Simplicity Itself

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-unJ1NzDtcjg/XlakwF0A4OI/AAAAAAABLxo/uct60_rb3Ksqa-js9O54mu6mB4ldoxp7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/William%2BJ%2BBradford%2B-%2BOff%2Bthe%2BGreenland%2BCoast%2Bunder%2Bthe%2BMidnight%2BSun%2B1873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="956" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-unJ1NzDtcjg/XlakwF0A4OI/AAAAAAABLxo/uct60_rb3Ksqa-js9O54mu6mB4ldoxp7gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/William%2BJ%2BBradford%2B-%2BOff%2Bthe%2BGreenland%2BCoast%2Bunder%2Bthe%2BMidnight%2BSun%2B1873.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div data-pm-context="[]"> <em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:William_J_Bradford,_Off_the_Greenland_Coast_under_the_Midnight_Sun,_1873.jpg">Off the Greenland Coast Under the Midnight Sun</a> by William J. Bradford, 1873 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)</em></div> </td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> "I adore simple pleasures. They are the last refuge of the complex." ― Oscar Wilde, 1891<br /> <br /> Last week, we talked about <a href="https://scottmonty.substack.com/p/when-fear-works-and-when-it-doesnt">fear</a> and how <a href="https://scottmonty.substack.com/p/when-fear-works-and-when-it-doesnt">leadership works better with inspiration than intimidation</a>.<br /> <br /> And our paying subscribers read about physical and organizational structures, what's spoken and unspoken, and that each affect how a leader is viewed.<br /> <br /> The connection between these two topics? How we treat others in our lives, whether they're employees, colleagues, friends, or family.<br /> <br /> None of this is rocket science. It comes down to maxims we've heard for millennia: the Golden Rule, listening more than speaking, and long-term thinking.<br /> <br /> These are some of the hallmarks of great leaders.<br /> <br /> But there's another ability of great leaders that's worth spending some time thinking about. Along with having good communications skills, they're usually good strategists.<br /> <br /> What lies at the intersection between these two strengths is a true talent:<br /> <br /> <b>Making the complex seem simple.</b><br /> <br /> <br /> There's great power in simplicity:<br /> <br /> <ul> <li>When you boil down a complicated problem to its core, you can help other people address an issue. </li> <li>When you make a user experience more intuitive, it results in more widespread adoption.</li> <li>When you use language that people can understand without pulling out a dictionary, people will trust and like you more.</li> </ul> <br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><span style="font-size: large;">"More and more, informal language is building trust, not destroying it." </span></i></div> <div style="text-align: right;"> <i>― Ron Tite, 2019 (<a href="https://amzn.to/2VqaVr2">Think Do Say</a>)</i></div> <br /> <br /> We've got a temptation to make things more complex than simple. Part of it is a self-preservation mechanism: like academics who use unnecessarily flowery language in peer-reviewed journals, it's a matter of elevating ourselves to seem smarter and "own" the topic.<br /> <br /> But when you're trying to motivate a workforce, inform investors, or connect with customers, they have one simple request: eschew obfuscation.<br /> <br /> That is, just tell me what you do, plain and simple.<br /> <br /> I was fortunate to serve fairly closely with a CEO whose style was all about simplicity. Not in a dumbed-down way, but in a friendly, collaborative sort of way. He ensured that everyone understood the company's mission and how they fit into the complex matrix of a global organization.<br /> <br /> He knew that it was his job to meet employees where they were – physically, and philosophically – and bring them to where he wanted them to go.<br /> <br /> That CEO was Alan Mulally, and his strategic plan for Ford Motor Company was called "<a href="https://www.slideshare.net/scottmonty/one-ford-strategy">One Ford</a>." It was quite simple: One Team, One Plan, One Goal – an exciting and viable Ford delivering profitable growth for all.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W7busMey67I/XlaldnrZgsI/AAAAAAABLxw/80qjuNB8CPAEoF7jQIESiHVz34t9OhK8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/one-ford-strategy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="467" data-original-width="638" height="466" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W7busMey67I/XlaldnrZgsI/AAAAAAABLxw/80qjuNB8CPAEoF7jQIESiHVz34t9OhK8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/one-ford-strategy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Sure, the details below each section made it a little longer. But it was in plain language that fit on an I.D. card. Everyone could recite it, because the message was so simple, and because Alan spent so much time repeating it to everyone.<br /> <br /> Not too long ago, Alan told me, <i>"If you want to be successful, you have to have a plan, and you have to communicate the plan." </i><br /> <br /> Alan knew that simple communication was the most effective. How refreshing when everything else around us is complicated.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><span style="font-size: large;">“One should use common words to say uncommon things.”  </span></i></div> <div style="text-align: right;"> <i>– Arthur Schopenhauer, 1818</i></div> <br /> <br /> In addition to the importance of simplicity and clarity in your communication, it also helps to be able to address challenges and obstacles the same way. When you're mired in the day-to-day details of running your business, sometimes it can be difficult to see the bigger picture.<br /> <br /> This is why some leaders like to bring in consultants with an outside perspective. A fresh look from someone with a different set of experiences can be a real eye-opener.<br /> <br /> This is the kind of work that I love doing. When a client brings me in, lays all the facts before me, and I have a chance to ask questions, there's a moment when I immediately see how to help them. A true light bulb moment.<br /> <br /> I like to think of such advisory work like dispensing common sense.<br /> <br /> The dilemma is that I can't say that I dispense common sense. Because everyone thinks they have common sense – and indeed they do. But when you're so close to a project or topic, it can be difficult to separate yourself from it enough to get the wider picture or <a href="https://scottmonty.substack.com/p/innovation-by-perspective">a different perspective</a>.<br /> <br /> Here's a perfect example of how this played out between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in "The Adventure of the Dancing Men":<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> “So, Watson,” said he, suddenly, “you do not propose to invest in South African securities?”<br /> <br /> I gave a start of astonishment. Accustomed as I was to Holmes’s curious faculties, this sudden intrusion into my most intimate thoughts was utterly inexplicable.<br /> <br /> “How on earth do you know that?” I asked.<br /> <br /> He wheeled round upon his stool, with a steaming test-tube in his hand and a gleam of amusement in his deep-set eyes.<br /> <br /> “Now, Watson, confess yourself utterly taken aback,” said he.<br /> <br /> “I am.”<br /> <br /> “I ought to make you sign a paper to that effect.”<br /> <br /> “Why?”<br /> <br /> “Because in five minutes you will say that it is all so absurdly simple.”<br /> <br /> “I am sure that I shall say nothing of the kind.”<br /> <br /> “You see, my dear Watson”—he propped his test tube in the rack and began to lecture with the air of a professor addressing his class—“it is not really difficult to construct a series of inferences, each dependent upon its predecessor and each simple in itself. If, after doing so, one simply knocks out all the central inferences and presents one’s audience with the starting-point and the conclusion, one may produce a startling, though possibly a meretricious, effect. Now, it was not really difficult, by an inspection of the groove between your left forefinger and thumb, to feel sure that you did not propose to invest your small capital in the goldfields.”<br /> <br /> “I see no connection.”<br /> <br /> “Very likely not; but I can quickly show you a close connection. Here are the missing links of the very simple chain: 1. You had chalk between your left finger and thumb when you returned from the club last night. 2. You put chalk there when you play billiards to steady the cue. 3. You never play billiards except with Thurston. 4. You told me four weeks ago that Thurston had an option on some South African property which would expire in a month, and which he desired you to share with him. 5. Your chequebook is locked in my drawer, and you have not asked for the key. 6. You do not propose to invest your money in this manner.”<br /> <br /> “How absurdly simple!” I cried.<br /> <br /> “Quite so!” said he, a little nettled. “Every problem becomes very childish when once it is explained to you.</blockquote> <br /> There's the opportunity: to bring the simple magic that your work does, without devaluing what you do by revealing the methodology. Even some 2,000 years ago, Tacitus knew that everything unknown is thought to be amazing:<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><span style="font-size: large;">"Omne ignotum pro magnifico est." </span></i></div> <div style="text-align: right;"> <i>― Tacitus, c. 120</i></div> <br /> <br /> What if you could amaze people with simplicity?<br /> <br /> People don't expect the common and simple these days.<br /> <br /> They don't expect a handwritten note when they're barraged with emails and text messages.<br /> <br /> They don't expect that you'll remember their name when they're required to give three forms of I.D. to make a deposit at the bank.<br /> <br /> Sometimes, that's all it takes.<br /> <br /> Use language they can relate to. Remember their name. Just say hello.<br /> <br /> It really is that simple.<br /> <br /> <br /> <i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">This originally appeared in the <a href="http://scottmonty.substack.com/" style="color: #280170; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Timeless & Timely</a> newsletter for February 26, 2020. To see the newsletter in its entirety, including links, the recommended book and podcast, and more <a href="https://scottmonty.substack.com/p/simplicity-itself" style="color: #280170; font-weight: bold; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">please click here</a>.</i><br /> <div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> If you liked this, I'd love to share more with you:</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" style="max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></div> </div> <br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><i style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Some links may be Amazon Affiliates. We earn a small commission when you purchase them.</i>

Simplicity Itself

Off the Greenland Coast Under the Midnight Sun by William J. Bradford, 1873 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons) "I adore simple...

