The Power of Professionalism Is Finalist For Soundview’s Business Book of the Year

Yesterday Soundview Executive Book Summaries announced that The Power of Professionalism is one of five finalists for their prestigious Harold Longman Business Book of the Year award.  We’re honored to be considered.

Soundview’s subscribers vote amongst five books that comprise the finalists.   I’m not clear when the winner will be announced but Soundview will eventually post the results on their web-site.  We’ll let you know how it turns out.

 

Frances Hesselbein–Special Person, Special Professional, Special Leader

I considered myself fortunate to have Frances Hesselbein as a contributor to The Power of Professionalism.  She’s a remarkable woman. The legendary Peter Drucker once called Frances the most effective executive he had ever met. I better understood what Drucker meant when I interviewed Frances in her New York office in April 2008.  Recently Fortune ran an article on Frances–ninety six years young and still going strong. I thought you’d appreciate reading it.

Enjoy Retirement Tony

Earlier today, Tony La Russa announced his retirement–this after winning the World Series last week in dramatic fashion. He’s going out on top. I’m thrilled for him.

La Russa, who wrote the Foreword for The Power of Professionalism, had a brilliant career and undoubtedly will be a first ballot entrant into baseball’s Hall of Fame.

Cardinals star pitcher Chris Carpenter said of Tony, “I’m not sure there are a lot of people that can match the preparation, the dedication and the ability to put it all together.”

Carpenter is ‘spot on’.  In recruiting big name contributors (such as Tony) for The Power of Professionalism I had one singular criteria–that the individual had to emulate what I was writing about in the book. Tony does….he’s such a pro.

La Russa leaves a lasting legacy. Managers will forever model not only what he did but how he did it. Baseball was lucky to have him.

Enjoy your retirement Tony.

 

 

Lessons From Baseball’s Playoffs

Baseball’s playoffs are upon us. The teams are all exceptionally talented. With rare exception, it’s tough to differentiate one team from another–at least in terms of their respective capabilities. Often the difference between a winning and losing playoff team are a lot of little things….things that some would dismiss as merely ‘intangible’. But those intangibles often make all the difference…they build commitment by infusing energy into the team.

Consider:

  • the hustling outfielder who makes a brilliant highlight-reel catch, saving an important run….this despite risking a head-long crash into the wall.  (consistent with Mind-Sets 1 & 2)
  • the pitcher who methodically mixes up his arsenal of pitches, playing havoc with the hitter’s most precious commodity (his timing) and guaranteeing himself an early shower due to a high pitch count. (consistent with Mind-Sets 1 & 2)
  • the light-hitting journeyman who consistently and methodically works elite pitchers to full counts—frustrating the pitchers, sapping the life out of their arms, and shortening their all-important ‘innings pitched’—all the while putting his own numbers at risk. (consistent with Mind-Sets 1 & 2)

These, admittedly, are little things. But they are the types of things that help win championships. They are emblematic of the Mind-Sets held by the finest professionals among us. And when these mind-sets are predominate within an organization–the organization wins.

Want your organization to win its own championship? The Mind-Sets are often the secret ingredient!

Professional or Classy?

How do you describe someone who…

  • keeps quiet about a rare indiscretion that, if revealed, would have tarnished someone’s otherwise stellar (and deserved) reputation
  • resists the temptation to tell someone they were wrong (when they clearly were).  Instead, they offer a different point-of-view–one that lets the person down softly.
  • jumps in and deflects attention away from a colleague who has unexpectedly embarrassed themselves in front of 80 ‘A’ list attendees during a workshop at your industry’s annual conference

Which description fits—professional or classy?  Not surprisingly, it’s usually both.

Dear ‘Ol Dad

Gary Meneghin, a former client of mine, is now retired and restores classic bicycles in his spare time. His restored bicycles are sought out by Hollywood producers and other like-minded people who appreciate the work of a true artisan. In other words, they recognize excellence when they see it. ‘Passionate guy’ is one way to describe Gary. And he calls ‘em like he sees ‘em….even when it hurts. After reading The Power of Professionalism he had a revelation about his father who had passed away years earlier.Continue reading

Change Your View, Change Your Life

I’m a big believer that when your view changes, your life does too!

Consider this experience from Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown of Slidell, Louisiana he shared with me via e-mail. He enthusiastically gave me permission to share it:

“True story, happened last month. Was waiting for a visitor to come through the airport terminal. While waiting, a man in a janitor’s uniform stopped near where I was sitting along with his janitor type cart. Continue reading

Lost Book…Lost Cause?

I’ve observed that many who received an Advanced Readers Copy of The Power of Professionalism have made a lot of notes and posted a ton of tape-flags in their books. In other words, they took the book to heart—something that every author secretly wishes for. One gentleman said in his Amazon review that he’d never loan his book out—simply because it was too valuable.

Fast forward to an e-mail I received last week from a colleague-friend, Mike Kelly.Continue reading