I suppose that tomorrow I must tear down what few Halloween decorations we put up.  The air-filled Tigger in the front yard, a few signs, and a handful of spooks and goblins strewn about.

As another week concludes and another corner is turned, the season seems to represent perfectly some of the loss and fear that many people are feeling with regard to the economy, their savings, and their future.  Times are tough, no one is immune, and the 'end' is uncertain.

I am reminded of a wonderful quote, most recently spoken by Michael Jordan several years ago when he said, "Tough times don't build character -- they reveal it."

Indeed.

As leaders -- of organizations, communities, families -- we must carry on.  We must keep our chin up, our back flexible, and our faith strong.  People are counting on us, just as we count on them.  Remember the ancient Japanese proverb, "One stick is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle."

......................................... 

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, and comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."

                                                                                                                                                                        Teddy Roosevelt 

Now take to the arena. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meu6WlGo8R4

And to my dear friend who shared this with me, I thank you.

We all need encouragement, regardless of the role or position we find ourselves in.

This very day, I have spoken with four people -- all of them 'positive people' -- and each of them needing encouragement.  One of them works in the financial services industry, another is retired, the third works in a non-profit organization, and the fourth leads a team in a healthcare company.  At various points in time across the years, they have each encouraged ME.  So today I find myself with the blessed opportunity to return the favor in some tiny way.

In a few hours, I will leave town for what amounts to a nine-day business trip that concludes on November 7th.  In preparation for my departure, I walked over to my daughter's school and surprised her for lunch.  Into the cafeteria bobbed a sea of messy heads... perhaps a hundred first-graders, entering Monday bleary-eyed.  I saw our sweet girl immediately, though she didn't see me.  Slowly she entered, lunchbox at her side, eyes scanning the room thickly for friends and familiar faces.  Eventually, she saw me and B-O-L-T-E-D my direction, leaping into my arms from six feet away.  I squeezed her hard for a good minute, and then she collapsed on my knee and we selected our table.  What a memorable half-hour!  She metamorphosed from a rag doll to a chipper squirrel within a few seconds, and those thirty brief minutes will serve me well for the next few days.

As Twain wrote, "I can live for two months on a good compliment."

And I can survive for nine days after a hug from my wife and lunch with my daughter.

Though she thinks lunch was for her, it blessed me beyond measure -- and filled my own proverbial cup while she slurped from hers.

Sometimes, when we seek to encourage others, we forget about the Boomerang Effect.  And while my daughter surely enjoyed herself, I can assure you that the blessings on my side of the table are immeasurable.

To encourage yourself, encourage others.  Remember that life is an ocean; a constant ebbing of tides.  Maybe last year "was a stellar year for you."  I can guarantee that is the not the case for all.  When you're up, be the tide that lifts all boats.  Because inevitably, the time will come that you're drowning in a sea of hardships or loss and will appreciate all the more the buoyancy that can be found in a helping hand.

So thanks to all of you who encourage me; rest assured I do all I can to pass it forward. 

And to my sweet girl and beloved bride: I'll be home soon; please save me a cookie.

In preparation for a large government session I'm leading the week of 11/3/08, I asked a recently retired / lifelong mentor of mine -- who originally helped sell and co-author the inaugural session in 2001 -- if he would mind capturing a few 'pearls of wisdom' on a digital recorder for our use in class.  (After all, we'll have nearly 150 participants for four days, and his wisdom always makes a dramatically profound impact on learners who are, in some cases, forty years his junior!)  I envisioned this sort of positive-Orwellian presentation where his headshot is onscreen while his rich, smooth, baritone, 'fine Corinthian leather' voice flows.

"Oh, Blake.  I'm sorry; I cannot.  No one would remember -- much less miss me -- I'm afraid."

Hmmmmmm.

Coincidentally, just this morning, I came across a box of old cassette tapes on the top shelf in my home-office closet.  Among them, I eyed a 1981 recording that my father, mother, sister, and I made of my grandmother before she passed away.  I played that tape with tears in my eyes.  As soon as I heard her sweet voice, I could smell her sofa, taste her ice cream, and hear the chime of her great clock by the bed.  I played that dusty tape for my six-year-old daughter and she WIGGED OUT.  It is all she has (beyond DNA, recipes, and second-hand stories of course) to directly educate her about her grandmother.

Maya Angelou once wrote, "People may forget what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel."

And so, to my dear mentor and all the rest of you who sometimes wonder, "Will I be remembered?" I laud you and encourage you to live the sort of life that WILL be remembered, is WORTHY of being remembered.  And do this by living a life of integrity, loving others, and letting them know you do.