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When Fear Works ― and When It Doesn't

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aEN5RHY73Yg/Xk6eV6AZOQI/AAAAAAABLsc/pdVroMFWfnsPaGEplqYsKAL29lswz2vfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Sebastiano%2BRicci%2B-%2BPerseus%2BConfronting%2BPhineus%2Bwith%2Bthe%2BHead%2Bof%2BMedusa%2B1705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="899" data-original-width="1089" height="528" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aEN5RHY73Yg/Xk6eV6AZOQI/AAAAAAABLsc/pdVroMFWfnsPaGEplqYsKAL29lswz2vfwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Sebastiano%2BRicci%2B-%2BPerseus%2BConfronting%2BPhineus%2Bwith%2Bthe%2BHead%2Bof%2BMedusa%2B1705.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption"><a href="http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/objects/794/sebastiano-ricci-perseus-confronting-phineus-with-the-head-of-medusa-italian-venetian-about-1705-1710/"><i>Perseus Confronting Phineas with the Head of Medusa</i></a> by Sebastiano Ricci, 1705 (public domain — The Getty )</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <i><b>"We promise according to our hopes, and perform according to our fears."</b> ― La Rochefoucauld, 1664</i><br /> <br /> <br /> Have you ever felt real fear?<br /> <br /> Like the kind of fear that gives you a palpable sense of dread? That makes your chest tighten and your heart pound?<br /> <br /> I remember feeling like that when I first visited a lake in New Hampshire when I was 14 years old.<br /> <br /> Growing up in Connecticut, I was fortunate to have a backyard pool. We used to host YMCA-taught swimming lessons each summer for our friends and neighbors. I remember the pride I had as I received a patch for the level I completed every year: Polliwog, Guppy, Minnow, Fish, Flying Fish, and ultimately, Shark.<br /> <br /> By the end of each day, we'd be as wrinkled as prunes and our lungs would ache from all the time spent underwater. But we were expert swimmers, which made us even more brave when we went to the beach on Cape Cod or Newport later in the summer.<br /> <br /> So when I first had the chance to head up to Lake Winnipesaukee for a week with a friend, I was looking forward to more time in the water, including water skiing and boating ― something impossible in a pool.<br /> <br /> As I dipped my toes into the cool water on the edge of the lake, I enjoyed the soft sand and gravel between my toes. Located in the middle of New Hampshire, the lake is fed by runoff from the White Mountains, which means it's fairly chilly. I gradually got used to it and was finally able to get my entire body submerged.<br /> <br /> I brought a snorkeling mask along with me, so I put it on and dove down to examine the stones and gravel as it sloped up toward the beach. But then I did something that didn't prepare me for what came next.<br /> <br /> Remember, I had only explored the great Underwater World of My Pool until this time.<br /> <br /> I turned my head around and looked out into the center of the lake with my mask. The dark green, somewhat murky water trailed off into nothingness, such that I couldn't see anything but the vast expanse that lay in front of me.<br /> <br /> At that moment, I felt that tightening ― that sense of horror ― and immediately burst to the surface. Simply put, I was freaked. Out.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>“Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems.” ― Epictetus, c. 100</i></b></span></div> <br /> <br /> Where does that sense of terror come from?<br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RysNc8VdmaQ/Xk1oSRHoQEI/AAAAAAABLsE/DeHGb1_VbtYOVa2VPT9KiUM8nYf973PJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Gustave%2BCourbet%2B-%2BThe%2BDesperate%2BMan%2B1843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="1500" height="522" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RysNc8VdmaQ/Xk1oSRHoQEI/AAAAAAABLsE/DeHGb1_VbtYOVa2VPT9KiUM8nYf973PJgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Gustave%2BCourbet%2B-%2BThe%2BDesperate%2BMan%2B1843.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_D%C3%A9sesp%C3%A9r%C3%A9#/media/File:Gustave_Courbet_-_Le_D%C3%A9sesp%C3%A9r%C3%A9.JPG">The Desperate Man</a></i> by Gustave Courbet, 1843 (public domain - Wikipedia)</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> It's certainly within our genetic programming to avoid danger. The old "fight or flight" response is well documented throughout the animal species.<br /> <br /> But that kind of irrational response to nothing: what is that?<br /> <br /> I think it's a combination of two powerful forces at work ― two forces that are beyond our command:<br /> <br /> We fear the <b>unknown</b> and we fear <b>what we can't control</b>.<br /> <br /> How positively and uniquely human is that?<br /> <br /> Humans have been blessed with consciousness, such that we know there are things we don't know (well, most of us, anyway). We're aware that there is more out there that may be looming, waiting for us. And it is terrifying.<br /> <br /> In a situation similar to the lake-diving incident, I recall the first time I was on a cruise ship and we were out in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.<br /> <br /> I stepped onto the deck one evening close to midnight, and looked out into the distance. It was a cloudy night, so there were no stars, no moon, no ambient light. It was pitch black and I was looking into nothingness. And it was terrifying to me.<br /> <br /> It was that same sense of dread, feeling enveloped by the unknown. In this case, fear was borne not through the presence of something, but the absence of it.<br /> <br /> Last week, we talked about death (some charming topics lately, eh?). There's been a natural connection between fear and death for as long as humans have been aware of their mortality.<br /> <br /> If you look at all of the anti-aging products and services available, it's clear that our desire is to prolong our lives for as long as possible.<br /> <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <i>"The thing I fear most is fear… Those who are in pressing fear of losing their property, of being exiled, of being subjugated, live in constant anguish, losing even the capacity to drink, eat, and rest; whereas the poor, the exiles, and the slaves often live as joyfully as other men. And so many people who, unable to endure the pangs of fear, have hanged themselves, drowned themselves, or leaped to their death, have taught us well that fear is even more unwelcome and unbearable than death itself."</i> ― Michel de Montaigne, 1580</blockquote> <br /> <br /> Yes, we know humans fear death ― more recently <a href="https://blogs.chapman.edu/wilkinson/2018/10/16/americas-top-fears-2018/">government corruption has topped the list</a> ― but the manner of death that people commonly fear is interesting.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Aj_7Zwp1BOw/Xk1m3Edl0CI/AAAAAAABLr4/vRVbrIQgZusSM6WMkqJ32TTFgmJSGsT-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2018-Fear-Campaign-Top-10-Bar-Graph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="494" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Aj_7Zwp1BOw/Xk1m3Edl0CI/AAAAAAABLr4/vRVbrIQgZusSM6WMkqJ32TTFgmJSGsT-gCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/2018-Fear-Campaign-Top-10-Bar-Graph.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> I'm thinking shark attacks and airplane crashes.<br /> <br /> Both scary things, right? But also both unlikely things.<br /> <br /> I could share all of the available statistics on each of these things to show how rare they are and how silly it is to be concerned about them, from a rational standpoint. But it wouldn't matter. Why not?<br /> <br /> Because regardless of how uncommon these events are, they both have something in common: they're out of our control.<br /> <br /> You have no control over when or where the great white shark does its hunting. When you're in a metal tube, hurtling through the air at 600 mph six miles above the earth's surface, you can't determine what will happen.<br /> <br /> At the same time, why worry about it? If you can't do anything to change it, it's wasted energy.<br /> <br /> And as Montaigne knew, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2010/may/17/montaigne-philosophy-death">when your fears of death consume you, you can't enjoy life</a>.<br /> <br /> <br /> When placed in situations with grizzly bears, mean horses or gunfighters, Theodore Roosevelt was afraid at first. And then, as he wrote in his Autobiography he discovered that he could become fearless through practice: "by acting as if I was not afraid, I gradually ceased to be afraid."<br /> <br /> It's another way of saying "fake it 'til you make it," but TR was spot on: practice the skills you want to grow.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." ― Mark Twain, 1894</span></i></b></div> <br /> <br /> What about the things you do have control over?<br /> <br /> We all like to think that we have some semblance of control over our government (although lately, that's up for debate). Elections give us the opportunity to express our desires, hopes, fears and outrages.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"Fear itself these days is America's top-selling consumer product, available 24-7 as a mobile app with color-coded pop-ups in all shades of the paranoid rainbow." ― Lewis H. Lapham, 2017</i></b></span></div> <br /> <br /> If you've been following along over the last few years, you may have noticed politicians ― typically on one side of the spectrum ― who make it their business to make you afraid and angry.<br /> <br /> Why? There's power in fear. And when you have power, you can control things ― or at least, that's the perception. And by gaining more control, you can lessen some of your own fears.<br /> <br /> How are you motivating your team?<br /> <br /> In <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2wqxC3W">Only the Paranoid Survive</a></i> (1996), the late Intel executive Andrew Grove wrote about creating a passion for winning in the marketplace, and suggested that "fear plays a major role in maintaining such passion."<br /> <br /> While no one wants to be part of a losing team, the way Grove articulated it was akin to creating a set of neuroses among employees: "fear of competition, fear of bankruptcy, fear of being wrong, and fear of losing." He seemed to focus only on the threats and weaknesses in the classic SWOT analysis.<br /> <br /> This is almost as if to invite a corps of Cassandras to your team. If you recall from mythology, Cassandra was the Chicken Little of Troy: her constant (accurate) fears and predictions of the future were dismissed by all.<br /> <br /> It's natural to be wary of threats and changes to the environment around us. But to live and operate in abject fear is destructive to morale.<br /> <br /> Charles Schwab knew how to deal with people. In the classic <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2PaRWNs">How to Win Friends and Influence People</a></i> (1936), Dale Carnegie recalls Schwab's approach:<br /> <br /> "I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among the men to be the greatest asset I possess, and the way to develop the best that is in a man is by appreciation and encouragement."<br /> <br /> The world can be a scary place, certainly. It can also be a hopeful, helpful place. It depends on where you put your attention.<br /> <br /> <br /> <i>Related: <a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2018/11/leading-with-enthusiasm-not-fear.html">Leading with Enthusiasm, not Fear</a></i><br /> <br /> <i>This originally appeared in the <a href="http://scottmonty.substack.com/" target="_blank">Timeless & Timely</a> newsletter for February 19, 2020. To see the newsletter in its entirety, including links, the recommended book and podcast, and more <a href="https://scottmonty.substack.com/p/when-fear-works-and-when-it-doesnt" target="_blank">please click here</a>.</i><br /> <div> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> If you liked this, I'd love to share more with you:</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" width="480"></iframe></div> </div> <br /> <br /> <i>Some links may be Amazon Affiliates. We earn a small commission when you purchase them.</i><br /> <i><br /></i>

When Fear Works ― and When It Doesn't

Perseus Confronting Phineas with the Head of Medusa by Sebastiano Ricci, 1705 (public domain — The Getty ) "We promise according ...

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How Do You Want to Be Remembered?

