I am asked frequently whether successful leaders have had failures. It is not clear to me why parallels with sports, education and other fields are lost. Even the most gifted athletes have fallen short or, sometimes, just fallen. A deep-seated emotion propels them to try again, to resume training and conditioning, to set (literally) stretch goals. They want to be the best. They want to be winners. And they don’t give up. Did you see the anchor leg of the women’s 4x100 relay team pick up the dropped baton and finish the race even though not in medal contention?

The best leaders are not born fully formed. Most are not as gifted genetically in leadership traits as Olympic athletes are in physical structure and properties. Instead their conditioning program is life: family life, schooling, early work experience, community service. In each of these, the muscle of their brain is developed, the memory in their gut is shaped, their self-confidence increases and they learn how to handle a variety of situations intellectually and emotionally.

If you want to take charge of your life, control your own destiny, try to treat setbacks as learning experiences. Extract the learning and move on. As Tayyiba Haneef-Park of the USA women’s volleyball team said: Brasil beat us because, when they made mistakes or suffered bad calls by the ref, they stayed focused on the point being played. We lingered on the point already played.

You are what you have tried, especially when you’ve failed.

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Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:38:53 -0400

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Labor Day, for many people, is simply a day off that signals the end of summer. But it is far more than that. Or should be.

The holiday originated in 1882 as the Central Labor Union (of New York City) sought to create "a day off for the working citizens". Congress made Labor Day a federal holiday in 1894.[1] All fifty states have made Labor Day a state holiday. For many years, it was a time for working stiffs to celebrate the gains that unions had won: concessions for better working conditions as well as time off.

Today, Labor Day is often regarded simply as a day of rest without political and social overtones. Though the speed of lives in urban areas soars after Labor Day, its significance as the separation between the dog-days of summer and the pulse-quickening resumption of high-speed living is diminished for students and parents by school semesters starting in August; for money managers with blackberry practically operating as a human implant: for millions of households affected by the financial crisis, the poor economy and job insecurities; and for millions of immigrants unsure of their status and their futures.

I have two comments about Labor Day.

The first is that this is a good time for gratitude exercises. This country has been good to many of us. Many have made sacrifices for us.Many still do. There are people and many things, big and small for which we should be thankful.

The second is that this is a good time to re-commit to making the families, organizations and communities we touch the better for our being with them; a good time to raise up our efforts to set an example of doing the right thing, acting with good purpose.

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Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:04:31 -0400

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You can all see the highlights of the convention in many places, especially on the web. But there is one “low light” that sticks in my mind. Asked by tv talking heads for his view of one major party thrown by the lobbyists and how that fits with recent ethics reforms, Senator Lautenberg scoffed: “somebody has to check the quality of the food and the liquor” and laughed. And our wonderful investigative reporters let it pass without comment.

The new rules are so specific as to prohibit lobbyists from supplying food that requires a fork and knife (interpretation for the uninitiated: expensive dinners in trendy restaurants). Response by the Congress: serve us with spoons. No kidding. The tv camera revealed tables of food with specially created spoons of which the caterers were very proud. The rules prohibit fetes for a single congressman. The Congressional response: fete two of us or more.

Bobby Kennedy was the target of an incessant heckler at a campaign appearance: “You’re all crooks.” Kennedy, finally sufficiently exasperated to reply, retorted: “This is representative government.” I don’t believe that reformer Kennedy really believed that, but it appears to be close to descriptive of so many of our representatives.

The candidates have an opportunity this election to give more than lip service to restore the respect and trust that we the people should have for our government.
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Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:51:58 -0400

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