The pool is resting now. Waiting for April.
Sigh.
But the memories are great from the fun we had this summer. I cant wait until next year. Roughly 212 days until we open the pool next year.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Saddest Day of the Year
Plug-n-Play Leadership: The Wrong Answer
I heard the following words the other day as I was receiving feedback on my recent nomination package.
"You are too narrow. Our paradigm is that senior leaders almost need to be plug-n-play--able to perform anywhere based upon their experience."
Ugh!
That, friends, is everything that is wrong with the current generation of leaders in America. To avoid having to take responsibility for their actions and to follow through to completion the implementation of their strategies, senior leaders are moved on a regular two-year schedule and never develop the full understanding of the organization they are leading.
I saw and felt it when I was an officer in the Air Force and now as a government "bureaucrat" I see the same thing.
Plug-n-play leadership is both wasteful and inefficient. It reduces leadership to concepts and strategies which can be applied impartially across the board rather than adapted to the strengths and weaknesses of the specific team or organization. It makes senior leaders effectively senior managers.
I work in a small organization that has a huge impact. Why? Because our leadership is more than just a decision-making manager down the hall. Leadership is intimate with the mission and understands, no, had a really deep appreciation of how the mission needs to be accomplished and how to take care of the people who are principally responsible for the getting the job done.
Do we get it right all of the time? No--no one does. But then we do not get enamored with the latest "fad" leadership term or style either. Everything can be carefully considered to ensure the burden on the mission staff is minimized and that they have the tools and encouragement to do their jobs.
I believe, because I have seen it in action, that mission savvy leaders have a disproportionately high positive impact on the organization when they use their skills properly. Plug-n-play leaders are quickly reduced to managers and depend upon others to do the real leading in the organization until they get the smarts to successfully represent and lead the organization.
What is the difference you ask between leaders and managers?
In its simplest form the difference is that leaders lead people and managers manage things. It is a lot tougher to lead than to manage.
Experienced in the organization leaders are a stabilizing force that helps the organization retain its focus in the face of turbulence.
Look at successful small businesses--the owners are the leaders. they are personally invested in the success of the organization.
Likewise, should it not also be true that when leaders are personally invested in their organization they are more effective?
Ineffective leaders need to be moved/removed--but effective leaders should be retained to ensure strength in the organization.
There is no such thing as plug-n-play leadership. Maybe plug-n-play management, but leaders can never be plug and play. There are emotions and investment to consider in effectively leading an organization.
A successful leader should be successful anywhere, it is not the number of diverse assignments that makes success but the character and capabilities of the person--but why risk organizational success in one area to fix another? And why risk the success of the larger organization just to move leaders around so they can have the illusion of plug-n-play?
Fundamentally, it may be a conspiracy theory at work--the CEO may be afraid that the next tier of leaders are more capable and are therefore a threat so by constantly moving them to preclude expertise in any one area, the threat is diminished.
So--the bottom line--plug-n-play leadership is a myth. It develops a generation of leaders that have not had to accept the responsibility for their action and who know a very little about a lot and can be considered dangerous.
Deeper understanding of the relationship is better.
Just because a leader has depth does not mean that they cannot perform anywhere. That is a myth. Effective leadership is transferable, but good leaders are personally invested in their organizations.
And I will never be seen as a viable candidate for senior executive because I'm too deep (or was that narrow?)
"You are too narrow. Our paradigm is that senior leaders almost need to be plug-n-play--able to perform anywhere based upon their experience."
Ugh!
That, friends, is everything that is wrong with the current generation of leaders in America. To avoid having to take responsibility for their actions and to follow through to completion the implementation of their strategies, senior leaders are moved on a regular two-year schedule and never develop the full understanding of the organization they are leading.
I saw and felt it when I was an officer in the Air Force and now as a government "bureaucrat" I see the same thing.
Plug-n-play leadership is both wasteful and inefficient. It reduces leadership to concepts and strategies which can be applied impartially across the board rather than adapted to the strengths and weaknesses of the specific team or organization. It makes senior leaders effectively senior managers.
I work in a small organization that has a huge impact. Why? Because our leadership is more than just a decision-making manager down the hall. Leadership is intimate with the mission and understands, no, had a really deep appreciation of how the mission needs to be accomplished and how to take care of the people who are principally responsible for the getting the job done.