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1O8fsnaGFgs/XkNUkVyivMI/AAAAAAABLoM/oWB2Ka3q_A8WON4lYSlnb3OgqT91YA0yQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Jacques-Louis%2BDavid%2B-%2BThe%2BDeath%2Bof%2BSocrates.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="1199" height="420" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1O8fsnaGFgs/XkNUkVyivMI/AAAAAAABLoM/oWB2Ka3q_A8WON4lYSlnb3OgqT91YA0yQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Jacques-Louis%2BDavid%2B-%2BThe%2BDeath%2Bof%2BSocrates.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_Socrates#/media/File:David_-_The_Death_of_Socrates.jpg" target="_blank">The Death of Socrates</a> by Jacques Louis David, 1787 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)</i></td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <br /> <i><b>"What can you say about a twenty-five-year-old girl who died? That she was beautiful. And Brilliant. That she loved Mozart and Bach. And the Beatles. And me."</b> — Erich Segal, 1970 </i><br /> <br /> <br /> Death is always with us. <br /> <br /> Okay, I realize this is a morbid topic (literally!). And you might be wondering why in heaven (see what I did there?) I'm bringing it up, given that I normally talk with you about leadership, communications, and marketing. <br /> <br /> Stay with me. <br /> <br /> Some of the leadership topics I cover include emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and integrity. <br /> <br /> And part of dealing with death is simply acknowledging that it's something that every single one of us will face. Aside from birth, it's the only thing common to the entire human race. <br /> <br /> The Stoics are big fans of staying aware of death. They even have a phrase for it: memento mori (Latin for "remember that you must die"). And they advocate for keeping some physical object to remind ourselves of that. <br /> <br /> When we do think about it, death is one of those subjects or eventualities that we hold in awe: we're reverent and respectful — even fearful (more on fear in next week's edition). <br /> <br /> But the sense of reverence and respect means we attach solemnity and thoughtfulness to death. When William Butler Yeats died, W.H Auden elegized him (not a eulogy; an elegy), he wrote: <br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Earth, receive an honoured guest." </span></i></b></div> <div> <br /></div> <br /> This short phrase packs a critical truth about death: that typically we're judged not by how we died, but by how we lived. <br /> <br /> I don't know about you, but I'd like to be received as an honored guest by the earth one day. I think we'd all like that. <br /> <br /> At a certain point, we come to recognize what the important things are in our lives — the things we spend more time on as we age. <br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Epitaph, n. An inscription on a tomb, showing that virtues acquired by death have a retroactive effect." </span></i></b></div> <br /> <div style="text-align: right;"> <i>— Ambrose Bierce, 1906 </i></div> <br /> <br /> If we're lucky we might realize that it's the relationships we create that matter the most. And with any luck, we realize it long before the end of our lives. <br /> <br /> What are you doing with the relationships you're tending to each day? It exists in the little moments you share with your partner, the rapport you create with your team members, and the way you make a customer or client feel when they see you. <br /> <br /> And what about online? Is the digital you anything like the you in the real world? <br /> <br /> It can be difficult at times, with so many distractions and negative commentary on the web. It's tempting to get pulled into things that rile us up and make us want to comment. <br /> <br /> We're protected by the near-anonymity that the online world provides us — or at least by the glowing bulwark of a screen. The slings and arrows that we send and receive are blunted by virtue of the virtual. It's hard to resist. I know I'm trying to improve, even though <a href="https://scottmonty.substack.com/p/im-flawed">I'm flawed</a>. <br /> <br /> Every tweet, every comment, every GIF and emoji, we tell the world who we are. What will your digital memorial look like? <br /> <br /> Leonard Nimoy left us with this final tweet as his: <br /> <br /> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center"> <div dir="ltr" lang="en"> A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP</div> — Leonard Nimoy (@TheRealNimoy) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealNimoy/status/569762773204217857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2015</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /> <br /> <br /> <div> That's a beautiful sentiment and a wonderful message to leave us with. </div> <div> <br /> <br /> I've witnessed many friends online succumb to cancer over the past few years. Three in particular stick with me. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.afrobella.com/2017/01/23/jewel-figueras/">Jewel Figueras</a> was a blogger whom I invited to many events when I worked at Ford. I remember one time she showed up at one of them with a gift for me: a few bow ties from my favorite bow tie company, <a href="http://beautiesltd.com/">Beau Ties Ltd. of Vermont</a>. <br /> <br /> It was thoughtful and generous, and what had already been a fun and friendly relationship was solidified. Jewel valued being acknowledged as an influencer, and I valued Jewel for her unique take on things and always making me smile. <br /> <br /> Another was <a href="https://twitter.com/delwilliams">Del Williams</a>. Del was a freelance journalist who was interested in technology, and because of that, we were interested in her. I first met her in person at the Los Angeles Auto Show, but we remained regular online correspondents. <br /> <br /> Del knew that I ran <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.com/">a website about Sherlock Holmes</a> and was always forwarding me things in the news about Sherlock Holmes. I was usually aware of them already, but I didn't always tell her that, and told her how much I appreciated her being an extra set of eyes and ears for me. <br /> <br /> And finally there was <a href="https://twitter.com/johnhaydon">John Haydon</a>, who passed away over the weekend. While I didn't know John well, I always appreciated his thoughtful approach to things. He was a Buddhist and practiced the calm and balance that his faith taught, even in the darkest hours. <br /> <br /> What struck me about John when I heard about his death was how he left his Twitter account in perfect balance: he had the same number of people following him as he was following. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Each of us has a choice about how we approach death, as well as how we approach life. When George VI died in 1952, Winston Churchill wrote a eulogy in which he acknowledged how the king made his peace and embraced the inevitable in the most serene way: <br /> <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> "During these last months the King walked with death as if death were a companion, an acquaintance whom he recognized and did not fear. In the end death came as a friend, and after a happy day of sunshine and sport, and after "good night" to those who loved him best, he fell asleep as every man or woman who strives to fear God and nothing else in the world may hope to do." </blockquote> <br /> <br /> Whether you're stepping away from your job or thinking about the finite nature of life itself, what choices are you making each day that build the monument that you'll leave behind? <br /> <br /> How do you want to be remembered? </div> <br /> <br /> <i>This originally appeared in the <a href="http://scottmonty.substack.com/" target="_blank">Timeless & Timely</a> newsletter for February 12, 2020. To see the newsletter in its entirety, including links, the recommended book and podcast, and more <a href="https://scottmonty.substack.com/p/how-do-you-want-to-be-remembered" target="_blank">please click here</a>.</i><br /> <div> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> If you liked this, I'd love to share more with you:</div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" width="480"></iframe><br /></div> <br /></div>

How Do You Want to Be Remembered?

The Death of Socrates by Jacques Louis David, 1787 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons) "What can you say about a twenty-five-yea...

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Short and Concise Win Every Time

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S97ZX-nIJY8/XjpmhySvsjI/AAAAAAABLcI/VE2tFwlnuBwk7aJKCYSEzMdhdvsKRmp5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Karel_Dujardin_-_Boy_Blowing_Soap_Bubbles._Allegory_on_the_Transitoriness_and_the_Brevity_of_Life_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="581" data-original-width="829" height="448" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S97ZX-nIJY8/XjpmhySvsjI/AAAAAAABLcI/VE2tFwlnuBwk7aJKCYSEzMdhdvsKRmp5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Karel_Dujardin_-_Boy_Blowing_Soap_Bubbles._Allegory_on_the_Transitoriness_and_the_Brevity_of_Life_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: dimgrey;"><em><a data-cke-saved-href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Karel_Dujardin_-_Boy_Blowing_Soap_Bubbles._Allegory_on_the_Transitoriness_and_the_Brevity_of_Life_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Karel_Dujardin_-_Boy_Blowing_Soap_Bubbles._Allegory_on_the_Transitoriness_and_the_Brevity_of_Life_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" target="_blank">Boy Blowing Soap Bubbles. Allegory on the Transitoriness and the Brevity of Life</a> by Karel Dujardin, 1663 (Wikimedia Commons - public domain)</em></span></span></td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <i>"The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible" – George Burns </i><br /> <br /> <br /> There's a legendary story about <b>Ernest Hemingway</b> betting every member of the <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/the-algonquin-round-table-about-the-algonquin/527/">Algonquin Round Table</a> ten dollars that he could create an entire story in just six words.<br /> <br /> They all took the bet, and Hemingway collected when he jotted down:<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">For sale. Baby shoes. Never worn.</span></i></b></div> <br /> <br /> It's amazing to ponder the intensity and depth in those three pairs of words. And Hemingway didn't need to use any more to make his point.<br /> <br /> <br /> You don't need to prattle on.<br /> <br /> You don't have to have something to say constantly.<br /> <br /> Sometimes, your audience simply might not want to hear from you.<br /> <br /> And other times, the power of silence can convey something even more powerful.<br /> <br /> There's great power in keeping things short.<br /> <br /> You could always go on for longer. But no one wants to hear that.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"As great minds have the faculty of saying a great deal in a few words, so lesser minds have a talent of talking much, and saying nothing."</span></i></b></div> <div style="text-align: right;"> – François de la Rochefoucauld</div> <br /> <br /> When you write or speak, pick the words or images that matter, say what you need to, and get out of the way.<br /> <br /> If people want to hear more from you, they'll ask.<br /> <br /> More isn't always better. Sometimes more is just more.<br /> <br /> Imagine how much more consumers would appreciate your work if you created fewer, better things.<br /> <br /> Imagine how much more you'd enjoy creating those things if you were able to create them with more deliberation.<br /> <br /> You can create anticipation and interest with scarcity and precision.<br /> <br /> It just takes a little more effort.<br /> <br /> Go ahead and try it.<br /> <div> <br /></div> <br />This originally appeared in the <a href="https://us19.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=4b1784f23a77243c11e9bc4b6&id=05d7157b3e">Timeless & Timely newsletter</a> for February 5, 2020. To see the newsletter in its entirety, <a href="https://mailchi.mp/scottmonty.com/ill-keep-this-short">please click here</a>.<br />

Short and Concise Win Every Time

Boy Blowing Soap Bubbles. Allegory on the Transitoriness and the Brevity of Life by Karel Dujardin, 1663 (Wikimedia Commons - public doma...

