YIKES! Captain Kirk is 85!…Are You the Average of YOUR Peers?…Some Obvious Advice and The Dark Playground….Speaking Truth To Power-(But HOW?)….Econ Recon: Continue to Remain Calm; Don’t Fear the Debtor

“He who risks and fails can be forgiven. He who never risks and never fails is a failure in his whole being.”

Paul Tillich
German American Philosopher and Theologian

 “The biggest risk is not taking any risk. In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”

Mark Zuckerberg
Founder and CEO, Facebook

YIKES!!  Captain Kirk is 85!!

Whether you’re a fan or not, you have to admit that few entertainment franchises have had the enduring success of Star Trek as attested to by five spin off TV series, seven feature length films and a half century run. Not only will Star Trek celebrate its 50^th Anniversary this year but its central character Captain James T. Kirk (actor William Shatner, that is, who is still going strong) will turn 85 this week!! (Any Boomers out there suddenly feeling a little older?).

Several elements drove the show’s success, including the leadership themes that underscored the series. For a quick recap of the most significant ones, check out this Forbes article “Five Leadership Lessons from James T. Kirk.”

To paraphrase Spock,  “Lead Well and Prosper.”

Speaking Truth to Power…But How?

We admire those who willingly “speak truth to power,” but why don’t more of us do so? Could it be we don’t know how?

This short HBR article ”How to Disagree with Someone More Powerful Than You,” provides some excellent suggestions for you to consider before talking to your boss, a major customer or other party you perceive to be in a superior power position.

There is another side to the power problem. I learned as I advanced in my military career that if I didn’t want to hear someone say “I knew that I was going to happen,” I had to give my subordinates permission to disagree me. After hearing all the inputs, and then announcing my decision, I learned to follow the decision with a question: “What is wrong with that.” It was my announced policy (written in my policy letter and repeated often at planning sessions) that I NEVER wanted to hear “I knew that was going to happen.” By giving my subordinates permission to disagree with me (and responding with curiosity instead of stubbornness or belligerence), I rarely heard those dreadful words.

How are you “speaking to power” to those you perceive are in power positions, and how are you giving subordinates permission to disagree with you?

Some Obvious Advice and “The Dark Playground”

Remember the old adage of “How do you eat an elephant?” (Answer: “One bite at a time!”) But how do you get those massive projects started? Check out this obvious, but worthwhile advice in this one page article from Inc Magazine.

…and if today isn’t the day to stop procrastinating 🙂 , soothe your conscience by taking fifteen minutes for this funny TED talk on the two types of procrastination and staying out of the “Dark Playground.”   

Be sure to share this one with the young people in your life.

Econ Recon

Jobs Growth: The latest blog posting from Alan and Brian Beaulieu at ITR Economics looks at new data on employment and retail sales which they feel reaffirm their earlier forecast for the rest of 2016.

Don’t Fear the Debtor: Economist Brian Wesbury has healthy concerns about debt but thinks too many business people are wary of the wrong type of borrowing. Find out which is which in this one page analysis.

Are You The Average of YOUR Peers?

Executive coach Jim Rohn, who mentored Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy and other success entrepreneurs coined the now famous ‘law of life’ that ‘You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.’ 

If that’s true, The Power of Peers:  How the Company You Keep Drives Leadership, Growth and Success is required reading for every leader according to Bob Carrothers a twenty year veteran Vistage Chair who added :

“The Power of Peers is the only book I have ever seen that even begins to address the power of membership in one of these (CEO peer advisory) groups. If you lead a company of any size or if you are in a leadership position of any kind, this book is a must read!”

By introducing the concept of peer advantage, the authors remind us of two additional truths: 1) There’s no need to go it alone; and, 2) CEOs can help each other in ways they won’t find anywhere else!

The book releases officially on Tuesday, March 22.