Do we get it right all of the time? No--no one does. But then we do not get enamored with the latest "fad" leadership term or style either. Everything can be carefully considered to ensure the burden on the mission staff is minimized and that they have the tools and encouragement to do their jobs.
I believe, because I have seen it in action, that mission savvy leaders have a disproportionately high positive impact on the organization when they use their skills properly. Plug-n-play leaders are quickly reduced to managers and depend upon others to do the real leading in the organization until they get the smarts to successfully represent and lead the organization.
What is the difference you ask between leaders and managers?
In its simplest form the difference is that leaders lead people and managers manage things. It is a lot tougher to lead than to manage.
Experienced in the organization leaders are a stabilizing force that helps the organization retain its focus in the face of turbulence.
Look at successful small businesses--the owners are the leaders. they are personally invested in the success of the organization.
Likewise, should it not also be true that when leaders are personally invested in their organization they are more effective?
Ineffective leaders need to be moved/removed--but effective leaders should be retained to ensure strength in the organization.
There is no such thing as plug-n-play leadership. Maybe plug-n-play management, but leaders can never be plug and play. There are emotions and investment to consider in effectively leading an organization.
A successful leader should be successful anywhere, it is not the number of diverse assignments that makes success but the character and capabilities of the person--but why risk organizational success in one area to fix another? And why risk the success of the larger organization just to move leaders around so they can have the illusion of plug-n-play?
Fundamentally, it may be a conspiracy theory at work--the CEO may be afraid that the next tier of leaders are more capable and are therefore a threat so by constantly moving them to preclude expertise in any one area, the threat is diminished.
So--the bottom line--plug-n-play leadership is a myth. It develops a generation of leaders that have not had to accept the responsibility for their action and who know a very little about a lot and can be considered dangerous.
Deeper understanding of the relationship is better.
Just because a leader has depth does not mean that they cannot perform anywhere. That is a myth. Effective leadership is transferable, but good leaders are personally invested in their organizations.
And I will never be seen as a viable candidate for senior executive because I'm too deep (or was that narrow?)
Friday, September 24, 2010
Find a Way
I listened to an inspiring story the other morning on the way to work. It was about a football player who had his life changed by a cancer diagnosis sometime after his playing days were over. The intro to the book reads as follows:
"In 2003 former NFL player and current ESPN broadcaster Merril Hoge was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He's recently written a book entitled 'Find A Way', that chronicles his story, providing inspiration on how to navigate difficult times."
As I listened to Merril speak on the radio of his experiences as a boy growing up and then as a football player and father stricken with cancer, I was struck by the simple singleness of purpose that he followed embodied in three words--Find a Way.
He spoke about how when he was a boy and professed that he was going to play in the NFL, that people told him how hard it was and how few people made it to that level of play. Yet, that was when he discovered the phrase: Find a Way. And, he became an NFL played despite those around him trying to help break his fall should he not make it.
He then related how when he was depressed and down about the cancer and was telling his children about it, his daughter came to him and repeated the words that he had taught her about how to deal with life, Find a Way. It encouraged him to give 100 percent of himself to the fight and hold nothing back.
The interview resonated with me.
Why?
I feel that sometimes I forget to Find a Way when confronted difficult situations or problems in my life. I am content to find an excuse for less than spectacular performance in overcoming obstacles. I find that more and more I am not willing to expend the emotional energy to Find a Way.
I was so intrigued by the interview that I have purchased the book and will be reading it.
"In 2003 former NFL player and current ESPN broadcaster Merril Hoge was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. He's recently written a book entitled 'Find A Way', that chronicles his story, providing inspiration on how to navigate difficult times."
As I listened to Merril speak on the radio of his experiences as a boy growing up and then as a football player and father stricken with cancer, I was struck by the simple singleness of purpose that he followed embodied in three words--Find a Way.
He spoke about how when he was a boy and professed that he was going to play in the NFL, that people told him how hard it was and how few people made it to that level of play. Yet, that was when he discovered the phrase: Find a Way. And, he became an NFL played despite those around him trying to help break his fall should he not make it.
He then related how when he was depressed and down about the cancer and was telling his children about it, his daughter came to him and repeated the words that he had taught her about how to deal with life, Find a Way. It encouraged him to give 100 percent of himself to the fight and hold nothing back.
The interview resonated with me.
Why?