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The C-Suite Needs More Time

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JM-U92fZxf8/XjG4NP-OUmI/AAAAAAABLSQ/ao0Ls6eT00QdAhRCahs2wZbwM0K7mJxJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/John%2BMartin%2B-%2BJoshua%2BCommanding%2Bthe%2BSun%2Bto%2BStand%2BStill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="966" data-original-width="1280" height="482" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JM-U92fZxf8/XjG4NP-OUmI/AAAAAAABLSQ/ao0Ls6eT00QdAhRCahs2wZbwM0K7mJxJwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/John%2BMartin%2B-%2BJoshua%2BCommanding%2Bthe%2BSun%2Bto%2BStand%2BStill.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: dimgrey;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><em><a data-cke-saved-href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Martin_-_Joshua_Commanding_the_Sun_to_Stand_Still_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:John_Martin_-_Joshua_Commanding_the_Sun_to_Stand_Still_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" target="_blank">Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still</a> by John Martin, 1816 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)</em></span></span></td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><b>"I wasted time and now time doth waste me;</b></i></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><b>For now hath time made me his numbering clock:</b></i></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><b>My thoughts are minutes." </b></i></div> <div style="text-align: right;"> <i>– William Shakespeare, c. 1595</i> </div> <br /> <br /> Time. It's a concept that surrounds us all, yet we pay it either no need or put too much effort into thinking about it.<br /> <br /> <br /> It's part of our lexicon: time travel, time zones, time enough at last, time warp, etc. But it's also part of the industrial world: time clock, overtime, time-and-a-half, downtime, time off.<br /> <br /> <br /> Is it any wonder? As long ago as 1784, <b>Ben Franklin</b> gave us to understand that time is money in a letter to I. In it, he calculated how much money Parisians could save if they got up early (like he mistakenly did one morning) and worked by daylight instead of candlelight.<br /> <br /> In a series of calculations, he determined that about 96 million <i>livres tournois</i> could be saved in six months.<br /> <br /> <br /> Time is central to how we conduct ourselves in polite (or even impolite) society. Think about the time stresses <a href="https://onezero.medium.com/relentless-com-life-as-a-cog-in-amazons-e-tail-machine-d46b3ef05eb8?source=search_post---------0" target="_blank">that Amazon warehouse workers are under</a> every hour. So much so that they're sustaining serious injuries.<br /> <br /> Our worth seems to be tied to the speed by which we can do, share, or post things:<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> "Tardiness is next to wickedness in a society relentless in its consumption of time as both a good and a service—as tweet and Instagram, film clip and sound bite, as sporting event, investment opportunity, Tinder hookup, and interest rate—its value measured not by its texture or its substance but by the speed of its delivery." ("<a href="https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/time/captain-clock" target="_blank">Captain Clock</a>," <i>Lapham's Quarterly</i>)</blockquote> <br /> <br /> And while we like to chalk this up to digital life — as that fictitious "attention span of a goldfish" line you constantly hear — this is something humans have been grappling with for decades.<br /> <br /> In 49 B.C., <b>Seneca</b> wrote admiringly of the philosophers who "<i>not only keep a good watch over their own lifetimes, but [they] annex every age to theirs.</i>"<br /> <br /> He understood how putting things from the past in perspective could train the mind to anticipate what's coming (something I do with my clients and in this newsletter).<br /> <br /> <br /> He continued:<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Life is very short and anxious for those who forget the past, neglect the present, and fear the future...For they dash from one pleasure to another and cannot stay steady in one desire."</span></i></b></div> <br /> <br /> Does that sound familiar?<br /> <br /> Like executives who suffer from <b>shiny object syndrome</b>, or <b>GMOOT </b>("Get me one of those!").<br /> <br /> <br /> You can't expect your team to accomplish anything along a trajectory if you're constantly interrupting with what you just read on Twitter, saw your granddaughter using, or heard from some high-energy but inexperienced motivational speaker.<br /> <br /> <br /> There are plenty of reasons to have faith in relevant corporate experience and history.<br /> <br /> <br /> Why is history important when it comes to business? Simple: learning from the failures and successes of others who have come before you.<br /> <br /> The failures will save you time and resources. The successes will give you a path toward what is possible. But your job is to synthesize, adapt, and update them for strategies and tactics that work for your team.<br /> <br /> <br /> And occasionally you'll fail, despite so much careful preparation. No matter. We all have regrets — about leadership, love, family, professional performance.<br /> <br /> We can't undo the past, so we shouldn't dwell on them. Any good leader (or spouse, or friend, etc.) needs to focus on a path forward.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;">  <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"We beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."</span></i></b></div> <div style="text-align: right;"> <i>— F. Scott Fitzgerald, 1925</i></div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <h2> <b>Culture Change Takes Time</b></h2> <br /> Every leader's job is to create culture.<br /> <br /> And whether you're doing it by deliberate implementation or by neglect, culture gets traced back to leadership.<br /> <br /> Culture change in a large organization can take five years or more, according to <b>Forrester Research</b>, based on dozens of companies they studied.  They know that <a href="https://go.forrester.com/blogs/accelerate-your-culture-practices-for-digital-transformation/" target="_blank">digital transformation requires culture change first</a>:<br /> <br /> <i><b>"Culture change requires individual behavior change, on a mass scale, for all organization members."</b></i><br /> <br /> <br /> Individual behavior change on a mass scale.<br /> <br /> That's a tall order.<br /> <br /> But it's one that comes from observing how leadership conducts itself.<br /> <br /> By watching what leaders do, employees learn how to behave.<br /> <br /> If you see how a leader listens to customers, vendors, and employees, that in turn will teach you what's important to that leader.<br /> <br /> When so many leaders are flogging their teams for "customer centricity," yet have policies in place or take actions that are decidedly non-customer-centric, those actions speak volumes.<br /> <br /> <br /> And when the CMO is under pressure to show results of a new customer-centric strategy in mere quarters, they're being judged along the wrong timelines.<br /> <br /> With <a href="https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/trend-cmo-tenure-shorter-across-industries/" target="_blank">CMO tenure now at an all-time low</a>, there's not enough time allotted to make proper assessments. And when chief marketing officers hold a variety of functions from customer experience to advertising, from revenue generation to brand building and chief customer officers and chief communications officers, it's no wonder they're getting the focus.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"I do not object to people looking at their watches when I am speaking. But I strongly object when they start shaking them to make certain they are still going."</span></i></b></div> <div style="text-align: right;"> <i>— Norman Birkett, 1960</i></div> <br /> <br /> A high-functioning executive team will put together realistic timelines to determine how the ship is turning, particularly with respect to things like morale, culture, and strategy. These are not measured with quarterly KPIs.<br /> <br /> <br /> History may not supply us with all of the answers. But the evolution of how we think about time should also inform how we think about the humans that experience it — whether they're customers, leaders, employees or vendors.<br /> <br /> <br /> If we're creating experiences that are focused on the right things and designed to make things easier, create value, and move in the same direction, then we eliminate the need for them to check their watches (or calendars).<br /> <br /> They'll get lost in time.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its brevity."</span></i></b></div> <div style="text-align: right;"> <i>— Jean de La Bruyère, 1688</i></div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <i>This originally appeared in the <a href="http://scottmonty.substack.com/" target="_blank">Timeless & Timely newsletter</a> for January 29, 2020. To see the newsletter in its entirety, <a href="https://scottmonty.substack.com/p/the-c-suite-needs-more-time.html" target="_blank">please click here</a></i>.

The C-Suite Needs More Time

Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still by John Martin, 1816 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons) "I wasted time and now time d...

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Advice for Corporate Storytellers

