Brady Helps

The large companies I worked at often wanted head/central offices to provide strong leadership - clear direction, precise standard operating procedures, and possibly, a bit too much, in my opinion, micromanagement.

Often, we didn't trust the people who were hired to do the work, the people who directly interact with our customers.  

The pessimist in me offers a few ideas:

• They don't know what you know.
• They are not thinking of the big picture.
• They are not going to be consistent.
• We can't report up what we can't directly manage.
• They can't be trusted to do what we want.
• We know better.

Truthfully, I don't like this way of thinking - it's just not me.  

I'm a fan of Krulack's law - where the future of the business is in the hands of people doing the work, not the C-suites back home.

Why do I think this way?

• Because the people who do the work, presumably, are hired for their passion.
• Because the people who do the work see, first hand, the customer.
• Because the people who do the work can quickly innovate new solutions and share them up and out!

It's like putting sand in your gently cupped palm and then squeezing - most of the sand will be squeezed out. In the same way, why would an organization squeeze out its talent

If I've learned anything about leadership or how to step into a posture of possibility, it's that leadership can be done at any level and from anywhere - even in the middle of the ocean.

If you wear glasses, it's possible that when you take them off, the world appears blurry. If you wear glasses, the lenses may tint as you step into the sun. If you wear glasses, you may not be able to see well at night. If you wear glasses, the world may not look the same to you as it does for others. Sometimes, the problems in front of you are blurry, aren't easily solved, "too hard" or "too big" to fix. But, put on a pair of glasses, and those problems become solutions. The metaphorical glasses I'm referencing are the mindset of possibility. When you adopt the posture of possibility, the path to a solution becomes clear.Oh, I have no idea why I have an obsession with cute dog pics. Perhaps, it’s my subliminal mind telling me to get a dog. Perhaps, I need more cute things in my life. Who knows!

Art takes as much intentional time as it needs for something to realize. If you're trying to decide if you're being productive or not, perhaps the question ought to be... Am I being intentional with my time to make something worth something for someone else? If your answer is "no," perhaps it's time to set an intention and do the work. If the answer is "yes," show your work and get invited to do more of it.

I originally started this blog as a way to save money.  I would take books out of the library, read them, and capture my learnings via the blog. In this way, I'll always be able to go back to what I learned, plus, share my learnings with others.  I've noticed that the more and more I read, the more and more my thoughts start to shift. And, sometimes what I end up posting is a result of my own original thinking as well.  Well, today, as requested by your fellow subscriber, Chris, here are the books I've read since starting the blog:I started off reading Seth Godin's, Tribes. If you know my work, you know I'm heavily influenced by his, and Simon Sinek's work. This book introduced me to the concept of giving the team I lead (700+ people) a north star.Measure What Matters joined the bookshelf when I was trying to understand why my last employer was embracing "Objectives and Key-Result" oriented thought. It felt like an affront to my "agile/creative" mindset, and what better way to understand what you're trying to do than read the book!Big Red Fez, is the Seth Godin treatise on website design. The examples are dated, but theories on design are still relevant.Steven Pressfield's classic, The War of Art, is a must-have if you're hitting a block between what you believe yourself to be capable of, and what you're actually doing now.In general, I hate meetings of all kinds that are "updates" or "check-ins." However, Priya Parker's generous work offers a new way to think about meetings, The Art of Gathering.How do you make decisions when you don't have all the facts in front of you? You start Thinking in Bets.There's much more to comics than meets the eye. Scott McCloud can help you understand not just how to "Understand Comics" but also how to create art.We are short on attention these days. If you want to share your work with the others, you need their attention. Herschel Gordon Lewis' thoughts on copywriting and direct-response mail can help - Direct Mail Copy That Works.Bernadette Jiwa, her blog, and her work have influenced my thinking in stories. To learn more, check out works such as Story Driven, Difference, and Make Your Ideas Matter.Michael Stanier has offered a humorous, concise, and effective way to genuinely learn from and help others through The Coaching Habit.This is my go-to book when I'm stuck and need ideas - A Beautiful Constraint. The print-version makes an excellent coffee table book.Artists steal from one another, and it's okay. We build off each other's ideas. Here's a book about ethical stealing and why it matters - Steal Like an Artist.The multi-page business plan is dead, long live the business plan. Now, check out a more effective one-page alternative. The paper version is rich with graphics.  Business Model Generation.Humorous, batty, bonkers, and wildly out-of-the-box, Rory Sutherland's Alchemy offers an alternative way of looking at brands and communicating with others.Malcom Gladwell's Tipping Point is a classic for anybody that wants to spread a message.Seth's bestseller, This is Marketing, has a permanent place on the desk.  I love to read. I'm sure there are other books that I have not mentioned. I'm not one for "I read 35 books last year" kinda statements. Instead, I'm one for learning as much as I can from anywhere I can - even if it's from my mistakes.For you, I hope the book list offers some insights and inspiration.