I feel that sometimes I forget to Find a Way when confronted difficult situations or problems in my life. I am content to find an excuse for less than spectacular performance in overcoming obstacles. I find that more and more I am not willing to expend the emotional energy to Find a Way.
I was so intrigued by the interview that I have purchased the book and will be reading it.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Dark Trees
I was outside Tuesday evening
looking at the night sky.
Chris bought a telescope at a yard sale--
I thought I'd try it out.
I saw Jupiter and three of its moons.
and craters on the Moon as well.
But bathed in the bright moonlight
I noticed the trees
towering above me still full with leaves.
They were dark.
The lightening bugs that made them shimmer
during the nights of summer--
were gone.
Dark and foreboding.
Silhouetted by the moon.
They were not yet autumn trees--
robed with red and orange leaves.
Nor were they the eerie trees of Halloween--
leaf-less, sketching scary shadows on the lawns
for the ghouls and goblins to dance with
in the moonlight.
No--these were still summer trees.
Standing tall against the winds and rains.
Reveling in hot summer sun
providing cool shade to travelers
pausing beneath their branches.
Yet, they were dark.
I imagined them gloomy.
As if they sensed the change.
The coolness of the still not yet autumn breeze
swept across my bare arms.
I paused, breathing deeply,
savoring both the musky scent of summer
and the sweet smell of recently mowed grass.
A dog barked in the distance
returning me to my driveway.
I had drifted off
to a summer-bathed sandy beach.
The light in the window reminded me
that the time for sleep had come.
And dreams.
The dark trees stood tall.
Nodding, it seemed
in the cool gentle breeze.
Autumn was at hand.
looking at the night sky.
Chris bought a telescope at a yard sale--
I thought I'd try it out.
I saw Jupiter and three of its moons.
and craters on the Moon as well.
But bathed in the bright moonlight
I noticed the trees
towering above me still full with leaves.
They were dark.
The lightening bugs that made them shimmer
during the nights of summer--
were gone.
Dark and foreboding.
Silhouetted by the moon.
They were not yet autumn trees--
robed with red and orange leaves.
Nor were they the eerie trees of Halloween--
leaf-less, sketching scary shadows on the lawns
for the ghouls and goblins to dance with
in the moonlight.
No--these were still summer trees.
Standing tall against the winds and rains.
Reveling in hot summer sun
providing cool shade to travelers
pausing beneath their branches.
Yet, they were dark.
I imagined them gloomy.
As if they sensed the change.
The coolness of the still not yet autumn breeze
swept across my bare arms.
I paused, breathing deeply,
savoring both the musky scent of summer
and the sweet smell of recently mowed grass.
A dog barked in the distance
returning me to my driveway.
I had drifted off
to a summer-bathed sandy beach.
The light in the window reminded me
that the time for sleep had come.
And dreams.
The dark trees stood tall.
Nodding, it seemed
in the cool gentle breeze.
Autumn was at hand.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Autumn arrives
Good-bye summer--hello autumn.
At 11:09PM EDT tonight, summer will officially end as the sun crosses the equator not to be seen in the northern hemisphere again until March.
 |
| Autumn Along the Niagara River October 2009 |
The pool is still open.
I had to mow the grass.
The leaves are still on the trees.
There are flowers! OK--mums!
Actually it seemed as if it was already here yesterday. The morning temperature was 48 degrees! I haven't seen temperatures in the 40's for a long time. I even put the top up on Cat to drive to work. It was just too cold and I'm fighting some respiratory bug anyway--no need to stress myself more.
The colors are nice--but transient. I took the image along the Niagara River last year in October. I guess it is something to look forward to before the white stuff decides to cover the ground.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Football Hangover
I noticed it at work yesterday.
All of the guys seemed to be moving a bit slower. Very sedate. Something was wrong.
And then i realized the source of the slowness of thought and action: Football Hangover.
Yes, that was it. After a whole day of NFL Football, it seemed that all of the guys were totally fried. The emotional ups and downs if the day had drained them, and me.
We talked in hushed tones about the plays of the day--or the plays that weren't.
It was quite a day! Ugly losses by the Giants, Cowboys, Redskins, and Ravens dominated the discussions.
And then there was the terrible call by the umpire at the Yankees-Orioles game on Friday night to discuss. Like the Yankees really need second chances.
Work?
Well--some got done. Quite a lot actually, but adjusting to football season is going to take some time before we are fully hitting our stride again.
.