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a-a8LC-XuEE/XiioIbEUsOI/AAAAAAABK7g/o4xrfFnzAXUbweGqajfoq_lqc-JwIr-ZACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Giovanni_Domenico%2BTiepolo%2B-%2BThe%2BStoryteller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="947" data-original-width="1600" height="378" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-a-a8LC-XuEE/XiioIbEUsOI/AAAAAAABK7g/o4xrfFnzAXUbweGqajfoq_lqc-JwIr-ZACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Giovanni_Domenico%2BTiepolo%2B-%2BThe%2BStoryteller.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Giovanni_Domenico_Tiepolo_-_The_Storyteller_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg" target="_blank">The Storyteller</a></i> by Giovanni Tiepolo, c. 1773 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: dimgrey;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><em><span style="font-family: "merriweather sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /> </span></em></span></span></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: dimgrey;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><em><span style="font-family: "merriweather sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">"Memory is necessary for all operations of reasoning." – Blaise Pascal (c.1658)<span style="color: dimgrey;"> </span></span></em></span></span></div> <span style="color: dimgrey;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><em><span style="font-family: "merriweather sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /> </span></em></span></span> <br /> <br /> It's tough living in the future, isn't it?<br /> <br /> There's so much focus on the latest platform, trend or technology. But true storytellers know that the medium isn't the message.<br /> <br /> I'm reminded of this quote by the Dalai Lama:<br /> <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <b><i>"I think technology really increased human ability. But technology cannot produce compassion." </i></b></blockquote> <br /> It makes me realize we have so much of <b><i>ourselves </i></b>to share in the personal and corporate stories we tell, today and in the many tomorrows to come.<br /> <br /> <br /> Speaking of stories, some of the best jokes are told like stories. Did you ever hear a really good joke?<br /> <br /> Like, a <i>really</i> good joke, where you said to yourself, "Wow — I've got to remember this, so I can tell my friends and make them laugh as hard as I'm laughing now."<br /> <br /> Then, you see your friends and you try to retell the joke. But you aren't bringing it to life the same way. Maybe your gestures are off, the accent is different, or the embellishments aren't as detailed.<br /> <br /> Whatever the differences are, you still manage to hit all the points of the joke, but when you deliver the punchline, it just falls to the floor a lies there, helpless, looking up at you and pleading with you to just put it out of its misery already.<br /> <br /> What just happened?<br /> <br /> Something's missing in your story.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h2> <b>A Little History</b></h2> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><em><span style="font-family: "merriweather sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">"The old wheel turns, and the same spoke comes up. It's all been done before, and will be again." - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle</span></em></span><br /> <br /> I'm a student of history and literature. When I admit this to my clients in the executive suite, it usually strikes them as odd, since so many of them expect consultants and advisers to come in quoting the latest platform trends.<br /> <br /> I watch the trends and understand their utility just fine. But I also study human behavior, which over the course of recorded history, has been remarkably consistent. You've undoubtedly heard clichés like "What's past is prologue" (from William Shakespeare's <i><a href="http://www.online-literature.com/shakespeare/tempest/3/" target="_blank">The Tempest</a></i>) or "Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it."<br /> <br /> While history doesn't repeat, it does rhyme. And when we ignore the successes and foibles of those who have come before us, we not only fail to learn from them, but we also show our ignorance.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Not to know what happened before one was born is always to be a child." </span></i></b></div> <div style="text-align: right;"> <b><span style="font-size: large;"><i>— Cicero</i></span></b></div> <br /> Why is history important? In <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2tv1viG" target="_blank">Varieties of Cultural History</a></i>, Peter Burke cites the ancient Greek historian Herotodus, noting that historians are guardians of memory. A collective memory is important in society — one that we'll come back to in future editions here.<br /> <br /> But he also pulls out a long-lost official title: <b><i>Remembrancer</i></b>.<br /> <br /> It's a beautiful term and an apt description for what storytellers or historians do:<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-snB3-xXD-PM/Xiip70lFtzI/AAAAAAABK7s/UsXwh1dj0g0k2dK47eD1PpZuFbfRSj9dACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Herodotus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="736" height="210" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-snB3-xXD-PM/Xiip70lFtzI/AAAAAAABK7s/UsXwh1dj0g0k2dK47eD1PpZuFbfRSj9dACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Herodotus.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Leaders and storytellers should be reading a variety of materials for inspiration. My own reading is eclectic, but it always informs my view of the present and future, particularly when it comes to executives, their teams, and business challenges. It gives me an outside perspective.<br /> <br /> In the most recent issue of <i><a href="https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/memory/remembered-past" target="_blank">Lapham's Quarterly</a></i>, Lewis H. Lapham wrote a piece on memory called "The Remembered Past" in which he discerns between the recorded past and the remembered past:<br /> <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> "The recorded past is a spiked cannon. The remembered past is live ammunition —  not <b><i>what happened</i></b> two hundred or two thousand years ago, <b><i>a story</i></b> about what happened two hundred or two thousand years ago. The stories change with circumstance and the sight lines available to tellers of the tale. Every generation rearranges the furniture of the past to suit the comfort and convenience of its anxious present." [Emphasis ours - Ed.]</blockquote> <br /> At the very least, knowing what's happened before we've come along will help us to make better decisions, whether it's in the campaigns we create or <a href="https://amzn.to/2v9Cn18" target="_blank">the book titles</a> we choose.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h2> <b>Why Should Brands Care?</b></h2> <br /> <i><b>When it comes to brands, why does it matter that we share stories about the facts rather than just the facts?</b></i><br /> <br /> Lapham's quote got me to thinking about how many companies tell stories, whether they're through press releases or feature-filled ads: they're largely about getting all of the facts out there — what happened.<br /> <br /> It's like trying to awkwardly retell a joke: simply checking all of the boxes on the elements of the joke doesn't necessarily result in a hilarious outcome.<br /> <br /> Telling people what happened is easy. More difficult is telling them how it happened. Or why it happened.<br /> <br /> And most importantly, making them care about it.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h2> <b>The Commoditization of Stories</b></h2> How do you make people care when you’re dealing in commodities? And let’s face it: facts are a commodity.<br /> <br /> They're necessary and they ground us in reality. But in any instance, the facts are cut and dried. They're the same for everyone.<br /> <br /> Your brand, like it or not, is a commodity to most people. Odds are if they don't buy it from you, they can get the same thing (or a reasonable facsimile thereof) from someone else.<br /> <br /> But what can you give them that no one else can?<br /> <br /> Certainly, your products and services need to stand out somehow. Maybe you're the fastest, or most convenient, or have the best service. You have some kind of differentiator.<br /> <br /> But what about your storytelling ability?<br /> <br /> Part of what makes brands stand apart is the stories told about them. Whether it's the brand telling the stories, or its evangelists, stories move people.<br /> <br /> In order to move people, you need a good story, well-told.<br /> <br /> Sometimes, your company's story may need a little more work.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <h2> <b>Elements of Well-Told Stories</b></h2> In "The Wallet" episode of <b><i>Seinfeld</i></b>, Jerry is doing his stand-up routine at a club. He's talking about TV shows that end with "To be continued…" and he complains:<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: center;"> <b><i>"If I want a long boring story with no point to it, I have my life."</i></b></blockquote> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> How many press releases, white papers, or other pieces of "content" make you wonder: "Where is this going?"<br /> <br /> Yes, yes. We all know that good stories have a beginning, middle, and end. But the point there is to orient your audience. Let them know where they are in the flow. Create a sense of drama.<br /> <br /> The Scottish writer and theater critic William Archer knew a thing or two about audiences and expectations. He famously wrote:<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Drama is anticipation mingled with uncertainty."</span></i></b></div> <br /> <br /> Anticipation and uncertainty are part of what we also call suspense.<br /> <br /> Creating suspense can seem daunting. Primarily because we think of suspense as it relates to Alfred Hitchcock, "the master of suspense."<br /> <br /> But it's not about being creepy or scary. It's about bringing your audience along in your story.<br /> Laying out a theme and showing empathy will draw them in.<br /> <br /> In doing so, you're allowing them to relate to you and the situation you're describing with your story.<br /> <br /> Once you've got that hook - and again, it's about creating a relatable situation or narrative that makes them care — you can begin filling in the details.<br /> <br /> As you do, these elements should create anticipation.<br /> <br /> One of my favorite stories about creating anticipation is from the divisive Howard Stern is from his 1997 movie <i><b>Private Parts</b></i>, when <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G6xu-J_Dmc" target="_blank">a researcher is sharing the ratings information</a> about Stern's show with the station manager (lovingly nicknamed "Pig Vomit"):<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <b>Researcher</b>: The average radio listener listens for eighteen minutes. The average Howard Stern fan listens for — are you ready for this? — an hour and twenty minutes. </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <b>Pig Vomit</b>: How can that be? </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <b>Researcher</b>: Answer most commonly given? "I want to see what he'll say next." </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <b>Pig Vomit</b>: Okay, fine. But what about the people who hate Stern? </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <b>Researcher</b>: Good point. The average Stern hater listens for two and a half hours a day. </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <b>Pig Vomit</b>: But… if they hate him, why do they listen? </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <b>Researcher</b>: Most common answer? "I want to see what he'll say next."</blockquote> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9G6xu-J_Dmc" width="560"></iframe><br /></div> <br /> <br /> It's astounding that haters can be so engaged, but it shows you what good storytelling can do when employing uncertainty and anticipation.<br /> <br /> <br /> As you're considering working with your team to tell your brand story differently, try approaching it differently.<br /> <br /> Like a comic telling a joke; or an artist painting a picture; or an architect designing a building.<br /> Scene, characters, and action are essential starting points; you need to sketch out where you're going; you need to build the framework that supports the bigger elements.<br /> <br /> Only then can you add the flourishes, details, and trim that make a memorable joke, painting or edifice.<br /> <br /> So as you rearrange the furniture of your stories and act as a remembrancer, taking into account the stories that have been told before, by your own brand and others, consider how you'll make someone care who otherwise has no passing interest in your brand.<br /> <br /> If you can get them to pass that along, you'll achieve what generations of historians and marketers alike have striven for.<br /> <br /> <br /> And the next time you see me in person, ask me to tell you a really good joke.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><b><span style="font-size: large;">If you'd like to hire me to speak to your group, I have a talk on <a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/p/speaking.html" target="_blank">Transformational Storytelling</a> that has blown away audiences. <a href="mailto:speaking@scottmonty.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Let's chat</a>.</span></b></i></div> <br /> <br /> <i>This essay originally appeared as part of the <a href="https://scottmonty.substack.com/p/advice-for-corporate-storytellers.html" target="_blank">Timeless & Timely</a> newsletter. If you'd like the version with links to industry updates, interesting stories, and the recommended podcast and book of the week, <a href="https://scottmonty.substack.com/" target="_blank">please subscribe</a></i>.<br /> <br /> <br />

Advice for Corporate Storytellers

The Storyteller by Giovanni Tiepolo, c. 1773 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons) "Memory is necessary for all operations of re...

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Leadership Style: Resistance vs. Resilience

