Albert Einstein had a formula for success. Can you believe that? One of the greatest minds of all time developed a math formula for success! I suggest you read this carefully—this may be the most important math equation you will ever see.
Einstein said, "If A equals success, then the formula is: A=X+Y+Z.
X is work.
Y is play.
Z is keep your mouth shut."
Einstein no doubt had an excellent sense of humor. Let's look at the 3 variables in this equation. They are:
1. Work
2. Play
3. Keeping your mouth shut!
1. Work: Albert Einstein had a tremendous work ethic and because of that gave more to society and modern science than any person in recent times.
2. Play: Einstein, however, did not work 24 hours a day and made time for fun and relaxation. His idea of fun may have been different than yours, but that doesn't mean it still wasn't play.
3. Keeping your mouth shut: Finally, my favorite part of his success formula is to keep your mouth shut. I genuinely believe that the person who talks the least says the most. A friend of mine complains that the woman he is dating talks too much. I don't know how to break the news to him; however, the problem is not that she talks too much. It simply is the fact that he is irritated that he isn't able to talk. Now, let me just say this is not a generic man and woman statement. I am speaking about a specific person I know. His desire is to constantly talk and because he likes to talk so much, he will talk in circles. If you let him talk long enough he will repeat the same thing three times and then contradict himself. His desire is not to hear but to be heard.
Albert Einstein, on the other hand, had nothing to prove. He felt no need to be the "Chatty Cathy" he could have been with his knowledge. It wasn't important to him to talk to everyone he met and talk over their heads to demonstrate his IQ. Instead, he learned the value of quietness and solitude.
Shift your mind-set from being a talker to a listener. It has been said that you can make more friends in five minutes by becoming interested in others than you can make in five years of trying to get others interested in you! How do you become interested in others? You ask questions and then keep your mouth shut!
Dale Carnegie wrote a best-selling book titled How to Win Friends and Influence People. One of the key premises of this book was that everyone's favorite subject is actually themselves and that the sweetest sound to their ears is the sound of their own name. Einstein knew this and realized he could influence others by choosing his spots to speak and validating others by extending them the courtesy of listening.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Never Give Up - How to Live a Meaningful Life
As the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Carson, 57, was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this year for his groundbreaking contributions to medicine and his efforts to help America’s youth fulfill their potential.
Dr. Carson shares his philosophy of what he believes creates a successful—and meaningful—life through the acronym THINK BIG. He instills his message in the students awarded the Carson Scholars Fund scholarships, but says that these ideas can be useful to anyone, from any walk of life or any age.
Talent and time. Recognize them as gifts.
Hope for good things and be honest.
Insight from people and good books.
Be Nice to all people.
Knowledge: Recognize it as the key to living.
Books: Read them actively.
In-depth learning skills: Develop them.
God. Everyone has their own beliefs. When you THINK BIG, what does the “G” stand for in your life?
Dr. Carson shares his philosophy of what he believes creates a successful—and meaningful—life through the acronym THINK BIG. He instills his message in the students awarded the Carson Scholars Fund scholarships, but says that these ideas can be useful to anyone, from any walk of life or any age.
Talent and time. Recognize them as gifts.
Hope for good things and be honest.
Insight from people and good books.
Be Nice to all people.
Knowledge: Recognize it as the key to living.
Books: Read them actively.
In-depth learning skills: Develop them.
God. Everyone has their own beliefs. When you THINK BIG, what does the “G” stand for in your life?
Beautiful Advice to Live By
Supermodel-turned-entrepreneur Kathy Ireland explains the keys to her success.
Obstacles: “They’re there, all the time. There’s just no getting around it. There will be moments when I’ll have a little pity party and, hopefully, those are just moments. And then it’s moving on: ‘How are we going to get through this? And let’s look at it as an opportunity.’ Every time we have had a serious challenge, looking back, it was an opportunity for great growth that would not have happened had we not had that challenge. So I welcome challenges today. I really do. Consider it pure joy, that’s how I feel about challenges. They give us character. They help refi ne us and give us strength and make us better. And if we’re not having challenges, we’re not trying hard enough. We’re not pushing. We’re not growing.”
Personal Branding: “Recognize that you are your own brand— whether we like it or not. And every experience is a lasting brand impression. And the question is, ‘What kind of a brand are we? Are we reliable? Are we innovative? Are we loyal? Do we consider showing up to work 10 minutes early being on time? Or are we perpetually late? Do we bring our personal [life] to work with us? Are we negative? Do we have a hard time getting along with others?’ And if we need to make a change, that change ought to happen right away.”