All of the guys seemed to be moving a bit slower. Very sedate. Something was wrong.
And then i realized the source of the slowness of thought and action: Football Hangover.
Yes, that was it. After a whole day of NFL Football, it seemed that all of the guys were totally fried. The emotional ups and downs if the day had drained them, and me.
We talked in hushed tones about the plays of the day--or the plays that weren't.
It was quite a day! Ugly losses by the Giants, Cowboys, Redskins, and Ravens dominated the discussions.
And then there was the terrible call by the umpire at the Yankees-Orioles game on Friday night to discuss. Like the Yankees really need second chances.
Work?
Well--some got done. Quite a lot actually, but adjusting to football season is going to take some time before we are fully hitting our stride again.
.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Monday Musings - September 20, 2010
1. Even notice how the moon sometimes is just there, lurking in the trees following you? I was at a birthday party last evening and there it was.
2. The pool temperature has fallen so low that it is too cold to swim in . But it is still relaxing to see and remember the summer of fun.
3. I considered this week how traveling in America has changed during the past twenty years--it just isn't fun anymore.
4. After watching or listening to the Yankee games this weekend, I wonder why umpires in MLB feel the need to give the Yankees one more chance--both A Rod (Friday night) and Jeter (Saturday night as first base) should have been out. The additional chances led to runs and wins.
5. There are two great parts about traveling: arriving at the destination and then coming home. Everything in between needs work.
6. Football is a fickle sport. Subject to the winds and the whims of the players and coaches.
7. Hockey season begins this week with pre-season games! Summer must be over.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Baseball Dream Crushed
With one swing on Friday night, my hopes for an Oriole victory over the Yankees were dashed.
It was a monstrous home run swatted by the Yankee slugger.
And the Yankees were down to their last strike when the blast happened.
But wait--there is more to the story.
With two outs, two men on and a 1 ball 2 strike count, the Orioles closer threw what appeared to the crowd to be strike three past A Rod. But no, it was called a ball.
Upon later review, both he and the Orioles pitcher knew it. The only one who didn't was the umpire who called ball two and allowed A Rod another swing to salvage the game for the Yankees.
A Rod accepted the bonus swing providing the crowd with a view of a monstrous 386 foot home run. Giving the Yankees a 4-3 lead which was preserved by their closer Mariano Rivera.
How quickly the fortunes of the game changed.
It gave new meaning to the phrase "it ain't over 'till it's over."
Despite losing though, it was exciting to watch the teams battle. Many of us get very wrapped up in the winning and the losing and forget that it is supposed to be only a game.
Entertainment even.
It was last night--a great game, which even in defeat I can accept that in sports, like in life--it matters more how you play the game rather than how you finished.
It was a monstrous home run swatted by the Yankee slugger.
And the Yankees were down to their last strike when the blast happened.
But wait--there is more to the story.
With two outs, two men on and a 1 ball 2 strike count, the Orioles closer threw what appeared to the crowd to be strike three past A Rod. But no, it was called a ball.
Upon later review, both he and the Orioles pitcher knew it. The only one who didn't was the umpire who called ball two and allowed A Rod another swing to salvage the game for the Yankees.
A Rod accepted the bonus swing providing the crowd with a view of a monstrous 386 foot home run. Giving the Yankees a 4-3 lead which was preserved by their closer Mariano Rivera.
How quickly the fortunes of the game changed.
It gave new meaning to the phrase "it ain't over 'till it's over."
Despite losing though, it was exciting to watch the teams battle. Many of us get very wrapped up in the winning and the losing and forget that it is supposed to be only a game.
Entertainment even.
It was last night--a great game, which even in defeat I can accept that in sports, like in life--it matters more how you play the game rather than how you finished.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
What Happens in the Local Airport after Midnight?
I have the opportunity, I guess more often than I would really like, to see first hand the answer to the title question.
The airport is Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood-Marshall Airport. Affectionately known as BWI.
I live 10 minutes from the airport. I have realized that because I live so close, when friends or family are arriving all they have to do is call me from the aircraft when the plane lands, as soon as they allow cell phones to be turned on, and I have plenty of time to get to them before they deplane and retrieve their bags. I usually check into the Cell Phone lot and await the call that the bags have been found and they are ready to depart.
It is really convenient.
But after midnight--the bustling place that during the day is BWI--with often 30 minute waits to make it through security, becomes a ghost town.