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QXYj7xG9VZA/Xh9NAyN4YBI/AAAAAAABK2A/-phmV8RcdbwuWle9QETinCGZIMrouV0XwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/William%2BBradford%2B-%2BLocked%2Bin%2BIce%2B1882.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1342" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QXYj7xG9VZA/Xh9NAyN4YBI/AAAAAAABK2A/-phmV8RcdbwuWle9QETinCGZIMrouV0XwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/William%2BBradford%2B-%2BLocked%2Bin%2BIce%2B1882.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Locked in Ice</i> by William Bradford, 1882 (public domain)</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i>"Out of the night that covers me,<br />      Black as the pit from pole to pole,<br />I thank whatever gods may be<br />      For my unconquerable soul." </i></div> <span style="color: dimgrey;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><em><span style="font-family: merriweather sans,helvetica neue,helvetica,arial,sans-serif;"></span></em></span></span><br /> <div style="text-align: right;"> <span style="font-size: 14px;"><em><span style="font-family: "merriweather sans", "helvetica neue", helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">― William Ernest Henley</span></em></span></div> <br /> <br /> We all experience setbacks. It's just part of life. We run into obstacles, whether they're related to time, resources, difficult personalities, changes in circumstances, etc.<br /> <br /> The true mark of a leader is how they respond to these kinds of difficulties. There are some leaders who look at the facts and decided to put their heads down and plow through; and there are others who assess the situation and alter their plans — sometimes comprehensively.<br /> <br /> I recently had a health issue that was causing me a lot of pain. So much so that it made it impossible to concentrate on anything: reading, writing — even meditating.<br /> <br /> Rather than fight it, like I usually do with an illness, I decided to visit the doctor. It's a good thing I did, because the doctor warned that it wouldn't have gotten better without care.<br /> <br /> After treatment, the pain still lingered for about a week, but it made me realize a couple of things: (1) humans are so much softer than our ancestors, who had to endure conditions beyond our imagination; and (2) how other leaders have managed to get themselves through situations of unimaginable hardship.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h2> <b>That's Cold</b></h2> The stereotypical visualization of Hell is usually fire and brimstone, with Satan wielding a pitchfork as molten lava flows all around. But in Dante's <i>Inferno</i>, there were nine circles of Hell, each with varying forms of tortuous surroundings.<br /> <br /> The Ninth Circle of Hell, in Dante's telling, was the frozen central zone of Hell where Satan was trapped in ice, frozen up to his mid-chest. This is the area where the worst sinners were sent, unable to speak or move, frozen in the ice.<br /> <br /> According to Rachel Jacoff (<i>Dante</i>, Cambridge University Press, 1963) Dante portrayed the worst of Hell this way because "<i>the deepest isolation is to suffer separation from the source of all light and life and warmth</i>."<br /> <br /> Imagine then, that it’s the early 1900s and you're undertaking a physical and geographical adventure that no other human being has achieved: you're going to travel to Antarctica, the last unexplored continent, and you're going to march to the South Pole.<br /> <br /> This of course is exactly what Captain Robert Falcon Scott sought in 1910 when his <i>Terra Nova</i> Expedition set out. He had already led the <i>Discovery </i>Expedition from 1901–1904 to explore Antarctica, and his goal in his return was to be the first to reach the South Pole.<br /> <br /> As humans spread around the globe, the polar regions were a couple of the few remaining areas to conquer, so competition was fierce. There was a Japanese Antarctic expedition in the works, as well as an Australasian expedition, and the Norwegians, under Roald Amundsen, were going to explore the Arctic.<br /> <br /> The <i>Terra Nova</i> set out from Wales on June 15, 1910, prepared to arrive in the Antarctic for its summer months. By the time it reached Melbourne, though, a telegram from Amundsen was waiting for Scott, indicating that the Norwegians were headed south. It was to be a race, then.<br /> <br /> Scott was a Royal Navy man, beginning his naval career as a 13 year-old cadet. He worked his way up through the most hierarchical system, with the <i>Discovery </i>voyage serving as a way to further his advancement. This culture and tradition would eventually doom Scott — more on that later.<br /> <br /> Looking to use the most innovative technology of the day, Scott opted for a mixed transport strategy, using dogs, horses, and motorized sledges (essentially motor cars with tracks rather than tires). The vehicles quickly succumbed to the cold, and eventually the horses did as well.<br /> <br /> When the horses grew weak, expedition member Lawrence Oates suggested killing them for food. This kind of thought was abhorrent to the traditional Scott, and he forbade it. The horses died anyway. The food would have proven useful for the dogs and the men who were left.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, Amundsen relied solely on a team of 100 Greenland sledge dogs, knowing how they could be useful when led by the right expedition member.<br /> <br /> After many hardships, on January 4, 1912, Scott decided that he and four men would make the final march on foot. On January 17, Scott and his men made it to the South Pole, but to their horror, there was a Norwegian flag waiting for them.<br /> <br /> Amundsen and his men had made it just 34 days earlier.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zc_MDleggtw/Xh9ODhj6H2I/AAAAAAABK2Q/E85czqJX_IYoNfRJk24SNvrKtjMwPmdzQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Scott%2527s_party_at_the_South_Pole.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="905" data-original-width="1280" height="451" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zc_MDleggtw/Xh9ODhj6H2I/AAAAAAABK2Q/E85czqJX_IYoNfRJk24SNvrKtjMwPmdzQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Scott%2527s_party_at_the_South_Pole.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Dejected, the five began the 862 mile journey back on January 19.<br /> <br /> Over the course of the next two months, as they trudged back through blizzards and down glaciers, scurvy and frostbite began to set in (temperatures were routinely -40 degrees Fahrenheit). On March 16, Oates, whose toes had become frostbitten, left the tent and walked to his death.<br /> <br /> According to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Falcon_Scott#Last_march" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>:<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> "After walking 20 miles farther despite Scott's toes now becoming frostbitten, the three remaining men made their final camp on March 19, approximately 12.5 miles short of One Ton Depot. The next day a fierce blizzard prevented their making any progress. During the next nine days, as their supplies ran out, and with storms still raging outside the tent, Scott and his companions wrote their farewell letters. Scott gave up his diary after March 23, save for a final entry on March 29."</blockquote> <br /> Each man, aware of his pending death, penned final letters to loved ones. In addition, Scott left this message for the public:<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> "We took risks, we knew we took them; things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for complaint, but bow to the will of Providence, determined still to do our best to the last ... Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale."</blockquote> <br /> In his final diary entry, Scott wrote:<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> "Every day we have been ready to start for our depot 11 miles away, but outside the door of the tent it remains a scene of whirling drift. I do not think we can hope for any better things now. We shall stick it out to the end, but we are getting weaker, of course, and the end cannot be far.<br />It seems a pity, but I do not think I can write more.<br />R. SCOTT.<br />For God's sake look after our people."</blockquote> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u6zH-0-b6L0/Xh9NW8fqCEI/AAAAAAABK2I/FfAsJIrK5sQpsDUxJcnH2g-tYOfW-IfdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/R%2BScott%2BJournal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="716" data-original-width="500" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u6zH-0-b6L0/Xh9NW8fqCEI/AAAAAAABK2I/FfAsJIrK5sQpsDUxJcnH2g-tYOfW-IfdQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/R%2BScott%2BJournal.jpg" width="446" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Heroic and chilling, all at the same time.<br /> <br /> Imagine the pain Scott went through — both mental, for the defeat he and his team experienced at the hands of a rival, and physical, with the equivalent of being in the center of the Ninth Circle of Hell. And the full knowledge the he and his team would not survive,<br /> <br /> And still, Scott managed to write in his diary, straight through to the end. He resisted nature and its cruel effects for as long as humanly possible.<br /> <br /> He also resisted giving up traditional roles along the way, punishing crew members for insubordination and making them hew to their given responsibilities. It's as if the British Navy as it existed in the Mediterranean and Caribbean also had to function in the Antarctic.<br /> <br /> In reality, the differing conditions required a different way of thinking.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h2> <b>Adapt or Die</b></h2> And this is where Ernest Shackleton's leadership stands apart.<br /> <br /> Shackleton and Scott were well acquainted, not just as explorers who sought fame, but as fellow expeditioners. Shackleton had been part of Scott's <i>Discovery </i>expedition, but was sent home early, due to sickness or because he violently disagreed with Scott's leadership style, depending on differing reports.<br /> <br /> Once the news of Scott's death reached England, Shackleton decided that there was still an opportunity left for him amid the <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/edit.aspx/Documents/Writing?cid=00964bea118a35bb&id=documents&wd=target%28Blog.one%7CB5C76A37-CCCA-4C5A-9B12-64CFDAFE155A%2FResistance%20vs.%20Resilience%7CD78026EE-163C-438B-9551-6B46A2CB928C%2F%29%20onenote:https://d.docs.live.net/00964bea118a35bb/Documents/Writing/Blog.one#Resistance%20vs.%20Resilience&section-id={B5C76A37-CCCA-4C5A-9B12-64CFDAFE155A}&page-id={D78026EE-163C-438B-9551-6B46A2CB928C}&object-id={3A6E7047-6EEA-41C4-B49B-623FD54FC8FB}&3C" target="_blank">Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration</a>. He was determined to be the first to cross the entire continent, traversing the South Pole along the way.<br /> <br /> Just like Scott's journey, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imperial_Trans-Antarctic_Expedition" target="_blank">Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition</a> ran into trouble. Setting off in in August 1914 in what would become the most appropriately-named ship in exploration history — the <i>Endurance</i> — Shackleton's tale would become one of courage, leadership, and resilience in some of the most difficult conditions imaginable.<br /> <br /> As he prepared his journey, legend has it that Shackleton advertised for crew in the newspapers with this ad:<br /> <br /> <b><div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success."</span></i></b></div> </b><br /> There's no known evidence that any such ad ever appeared, but tone rings true, as that's exactly what Shackleton got.<br /> <br /> He chose a number of experienced Antarctic naval hands to lead the ship, and his scientific team included two surgeons, a meteorologist, and a biologist, as well as an expedition photographer.<br /> <br /> By mid-February 1915, the <i>Endurance </i>was trapped in pack ice and Shackleton expected it would be for the entire winter. He had the set up the ship for winter quarters.<br /> <br /> There, throughout the winter, they exercised the dogs, played sports, took turns swabbing the deck, and took walks illuminated only by the moonlight. Shackleton's main concern was keeping morale up and ensuring general fitness, for they'd need both for their journey ahead. The men generally mingled as a team; there was no hierarchy as far as Shackleton was concerned.<br /> <br /> What Shackleton was building within his team during this critical time was a sense of optimism, the need for patience, and a physical endurance to train the body and mind for grueling circumstances. He ignored traditional naval roles and expectations and adapted to the changing conditions.<br /> <br /> At one point, the ship's carpenter Harry McNish, objected to orders, saying that he was released from service because of the length of time the <i>Endurance </i>was out of service. Shackleton managed to talk him down, but there was a rift that remained between the two.<br /> <br /> The conditions continued to change as the ship was eventually crushed by the ice. On October 27, 1915, Shackleton ordered a camp to be set up on the ice and that the crew should rescue as much from the ship as possible, including two of the lifeboats.<br /> <br /> Trying to pull the lifeboats over the uneven ice floes was difficult work. By the end of December, they set up what Shackleton called "Patience Camp" and waited for the ice to break up. The team dogs had to be shot because their food needs were outstripping the expedition's, which had already rationed things. Their meat helped to sustain the crew.<br /> <br /> They remained on the floes until April 8, 1916, when the ice began to break apart. Shackleton decided that the only option was to try to make land at Elephant Island, about 100 miles away. A week later, they were at the southern coast of the island, but could not approach because that side consisted of cliffs and glaciers.<br /> <br /> After landing on the remote and desolate Elephant Island, Shackleton knew that his mission had to change. It went from trying to transverse the continent to trying to bring his entire crew home safely.<br /> <br /> The only hope was to make a run for South Georgia, some 800 miles across the Southern Sea. He determined that he and five others — the most able seamen and navigators among them, and the ship's carpenter Harry McNish — would make the journey in one of the lifeboats.<br /> <br /> Shackleton knew that despite his differences with McNish, his skills would be essential for their survival. He put aside any hard feelings that he harbored and made it clear to McNish how important he was to the entire expedition.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KNP-pY8_eyw/Xh9O-Lv6aXI/AAAAAAABK2Y/nKgUfPgEBI8qEL7xqaerdhxc7zCa_0DBACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/AllSafeAllWell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="500" height="464" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KNP-pY8_eyw/Xh9O-Lv6aXI/AAAAAAABK2Y/nKgUfPgEBI8qEL7xqaerdhxc7zCa_0DBACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/AllSafeAllWell.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Together, they outfitted the 22.5-foot lifeboat with makeshift tools and materials, and packed enough provisions for four weeks, knowing that if they didn't make it by then, they'd be doomed. Over the next two weeks, the tiny boat encountered some of the largest waves and stormiest conditions Shackleton had ever encountered in his 26 years at sea.<br /> <br /> They eventually made land at South Georgia on May 10, but realized that the whaling depot was 26 miles away, on the other side of the island, which could only be reached over the mountains. Shackleton knew that three members of the crew were near exhaustion, so he and the other two would make the journey.<br /> <br /> McNish put screws through the bottom of the team's boots, creating makeshift crampons for mountaineering. They crossed without rest, knowing that they were racing against time to save the lives of their crew members they left behind both there on South Georgia and back on Elephant Island.<br /> <br /> They reached the whaling depot, returned to the camp to pick up the remaining three crew members, then set out to rescue the rest of the expedition at Elephant Island. It took four attempts over the next few months before they could finally get the right ship and break through the ice to rescue the remaining crew on August 30, 1916.<br /> <br /> Not a single life was lost.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h2> <b>Lessons for Today's Leader</b></h2> These two harrowing tales — and you should take the time to seek them out and read more about them — are stark examples of managing in a crisis, and how different leadership styles bring us different results.<br /> <br /> Scott's style was about powering through and doing what was necessary. There are time when such resistance is helpful. But when conditions change, it requires emotional intelligence to recognize that the leader needs to seek counsel, change course, and depend on different skill sets.<br /> <br /> Shackleton was all about resilience and endurance. He knew that the most important thing wasn not glory or fame, but the lives of his fellow crew members. He came to care about them deeply, and they about him.<br /> <br /> Leaders who listen to their team, create a sense of optimism and shared purpose, watch morale while focusing on the goal, and show they trust their team with greater responsibilities, will be able to withstand any crisis that comes their way.<br /> <br /> Developing this level of trust and respect among your team is critical every day, so that when a crisis hits, you'll be well prepared to endure together.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />

Leadership Style: Resistance vs. Resilience

Locked in Ice by William Bradford, 1882 (public domain) "Out of the night that covers me,       Black as the pit from pole to po...

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This Again?

