People are people – not tools to accomplish a vision, or a means to get what we want.

A while back, Susan and I were at a family gathering and were being introduced to her sisters boyfriend. We were going around the room introducing ourselves, and at some point someone used a classic cleche’ often reserved for moments like that one …

“Don’t worry, we won’t test you later on all our names.”

After we finished, he went around the room and got every name right – not only the family, but the visiting friends as well. We were amazed.  When we asked him how he did it, he said, “It’s a little trick I use.” Curious about this amazing trick, I wanted to know the secret because I have always been bad with names. I asked him how it worked.

“It’s called caring.”

Posted by: Paul Dunk

Stressing fundamentals.

When I coach the little 9-10 year old bobbleheads on the football field each fall, I yell some of the same things that will be yelled this weekend during the AFC Divisional Game. Regardless of stats, salaries and endorsement contracts – there are certain things that are non-negotiable and fundamental for success at any level.

Like reminding a player to “hold onto the ball” for instance.

Not exactly new information, but based on results, it warrants revisiting from time to time whether they are a junior footballer or a Heisman candidate.

I find the same with the businesses Susan and I partner with. In the last year we have worked with both start ups and large global brands. When it comes to developing, growing and transforming your leadership to create the future – it doesn’t matter how big (or small) you are. You gotta hold onto the ball. Press on friends …

Posted by: Susan Dunk

I wonder how many pounds lost, books read, races run in 2012 will exist only in the imagination? Locked forever within a wish.

What makes a dream a reality? Resolution? It’s possible. The power of will has a achieved a lot for mankind. Vision however, is a much more compelling force than resolve could ever be.

What could be possible if this year we had a vision for who it is that we want to be and we committed ourselves wholly to that?

Clearly this will involve us doing some things, but doing is a lousy motivator and an unforgiving punisher when we fail.  Vision for who we will be compels us even in the midst of failure – because it sees each moment as a brand new opportunity for commitment.

This year, write down your vision for who you want to be and align your life with your words … and of course Press On.

Posted by: Susan Dunk

Paul just replaced the light bulb in our fridge.  It had been out for years. I came downstairs and noticed it immediately when I opened the door – it was like I had a brand new fridge.

What I  found enormously interesting was how accustomed I had become to the light being out. Every time someone was over and opened my fridge they would say, “Did you know your fridge light was out?” and I would always respond, “Oh ya, I keep forgetting – I’m just so used to it.”

I had grown so familiar with what was missing that now when I open my fridge it seems weird, actually – like something is wrong. My fridge is now functioning the way it was designed to function, yet I was more comfortable with dis-function. Scary.

I know there are times that I indulge in my negative thought patterns and behaviours because they are easier to entertain than making the shift to new patterns of thinking. Some of our negative thoughts have been with us our whole life. Having new perspective in life means letting go of what’s familiar. It’s work – it involves your whole being and a commitment to the end.

The reward is freedom. Freedom from the tyranny of the darkness of negativity and the power to invite others into that same freedom. It is so worth it.

And on another note…the light bulb also illuminated how dirty my fridge is.

Your feelings being right really isn’t the issue if they are loud. If our feelings are loud, don’t you think they’re trying to say something to us? Sometimes as leaders we need to be willing to go a little deeper than “I shouldn’t feel this way.”

Feelings get a bad rap. If they are inconsistent with what we think we “should” be feeling, we stuff them down and ignore them. After all, we shouldn’t feel that way. The trouble is – we do.

Feelings are like the indicator’s on the dashboard of your car. If your oil light goes on would you ignore it using the same logic? That oil light is an indication that we need to look under the hood to find out why it’s on, not argue about whether it should be.

Feelings are always followers and they follow whatever we are focusing on.

Consciously or subconsciously, our feelings are following our belief system. The ONLY way to change what we feel is to shift what we are believing and be willing to stand in a new perspective.  Then our feelings will do what they are purposed to do – follow that perspective and fulfill their role of indicating.

If your feelings are loud, maybe it’s because you haven’t listened to them in a while and it’s time you addressed some issues under the hood.

The willingness to look will transform your leadership.

“The communication around here is terrible.”
“My kids just don’t listen.”
“I wish things were different around here.”

How long has it been this way? “Years” I often hear.

If complaints persist in our lives, the real question is why. Whatever we permit, always persists. Often we choose to let them persist so we can be right about our complaint.

Complain and remain.

Traffic was awful headed into Toronto and I got a text from the head coach that we were on the field in 2 minutes … but I hadn’t even parked the car yet. When I got the text and looked in the back seat at my excited son in full football gear, my heart went into my feet.

When we pulled into the Rogers Centre, there was a parking space by an elevator – sweet. We took off so quickly I didn’t even notice it was a tow away zone.

I convinced the Rogers Centre staff to take us to field level – even though I didn’t even have my tickets yet – and all was well.

When we returned to the car and I noticed where I had parked, I was thankful we had a car to return to. It’s amazing how when we are desperately going after something we want, we see what we want to see. I wanted to see a free parking space, and so that’s what I saw. Where else in life do I completely miss “signs” because what I consider to be focused is in fact, myopic?

I look at Susan, who at this point is grinning ear to ear, and I sheepishly say – “That’s what Susan was just saying.”

She shared her observation and it had a profound impact on the training. Due to the fact that my business partner is also my wife, we are closer to each other than we are to anyone else. It is embarrassing to admit that I couldn’t see the brilliance in what Susan was saying, but based on results, my familiarity with Susan made it easy for me to quickly dismiss her idea.

Who else is so close to us that at times, we dismiss the wisdom in their words too hastily? What does that cost us?

We were given a few minutes on stage to address the crowd which was in excess of 3,000 teenagers in the Mile One Stadium in St. Johns at the YC Conference. As we waited to go onstage (when I took this pic) the presenter who was ahead of us had gone over-time. The stage crew were all buzzing around like angry bees who’s hive had been whacked by a hockey stick.

At one point the executive producer turned to us and said “he’s cutting into your time.”

For those of you accustomed to presenting, you know that what was actually said to us was, “keep it short and make it count.” 5 minutes to cast vision that lasts more than the 5 minutes it took you to deliver it. No pressure. The greatest challenge of effective communication is to say something that has a lasting impact.

Well, as Shakespeare once said, “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

I was thankful that I had Susan on stage with me – brevity is not exactly my strength

Trailers are like highlight reels: they show you some ultra-cool stuff in the hopes you’ll buy into the whole story. The behind-the-scenes section of the Blue Ray disc is full of things that never made it into the feature. A potentially discouraging leadership dynamic is that that we are acutely aware of what is going on “behind the scenes” in our business, but when we look outside, online or in the media we often drawn to our competitors highlight reel.

If you live constantly comparing your behind the scenes footage with everyone else’s highlight reel, you will be seldom inspired and often discouraged. Someone else’s highlight reel doesn’t need to discourage us – there’s enough greatness to go around. The more energy we direct towards comparison, the less energy we have left for creation.

As Susan often tells people – “Live your life. Don’t be the under-study in someone elses drama.”