distinctive leadership | ralf schwartz

A Book a Day Keeps the Inner Idiot Away

Of course, nobody does have the time to read a book today. Of course, everybody must solve urgent problems, smaller and more severe catastrophes. Of course, nobody has the time to question themselves, or to question the status quo, or to question the future. Of course, nobody finds the time to rethink, innovate, revolutionize the product, brand, business model.
Believe it, or not, exactly that is the biggest problem of them all.

We are captivated by what we call 'practical constraints'. We are the slaves of our short-time thinking, our sense-making, our denial, and lack of intellect, intuition, and imagination. We cultivate our tunnel vision instead of our beginner's mind and quest for new horizons. We are doomed to fail.

Via yama-bato.

Books give you a new perspective, new philosophies, and new pattern recognition abilities. Books are bigger than life, bigger than ourselves. Reading a book means standing on the shoulders of giants. Reading a book means leaving the daily rat-race, and leaving our business mazes behind. Reading a book means seeing the wood for the trees again.

Dan Ariely: "The Upside of Irrationality"

Via Helge Tenno.

More about Dan's new book: 

- "The Upside of Irrationality".

More about Dan Ariely at inspiration/leader:

- Book Review > "Dan Ariely : Predictably Irrational",
- TED-Video > "Dan Ariely - Predictably Irrational".

Eigentlich ein inspiration/leader-Thema: "Amir Antwortet Ausweichend!"

Weil es hier so gut paßt, möchte ich heute auf die mediaclinique verweisen: "Amir Antwortet Ausweichend". Damit hat Amir sich weiß Gott kein Triple-A-Rating der Kommunikation verdient.

Gerade in Zeiten von Social Media, gerade als Identifikationsfigur vieler, vieler Kreativer, wäre es natürlich wünschenswert, würde Amir Kassaei auch vorbildlich kommunizieren.

Viel zu oft vergessen CEOs, et al. die Regeln guter, klarer, kontextualer Kommunikation. Dies im Besonderen, fühlen sie sich (vermeintlich) angegangen. Einer Persönlichkeit, die mitten im Rampenlicht des Unternehmens, der Branche, der Politik oder der Medien steht, sollte dies aber nicht zu schaffen machen.

Vielmehr sollte man dies als Chance nutzen, auch den letzten Zweifler, Andersdenkenden, Abtrünnigen mit Charme, Authentizität und vorbildlich konstruktivem Dialog (und entsprechenden Argumenten) für sich zu gewinnen.

Make it Your Habit Not to be Critical ...

Via inthefigtree.

Forget Your Maps - Use Your Intuition!

While riding my bike I saw many people, young and old, looking at maps to find their way through the banks, forests, and nature reserves.

Why have they been there? To bike? To enjoy the air, nature, sun, and ride? To talk with their friends and partners?

Why do they need a map? Why don't they just enjoy the venue, the surrounding, the moment? Why don't they just curiously stroll along?

Is there a shortcut to what they are searching for? I think the journey itself is the reward.

The map will give you just beaten pathes. No surprises. Just many people, walking down the same road. No innovation, no imagination. Just roads. Be curious, don't follow a map. Be innovative, go your own way.

Use your intuition, discover new horizons, discover mental riches. Inspire the others to drop their maps, and start discovering. We desperately long for courageous discoverers - don't need no card readers.

End of Thinking Capacity!

Via cicconeyouthh.

Challenge Yourself: "Is what you're doing right now really that important?"

Via madeleinepascal.

If not, then why do you do it?

If you don't know, then why do you do it?
If you don't know, ask someone who should know.
If s/he can't tell, then why do you do it?

What is truly relevant in your job? Why don't you do that?
What is it what only you can do? Is that important? Why don't you do it?

Does anybody around you do something important? Relevant? Distinctive?
Is there anybody around you relevant?

No? So what the hell are you doing there?
Get out! Get a life! Add meaning!

Be a Spark! Change the Game! Leave a Mark!

Lead, Follow or Get the Hell out of the Way

Harsh words in that headline, yes. But sometimes they have to be said. You will have to decide, what's your best move - if you move at all. You better do.

Via thechocolatebrigade.

All three possibilities imply you have to move anyway. You have to act, you have to perform. And if you already move, you can do it right, you can follow for a while, and learn how to lead.

Or you decide to lead. Than do it right, become a role model, an example - for all those you wish to follow yourself. Inspire them, engage them, develop a motivating culture.

Or get the hell out of the way. Do not throw a spanner in the works, do not become a friction loss - by endlessly discussing. Make it better - or go. Show how it has to be done. Deliver. But do not argue all day.

Convince people by action not just words. Lead. You can do it. Act now!

Be Curious! - You will need no other Talent!

Via thechocolatebrigade.

Just before I saw that this is a quote by Einstein, I thought:

Right, you really do not need any other talents than being passionately curious. Curiosity is the beginning of it all. Curiosity will lead your way, your path. Stay curious. Stay hungry - like Steve Jobs put it.

Of course this is not the shallow curiosity of surfacing or just digging your toe in. This is the curiosity of the child longing to understand the universe. Digging deeper and deeper, as long as there are answers.

A curiosity, which finds its own way. Which paves a life, a career. Where your inner curiosity becomes your calling. Where your calling inspires others.

Follow your curiosity, build your experiences, strive to perfect your intuition.

Your curiosity sparks imagination, creativity, and innovation. Your curiosity is the only way you, your brand, corporation, habitat, society will develop and prosper.

Save your curiosity from being choked by kindergarten, school, university, your job. Save your colleagues curiosity. Develop means and measures to stay curious as an organisation, corporation, society.

Never let anybody keep you from discovering, learning, exploring, developing.