Start recording. 

I received a meaningful email today from a dear friend I haven't heard from in several years.  In it, he commented that he had been out of town for 14 of 20 weeks to negotiate a high-risk union contract. 

For those of us... you.... who travel a great deal, what comfort can be found in the tiny moments, yes?  In the warm embrace upon returning; in the time with children that follows.

Sometimes, when I've been away for several days on end and I enter the laundry room just this side of the garage, I dump my laundry on the floor and have to turn my head.  The waft of soiled clothes and spilled toiletries can be too much. 

But immediately upon dropping that suitcase, I run to my wife and daughter and give them a tight embrace.  Laundry and boarding passes and travel receipts can wait -- they'll be there tomorrow morning.  But "Hello" comes just that once, so you better get it right.

It took me YEARS to appreciate the importance of a warm return.  I encourage you, upon your next return home, to let the tasks fall by the wayside: save the laundry and changing and brushing your teeth for later.  For now, give those you love a GREAT BIG HUG, tell them how much you missed them, ask them about their days, and flop down on the couch or bed to listen with big ears, wide eyes, and high energy.

Someday, when the pitter patter of little feet has faded, you'll thank me.  Stinky clothes, cramped toiletries, and crumpled notes and paperwork and receipts can wait.  But marriages and parenting and L-I-V-I-N-G cannot.  Nor can the priceless, "Thank you for caring for everyone and everything in my absence.  I missed you."

Welcome home.  And nighty night. 

As you may know by now, I'm a big Charlie Rose fiend.  I seldom miss an episode and I rarely delete one without watching it first... only when he gets locked-in on a topic for multiple days (which he is prone to do) do I "pass."  Last night, 10/21/08, he had a stellar show from Harvard Business School's 100th Anniversary Celebration.  Jeff Immelt and others served as panel members whom he interviewed.  The topic: "Leadership in the 21st Century." 

http://www.exed.hbs.edu/assets/videos/329.html?campaign=ee-leadership_video 

Here are some highlights:

1. Borrow, Buy, Burn.  "As a country, the US must stop borrowing from the Chinese to purchase oil from the Arabs to burn into the air." 

2. Four Pillars for Any Global Company: "Education, Healthcare, Energy, and Financial Services."

3. The Scariest Formula During These Economically-Troubled Times = Illiquidity x High Unemployment x High Debt.  "This formula handicaps us."

4. Regarding Innovation & Entrepreneurship in America: We're rocking; and this is our future.  We cannot compete internationally in terms of labor rates, but Americans are ingenious, and assuming that Energy Independence and Renewable Energies will be "the moonshot of our generation," we can export them -- and best practices -- providing jobs, economic security, and improved living conditions around the world.

5. Three Key Areas of Current Entrepreneurship: (1)Digital/Internet Engineers -- Bits & Bytes, (2)Biotech Engineers -- Bugs & Drugs, (3)Greentech Engineers -- Biofuels & Batteries

6. Three Key Market Segments for Today and the Future: Jeff Immelt described "thinking of brick as passe.  And thinking in terms of 'developing countries' as passe."  Instead, he shared how GE thinks of markets.  "We see three segments.  (1)Natural Resources Rich (Brazil, Australia, Russia, Middle East, Africa), (2)People-Driven Regions (China, India, Southeast Asia) where a local presence must be created to compete, and (3)Technology/Education Rich Regions (Western Europe, Japan).

7. Regarding Obama & McCain: "Our head is with McCain, but our heart is with Obama."  An interesting sentiment, spoken by one of India's most powerful businessmen.

8. And finally, let me share the 14 'key leadership traits' that were identified by the distinguished and diverse leadership panel, all of whom are HBS graduates:

1. Take risks, make mistakes (otherwise you're not trying)
2. Exude confidence (not fear, worry, anxiety, hopelessness)
3. Be a fast learner (it's not what you know, but how quickly you can learn/adapt)
4. Decisiveness (without perfect knowledge)
5. Accountability (stand up for what you believe)
6. Transparency (people want your truth, but also your intention)
7. Unity (create opportunities for people to be part of something bigger than themselves or your current organization; think longer term)
8. Live an examined life
9. Give
10. Renew yourself ("I go to bed feeling like a failure, and awake saying, 'Hello, Handsome!'"  - Jeff Immelt) 
11. Ideas are easy, execution is everything (and teams do it)
12. Think on your feet, communicate effectively
13. Character (it's binary -- you either have it or you don't; and people can smell it)
14. Know your environment (we are approaching 300 countries... there is much to know)

More next time...