There's a powerful force out there seizing your attention as I type. Why aren't you stopping it?It's a practice that I engage in as well - direct response communication. Also known as "force communication."  It's a form of writing seeking to engage the reader.  The title of this blog is a form of direct-response communication. I'm asking if you "know" something, and hopefully, you're wondering to yourself, "Do I?"The first sentence of today's entry, "there's a powerful force out there seizing your attention... Why aren't you stopping it?In this first sentence, I'm capitalizing on your interest in the title and taking you a step further by making you question your safety.  Pâro, the feeling that no matter what you do is somehow wrong, offers us some insight.Every day advertisers and content creators are finding new and innovative ways to capture your attention.  "Why didn't you know about...?"  "Isn't it time that we...?""Trump wants military policing... What are you gonna do?""What can we do to keep the democrats from taking our guns?""Why aren't you posting more on LinkedIn?""If you're silent, you're part of the problem."Pâro is that feeling of, it's never going to get better. I'm never going to escape the downward cycle of bad news and self-doubt.  Truly the feeling sucks. But, if we know what it's for, to cause doubt, we might have an opportunity to do something about it.What can we do?Check-in with yourself.  Ask, "What am I doubting?"Ask, "Where am I heading? What's my goal?"Ask, "What is this goal for?"Ask, "Is this still what I want to do?"Then, do it.  If a title made you question your diet choices, ask those questions, then do what you feel is right.If a title made you think about your voice in a social justice movement, ask those questions, then do what you feel is right.If a blog made you think about self-help books and whether or not they're criminal (like this!)...Well, read the blog and tell your friends about it.  You might just help someone else get over their pâro.

In his blog, The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, John offers a word I believe is relevant - pâro. (Par-oh)What is pâro?First, watch this video.

Second, tune in for tomorrow's post about why this word is so relevant to you.

I was recently emailing with a friend of mine.I offered this individual a gift.They responded, "you don't have to, it's not necessary."No true gift is free of risk.My quick analysis is that giving a gift was a disruption.Here's how I imagine their subconscious to have responded:"I have everything that I need, am I missing something? Oh no! Maybe I don't! Quick, do I have everything? What do I need? Do we have food?" - Friend’s SubconsciousThen they calmly respond, "You don't have to, it's not necessary."For 1/10 of 1/100000ths of a second, there was a momentary risk. A feeling that they might not have what they need - a disruption. Then, followed by acceptance.  Of course, giving a gift is not necessary.That's why we give gifts.

"If we are motivated to solve a problem we are willing to face the fear that comes with it. It's just that a lot of us are uncomfortable with facing the fear and it's something we must get used to." - A humanMy thought is this, what is it for? Fear, what is fear for?What does fear exist to do for us?  What have we to gain from our fear?If you're like me, you probably get scared before doing anything of consequence. To this day, I still get nervous performing in front of people.  Why was fear there?  Fear was there to remind me that what I was doing was important.  Fear reminded me that I cared.So, what is fear doing for you?Is it helping you find motivation?Is fear there to check-in with you?Is fear a way for us to be mindful?Instead of "facing" fear, I'm welcoming it.  It's obviously there to help.But, like most things, it's best enjoyed in moderation.

Being in the service of others doesn't always have to be as poetic as it sounds.  

Serving others simply means being a contributor to someone's life and making a difference, even if you don't know how or why.

Serving others steps you into a posture of possibility.  

Generously giving of yourself, skills, ideas, connections, or your ear might be what others need to realize their fullest potential. Then, they may turn around and be generous to you. Imagine what that might do for you?  

Our limiting beliefs are invented. What's real is our ability to help others.  

If you want to get over your limitations, consider finding more ways to serve others - even if it's just being a good friend.

I used to lead a large music department for a cruise line. Like many large companies, complicated systems exist to measure as much activity as possible - especially performance.  We'd then slice these metrics a hundred ways; adjust scores when we have too many people scoring too high; and require justification for every rating. It was too much. Admittedly, I wasn't part of the solution as I often over-complicate.  Now, years later, I'm sitting here and reflecting on the experience. What could I have done differently? What would I do differently moving forward?  I would have asked, "what are scores for?" Determining how well we've accomplished a task against a "standard."  Comparing ourselves against others.Gauging progress over time and learning from failure.But, I think that's a bit short-sighted if I can be honest. I think I would have asked a broader question, "what is work for?"To me, work is for "communicating an idea to another human through a medium that hopefully changes their life in a meaningful way."Writing this blog is work. I get to do more of this work every day, and I love it.  Representing your client is work. An attorney communicates the idea of "you're safe, I've got your back" through their problem-solving abilities. It's their hope that this changes their client's life in a meaningful way.Being a parent is work. A parent gets to communicate the idea of "you're safe, I'm here to help you grow into the human you'll be proud to know" through their actions. It's their hope that the human in their care will fully develop into one that serves their tribe. So, if that's work, then "what's a score for?"It's invented.  It's invented by other humans to measure something because that's what humans do, measure. It makes us "feel" safe to "measure." But, I submit to you, this is an illusion of your own creation.  If it's an illusion, then "how do we know what we're doing is right?"Simple.Give yourself an A. Tell yourself you exceeded expectations. Rate yourself the highest you possibly can. Then, tell yourself what you did to deserve it.  Some might say, "David, that's just opening yourself up for laziness."Sure. But, the lazy person doesn't read this blog - you are not lazy.  You want to do more of the work that matters.   You need others to get out of your way.  You need to get out of your own way.  Today, or soon, write yourself a letter/email/voice memo. This letter will be addressed to you. And, you'll author the letter as "future you." Then, in the letter, write all the things you did to earn the "A.""June 11, 2021Happy Birthday, David!A year ago, today, you challenged me to deliver useful content to my readers. You challenged me to do this better than I did it in the previous year. I accepted your challenge. And, because of my efforts, I've received an 'A' for the work. Here's what I did...With love and deep respect,David Brady"Maybe next year, June 11, 2021, I'll take a look and see if I did is what I said I was going to do - that's accountability. It's also what a score is for.