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NsyfjHhO3qM/Xhjwl7Tg2iI/AAAAAAABKxc/Nq4vF_MPtw8BnxJWJfGuhxZjugwUvCpvACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/First%2BVoyage%252C%2BDeparture%2Bfor%2Bthe%2BNew%2BWorld%252C%2BAugust%2B3%252C%2B1492%2Bby%2BL.%2BPrang%2B%2526%2BCo.%252C%2B1893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="592" data-original-width="807" height="468" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NsyfjHhO3qM/Xhjwl7Tg2iI/AAAAAAABKxc/Nq4vF_MPtw8BnxJWJfGuhxZjugwUvCpvACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/First%2BVoyage%252C%2BDeparture%2Bfor%2Bthe%2BNew%2BWorld%252C%2BAugust%2B3%252C%2B1492%2Bby%2BL.%2BPrang%2B%2526%2BCo.%252C%2B1893.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Voyage,_Departure_for_the_New_World,_August_3,_1492.jpg" target="_blank">First Voyage, Departure for the New World, August 3, 1492</a></i> by L. Prang & Co., 1893 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> It's a new year and a new decade.<br /> <br /> Or is it?<br /> <br /> I've recently seen articles and posts on the importance of things like community, storytelling, and listening to your customers in 2020.<br /> <br /> Umm…<br /> <br /> These concepts aren't new to marketing and communications, yet we're finding people shouting it from the rooftops like they've just discovered fire.<br /> <br /> What's going on?<br /> <br /> I've seen some commentary on it, with some folks expressing frustration that marketers and communicators still haven't learned "and probably never will."<br /> <br /> I think it's a little more nuanced than that.<br /> <br /> Yes, there's always a need to educate and inform — even if it's a concept that's been around for a while. Maybe I should say especially if it's a concept that's been around for a while.<br /> <br /> As the digital aspect of marketing and communications has evolved, much of the tactics have been relegated to agencies to execute (particularly on social media). And there are cultural issues within agencies that require us to repeat these principles again and again.<br /> <br /> First, agencies are squeezed like never before. Brands are taking functions in-house, budgets are being cut, and margins are razor thin. They're always looking for ways to protect their margins, as any good business owner should.<br /> <br /> At the same time, social media has long been thought of as something for recent college grads or interns to handle, simply because "they know digital" or "they use the apps anyway." Aside from this not necessarily being true, it also misses the true value of social and the strategic role it can play in customer experience, reputation management, and product development — as well as the strategic judgment and foresight that should accompany it.<br /> <br /> When you combine these elements — high-pressure, always-on, low-cost focus placed on many digital and social teams — it's a combustible formula. The predictable conflagration ends in high turnover.<br /> <br /> So, you've got an environment where marketing and communications innovations are happening on almost a daily basis, combined with a lack of institutional memory because of high turnover. The result?<br /> <br /> No retention of fundamentals, innovations, and lessons learned along the way. It's as if we're having to constantly learn and re-learn without the benefit of the long view.<br /> <br /> <br /> There are some of us who have gone through these cycles before — who are "OG" when it comes to digital and social. But often we're overlooked for the "influencer" who's doing TikTok videos because…flavor of the month.<br /> <br /> Isn't it time to focus on the essentials of building relationships with your customers before you embrace the latest shiny object?<br /> <br /> After all, if you take the time to build a culture of curiosity, integrity, and a customer-centricity, you'll gain the skills and team that will outlast any trend.<br /> <br /> As Thomas Jefferson wrote,<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><b><span style="font-size: large;">"In matters of style, swim with the current.</span></b></i></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><b><span style="font-size: large;">In matters of principle, stand like a rock."</span></b></i></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <br /> <i>Can I help your team see through the shiny objects to focus on timeless strategies that drive growth? <a href="mailto:scott@scottmonty.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Let me know</a>.</i><br /> <i><br /></i> <i><br /></i>

This Again?

First Voyage, Departure for the New World, August 3, 1492 by L. Prang & Co., 1893 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons) It's a n...

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How to Make Reflection Part of Your Daily Habit

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0jYx4SbO4PU/Xj3mDsY57eI/AAAAAAABLfs/O8fuSMZFA5sI0bcrHtsS2GHLQFMPurphQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Caspar%2BDavid%2BFriedrich%2B-%2BWanderer%2Babove%2Bthe%2Bsea%2Bof%2Bfog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1319" data-original-width="1600" height="526" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0jYx4SbO4PU/Xj3mDsY57eI/AAAAAAABLfs/O8fuSMZFA5sI0bcrHtsS2GHLQFMPurphQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Caspar%2BDavid%2BFriedrich%2B-%2BWanderer%2Babove%2Bthe%2Bsea%2Bof%2Bfog.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Caspar_David_Friedrich_-_Wanderer_above_the_sea_of_fog.jpg">Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog</a></i> by Caspar David Friedrich, 1817 (Wikimedia Commons - public domain)</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <i><b>"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." </b></i></div> <div style="text-align: right;"> – Søren Kierkegaard </div> <br /> <br /> With the new year upon us, it seems like everyone is trying to outdo each other with memories of the past year (or worse — the past decade!)<br /> <br /> Reflection isn't something that needs our attention once a year. It's a habit and should be developed like any other habit.<br /> <br /> If done well, it can result in clarity of mind, a less volatile knee-jerk reaction to things, and deeper relationships.<br /> <br /> Why is it that we find reflection so difficult?<br /> <br /> <br /> For one, there are so many distractions to occupy us. Opening the phone and going on an infinite scroll down the screen is a soothing but mindless activity. As is swiping left or right. Or tapping the little colored blocks or jewels that are part of that game you like.<br /> <br /> When we have frictionless distractions, those provide a welcome and easy escape from the hard work that reflection requires.<br /> <br /> Self-improvement is difficult. It requires work. It takes commitment over time to take hold. And whether it's work-related or personal, taking a good hard look at yourself is part of emotional intelligence that makes us desirable to be around.<br /> <br /> The best leaders, friends, and partners are those who know themselves well. And the only way to know yourself is to spend quiet time alone.<br /> <br /> And still, we fall for the annual "let's look back as we prepare to look ahead" posts and exercises — as if these are enough to fill the gap from throughout the year.<br /> <br /> Anyone who's received an annual performance review that seems like it comes from out of left field should be familiar with that feeling.<br /> <br /> You sit down, either completely clueless about what's about to be said, or firmly believing it's going one way, when — WHAM! — you're hit with an assessment that you didn't see coming.<br /> <br /> Good leaders are always communicating with their peers and direct reports. There should be no surprises.<br /> <br /> And good communication requires constant reflection.<br /> <br /> <br /> There's no single best way to reflect and be introspective. You'll need to find what works best for you. But here are a few ideas to get you started.<br /> <br /> <h2> <b>Quiet mornings</b></h2> Do you sleep with your phone next to your bed? You should stop that right now. And when you do get up in the morning, don't make your phone the first thing you reach for.<br /> <br /> Begin your day with 15 minutes of meditation or exercise. Or maybe making coffee is a ritual for you. Use that time to turn inward. Don't get sucked into emails, Facebook updates, tweets or anything electronic until you've had time to spend time with yourself.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h2> <b>On Paper</b></h2> Perhaps there's a favorite book or devotional you like to read. Or maybe you like to express your thoughts by writing in a journal. Spending time with paper objects can help with reflection.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h2> <b>Block Your Calendar</b></h2> If it's not written down, it's not a priority. And if it's not in your daily schedule, it gets neglected. Block time on your calendar when you can spend it by yourself, working on yourself.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h2> <b>What You Need</b></h2> As you consider what you'll be reflecting on, consider the questions you might want to answer:<br /> <ul> <li>What's holding me back?</li> <li>How can I be more helpful to my colleagues?</li> <li>What perspective(s) am I missing?</li> <li>What do I tend to neglect or shy away from?</li> <li>What's working well right now? How can I do more of that?</li> </ul> <br /> <br /> I hope you'll commit to joining me for a slower, more deliberate approach amidst the knee-jerk reactionaries of the online world.<br /> <br /> Together, we'll parse out what matters and what will make you a better leader.<br /> <br />

How to Make Reflection Part of Your Daily Habit

Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich, 1817 (Wikimedia Commons - public domain) "Life can only be understoo...

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Where the Creative and Analytical Meet

