I know there’s no chef at Starbucks whipping up the breakfast sandwiches in the back from scratch.
I know the sandwiches at Starbucks come in a plastic bag.
But as long as I don’t see the plastic bag I’m good.
I don’t need them to fool me, I just need them to direct my attention to the better story…that the sandwich comes from the oven, not from the bag.
No one loses.
It's easy to kinda say something. It's hard to say something.
»» We preface with words like like, kinda, sorta to put padding between ourselves and the thing we really mean to say. That padding makes it easier for us to deflect any pushback that we might receive. After all we didn’t really say the thing, we just kinda said it.
It’s hard to speak with certainty and clarity because most of us don’t have much practice doing it. Rather, we have lots of practice saying things in ways to dodge responsibility and decisiveness. Side stepping clarity for the sake of what the other person might think is belittling the other person.
Leading isn’t about having the most opinions…but rather building a team of people whose vision and opinions you value and trust.
And leading isn’t about ‘power over’ but rather ‘power to’.
Power to influence, initiate, build connections and make some big hard decisions that are going to affect everyone involved.
So much has been written about leadership but it’s worth remembering that much of it comes down to caring and serving as your crew heads in a certain direction.
When the game is broadcast on TV sometimes they have the cheering fans up in the mix and sometimes the cheering fans are low in the mix.
The excitement is already there…just sitting there waiting for someone to do something with it, for someone to turn it up.
No one has to do anything differently except turn up what’s already there.
For most of us who have been doing our thing for a while it’s not about creating excitement as much as simply turning up what’s already there.
True story...
“I’m the guy who never knows what’s going on.”
I heard a musician guy say this to a group of his buddies at a coffee shop the other day. Everyone had a good laugh, and echoed something similar about themselves, desiring to be part of the club.
Why does everyone love that guy so much?
Because he poses no threat. That guy will not rock the boat. He will not impose his strength, whether it’s for or against you. He rolls with the wind. Whatever is comfortable, he’s totally on board with.
But when I think of true artist or leader, I don’t think of safe. I think of creativity, risk, vision, tension, release, purpose, declaration, the edge.
»» Barbecue guy is a great example of this guy.