Time Management: “There are only 24 hours in a day—we’re never going to get any more. We don’t get extra Brownie points for staying up all night working on a project. We’ve got to work smart. Protect your time. Protect those priorities. Protect your family and your needs. And it takes planning. With our team, we like to plan our calendars 18 months in advance and, doing that, there are always daily changes. That just happens all the time. But at least if we can get a grip on the calendar, then we can fi gure out what’s truly important.”
Philanthropy: “I don’t know that anyone wants to feel like they are a charity. But investing in people [is important]. I refer to it as social entrepreneurialism. I spoke at the U.N. this past summer [2007] with a group of young people from all over the world on social entrepreneurship. There are so many opportunities, whether local or global, to change the world.”
Goals: “I like to write things down, to make lists. When I have a goal, I want to have a plan. A clear plan and a strategy. Our son, not that long ago, shared with me—he’s 13 years old—that he’s going to want to buy a truck. So we talked about it. I basically asked him four questions: ‘How much money do you want? What are you going to do once you have it? How are you going to get that? What is your timetable?’ And that’s something we all have to do when we have a goal, otherwise our dreams are forever going to remain a dream.”
Obstacles: “They’re there, all the time. There’s just no getting around it. There will be moments when I’ll have a little pity party and, hopefully, those are just moments. And then it’s moving on: ‘How are we going to get through this? And let’s look at it as an opportunity.’ Every time we have had a serious challenge, looking back, it was an opportunity for great growth that would not have happened had we not had that challenge. So I welcome challenges today. I really do. Consider it pure joy, that’s how I feel about challenges. They give us character. They help refi ne us and give us strength and make us better. And if we’re not having challenges, we’re not trying hard enough. We’re not pushing. We’re not growing.”
Personal Branding: “Recognize that you are your own brand— whether we like it or not. And every experience is a lasting brand impression. And the question is, ‘What kind of a brand are we? Are we reliable? Are we innovative? Are we loyal? Do we consider showing up to work 10 minutes early being on time? Or are we perpetually late? Do we bring our personal [life] to work with us? Are we negative? Do we have a hard time getting along with others?’ And if we need to make a change, that change ought to happen right away.”
Time Management: “There are only 24 hours in a day—we’re never going to get any more. We don’t get extra Brownie points for staying up all night working on a project. We’ve got to work smart. Protect your time. Protect those priorities. Protect your family and your needs. And it takes planning. With our team, we like to plan our calendars 18 months in advance and, doing that, there are always daily changes. That just happens all the time. But at least if we can get a grip on the calendar, then we can fi gure out what’s truly important.”
Philanthropy: “I don’t know that anyone wants to feel like they are a charity. But investing in people [is important]. I refer to it as social entrepreneurialism. I spoke at the U.N. this past summer [2007] with a group of young people from all over the world on social entrepreneurship. There are so many opportunities, whether local or global, to change the world.”
Goals: “I like to write things down, to make lists. When I have a goal, I want to have a plan. A clear plan and a strategy. Our son, not that long ago, shared with me—he’s 13 years old—that he’s going to want to buy a truck. So we talked about it. I basically asked him four questions: ‘How much money do you want? What are you going to do once you have it? How are you going to get that? What is your timetable?’ And that’s something we all have to do when we have a goal, otherwise our dreams are forever going to remain a dream.”
Monday, May 19, 2008
Memo to a Young Leader: What Kind of Boss Are You?
I spend a lot of time thinking and writing about the challenges of talented young people frustrated with life inside big organizations—game-changers who spend much of their time questioning authority . In this post, I’d like to turn the tables and address talented young people who find themselves exercising authority: leading a project team, running a product-development group, starting a new business unit.
If you’re the new boss, how do you make sure that you don’t repeat the bad habits of the old bosses who drove you crazy? My advice is to develop solid answers to five make-or-break questions for aspiring leaders.
1. Why should great people want to work with you? The best leaders understand that the most talented performers aren’t motivated primarily by money or status. Great people want to work on exciting projects. Great people want to feel like impact players. Put simply, great people want to feel like they’re part of something greater than themselves.
Early on in their company’s history, Google’s founders made clear that they considered the talent issue a make-or-break strategic issue for the future. So they published a Top Ten list of why the world’s best researchers, software programmers, and marketers should work at the Googleplex—and never once did they mention stock options or bonuses. Reason #2: “Life is beautiful. Being part of something that matters and working on products in which you can believe is remarkably fulfilling.” Reason #9: “Boldly go where no one has gone before. There are hundreds of challenges yet to solve. Your creative ideas matter here and are worth exploring.”
What’s your version of Google’s Top Ten list? Have you set out the most compelling reasons for great people to work on your team, in your division, at your company?