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fJNXluvrYA4/XfFxIzJsTaI/AAAAAAABKSA/-hNkpbDyh_4OT5GijHbLD1ekbZIhs8C5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Johann_Heinrich_Tischbein_-_The_Nine_Muses_-_Euterpe_%2528Music%2529%252C_1782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="1280" height="508" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fJNXluvrYA4/XfFxIzJsTaI/AAAAAAABKSA/-hNkpbDyh_4OT5GijHbLD1ekbZIhs8C5wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Johann_Heinrich_Tischbein_-_The_Nine_Muses_-_Euterpe_%2528Music%2529%252C_1782.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><span style="color: dimgrey;"><em><a data-cke-saved-href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johann_Heinrich_Tischbein_-_The_Nine_Muses_-_Euterpe_(Music),_1782.jpg" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Johann_Heinrich_Tischbein_-_The_Nine_Muses_-_Euterpe_(Music),_1782.jpg" target="_blank">The Nine Muses - Euterpe (Music)</a> </em>by Johann Heinrich Tischbein, 1782 (W</span><span style="color: dimgrey;">ikimedia Commons - public domain)</span></span></td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Art in the blood is liable to take the strangest forms." </span></i></b></div> <div style="text-align: right;"> <div style="text-align: right;">  <span style="text-align: right;">—</span><span style="text-align: right;"> Sir Arthur Conan Doyle</span></div> </div> <br /> <br /> Left brain and right brain. Feeling and thinking. Creative and analytical.<br /> <br /> These juxtapositions are supposedly antithetical. Or at least different enough to be considered on opposite ends of a spectrum.<br /> <br /> But are they, really?<br /> <br /> We know that we use a combination of both sides of our brains, even if one side may dominate (that pervasive myth of one versus the other has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMSbDwpIyF4">no basis in fact</a>). There isn't a single one of us who thinks without feeling (excepting Mr. Spock — let's keep this in the present galaxy and timeframe). And even the most analytical among us has the ability to be creative.<br /> <br /> It has always struck me that music is at the nexus of logic and emotion.<br /> <br /> Music can be beautiful beyond words, evoking deep emotions, creating and conjuring memories without warning. And at the same time, it's structured, follows patterns, and in some ways is predictable.<br /> <br /> Anyone who performs or studies music knows the truth in this. Music is mathematical and has a symmetry to it. Performers and conductors study and analyze scores to understand music.<br /> <br /> Through this process, the music doesn't sit outside if their intellect or sphere of knowledge; it is subsumed into their intellect. In fact, <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191114180035.htm">intelligence and music aptitude are closely linked</a>.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">"Music heard so deeply </span></i></b></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">That it is not heard at all, but you are the music </span></i></b></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <b><i><span style="font-size: large;">While the music lasts." </span></i></b></div> <div style="text-align: right;"> — T. S. Eliot, <i>Four Quartets</i></div> <br /> And yet, in most schools, arts and sciences are considered separately when they ought to be interconnected. Arts programs are cut when budgets are tight.<br /> <br /> When you're learning music, <a href="https://brainworldmagazine.com/music-rhythm-brain/">you're using every part of your brain</a>: auditory, visual, memory, analytical, from the brain stem to the frontal lobe. It is all-encompassing.<br /> <br /> It should be no surprise that music inspired great thinkers like Schopenhauer and Nietzsche. Schopenhauer regarded music as the “<a href="https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/communication/music-food-soul">universal language</a>” more necessary and infallible than any of the other arts because <a href="https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/music/round-midnight">it speaks directly to the human being</a>.<br /> <br /> <br /> <h2> <b> The connection to business and leadership</b></h2> The arts contribute to the culture of society, but they're not separate from culture — they're intertwined. You can't have society without culture, and culture needs a society in which to thrive.<br /> <br /> When it comes to business, functions of creativity and analytics are similarly intertwined. While purists may disagree, there's analytics in creativity and creativity in analytics.<br /> <br /> The best designers and copywriters know that what they create must ultimately meet the needs of brand and product managers, and even the most brilliantly crafted campaigns must deliver the numbers.<br /> <br /> And analytics wizards who pore over formulae and algorithms must have a creative side as they read spreadsheets like musical scores and make the figures spring to life to create a symphony of insights.<br /> <br /> The nexus of creative and analytics is strategy.<br /> <br /> Like culture and society, the culture of an organization is inextricably tied to its strategy. Each allows the other to flourish.<br /> <br /> <br /> Musical geniuses like Beethoven and Mozart were innovators and servant leaders. They pushed the boundaries of music and introduced new forms and structures that are now commonplace.<br /> <br /> If they had been independently wealthy, they would have created music for its own sake, but they needed patrons to subsidize their works. They were able to practice their art, but only through subservience.<br /> <br /> And lest we think their bodies of work entirely original, Antonín Dvořák reminds us:<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <b>"All of the great musicians have borrowed from the songs of the common people."</b></blockquote> <br /> As you consider the strategy and culture within your organization, consider what kind of a servant leader you are, how you're innovating, and how you're inspiring it and measuring it.<br /> <br /> Allow yourself to be inspired by things that surround you, from employees to other brands, from spreadsheets to music. Just as music becomes part of intellect, these things will naturally flow into your strategy.<br /> <br /> Then perhaps your strategy and culture will become like Eliot's "music heard so deeply" — it will simply be who you are.<br /> <br /> <hr /> <br /> <i>Special thanks to <b>Tamsen Webster</b> for the study about music and intelligence. Check out her <a href="https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/172817?v=7&ck_subscriber_id=89633117">Red Thread newsletter</a> for thought-provoking tips and links. </i><span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span><br /> <hr /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 18px;"></span> <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><strong>Future Tense</strong></span></span><br /> <span style="color: dimgrey;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: "merriweather sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><em>“Writing about music is like dancing about architecture.” – Elvis Costello</em></span></span></span><br /> <br /> In keeping with the audio theme this week, here are <a href="https://blog.pacific-content.com/20-podcast-predictions-for-2020-from-top-industry-leaders-f4ef49e48909">20 Podcast Predictions for 2020 from Industry Leaders</a>. (Pacific Content)<br /> <br /> <i><b>My take:</b> We'll continue to see the rise of podcasting (you don't have your own show yet??), with consolidation and the rise of Spotify. Stay tuned.</i><br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.adweek.com/tv-video/discover-the-winners-of-adweeks-2019-podcast-of-the-year-awards/">Adweek's 2019 Podcast of the Year Awards</a> were announced. She's feared by Silicon Valley, she appeared on Silicon Valley, and now Kara Swisher holds the distinction of hosting the top show, Recode Decode, and co-hosting the Thought Leadership podcast of the year, Pivot, along with Scott Galloway. Full categories and winners are listed as well. (Adweek)<br /> <br /> <i><b>My take:</b> there's plenty to choose from, and not the usual suspects. Also, I was a member of the <a href="https://www.podcastoftheyearawards.com/jurymaster/">selection jury</a>.</i><br /> <br /> Tinnitus — that ringing or buzzing in the ears — goes much deeper than the auditory canal. It's tied to <a href="https://www.discovermagazine.com/mind/the-brain-ringing-in-the-ears-actually-goes-much-deeper-than-that">the very way our brains process and understand sound</a>. (Discover Magazine)<br /> <br /> <i><b>My take:</b> I'm hoping we learn more about this. I suffer from tinnitus and have spoken about <a href="https://soundcloud.com/fullmontyshow/episode-29-listen-youre-not">how it affects me personally</a>.</i><span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><strong>For the Curious Mind</strong></span></span><br /> <span style="color: dimgrey;"><span style="font-family: "merriweather sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><em>"I have gathered a posy of other men's flowers, and only the thread that binds them is mine own." – Michel de Montaigne</em></span></span></span><br /> <br /> Go backstage at the Metropolitan Opera to discover <a href="https://www.vox.com/videos/2019/12/4/20995158/philip-glass-opera">how an opera gets made</a>. (Vox)<br /> <br /> <br /> We know the ancients had music. Is it possible to know <a href="https://aeon.co/ideas/can-we-know-what-music-sounded-like-in-ancient-greece">what music sounded like in ancient Greece</a>? (Aeon)<br /> <br /> <br /> We're nearly at Christmas. And we've only been listening to Christmas music since, what, Halloween? If the sound of <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/562877/psychology-why-you-hate-early-christmas-music">Christmas music in November enrages you, you're not alone</a>. It's a psychological trigger for many stressful things. (Mental Floss)<br /> <br /> <br /> <h3> <b>Bonus link: </b></h3> How to make your own <a href="https://unlikelywords.com/2016/12/23/how-to-make-your-own-die-hard-christmas-tree-ornament/?mc_cid=ef13716381&mc_eid=4622ad9a21">Die Hard Christmas tree ornament</a>. Because Die Hard is a Christmas movie. Fight me. (Unlikely Words)<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <strong style="font-family: merriweather, georgia, "times new roman", serif; font-size: 24px;">Fit To Be Tied</strong><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNoVfSRXcYg" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1021" data-original-width="1600" height="255" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tKknnj3SQZc/XfFyKcCk5SI/AAAAAAABKSI/7bRPlu0qlGkQaBkAq512shnUUXa_-_EjQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/FTBT08.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> In <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNoVfSRXcYg">the latest #FitToBeTied</a>, a look at what we can expect, following that Aviation Gin video. Ugh.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><strong>Recommended Reading/Listening</strong></span></span><br /> <span style="color: dimgrey;"><span style="font-family: "merriweather sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><em>"Let me recommend this book." – Arthur Conan Doyle</em></span></span></span><br /> <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6B6oBCEvTzk/XfFy2nt9wAI/AAAAAAABKSU/RKUlYsZFhGcaDve83rxDo6m2YG4QNezWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/a-shelley-500px.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6B6oBCEvTzk/XfFy2nt9wAI/AAAAAAABKSU/RKUlYsZFhGcaDve83rxDo6m2YG4QNezWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s200/a-shelley-500px.jpg" width="200" /></a></div> <a href="https://fs.blog/alexander-shelley/">The Knowledge Project Ep. #9: The Architecture of Music with Alexander Shelley</a> is a dive deep into the architecture of music, the necessity of arts, and what makes Beethoven’s 5th Symphony is so popular. <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vbPcDbMEWbk/XfFyx0WilSI/AAAAAAABKSQ/17p49jYrKsQCci0yWbHoevGbgDso-Xc2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Music%2Bnegotiation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1162" data-original-width="827" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vbPcDbMEWbk/XfFyx0WilSI/AAAAAAABKSQ/17p49jYrKsQCci0yWbHoevGbgDso-Xc2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s200/Music%2Bnegotiation.jpg" width="141" /></a></div> <div> <br /></div> <a href="https://amzn.to/2NpOYD9"><i>Music, Leadership and Conflict: The Art of Ensemble Negotiation and Problem-Solving</i></a> by Linda Ippolito is the first book in the field to explore the use of music in negotiation, conflict resolution and leadership development. Presenting grounded empirical data, it examines how adopting an <b>ensemble </b>approach to <b>negotiation </b>and <b>problem-solving</b> might assist in shifting adversarial combative and competitive frames towards a collaborative mindset. <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <em>What else is influencing me? You can check out my <a data-cke-saved-href="https://www.scottmonty.com/p/influences.html" href="https://www.scottmonty.com/p/influences.html" target="_blank"><strong>sources of inspiration</strong></a> on my site or in the <a data-cke-saved-href="https://flipboard.com/@scottmonty/timeless-and-timely-kah5bsbuy" href="https://flipboard.com/@scottmonty/timeless-and-timely-kah5bsbuy" target="_blank"><strong>Timeless and Timely</strong></a> Flipboard magazine I curate.</em></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <em></em><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <em><em>The above may contain Amazon Affiliate links.</em></em></div> <em> </em> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></div> <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px;"><strong>One More Thing</strong></span></span><br /> <span style="color: dimgrey;"><span style="font-family: "merriweather sans" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><em>"Our work is the presentation of our capabilities." – Edward Gibbons</em></span></span></span><br /> <br /> If you're in the listening mode over the holidays, I had some in-depth discussions with a handful of industry leaders recently.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="https://ryanhanley.com/scotty-monty-in-defense-of-deep-thinking-and-eternal-content/">In Defense of Deep Thinking and Eternal Content</a> on the Ryan Hanley Show.<br /> <br /> <br /> On <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/we-now-join-the-program-already-in-progress/id1437580588?fbclid=IwAR18BjJUs7hmuwxpV3yTKNoCuXl_bUpCESugdMROdYqsH5iKdroNc2i1HW8&i=1000458624974">We Now Join The Show Already in Progress</a>, Saul Colt and I talked about our current culture of outrage and how social media fuels it, why brands have moved away from building communities and if social media is even fun anymore.<br /> <br /> <br /> And Chris Voss and I talked about my time at Ford, the evolution of social media, and the critique of Facebook by Sacha Baron Cohen on <a href="https://thechrisvossshow.com/the-chris-voss-show-podcast-scott-monty-on-the-state-of-social-media/">The Chris Voss Show</a>.<br /> <div> <br /> <br /> <i>Please get in touch if you'd like me to join you on your show.</i><span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><strong><a data-cke-saved-href="https://scottmonty.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4b1784f23a77243c11e9bc4b6&id=05d7157b3e" href="https://scottmonty.us19.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=4b1784f23a77243c11e9bc4b6&id=05d7157b3e" target="_blank">Subscribe</a></strong> |  <strong><a data-cke-saved-href="mailto:newsletter@scottmonty.com?subject=Sponsorship%20inquiry" href="mailto:newsletter@scottmonty.com?subject=Sponsorship%20inquiry" target="_blank">Sponsor this Newsletter</a></strong></span></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> </div>

Where the Creative and Analytical Meet

The Nine Muses - Euterpe (Music)   by Johann Heinrich Tischbein, 1782 (W ikimedia Commons - public domain) "Art in the blood is ...

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