want satisfaction

I have to admit. I don't have a very balanced life. Some weeks are busier than others and those weeks lack balance. The good news is I now know I don't seek balance. What I want is satisfaction. 

It is impossible to separate personal from professional satisfaction. Corporate efforts to have employees leave their personal lives at home never work.

If you have a sick child at home, you will be distracted and to some extent disengaged from work. If you are under enormous pressure at work, you bring that stress home with you, and everyone can sense that...even your dog.

Inspire others

Nick Vujivic recently spoke in Singapore.

I personally think it's important to constantly be on the lookout for inspiration. I read books, watch movies, and watch program's about people who are doing gat things.

When I see someone like Nick in his element, that puts things into perspective. If  Nick could find a positive sense of purpose out of his tremendous personal challenge, then each of us can learn from him.

As leaders, having a strong sense of our own purpose attracts others and allows us to build great organizations. After all, true leadership is not so much about what is in your head as about what is in our heart and how you use that to inspire others to greatness.

The things that matters

"Before you wonder am I doing things right? Ask am I doings the right things?

That was the crux of the message at the 9+3 review meeting yesterday. 

The are times when life bears down on us like an unrelenting storm. I have been through such times during my 48 years, battered in both ,y professional and personal life. Now I know I can come back from those depths, wiser in life and more focused on the things that are most important to me. Too often we are focused on the wrong things.

When we invest out love and time and attention with our loved ones it pays back the greatest dividends. When we don't we risk losing something valuable.

Building a sales team

"Please find attached five resumes for your review" the email from Chui came with five attachments

Thee is a striking similarity between building a sales team and building a sports team. Consideration must be given to the interaction of the team.

The best goal scorer who ever lived will fail if he does not have the midfield or wingers to supply him with passes and crosses. Many great goalkeepers did not become great if they do not have the defensive line in front of him.

So as we look at building a sales team, we must look not simply at what each person can or can't do, but how each person fits into the team - and fits into the game plan that the team is supposed to implement.

If work is fun, it's not work anymore

One of the takeaway of the Impact Leadership training the past three days was the secret of good work is good play.

We ae now permanently wired to our work, wherever we are. Even on vacation we're tethered to hand phones, tablets and laptops. At the rate corporate Singapore is working, our inner reservoir of spirit doesn't refill and soon we are running on empty. When times get tough, the body may be willing but the spirit is out to lunch. 

I try to instill fun in everything we do in the office. The fact is having fun with your friends creates infinitely more social glue than awards and incentives will ever provide. We aren't afraid to loosen up, make the best of what had to be done, and share fun with everyone.

Impact of trust

"When trust is broken" screamed the title of the article in the New York Times International Weekly yesterday. "You may have heard that love makes the world go round. But more likely, it's trust." The article started.

Trust can accelerate and mistrust can destroy any business, organisation or relationship. No matter what our role is, trust affects our influence and success. Those who are trusted are effective. Without trust, leaders lose teams.

Trust implies being reliable, dependable and capable. I have confident the chair I am sitting on can and will hold me. I don't have to waste time checking its capacity. I don't worry that it will drop me.

In a climate of trust, people are more captive, motivated, productive and willing to sacrifice for the team.