2. Do you know a great person when you see one? It’s a lot easier to be the right kind of leader if you’re running a team or department filled with the right kind of people. Indeed, as I reflect on the best workplaces I’ve visited, I’ve come to appreciate how much time and energy leaders spend on who gets to be there. These workplaces may feel different, but the organizing principle is the same: When it comes to evaluating talent, character counts for as much as credentials. Do you know what makes your star performers tick—and how to find more performers who share those attributes?
3. Can you find great people who aren’t looking for you? It’s a common-sense insight that’s commonly forgotten: The most talented performers tend to be in jobs they like, working with people they enjoy, on projects that keep them challenged. So leaders who are content to fill their organizations with people actively looking for jobs risk attracting malcontents and mediocre performers. The trick is to win over so-called “passive” jobseekers. These people may be outside your company, or they may be in a different department from inside your company, but they won’t work for you unless you work hard to persuade them to join.
4. Are you great at teaching great people how your team or company works and wins? Even the most highly focused specialists (software programmers, graphic designers, marketing wizards) are at their best when they appreciate how the whole business operates. That’s partly a matter of sharing financial statements: Can every person learn how to think like a businessperson? But it’s mainly a matter of shared understanding: Can smart people work on making everyone else in the organization smarter about the business?
5. Are you as tough on yourself as you are on your people? There’s no question that talented and ambitious young people have high expectations—for themselves, for their team or company, for their colleagues. Which is why they can be so tough on their leaders.
The ultimate challenge for a new boss who is determined not to be the same as the old boss is to demonstrate those same lofty expectations—for their behavior as leaders. One of my favorite HR gurus, Professor John Sullivan of San Francisco State University, says it best: “Stars don’t work for idiots.”
So here’s hoping that your team or department is filled with stars—and that they never think of you as an idiot.
If you’re the new boss, how do you make sure that you don’t repeat the bad habits of the old bosses who drove you crazy? My advice is to develop solid answers to five make-or-break questions for aspiring leaders.
1. Why should great people want to work with you? The best leaders understand that the most talented performers aren’t motivated primarily by money or status. Great people want to work on exciting projects. Great people want to feel like impact players. Put simply, great people want to feel like they’re part of something greater than themselves.
Early on in their company’s history, Google’s founders made clear that they considered the talent issue a make-or-break strategic issue for the future. So they published a Top Ten list of why the world’s best researchers, software programmers, and marketers should work at the Googleplex—and never once did they mention stock options or bonuses. Reason #2: “Life is beautiful. Being part of something that matters and working on products in which you can believe is remarkably fulfilling.” Reason #9: “Boldly go where no one has gone before. There are hundreds of challenges yet to solve. Your creative ideas matter here and are worth exploring.”
What’s your version of Google’s Top Ten list? Have you set out the most compelling reasons for great people to work on your team, in your division, at your company?
2. Do you know a great person when you see one? It’s a lot easier to be the right kind of leader if you’re running a team or department filled with the right kind of people. Indeed, as I reflect on the best workplaces I’ve visited, I’ve come to appreciate how much time and energy leaders spend on who gets to be there. These workplaces may feel different, but the organizing principle is the same: When it comes to evaluating talent, character counts for as much as credentials. Do you know what makes your star performers tick—and how to find more performers who share those attributes?
3. Can you find great people who aren’t looking for you? It’s a common-sense insight that’s commonly forgotten: The most talented performers tend to be in jobs they like, working with people they enjoy, on projects that keep them challenged. So leaders who are content to fill their organizations with people actively looking for jobs risk attracting malcontents and mediocre performers. The trick is to win over so-called “passive” jobseekers. These people may be outside your company, or they may be in a different department from inside your company, but they won’t work for you unless you work hard to persuade them to join.
4. Are you great at teaching great people how your team or company works and wins? Even the most highly focused specialists (software programmers, graphic designers, marketing wizards) are at their best when they appreciate how the whole business operates. That’s partly a matter of sharing financial statements: Can every person learn how to think like a businessperson? But it’s mainly a matter of shared understanding: Can smart people work on making everyone else in the organization smarter about the business?
5. Are you as tough on yourself as you are on your people? There’s no question that talented and ambitious young people have high expectations—for themselves, for their team or company, for their colleagues. Which is why they can be so tough on their leaders.
The ultimate challenge for a new boss who is determined not to be the same as the old boss is to demonstrate those same lofty expectations—for their behavior as leaders. One of my favorite HR gurus, Professor John Sullivan of San Francisco State University, says it best: “Stars don’t work for idiots.”
So here’s hoping that your team or department is filled with stars—and that they never think of you as an idiot.
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