It is really weird to be walking through the deserted concourses.
And I was arriving on a scheduled flight just a bit early--not even late! And because I was on United (my favorite airline) I knew from listening in on the pilots communications that there were about three other flights arriving within a few minutes of us.
The people in the image are my fellow fliers who also rode United flight 168 from Denver to Baltimore.
For over three hours, we had been confined in a close space. Closer than friends. But once the cabin door was opened, all I saw of my flight mates was their backsides. Everyone was in a hurry, streaming past the closed and deserted shops to retrieve baggage and make their way home or to their true final destination.
I know some had a long trip.
I was lucky.
Withing 45 minutes of landing (not deplaning, but from when the wheels touched the runway) I was home.
I had passed through the ghostly empty airport.
I also got lucky on a shuttle ride to the parking lot. It is so rare when the shuttle pulls up just as I arrive at the pick-up point.
And the truck roared to life as I turned the key. It carried me home to complete the trip.
I hope everyone else who rode Flight 168 with me into the deserted BWI had a smooth trip.
It is good to be home--because after midnight at BWI, nothing happens.
The airport is Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood-Marshall Airport. Affectionately known as BWI.
 |
| BWI Concourse D after Midnight, September 17, 2010 |
I live 10 minutes from the airport. I have realized that because I live so close, when friends or family are arriving all they have to do is call me from the aircraft when the plane lands, as soon as they allow cell phones to be turned on, and I have plenty of time to get to them before they deplane and retrieve their bags. I usually check into the Cell Phone lot and await the call that the bags have been found and they are ready to depart.
It is really convenient.
But after midnight--the bustling place that during the day is BWI--with often 30 minute waits to make it through security, becomes a ghost town.
It is really weird to be walking through the deserted concourses.
And I was arriving on a scheduled flight just a bit early--not even late! And because I was on United (my favorite airline) I knew from listening in on the pilots communications that there were about three other flights arriving within a few minutes of us.
The people in the image are my fellow fliers who also rode United flight 168 from Denver to Baltimore.
For over three hours, we had been confined in a close space. Closer than friends. But once the cabin door was opened, all I saw of my flight mates was their backsides. Everyone was in a hurry, streaming past the closed and deserted shops to retrieve baggage and make their way home or to their true final destination.
I know some had a long trip.
I was lucky.
Withing 45 minutes of landing (not deplaning, but from when the wheels touched the runway) I was home.
I had passed through the ghostly empty airport.
I also got lucky on a shuttle ride to the parking lot. It is so rare when the shuttle pulls up just as I arrive at the pick-up point.
And the truck roared to life as I turned the key. It carried me home to complete the trip.
I hope everyone else who rode Flight 168 with me into the deserted BWI had a smooth trip.
It is good to be home--because after midnight at BWI, nothing happens.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Out the Hotel Window, Part 3
Well, scary enough, it was a three day trip to two cities so I have three parts it seems. I took one image every morning to see if I could find something different to see out of the windows.
Yesterday morning, I moved over to one side of the window, in the early pre-dawn light and off in the distance I could see the skyline of Denver.
It was so far away--
I zoomed my iPhone camera to the max setting and snapped a couple images hoping to get lucky.
Maybe I did--
But I learned that when looking out the hotel window, move around a bit. This awesome skyline shot was obscured form the center point of the window by the corner of the building--but by moving a bit to the right, I was able to change the blah view of the day before into something that is etched in my mind to remember.
All too often when I travel, I just leave the shades and curtains closed in my hotel room.
I'm too busy computing, or reading, dressing, or catching up on the news to notice what is happening outside.
I guess, I've changed.
 |
| Denver Skyline September 16, 2010 from Aurora Doubletree |
Yesterday morning, I moved over to one side of the window, in the early pre-dawn light and off in the distance I could see the skyline of Denver.
It was so far away--
I zoomed my iPhone camera to the max setting and snapped a couple images hoping to get lucky.
Maybe I did--
But I learned that when looking out the hotel window, move around a bit. This awesome skyline shot was obscured form the center point of the window by the corner of the building--but by moving a bit to the right, I was able to change the blah view of the day before into something that is etched in my mind to remember.
All too often when I travel, I just leave the shades and curtains closed in my hotel room.
I'm too busy computing, or reading, dressing, or catching up on the news to notice what is happening outside.
I guess, I've changed.
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