High Performance Leadership

Have you surprised yourself today? Boo! Nah, I don't mean like that. What creative ideas have occurred to you? What brand new actions emerged today? Creativity benefits from frequent encounters with the unexpected. It's that painting that distorts the way we see faces. It's that bridge that goes nowhere. It's that snowman in Miami. People surprise me, sometimes. When a friend says something unexpected and kind, it generates a burst of creative energy that propels me forward. Suddenly my goals seem more achievable. When a collaborator suggests an idea that surprises me completely I get a sense of confusion followed by profound delight. It's a possibility! It's creative! And, there's no way in the world I would have thought of it without this surprise. Surprise yourself, often. Expose yourself to people and ideas that would not normally come your way. Find the connections. Creativity thrives on the unexpected. It's hard to plan to surprise yo...

Have you heard the expression "analysis paralysis"? It is often said derisively about people who over analyze and then do not put into action any of their conclusions. Perfectionists tend to keep looking for more data. But sometimes we have not analyzed enough. When we give up, our analysis has been incomplete. When we are disloyal, our analysis has been flawed. When our problems remain unsolved, our analysis has been ineffective. Problems without solutions have not yet been fully analyzed. Once the right answer appears, why wouldn't you act on it? So think about it. Not too much -- but think about it. That solution is in there somewhere. -- Doug Smith

Today I'm adding a bonus entry from my friend, David Spiegel. So many of my own clients complain about being overwhelmed by stress. Dave discovered a big point in his stress, and how to deal with it. He still does just as much work -- just with a bit less stress. And just in case you think you can't -- pay attention to where he mentions 50,000 text messages!  Doug by David Spiegel In May I began coaching with a weight loss company. Every morning texts would come in  and my job was to respond to them. In the early days, it was exciting as my client base grew from a handful to eventually a few hundred . After a short while the texts were rolling in at a pretty steady clip.It did not take long before it became an avalanche of messages.I couldn't answer them fast enough. I would open my phone and it would show 75 unanswered messages. As I set about answering a few dozen more and more came ringing in. Each time my phone would chime telling me I had received a new text. A...

Did you get the owner's manual to life when you were born? Me, either. And, ever since it's been one learning experience after another. Some were pleasant (oh, so that's how she shows me she love me!) and some were awkward (maybe I should have measured the room before I cut the carpet!) If we do nothing else, we'll learn what we need to learn completely inductively -- by stumbling around, discovering, exploring, and more-often-than-not making mistakes. So if breaking things, crashing systems, mangling relationships, and crushing communications is not your idea of fun, I'd recommend doing some proactive learning. Read ahead. Study. There is good news: Life is an open book exam. Once we finish school, there is absolutely nothing preventing us from finding the information we need and turning it into knowledge (and then into action) before we fail a test. Even before we get a dreadful "C" on that test. With so many learning tools available, we can abso...

What has been your most creative act this week? I know it's been a busy week. They are ALL busy weeks, and this one has been busier than most. Still -- what creative brilliance have you displayed? It could be as simple as substituting cashews in a recipe when you run out of pecans (well, OK, so I burned the pecans!) It could be as breath-taking as writing a new poem (did that, too.) Think about it. Every creative impulse that you turn into an action propels you forward to achieving your goals. It may not be obvious at first, but it is fuel for the journey. Every tool that leads to achieving your goals benefits by developing creativity. So celebrate those creative moments and nurture more. Find new ways to become ever-more creative. The pay off leads to your success. -- Doug Smith

How many goals are you working on? I'm not saying that you should have too many goals. A hundred should be plenty. (OK, you can pick yourself back up now, I don't actually expect anyone to list a hundred goals.) Creativity likes to be busy. Creativity likes idle time, too and if we're idle long enough the creative mind gets busy. Your goals stand a better chance of achievement when your creativity is cranked way up. So keep your creative mind busy and your creative impulses, ideas, notions, and results will multiply. - read more - draw more - paint more - exercise more - walk more - listen more The creative mind is always busy. We just need to pay attention. What is the creative side of your mind telling you right now? -- Doug Smith

How long do you want to stay stuck on that big problem of yours? You know the right answer: not long. Here's another answer to consider: no longer. Let's solve that sucker today. What does it take? Things to think about include staying centered (it's harder to solve a problem when we're a problem) and staying creative. A problem is just a reason to develop new ideas. A problem is just a way to build better processes. A problem is just a way to grow deeper relationships. Creative problem solving presumes you don't want to stay stuck. You don't want to stay stuck. Not when creativity is there for you to use right now. Stop judging, start sparking, and see what happens. That big problem has a big solution. You just haven't thought of it yet. -- Doug Smith PS I suppose that it is possible that you have thought of the solution but just not implemented it yet. If that's the case, what you need is an assertive action plan and then to act relent...