Leadership not Deeply Rooted in a Foundation of Truth is Destined to Fail

This - for some - might sound old-fashioned, out-of-time, but it is the foundation of culture, coexistence, trust, cooperation ...

"Telling the truth is a habit.

Telling the Truth is the right thing to do.

The heaviest baggage you can carry is a lie.

Lies will always come back to haunt you.

Lies create a barrier to personal and professional development.

Truth strengthens your reputation & enhances your personal brand.

Truth deepens the quality of relationships.

A clear conscience leads to a healthy mind.

Truth is a powerful example."

Please read more at Leadership and Truth.

Be 'courageous' and - just for one day - experience the benefits of being honest. You will see that people will love it.

"I had a Dream: 90 Schweigeminuten gegen die Berliner Un-Politik" by mediaclinique

(Crossposted from mediaclinique)

Ich hatte einen Traum. Ich träumte, wir erlebten heute die größte, nationale Demonstration von Volkes Willen, Meinung und Einigkeit, die es je gegeben hat.

Ich träumte, wir hätten alle den gleichen Traum

Ich träumte, wir würden Politik, unser eigenes Schicksal, unsere Zukunft genauso ernst nehmen wie ein Fußballspiel.

Ich träumte, wir würden heute ein Zeichen setzen gegen diese Regierung in Berlin und ihre Politik. Träumte, wir würden alle an einem Strang ziehen, erkennen, daß wir in einem Boot sitzen, einfürallemal der Politik klarmachen, daß sie momentan dieses Land gegen die Wand fährt.

Ich träumte, wir würden heute dieser Regierung - und der ganzen Welt - zeigen, daß wir es ernst meinen, daß es so nicht weitergeht, daß die Politik die Sommerpause nutzen kann, um eine Vision zu entwickeln - und einen fairen, gerechten, zukunftsfähigen, herausfordernden Plan, diese Vision zu realisieren.

Ich träumte, wir gäben dieser Regierung keine Sommerpause, sondern nur eine letzte Chance (ich träume schon gar nicht mehr, diese Regierung würde von selbst und alleine auf diese Idee kommen).

Ich träumte, wir setzten ein Zeichen - und bereiteten dies so vor:

- Alle Deutschland-Flaggen allüberall wurden heute geschwärzt.
- Alle Deutschland-Rückspiegel-Kondome wurden heute geschwärzt.
- Alle Blüten-Kränze wurden heute geschwärzt.
- Heute trugen alle nicht das weiße, sondern das schwarze Trikot.

Ich träumte, wir setzten ein Zeichen - und kommunizierten dies so:

- Jedes Blog und jedes traditionelle Medium crosspostete diesen Artikel.
- Jeder, der dies las, tweetete, likedte(?), facebookte, diggte, verbreitete es.
- Jeder, der dies las, mailte den Text an Freunde, Bekannte, Geschäftspartner.
- Jeder, der dies las, übersetzte den Text in seine Muttersprache und sendete ihn in sein Heimatland, wo die internationale Presse das Thema aufgriff.
- Jeder, der dies las, druckte diese Zeilen aus und tackerte sie an den nächsten Baum, legte das Flugblatt in der nächsten Kneipe, seiner Schule, seiner Firma aus, las den Text seinen Eltern vor, hängte ihn in den nächsten Aufzug.

Ich träumte, wir setzten heute ein Zeichen - und zwar einfach so:

- Von allen Autos, Fenstern und Dächern wehten nur schwarze Flaggen.
- Auf allen Public Viewings wehten nur schwarze Flaggen.
- Auf allen Public Viewings erklangen 90 Minuten vor Spielbeginn keine Vuvuzelas, keine Sirenen, kein lauter Applaus.
- Auf allen Public Viewings gab es 90 Minuten vor Spielbeginn nur Stille und Schweigen, 90 Schweigeminuten gegen die Berliner Un-Politik.

90 Schweigeminuten von Hunderttausenden. 90 Schweigeminuten von Millionen Menschen. 90 Schweigeminuten gegen das beredte Schweigen. 90 Schweigeminuten gegen die Berliner Apathie. 90 Schweigeminuten gegen unser aller Lethargie.

Ich hatte einen Traum. Dann wurde ich wach. Alle anderen schliefen noch ...

Golden Rule: Change Will Keep You Alive!

Change will keep you alive - and I am not talking about the change politicians and bosses would love to impose on you. I am not talking about re-actions, not talking about adoption or adaption.

I am talking about real change, change we can believe in (no, not the change Obama is giving us since ... too long).
And I am not talking about change for change's sake.

I am talking about change as Kaizen, as continuous improvement, as evolution. I am talking about change as disruption, as disruptive innovation, as revolution.

Via patrill.

If you stay curious, if you read, watch, learn, if you reflect and develop, if you continuously look for ways and means to become more effective and efficient in the pursuit of your goals, you will be happier, more satisfied and even aspirational (than before). If you implement and realize your ideas and concepts, you will feel more alive - because you understand you can change(!) things, routes, outcomes.

You become the master of your (business) life. You master your life and life's challenges more easily, because you are curious, alert, mindful. You react faster, more intuitive and empathetic.

You understand people, motivations, and see the wood before the trees. You feel powerful because you are, you yourself change your world, you are not merely subject to change, but initialize change yourself. You change and move the world.

By being relevant to other people's fate you inspire them to follow you, to start thinking, too, to start changing and developing themselves.
Be a Spark! Change the Game! Leave a Mark!

Read also: "Do You Remember When You were Young?".

Destinations - And How to Get There

Via thechocolatebrigade.

TED: Clay Shirky > How Cognitive Surplus will Change the World

Via.