Leadership and...

Leadership and You say TorNEIGHdo, I say TorNAHdo (Part 2)

Pete Blank — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:40:59 GMT

This is part two in a multi-part series.

The wind was wailing and getting louder...

and then even louder...

Sherri yelled "COVER THE KIDS!"

I watched as she jumped full force, body extended, onto Madison, as I did the same on Logan.

and then the noise got even louder...

and we knew that it was here.

Out of my peripheral vision to my left, I saw the walls of the basement begin to buckle and fall in. My total time of seeing it must have been less than one second, but the details that I can remember make it seem longer. I had never seen walls collapse so fast.

The noise was the next component.

There were so many different sounds all playing at the same time.

Sherri was yelling "Lord, please help us! Lord, please help us." (I find it neat that even during a near death experience, Sherri found it wise to use her manners).

Then there was the wind. Everyone you see on TV talks about the sound of a "freight train." I did not find it to sound like that. It was more of a whooshing sound. A very loud continuous whoosh! It was mixed in with rumbles.

Also, as you can imagine, there was the tremendous sound of things falling. We now know that it was trees, and floors, and sub-floors, and glass, and dishes and pots and pans, and bricks and concrete, and refrigerators and furniture. It was all being moved around and up and down. It was a very hard sound to explain...

...until two days later. That was when a backhoe came to our home to try and lift and move our home around so that we could find our things. I was standing next to Steve Brannan, an elder at the Homewood Church of Christ and a good friend.

As we were talking, the backhoe began to crush though portions of the house, making a loud crushing sound.

I leaned over to Steve and said, "That's what it sounded like, but incredibly louder..."

One thing was missing from the noise, and it was screaming. Other than Sherri's early screams, there was nothing from the kids. Both Madison and Logan were silent. I don't know if they were in shock, or just scared, or just being brave...but they were eerily silent.

The noise continued on...

Sherri and I have differing opinions on how long the "event" lasted. To me, it was about 30 seconds. She claims it was more like two minutes. Either way, it seemed like an eternity to both of us.

Everyone has been asking me what I was thinking while it was destroying our house. Both Sherri and I admit that there was no fear.

I never thought I was going to die.

I never worried about this being the end.

I did not see my life flash before my eyes.

Some say that we must have gone into "survival mode." I really didn't feel that way either. I only felt one thing, and that was to protect who I could, which happened to be Logan.

In the movie "The Blind Side", there is a scene where Sandra Bullock's character is discussing Michael Oher's standardized test grades. He scored low on just about every academic standard - except he did score in the 98th percentile in one area...protective instincts.

And that is how I felt. As I laid prostrate over my son, I had nothing on my mind except to keep him covered. My job was to protect him at all costs. In fact, a few days after the tornado, I asked Sherri, "Did you cover your head?"

She admitted she did not. Both of us were too busy covering our kids to cover our own heads.

I think this is how God feels about us as His children. I firmly believe that he wants to protect us and take care of us more than we will ever know.

So the house continues to fall in around us and on us. There was a a large piece of roof/ceiling/wall that was now laying on my back. Although I felt it on me, I never felt it "hit" me.

I never said "Ow" or "Ouch."

It just sort of covered me, as if someone were laying it down gently on my back to protect me from the bricks, cinder blocks and glass that was raining down on top of me.

Authors note: Sherri had the exact same experience. She too was covered and could not move, but has no recollection of how the materials landed on her.

Rick Bradshaw, a good friend and family member, and I led a Sunday School class a few years ago on angels and guardian angels. We did much research and it opened our eyes to the wonders of angels...and it does make me wonder...

After what seemed like forever, the noises came to a hault.

It was silent, and it was dark.

The flashlight was facing away and shining an ever-so-dim light off of the coffee table.

The silence was deafening.

Worry now hit me like a ton of bricks (pun intended). I was only able to protect Logan, and I had no idea what had happened to Sherri and Madison.

The last 30 seconds of the tornado had not scared me at all...

It was the next five seconds after it hit that put a fear in the deepest part of my stomach.

How was my family?

I did not yell, but I spoke loudly and firmly.

"Is everyone all right? Sherri? Madison? Are you all right?"

and I had a deep pain in my heart and a sudden fear in my soul as I waited for a response...

...to be continued

Leadership and You say TorNEIGHdo, I say TorNAHdo...

Pete Blank — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:59:45 GMT

Sorry it's been a few weeks. My house got hit by a stupid EF-3 tornado. House and cars gone. Bummer...

So, here's the deal...

I am going to take the next few blog posts to document my experience on January 23, 2012. The farther out I get from the event, the more the details may be fuzzy. This is a story I would like to tell my grandkids, so this is a good way to get it in writing.

If you are up for a good tornado survival story, then you want to keep reading. At the end of the final post, I will try to attach a leadership lesson or two (which allows me to keep with the theme).

But at the end of the day, these next few posts are nothing more than my version of one of the most intense moments I hope to ever experience on this earth.

So here we go.

On Sunday, January 22, the weather experts were predicting a bad night. In fact, they were not hestitant to use the word "tornado" almost 24 hours in advance. After church, we went to Logan's Roadhouse in Trussville with my in-laws, and I recall Sherri talking with them about how strange the weather forecasts were. In fact, my daughter Madison had already seen on Facebook a story about possible tornados that night.

The day continued at a normal Sunday pace.

On Sunday night, my son Logan asked if he could sleep in the basement. He does this as he has a HUGE fear of tornados. He does not fear many things for a 10-year old boy, but tornados are the one thing that concern him.

And I do not know where he got this fear. Is is due to the Tuscaloosa tornados in April of 2011? Is it because I took him on the "Twister" attraction at Universal Orlando at too young an age? I really don't know. All I know is that he is very scared of them...

and that may have saved his life. More on that later.

Our basement has many names: the basement, the game room, the man room, the Alabama Room, the Florida room. Basically it is a 10x20 room with a couch and love seat, two 32" TV's mounted on the wall, and a game table. It is where Logan plays his X-Box and Wii, and where we can watch a sports program on one TV and Project Runway on the other...therefore keeping the family all together. It's a fun place. (What? Like you don't watch Project Runway?)

It is also the safest room in the house. The corner on the front left of the house is at the lowest spot, and this is where our love seat and sofa form an L-shape. We let Logan sleep down there on Friday and Saturday nights. This allows him to watch MLB Network and play video games until he falls asleep.

So even though Sunday night was a "school night", we let him sleep in the basement to help alleviate his fear of a possible tornado.

Around 11:00pm, Madison was asleep in her bedroom, Logan in the basement, and Sherri and I headed to bed for the evening.

We were awakened at 3:00am by the first tornado siren. It is located just up the road from our home. It usually wakes us up, and this time was no exception. We both rolled over in bed and turned on the bedroom TV. James Spann is our local tornado guru, so we turned him on (ABC 33/40) and began to watch.

With half-opened eyes, I heard those magical words I was looking for...

"This tornado warning is sounding in all of Jefferson County, but it is really only affecting West Jefferson County. If you are in Irondale, Clay, Moody, TRUSSVILLE, etc., this is not anywhere near you."

I was so happy. My joy came from the fact that I could fall back asleep with no worries, and I did. But we left the TV on with the volume down low...just in case.

I drifted back to sleep.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH went the tornado siren! There it was again. I looked at my phone and the time read 4:00am. Sherri reached over and turned up the volume to the TV. James was sharing many words with us, but I was still in an extremely drowsy mode. The only words I could make out were "This tornado is headed towards the Center Point area."

I was cognizant enough to understand that Center Point was the next city over from Trussville. This woke us both up enough that we looked at each other and asked the question that all sleepy people who hear tornado sirens ask each other in the middle of night...

"(Yawn)...Should we go downstairs?"

You see, our bed is VERY cozy! We have a TV in our room, a beautiful yellow lab named Lulabelle on the floor next to us, and blankets up around our chins. Who wants to get up at 4:00 in the morning, wake up the kids, and make the trek downstairs?

Because, you see, I KNEW what was going to happen. We were all going to go to the basement, turn on the TV's and watch the storms pass by. Nothing was going to happen to us, but I was going to be wide awake. We would not be able to go back to sleep at 5:00 or 5:30 or 6:00, and therefore we would be one tired cranky family all day on Monday.

And who wants that?

But Sherri looked at me, I looked back at her, and I think we both may have said, "Let's go."

I, in my boxer shorts, said that I would head downstairs to get the TV's on the right channels. Sherri, in her nightgown, said she would go upstairs and get Madison and then head down.

We both sauntered...

We strolled...

We meandered...

There was NO sense of urgency from either of us. After all, what are the chances of a tornado hitting your house?

As I arrived in the basement, I was happy to see my little Logan all asleep without a care in the world.

It always amazes me how soundproof our basement is. There are no windows, and where the pocket doors are closed, you really are closed off from the rest of the world. In fact, the garage is just outside the basement, and you cannot hear the garage doors going up and down when the pocket doors are closed.

I grabbed the remote controls and sat at the far end of the sofa nearest the TV's. I had to lift up Logan's legs to place them on top of me, as he was sleeping on that couch.

I turned on both TV's. I put one on ABC 33/40 and the other on another station (I actually forgot which one). I looked down on the coffee table and smiled...

Logan had brought down a flashlight with him.

For Christmas, I found a double pack of wind-up flashlights at Kohl's. I gave one to Logan and one to Madison, and they kept them in their rooms. They are standard sized flashlights that work great after they are wound up for 30 seconds or so.

I began to wind his flashlight as Sherri and Madison entered the room. Madison looked so cozy in her long shirt and cozy pants. She was clutching her phone - ready to play some video games or FaceBook her friends.

I noticed Lulabelle come in behind them as Sherri shut the pocket door.

5-10 seconds pass...

ZZZZZAP! Out goes the power.

"Well, that's a bummer" Sherri stated.

"It's OK. Logan has his flashlight," I said.

Madison then said, "I've got one too. Let me run upstairs and get mine!"

"No" I replied. "One is plenty. Let's just all stay down here for now."

(Looking back, I need to thank God for the wisdom to make that parental decision...it ended up being a good one.)

Madison had made her way to the love seat and sat in the corner closest to the Logan's head on the other sofa. Sherri was still standing close to the couch. I reached down and turned on the flashlight and laid it on the table facing away from us and towards the other side of the room.

About 60 seconds had passed from the time I entered the room to the current moment...

and then there was a noise.

It was the noise of our two pocket doors slowly bouncing in the doorframes. First slowly, but then faster and then much faster. It was a sight that I had never seen before.

My eyes locked in to Sherri's as I felt a sudden pressure change.

It was hard to explain. It felt as if it was some kind of vacuum effect. I did not feel like I was being pulled anywhere. Instead, it was like someone had a two-ton shop-vac outside the room, and they had turned it on.

My ears popped...

The wind was wailing and getting louder...

and then even louder...

Sherri yelled "COVER THE KIDS!"

I watched as she jumped full force, body extended, onto Madison, as I did the same on Logan.

and then the noise got even louder...

and we knew that it was here.

...to be continued

Leadership and Tebow Time...for the last time...at least for now...

Pete Blank — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:24:57 GMT

This should be my last Leadership and... post about Tim Tebow (TT) for a while. His football season is now over, but it's never really over until we wrap it up and put a orange and blue ribbon on it with an uplifting blog post about his season.

I feel it is important, as leaders, for us to look at TT the person as opposed to TT the quarterback. Whether you like him or hate him, the fact is he has many leadership skills that many of us, including myself, are lacking..both at home and in the workplace.

To prevent this from being a novella, I narrowed our TT leadership lessons down to three.

...and as a reminder, in the spirit of full disclosure, I am a graduate of the University of Florida. I may have a tinge of bias, but I will try to keep it real (as the kids say).

The three TT lessons that we, as leaders, need to work on are consistency, humility, and encouragement.

1. Consistency

Remember we are talking about leadership skills, not football skills. TT was very inconsistent at times on the field. However, his life is one big ball of consistency. He acts the same around his family that he does around his teammates. He talks the talk about Jesus Christ, and he tries to walk the walk.

Since college, he has been asked about his dating life, his family life, his mission work, his virginity, his football ability and more. Yet his answers are always worded professionally, his responses are always friendly, and his demeanor (even when asked the stupidest of questions) is always upbeat and positive.

As a leader, how consistent are you? Can you showcase your consistent leadership values at all times?

2. Humility

My wife Sherri was not a TT fan when he played at Florida. She did not like all the attention he received.

"It's always TT this and TT that - it's never the other players. I'm sure he does it all by himself."

I tried to tell her that he does not do any marketing, recruiting or stories on his own. If the media decided to pick him out and make him a superstar, that was beyond his control.

After watching the Broncos this year, she has come full circle. Most of it is due to his humble responses in the press conferences.

It's never "me" - it's always "we".

It's never "Tebow Time" - it's always "Broncos Time."

It's never "build myself up" - it's always "build my TEAM up."

She is now a big fan...and why shouldn't she be?

As a leader, how humble are you? Are you a "me" leader or a "we" leader?

3. Encouragement

Before every game, TT chooses a make-a-wish child to encourage. He greets them, talks with them, and then spends time with them after each game...

...win or lose.

He encourages his team. He was seen on the bench and in the huddle in a constant state of encouragement.

Players dropped passes. Children has multiple surgeries. TT still makes time to encourage others.

As a leader, do you encourage your employees - on your good days as well as your bad days?

I don't know how TT will fare as a quarterback next year. But I do know that his example of leadership will continue to inspire all of us - as the video below shows us.

Click this link HERE to see Tim Tebow's pre-game routine.

Leadership and Pete's Pet Peeve on Passion

Pete Blank — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:30:35 GMT

Step 3 in our leadership statement deals with passion.

"Leaders need to find a need, know your gifts, and show your passion."

In previous posts, we talked about Step 1 (Finding a Need) and Step 2 (Know your gifts).

Step 3 is passion!

Sorry to come across so harsh, but I have no sympathy for people who have no passion for their jobs.

Assuming you work...

- 8 hours a day
- 40 hours a week
- 50 weeks a year
- 40 years of your life (age 25-65)

...you will work 640,000 hours, or 80,000 days of your life.

Can you imagine being unhappy for 80,000 days?

Neither can I.

If you have not passion for your current job, here is what I suggest -

1. Have a 1-1 with your manager and let them know where you stand. Tell them you feel like you are like a hampster in a wheel, just going around and around and around.

2. Ask for a new challenge. Tell your manager that you would like to volunteer for new projects or new teams. Better yet, find something you like to do and see if you can add it to your job (e.g. you are a creative person. See if you can help organize a team building day or redecorate the office).

3. Surround yourself with positive people. Spend time with happy employees and find out what makes them tick.

4. Quit. Leave. Please go. You are really bringing the rest of the office down.

Passion doesn't mean loving your job every day. It means coming to work each day with a renewed sense of optimism that you can have a positive impact on something or someone today.

Get passionate, or get gone...

Leadership and Go DO that Voo-Doo that You DO So Well...

Pete Blank — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:09:15 GMT

Happy 2012 to all "Leadership and..." readers!

Let's review where we left off last week - with the following Leadership Statement:

"Leaders need to find a need, know your gifts, and show your passion."

In a previous post, we talked about Step 1: "Finding a Need." Now we will look at Step 2: "Know your gifts."

As a leader, you should not struggle with this. If you do not know your gifts, just ask someone...

- a teacher
- a friend
- a spouse
- a peer

Sometimes our gifts are right in front of our faces, and we do not see them. Other times, we do something so often that we do not think of it as a gift - we end up rationalizing it as "something we do."

See if the examples below sound familiar to you:

"For the past 10 years, I set up communion at my church every Sunday. Someone has to do it, so I do it. I don't think of it as my gift...it's just something I do."

"For some reason, everyone at work always comes to me with their problems. I listen to them because no one else will, but I don't think of it as my gift...it's just something I do."

"Sure, I coach Little League because my son likes to play. It gets me up off the couch and gets me some fresh air. I don't think of it as my gift...it's just something I do."

Do you get the picture?

I love public speaking - it's just something I do. But the more I think about it, I believe it is my gift.

Many people don't like to speak in public. Some fear it more than death. Therefore, the mere fact that I like to do it means that I should do it to the best of my ability and with the right intentions.

Communion needs to be prepared, humans need others to listen, and 10 year old boys need to play Little League. Those who can perform these duties have gifts.

Gifts are a blessing.

We were not put here on earth to get married, have a family, collect things, go into debt, work hard, retire, and then die. We were all made for so much more than that.

In order to make that shift in thinking, you have to agree that you are here for a PURPOSE, and you have to validate that you were given gifts to use every day.

More than likely, you have a GIFT (step 1) that fills a NEED (step 2)!

Next week, we will share how to infuse PASSION into it (step 3).

Until then, search out your leadership gifts.

Find them, validate them, and use them...

That's what leaders DO...

Leadership and I Feel the Need...the Need for Speed

Pete Blank — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:17:08 GMT

Sidebar...I love Goose.

Anyhow, I received a great gift from Sherri for Christmas.

It is the Courageous Leadership Program from The John Maxwell Company. It is a facilitator's kit that came with two books, a workbook, participant guides, DVD clips and audio CD lessons. I hope to use it for an adult Sunday School class, or even a secular training program here at work.

But my main point today is what I heard on one of the audio CD's coming in to work today. The speaker talked of the following...

"Leaders need to find a need, know your gifts, and show your passion."

I'd like to take the next few blogs and talk about each of these individually - starting with Finding a Need.

Leaders do not walk around with their heads down. Leaders do not have a glazed over look. Leaders do not settle for the status quo. Leaders are always looking for ways to improve themselves, their families, and their organizations.

Working in local government, I see this a lot. We have lots of leaders, but some of them are content with the day to day operation. They are not looking - they are not seeking - they are not exploring.

As we approach 2012, this would be a great place for you to start as a leader. You should look around and see where there is a critical need! It could be...

- you family needs you to spend more time with them.
- your church needs someone to head up a committee.
- your organization needs a better employee recognition plan for their employees.

Now, don't overburden yourself.

Don't take on more than one need at a time.

It's best to start with "low hanging fruit", or needs that can be filled quickly. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and cement your brand as a leader.

So here's a good goal for the first month of 2012. Look around, open your eyes, and find a need that needs to be filled at home, at church, or at work.

Then fill that need.

That's what great leaders do...

Leadership and Giving him the Business!

Pete Blank — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:19:10 GMT

Tis the season for giving.

It reminds me of one of the most famous referee quotes of all time during an NFL football game. Click here to see what he was "giving" him.

On the radio yesterday, I heard that an anonymous donor went into a Wal-Mart here in Birmingham and paid off over $6,000 of items on layaway. Imagine the surprise and smiles of those who came in to pick up their completely paid off gifts.

At my work, we had to move hundreds of chairs and tables out of our four training rooms for the carpets to be cleaned. This 4-5 hour project turned into a 20 minute event as 16 of my co-workers volunteered to help.

Leaders should give year round, not just during the holidays...

As a leader, you should be giving the following to your employees and teammates...

- recognition
- thanks
- coaching
- feedback
- work life balance
- an ethical work environment

and much more.

It's not easy being a leader...but it always seems easier this time of year. Enjoy this season knowing that you, as a leader, have made a difference in 2011.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Leadership and Tim Tebow (Yes, another blog on Tim Tebow)!

Pete Blank — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:53:36 GMT

Disclaimer: I am a University of Florida graduate, which is where Tim Tebow played his college football.

Google Tim Tebow today. You will have 194,000,000 million links from which to choose.

Here are a few of my favorites:

"Believers, critics, People magazine ... everyone's talking Tim Tebow" - The Sporting News

"Tebowing is so hot it's now a word" - NPR Blog

"The Ten Commandments of Tim Tebow: Explaining His Stunning Success" - Yahoo! Sports

There are so many ways to speak about Tim Tebow: Team Player, Humble, and so on...

But I want to focus on...you guessed it...his leadership skills. Here are 3 things you can do as a leader to be more like Tim Tebow.

1. Always share the credit

Watch any Tim Tebow press conference, and you will hear the press begging, clamoring and pleading for him to talk himself up...to share how he won the game for his team...to gloat...

and Tebow never bites. He continues to talk about team and togetherness and all for one and one for all.

He does not disparage his teammates if they make a mistake, and they reciprocate - which is good, since Tebow makes many more mistakes than his team.

2. Always believe until the end

I am a Tebow fan, and I still thought yesterday's win was impossible. But I watched, and saw the improbable. When you think your team is out of it, keep believing until the 5:00 whistle blows.

3. Always keep your priorities in order

I know, I know...God does not care about football. But he does care about people, and I know that he is a big fan of those of us who teach people about him and his son Jesus Christ.

Sometimes we are stressed out as a leader, and we are looking to the wrong things for help. Perhaps we should just go to the source when we are at a loss - and He will be there for us.

Those three ideas should help you be a better leader...and if they don't, then you can always try Tebowing after a big team meeting

Leadership and Tim Tebow (Yes, another blog on Tim Tebow)!

Pete Blank — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 21:53:22 GMT

Leadership and Loyal Oil Come on Bubble and Boil

Pete Blank — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:42:32 GMT

My apologies to the Mighty Mighty Bosstones for my witty, yet possibly lame blog post title.

We are loyal to certain brands and products.

I am loyal to Coke, Target, the University of Florida, my wife, the United States of America, and so on...

But am I loyal to my current employer?

There was an article in the November 2011 issue of Chief Learning Officer magazine. Titled "Whatever Happened to Employee Loyalty," the article shares the results of an internet poll conducted in July 2011 by KEYGroup.

The question was "What makes you loyal to your organization?" and the responses varied by generations. Disclaimer: Sample size was small (n=224).

- Mature generation (born 1922-1945): 100% said they believed in the MISSION of the organization

- Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964): 47% also chose MISSION and 41% chose CHALLENGING WORK

- Generation X (born 1965-1980): 53% chose CAREER ADVANCEMENT

- Millenials (born 1981-2000's): 58% chose LIKEABLE CO-WORKERS

The very idea of loyalty has taken on a whole new meaning since the recession began in 2007. Many employees will only be loyal until they can get another job. With few job transfer opportunities available, your employees may seem loyal when in fact they are not.

So what can you do during these times to keep employees loyal to you and your company?

1. If there was ever a time to lead, it is now. If you are treating your employees like dirt (i.e. more work, less recognition), they will leave as soon as the economy improves...and they will lower their productivity from now until then.

2. Make the work environment fun. Create competitions, include food, have fun contests (door decorating, ping pong, best chili cookoff, etc.) The workplace should be fun, not futile.

3. Be aware of the generational differences mentioned above. Make sure your millenials are surrounded by their peers. Make sure your boomers continue to be challenged on a daily basis.

This is one of the most challenging eras in which to lead. Now is the time for you, as a leader, to show that you are loyal to your employees!

Leadership and Happy Thanksgiving

Pete Blank — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 15:24:35 GMT

It's my favorite week of the year.

I love the short work week, the slow pace of work, the food, the family, the football, and everything else that goes with Thanksgiving.

As leaders, we all have much to be thankful for. Thank you for indulging me once again as I post my annual "I am thankful" list...

I am thankful...

- for the ability to go to work every day and try and make a difference.

- that my job is fun and engaging.

- that Jeff, my leader, is a hands-off leader who allows us to be self-directed and creative.

- that we are allowed to hang umbrellas from our ceiling to show our creativity by proclaiming that it is always "raining ideas" in our office.

- that my wife, Sherri, is beautiful, smart, and funny.

- for Madison and Logan, my two great kids who are super smart and always put a smile on my face

- for managers and mentors who have made a huge impact in my work life like Lisa Downs and Wende Bendik.

- for spiritual mentors like Mark Smith and Wayne Kilpatrick.

- that when you take our trainers initials (Stephen Owens and Ayla Russell) and put them together that they spell "SOAR'

- that the love my wife has for me is inversely proportional to the amount of hair I have...and since I seem to be losing more hair every day, this is a good thing.

- that our PBJC training team likes to laugh, likes to work, and desires to make a difference.

- that I can see downtown Birmingham from my office window.

- that I can see downtown Birmingham from the men's room stall.

- that the Lord has provided my family with everything we need every day.

- that my patience is improving as I get older.

- I work in in an open work environment where my peers are able to give open and honest feebdack to me.

- that my wife makes me laugh.

- that my wife laughs with me.

- that my wife and I share life through movie quotes that no one else gets.

- that our dog Lulabelle talks in a human voice to us.

- that my wife makes me a better person.

- that you all read the "Leadership and..." blog.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Leadership and If it's free, it's for ME!

Pete Blank — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:09:39 GMT

As a government employee with a VERY small training budget, I am always on the lookout for free training resources that will assist me.

Today, I led a session at the Greater Birmingham Chapter of ASTD on free resources available to trainers, speakers and consultants. I hope some of you leaders out there find them useful!

1. Webinars

www.anymeeting.com is a free site that offers almost as much as GoToMeeting, WebEx, or Adobe Connect. It is worth checking out.

2. E-Learning

www.brainshark.com is a neat site that allows you to upload your powerpoint slides and then use a microphone to voice over each one. It makes for a nice final product.

www.screenr.com is very similar to captive and articulate and other similar programs. It allows you to record your voice while showing someone step-by-step instructions on your computer.

3. Video

www.youtube.com is still the leader in video sharing. Here, you can keep all your favorite videos in a folder, make your own youtube channel, and even create and voice over small animation segments (www.youtube.com/create)

www.keepvid.com allows you to download youtube clips right onto your desktop in multiple formats.

If you can't download the video into a format you desire, then download it in any file type and then transfer it to your preferred file using www.super.com

I enjoy making training videos with Windows Movie Maker, but now I can also use www.wevideo.com, and it has just as many (if not more) features. You really can create a professional looking video for free.

4. Better PowerPoint Tools

If you are an Apple user, then you know how great Keynote can be. If you still use Windows (like me), you might want to look at www.sliderocket.com. It has a LOT of the great features of Keynote.

A new program called www.prezi.com is great if you want to really WOW your audience and make your slides move and turn.

Also, www.slideshare.net is a file sharing site where hundreds of professional PowerPoint presentations are uploaded each month. This is a great place to start if you are looking to build a class or present on a topic.

5. Classroom Enhancers

If you are looking for photos at no cost and with no restrictions, you may want to check out www.morguefile.com

www.toondoo.com allows you to create neat little 3 panel cartoons with your own words and characters. This might be useful for company newsletters or classroom examples.

All training classes need icebreakers, energizers and team building activities. You can find hundreds (yes, hundreds) of these at www.thiagi.com

If you are a fan of the NBC TV show "Minute to Win It", then you will love the games and explanations on their website at www.nbc.com.minute-to-win-it/how-to

And perhaps my favorite is www.polleverywhere.com. Why pay hundreds for classroom polling software when you can do the same thing via text and smart phones for free? Be sure to give this one a try.

So there you have it. Lots and lots of new and updated ideas for trainers, speakers and consultants - and they are all FREE!

Give them and try, and let me know what you think. Also, if you know of a great FREE resource that I have not mentioned, please post a reply to this blog, and we'll all learn from each other.

Leadership and Strengthen your Core (Values)

Pete Blank — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:17:32 GMT

I see so many exercise infomercials on TV these days that tell me I should work on my core.

Apparently, my core is no longer a six pack..it is now flabby and flubby and yucky. They tell me that my life will get so much better if I just strengthen my core.

And they are halfway correct - but not about my core. Instead, I need to strengthen my core VALUES.

At the 57th Annual Human Resources Management Conference at the University of Alabama last week, one of the keynote speakers spoke on the issue of core values. John Blumberg said the following...

"Having core values will COST you...not having them will destroy you!"

And he is right.

I like to think of my core values as honesty, integrity, family, and spirituality. I hope that most of my decisions that I make in my life are not hard to make - seeing that I should base every one on these four core values.

Article after article tells me that employees are not engaged in their work these days. Motivation and engagement is down. There are many different theories to this, but I suggest that employees are not engaged at work due to one simple fact...

Their core values do not align with the values of the organization!

I loved working for Walt Disney World for many reasons, not the least of which was because my core values aligned with the Disney values.

The Disney values, which are taught and engrained in you in the first week of training, spell out the acronym ORCHID-B, which stands for...

- Openness
- Respect
- Courage
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Diversity
- Balance

As you can see, my core values align very well with the organization values, and that truly made all the difference.

Leaders, I challenge you to discover your core values, and then check the alignment with your organization's values. If there is a disconnect, it may open your eyes to some of the issues you may be experiencing.

And I know that some of you will want to continue to focus on your actual bodily "core"...

I've got news for you. Once you hit 40, your core has done gone to the store and is most likely gone forevermore.

Try jogging instead...

Leadership and Feed your Mind and the Rest will Follow

Pete Blank — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:50:31 GMT

I love me a good keynote!

Tim Sanders was one of the keynote speakers last week at the Blue Ridge Conference on Leadership. (By the way, mark your calendars for next years event, which will be October 10-12, 2012 in Asheville, NC. You can see by the photo that this is a fantastic place to hold a leadership conference).

Tim worked for Yahoo! and has just released his 4th book titled Today We Are Rich. In this book, he highlights seven principles of total confidence. As a leader, this book will be right up your alley.

One of his seven points is "Feed your mind good stuff."

Man, am I way off base on that!

Let's go through my normal TV watching list, shall we?

- Survivor
- American Idol
- The Biggest Loser
- The Office
- NCAA football (any game, any time, but preferably SEC games)
- Grey's Anatomy
- and more that I am too embarassed to mention here

Are you getting the picture?

How can I become a better leader when I am filling my mind with total and absolute garbage?

It's time for me to make a change. If you watch as much crappy TV as me, I suggest you do the same!

Leadership and the Blue Ridge Conference on Leadership

Pete Blank — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 18:04:09 GMT

If you want to attend a professional development conference, there are plenty to choose from. Just about every line of business has a professional group that provides a regional or national conference.

However, there are very few conferences based solely on becoming a better "leader."

One of the them is the Blue Ridge Conference on Leadership. This conference is held once a year in beautiful Asheville, NC during the Fall season. It is a beautiful setting in which to reconnect with your leadership strengths. Participants come from all over the U.S.

I am very excited to have been asked to join their board of directors. It is a true privilege and I look forward to working with the current board to provide a top notch yearly conference around my passion: Leadership!

The 2011 conference begins next week. I know it is short notice for many of you, but I wanted to get it on your radar screen for 2012. This would be a great opportunity to network with like-minded individuals who are passionate about leadership.

To learn more about this conference, please visit their website at www.blueridgeleadership.com. I hope to see you there in 2012.

Leadership and one cup of coffee cannot change the world

Pete Blank — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 18:26:13 GMT

Call me cranky.

Call me a pessimist.

But I'm not going to do it.

I'm not going to give an extra five dollars in the hopes that it someone spurs job creation.

According to an article in USA Today, Starting Nov. 1, Starbucks will collect donations of $5 or more from customers to stimulate U.S. job growth through its "Jobs for USA" program.

The Seattle-based coffee chain is collaborating with the Opportunity Finance Network, a nonprofit that works with nearly 200 community development financial institutions to provide loans to small businesses and community groups.

Starbucks says 100% of donations will go toward loans for companies and organizations that can add jobs or stem job losses.

"This is about using Starbucks' scale for good," says Howard Schultz, Starbucks CEO.

No sir - not for me.

Here is what I do with some of my discretionary income...

- tithe at my church, which is used for missions, local hunger and charity and so on
- United Way donation through work, which is used for United Way stuff
- taxes, which is supposed to go to agencies that create jobs and stimulate economic growth

From a leadership perspective, I get what Schultz is doing. He has a history of getting involved in programs that are trying to help the American economy...and I find that to be very honorable.

But from an American citizen point of view, I am disturbed. Is our economy in such a state of disarray that we are now relying on a coffee company to help stimulate economic growth and create jobs?

Maybe I'll change my mind.

Maybe once I get into a Starbucks, I will see the literature, observe everyone else giving, have a desire for the free bracelet that comes with every donation, and give my $5.00.

But I wouldn't count on it...

especially since I don't drink coffee.

Leadership and Out with the Old (Style)

Pete Blank — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:54:44 GMT

Leaders -

remember that change is good...if you make good changes.

In my last post, we discussed the decision to play a night game under the lights at the University of Michigan. I agreed that change might be for the better.

On the other hand, the Chicago Cubs almost made a change recently that would have made no sense to me.

They almost eliminated Old Style beer from Wrigley Field.

Gasp...

If you have never been to Wrigley Field, or if you do not drink beer, this may difficult to understand. But Cubs Baseball and Old Style have been together since 1950.

Luckily, on September 7th, a agreement was reached to allow Old Style beer to continue to be served at Wrigley until 2013.

If you still don't understand the hub-bub, let me give you some hypothetical changes that might resonate more with you...

- University of Alabama decides not to play Auburn University in football each year
- A new law is passed that makes it illegal to open presents on Christmas Day until after 2pm.
- McDonald's eliminates the Big Mac
- There are no longer NFL games on Thanksgiving Day

Leaders need to always remember that while change is good, make sure that tradition is always taken into account and employees are allowed to share feedback before a final decision is made.

Next time you see a game at Wrigley, you'll know what I mean...

Leadership and The Night the Lights went on in Michigan

Pete Blank — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 19:30:15 GMT

My new co-worker Stephen was the inspiration for this post today...Thanks Stephen!

The University of Michigan has been playing college football for 132 years.

They have never played a night game...until now.

Tomorrow night, Michigan will play Notre Dame in the first ever night game in Michigan Stadium. The stadium holds 109,000 people.

Expected attendance is 114,000.

But not everyone is happy. One blogger puts it like this...

"Playing this game “Under the Lights” does nothing to enhance the Michigan-Notre Dame rivalry. It cheapens it. Like every innovation in college football, it has nothing to do with the players or the fans. It’s a marketing organ for television and shoe companies, seeking to break down organic enthusiasm and refashion it in a manner that’s slightly more profitable." (source: www.bigleadsports.com)

I love college football. I love tradition. But I'm OK with change as well.

Lights at Wrigley Field. It happened...and we are all OK.

Arkansas and South Carolina in the SEC. It happened...and the world still turns.

Christmas decorations in stores beginning in October. It happened...and has killed no one.

Change is the only constant in life.

As leaders, we tend to forget that change can be good.

As leaders, we need to embrace change, and not get stuck in the emotions of the moment.

As leaders, we need need to realize that if the change is for the worse, we can always go back to the way it was...

Embrace change - it is here to stay.

(except for the University of Maryland football team - you should have never changed!)

Leadership and the 4% Dilemma

Pete Blank — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:45:07 GMT

This morning, I sent out a one-question e-mail survey to about 300+ civil servants. I asked them what they liked the MOST about their current job. Their choices were...

- My manager
- The customers
- My work schedule
- My co-workers
- The work that I do

So far I have only received about a 18% response rate (55 employees), and the results are very interesting...

- My manager             4%
- The customers         4%
- My work schedule     9%
- My co-workers        10%
- The work I do         58%

Granted, all the data is not yet in, and my response group may not have 100% validity and reliability, but let's take the data at face value. It tells me one of two things...

Positive - we have done a great job of putting the right people in the right roles in civil service. Too many times, employees are unhappy because their skill sets do not match up with the work they are performing. So this is a good thing...

Negative - Most employees do NOT have a positive working relationship with their direct supervisor. (It is possible that some of them do, but they like their work even better). But I would not be surprised if that number just validated the theory that our current supervisors in civil service need to work on building relationships.

How do you interpret the data? If you have a thought, drop me a line.

Leadership and Who's your Daddy?

Pete Blank — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 20:12:14 GMT

I've done it!

I've solved the leadership crisis in America - if not the world.

Who knew it would be this easy?

I found the answer in a USA Today article last week regarding the 2010 Census. The article summarizes lots of collected data, such as demographic shifts in population, multigenerational households, and so on.

But the most eye-opening figure jumped off the page at me.

Here it is, word for work, from the USA Today article titled Census tracks 20 years of sweeping change.

"...Having children increasingly has become detached from marriage. The share of births by unmarried women has risen from 26% to 41% since 1990 and could be headed higher. Among Hispanics, it's 53%; among blacks, it's 73%. In several European countries, half to two-thirds of all children and born to unmarried women."

Now before I get all uppity, I understand what this does NOT say...

- it does NOT say that the fathers are not involved
- it does NOT say that the mom's may eventually get married to the dad's
- it does NOT tell us how many children's lives were saved by not being aborted

All of those things are well and good, and they may be true.

But as I work off the facts presented, I have one simple thought - and that is...

"Are you kidding me?"

I don't know what else to say...

except "Are you kidding me?"

Nothing else can share my thoughts as clean as I can with as much passion as I can as these four words.

Are you telling me that over 1/2 of Hispanic children born in the United States are born to unmarried women?

Are you telling me that almost 3/4 of all Black children born in the United States are born to unmarried women?

Are you kidding me?!?!?!?!

I share this data with you all not to pass judgement on anyone - after all, there are many unseen and unstated facts that go with each individual story.

BUT...

this is going to affect all of us who are workplace leaders.

Call me old fashioned, but I think that the breakdown of the nuclear family is causing most of the issues in America today - and we can see those issues revealing themselves in the workplace. Employees today have...

- low self esteem
- poor work ethic
- entitlement mentality
- poor conflict resolution skills
- insecurity
- poor communication skills

The only way to prevent these issues is to start at home with a loving, two parent, married household. If we can get that fixed, some of our employee workplace issues would tend to disappear.

So my solution is simple.

Let's all wait to have kids until after we are married, and then let's all stay married and raise our families in loving, healthy environments.

See...

I told you I could fix it...