You've Got Talent
"Without a doubt that was the biggest surprise I have had in three years of this show. When you stood there with that cheeky grin and said, 'I want to be like Elaine Paige" (well known among British theater-goers) everyone was laughing at you. No one is laughing at you now. That was stunning. An amazing performance. I mean really. Amazing. I'm shocked." - Piers Morgan, one of the judges along with cranky pants Simon Cowell, on the TV show "Britain's Got Talent," talking to 47-year old Susan Boyle whose stunning version of "I Dreamed A Dream" has been viewed nearly 20 million times on YouTube since it was posted on April 11, 2009.
No one saw it coming. But Susan Boyle has a thing or two to teach those of us who are called to lead in workplaces, schools, communities, and churches. The most important lesson may be this one: Give people a chance.
Ms. Boyle is a church singer who does charity work in her little town ("a collection of villages, really," she explained). Described by bloggers as a "hairy angel" with "enormous eyebrows" who walks "with an unfortunate gait," she looks like she and your grandma shop at the same stores. In her own words, she's "never been married...and never been kissed." She lives alone with her cat Pebbles. You've never met Susan but odds are you've made fun of her. Or felt sorry for her. She lives in your building. Or down the street. The kids call her: The church lady. The cat lady.
It turns out the lady can sing.
"What's the dream?" Simon asked before her surprising performance.
"To be a professional singer."
"And why hasn't that worked out so far, Susan?" he followed up, with a little more than a hint of snideness in his voice.
"Well, I haven't been given a chance before," she said. "But here's hoping that'll change."
Here's hoping, indeed. The audience was on their feet cheering for her from the moment she belted out that very first note. She is the early favorite to win the competition. Simon predicts a number one album for her in the states. Oprah's invited her on the show. At the very least Susan Boyle is going home with her head held high.
What prevents you from recognizing the giftedness of the people you work with? What is it about you that allows you to assume you know all there is to know about them and what they might have to offer based on their lifestyle, appearance, personal history or professional track record?
"I honestly think we were all being very cynical," confessed Amanda Holden, one of the show's three judges. "This is the biggest wake up call ever."
Look around. You are surrounded by people with creativity, intelligence, energy, passion, and gifts of every kind. Your organization's got talent.
Your job as a leader is to do whatever you can to tap into that talent and unleash it for the sake of making a difference in your organization, in the lives of the people you've been called to lead, and in the world we all share. These seven Renewable Practices will help:
- Ask purposeful questions
- Use participative processes
- Work playfully
- Take place seriously
- Be [re]productive
- See possibilities
- Ignite passion
But it all starts with this: Give people a chance. You don't need to look any further than Susan Boyle to see why you'd be foolish not to.
(Click here for a link to the
You Tube Video of Susan's amazing performance. If you haven't seen it yet you really need to. Go watch it. Right now.)
New Faces On The Team
A.R.E. is very pleased to announce that Catherine Pate of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Jennifer Kottler of Chicago, Illinois are the two newest members of our team.
Catherine has spent the last ten years working in the areas of creative communication, publishing, policy and program development. She is working on the development of A.R.E.'s print and online resources.
Jennifer is a seasoned lobbyist and community organizer who has worked in a variety of nonprofit organizations is also a pastor in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). She will be leading 
training and doing consulting primarily for our clients in nonprofit and faith-based organizations.
What Is A Purposeful Question?
This Month's Top Five List
Leaders who want to bring out the best in people for the sake of doing what matters in their common work and in the world use seven Renewable Practices. At their renewable best these leaders know there is an infinite and replenishable source of energy, creativity, passion, and intelligence in their people and that their job is to just figure out how to unleash it. That means that, as a leader, you don't have to be the smartest guy or biggest voice in the room. In fact, you shouldn't be. Leaders don't need to know all the answers. But they do have to smart - and confident - enough to ask the right questions. That's why Renewable Practice #1 is "Asking Purposeful Questions."
But what is a purposeful question?
Here's our list of top five most purposeful questions every leader should have on the tip of her or his tongue, at all times, in all circumstances:
- Why?
- Why?
- Why?
- Why?
- Why?
Leaders ask the why question - Why are we doing this? Why aren't we doing that? Why do we exist? Why are we here? Why should anyone care? - and they keep asking it until it's clear that you're doing whatever it is you're doing for the right reasons. And the right reasons are always the reasons that are connected to who you are and what really matters to you...your own unique purpose, your vision, and your guiding principles.
Why?
Because without a purpose, people (and the organizations they care about) perish. It isn't enough to just have a purpose. You have to be passionate enough about it that you're willing to do whatever it takes to fulfill it. You have to be able to articulate it in a way that is compelling to others, inside and outside the organization. It has to be "sticky" (see Tana's book review below).
But you gotta have one.
And, as a leader, it's your job to keep it in the middle of the room. At all times. In every single circumstance.
Book of the Month: Tana's Pick
Whether you sell shoes or preach sermons, if you've got a message you are passionate about sharing Made To Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath & Dan Heath (Random House NY, 2007) is a must read.
These two brothers - one who is passionate about education and the other who teaches organizational behavior at Stanford University - wrote the book, they say, because they are fascinated by what creates "sticky" ideas. And because it would make their mom happy if they spent more time together.
What they've done, based on the research they've each been doing in their respective fields for the past ten years, is identify six principles of sticky ideas:
- Simplicity
- Unexpectedness
- Concreteness
- Credibility
- Emotions
- Stories
Yes, the checklist spells SUCCESs. Cheesy? Maybe. But memorable. And that's the point.
The authors say, "this book is filled with normal people facing normal problems who did amazing things simply by applying these principles (even if they weren't aware they were doing it). These people are so normal that you probably won't even recognize their names when you see them. Their names aren't sticky, but their stories are."
The book is very readable, simple even, and the authors persuade you that their principles work by telling story after concrete stories that surprise you, make you laugh, and sometimes even choke you up a little. Hmmm...seems they put their own principles into practice.
Kelly borrowed my copy of the book and now, between my purple ink and her blue, you can hardly see the text behind all of our notes. Really, there's a lot more good stuff in this book than that simple list (above) would make you think.
The brothers dedicated their book:
To Dad, for driving an old tan Chevette while putting us through college.
To Mom, for making us breakfast every day for eighteen years. Each.
I'm thinking they've made their parents very happy.
March Survey Results Lead to...Facebook?!?
Our March newsletter asked you to respond to this question: How passionate are you about the purpose of your organization? For the first time ever, the results were split right down the middle...50-50:
Watch out! I'm contagious! - 50%
As jobs go, this one is better than most. - 50%
Creating A Web Of Relationships
Register today for our next free "4th Tuesday" Webinar. Our special guest will be Bob Fisher, Asst to the Bishop for Mission Interpretation in the Southeast Pennsylvania Synod of the ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America). Bob has special insight into the role online technology and social media could (should?!) be playing in even the most tradition-bound institutions today. If you've got a team in your organization that has been dragging their feet on this issue and/or just doesn't seem to "get it,"
click here to go to the registration page, grab the link, and send it off in an email inviting them to join us for this special event. Or just forward this e-newsletter to them and say: This is for you!
Webinar Title:
Creating A Web of Relationships
Date:
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Time:
7:00-8:00 p.m. Central Time
(8:00 Eastern, 5:00 Pacific)
Cost: FREE!
