Why you should focus on the sauce over the numbers
Well this was certainly quite the week. Of waiting. Of another round of faulty predictions. Highlights the fact that we can often miss signals. Misdiagnose a situation. I have no knowledge of how to predict political winners but I wasn't counting on a landslide. I did exhale over the weekend. A bit of good news for those who choose decency and science over division and lies. Yet shocking to me that after all that's transpired over the past four years that 71,000,000 still voted for misogyny and hate. Yet how much of that is because most do not think critically or simply go with the herd? What I learned is that people tend to vote not for the most qualified. But the most charismatic. And you could say there was one side that had a particularly strong brand of charisma.
"Nothing has ever been solved by hate." - Maya Angelou
The numbers aren’t the story
I talk about the art and soul of business this week. Something that often seems to get lost in the numbers. What's missing is that the financials are the result of all of the activities a company does to create change in the world. From the product to the brand to the community. It pays off in the numbers. Positive financials result from doing things well.
The pandemic has left a lot of talent out in the pasture. Out standing in the field more than outstanding. Available jobs often see hundreds of resumes. Most of which look the same. When businesses are solely focused on being the same. and achieving the numbers (which is natural given what business schools and the markets teach), soul takes a back seat.
People are headcount and cogs. Not linchpins and catalysts. It's a quick trip to the bottom. As an employee, if you are only chasing the money, it's hard to tell a compelling story for why someone should choose you. It's hard for you to be any different than a business that focuses only on the numbers.
Being the same is easy. You just have to copy what everyone else is doing. Being different means you have to choose who you're for and who you are not for. That risks alienation.
Being the same also means you can be easily replaced. You become a commodity.
Creating a secret sauce that makes a company or individual unique. Have you taken time to create your secret sauce? Or thought about which companies had a secret sauce? Like Nike who became immensely profitable by focusing on soul over profit. Nike has always stood for something more. And they made their numbers. And then some. Yes, they've had to let people go. Remake themselves. They haven't done everything perfectly. But they have always stood for something. Plain vanilla never describes Nike.
What's your curiosity?
How curious are you? There's much talk about purpose and vision. Finding your purpose. Living your purpose. I've talked about it a lot myself. Yet what if you don't know? I'm not sure I can articulate what my core purpose is. I'm still on a quest to create this life. To inspire others. Yet is that my purpose? Or is it because I'm curious? Purpose is grandiose. What if you chose to be curious. To ask the questions others don't ask that take you down interesting paths. And connect dots in interesting ways. Being curious gets you out of operating strictly mechanically. It helps connect you with your soul. With art.
And I think that's where the magic lies. That's where you can create the well-lived life. The second film I talked about last week.
Purpose is almost like a BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). Not bad. We should take moonshots. I think curiosity is like a friend that's with you always. It takes you step by step down the road towards your goals. Reid Hoffman of LinkedIn talks about F-TAGS: finite, tidy, achievable goals. It's what you can achieve in the now or near term. Which takes you towards your larger purpose or vision.
Curiosity is something I've sought in those I've hired. If one is curious they are better problem solvers. They don't accept the status quo. I also find it hard to teach. If one isn't curious, it's tough to spark it.
I see curiosity as fuel. It moves you forward. What do you think? Agree? Disagree?
From desperation to inspiration
When any of us approach our work out of desperation, we close ourselves off to our soul. We just need the next buck to keep the lights on. In tough times, it can be hard to keep the soul alive when it's a fight to survive.
I certainly don't have advice for the thousands of restaurants, events and entertainers who suddenly found themselves closed this year without the resources to weather the storm. It's enough to kill the most intrepid soul.
Yet, there is still opportunity in the rubble. Maybe not doing the same thing, but thinking about where and how to change course and create something new. Reading Richard Koch's 80/20 Rule, he talks about enabling the subconscious to do the hard work for you.
Your conscious mind is going to focus on desperation. But your subconscious can be programmed to create by the thoughts you direct it's way. It's why you are what you think. And why it's important to nip the desperate negative self-talk fast. When you're inspired you are in a place of creating more than you dreamt possible. It's why vision boarding works.
I can speak personally to this. As some know I found myself one of those left in the pasture this summer. I have danced with both possibility and negative self talk. It feels a helluva lot better to focus on what can be rather than what is. It's what's behind the work I'm doing now.
And why, even though it's taking time to gain traction, I'm able to approach each day with a spirit of excitement. Yes, there are tough days. There are days with doubt. But there are more days when I'm focused on creating what's possible. Doing the work. Showing up. And feeling more alive as a result. You can too.
Human IPO
In June I applied to join Human IPO "a marketplace for capitalizing human potential". A couple of weeks ago I was accepted. I go live on November 17 at 9:00 AM PST. Follow them on Instagram (@humanipo.app) and you'll see my launch video soon. I joined out of curiosity and opportunity. Why not? We’ll see what happens.
The Bus Stop Prophet
Fast Company has an article this week about why CEOs should read poetry. It ties in with the art and soul needed to rebuild and remain relevant in whatever new normal emerges from this time.
"Poetry requires of its readers a different way of thinking, more expansive than usual, more flexible, more nuanced; a way to tune in to undercurrents, accept ambiguity and the absence of answers—embrace lack of closure and relish complexity and uncertainty." - Clare Morgan + Massimo Portincaso
For a little poetry magic, have a listen to the Bus Stop Prophet, who's spent many years inspiring people of all stripes: