This article from Forbes is an interesting review of a new book on Apple.  Ever wondered why Apple seems to be continually growing?  A culture of innovation seems to be the difference maker.  Of course risk taking ranks up there as well, but certainly new ideas and new products are key.  Why doesn’t GM or Citigroup move in this direction? 

So how do you foster a culture of innovation?  I don’t claim to have all of the answers for that, but one thing is for sure you have to believe that you can never be comfortable.  Some call that growth…I would agree.  Human beings like things to stay the same.  Human beings like things predictable.  Ironically, life doesn’t live this way.  Funny how businesses/organizations hit their version of success and then they relax mentally.  They perceive success as a place to protect.  That is the beginning of the end.  An organization begins to see risk and innovation as a threat.  Oh sure, they’ll make innovation a "talking point" in a meeting, but truth is they really don’t want to rock the boat.

Risk taking and innovation are the essential elements of phenomenal growth.  Yet, the smartest people in the room can’t seem to get their arms around that.

Enter Bill Smith…master of all he surveys.  The people around the table give him his due.  No one would expect anything different, after all he is the senior, senior, executive vice president.  Bill really doesn’t care what you think (even if he says that he does).  This is his show and he’s got numbers to hit and people to impress.

Someone raises a hand to question the unrealistic sales projections.  Bill quickly states that you’re either for us or against us.  Certainly, Bill knows this will not build loyalty and dedication?  But he presses on anyway with a plan to "win." 

The seeds of failure have been planted.  There’s no shoot coming from the ground, but roots are taking hold.  No one quite understands…

The above could be one of a million stories anywhere in corporate America.  If you’re a teacher in business school or a CEO that cares, then get your leaders in a growth program where they can learn how to handle power.  Why wait until failure sets in?

What are the five most important things in your life?  How much time have you spent on them in the last week?  The answer to those two questions will reveal a lot about where you’re going…or not going.

Guy Kawasaki’s blog entry on Venture Capitalists is telling.  The article from the San Jose Mercury News is the primary source, but Guy always has great insights.  As evidenced by his VCAT entry from November 29. 

I hope many of the young and inexperienced are paying attention.  Growth and learning implies pain.

By now you may have read that Goldman Sachs had a record quarter for earnings and such.  What you may not have known is the average pay per employee.  This article from Bloomberg gives some detail about 2006 pay figures for the 24,000 plus employees of Goldman.

Seems like these folks are rewarded for results.

Do you keep secrets?

Secrets are the doom of great leaders.  They hinder our ability to lead and inspire.  Why?  Because secrets are usually masks of insecurity and fear.  Sure, we can make lots of money, be admired by many or even have the ear of the famous.  But eventually our secrets will catch up with us.  Lives will be wasted and the world left wanting.

What I’m getting at is the stripping process needed to unleash who we truly are.  That process of removing all the layers we accumulate over time.  You know the type…playing the role of the corporate chameleon. 

Bagger Vance talked about finding the "authentic swing."  You can’t find it if you’re keeping secrets.

Think of the leaders you follow…

Are those leaders positional or being leaders?  Positional leaders are those that lead from a base of power directly connected to their position (CEO, manager, director, etc.).  Being leaders may have titles, but their primary base is being.  They lead from a perspective of who they are, not what they are.  Webster’s definition of being is; "the totality of existing things."  By far Being leadership is the most powerful form of leadership.  Consequently, being leadership can be used for evil (see Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, and the list goes on), but for good (see Mother Theresa, Billy Graham, MLK, Jr., Winston Churchill) as well.

Most Being leaders have a deep vision of the future and they have followers who may not know (consciously) why they follow…but they do.  The followers have been affected by the Being leader in a way that is very personal.  The Being leader, in word or action, let the follower(s) know that they mattered…something small that’s very big.  The Being leader changes the world on varying scales.  The world was different before they came on the scene.

If people are following you only because you have the position/title, then you need to do some soul searching.  Yes, you may make your organization’s quarterly numbers look better, but long-term you will have achieved nothing great.  People want to be a part of something great (just ask a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes and you’ll see what I mean).  And people are how you get to greatness…monetarily and otherwise.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• "If I didn’t have this position or title would these people still follow?"
• "If I didn’t have this position or title would these people be interested in my ideas?"
• "If I didn’t have the power to promote would these people make time for me?"
• "Are the people I lead changed because of who I am, not what I am?"

If you don’t like the answers to those questions e-mail me…I can help. 

Guy Kawasaki’s blog entry: "The Art of Panels" from yesterday, speaks volumes about the impact of internet video.  He also gives some useful tips on making the transition from "old world" exposure.  Things are changing rapidly in the world we live in today.  In case you didn’t know:-)

You should live anticipating change…of all varieties.

I was asked yesterday by a friend what makes the lessons we learn "stick."  Obviously, that depends on the person and their will to make a change.  But one of the most powerful tools for making a lesson stick is losing. What!  Yes, losing is a teacher that should not be ignored.

It is clear to me that no one wants to lose.  It can be embarrassing, frustrating and downright painful.  But the principle remains; losing teaches us in ways that winning doesn’t.  By the way, I hope and expect The Ohio State University football team to win tomorrow!

I wrote earlier this week about a new film titled "A Good Year."  Here is the link to the film’s site.  Click on the video link and look at the trailer titled "Tennis."  It won’t give away the story…go see the movie for that.  But it does illustrate well what I mean about losing. 

So what are some of the by-products of this process?  Here are some that have taken root in my own life:

1. Our greatest loss can be the source of our greatest awakening.
2. Others can be influenced mightily by our story…if we’re willing to tell it.
3. You find out who really loves you when you lose.
4. The opportunity to lead with character (not position) appears in front of you.
5. Managing your life becomes vital

Sometimes the rain brings beauty…even in an Ohio November.