UNBREAKABLE - A Navy SEAL's Way of Life

UNBREAKABLE - A Navy SEAL’s Way of Life by Thom Shea

We all have an internal dialog. Unless, we learn to direct that internal dialog we can find ourselves giving up when we should be persevering. When we engage our internal dialog, we need to be careful what language we listen to, and what words we use. I have found, that often in my internal dialog, I will say things that are derogatory, demoralizing, detrimental, or demeaning (you are not good enough, you just cannot do that, you are in over your head, you are a fraud, It’s too hard, etc.). If I were to speak these words to a friend, they would likely disavow our our friendship, and rightfully so. So, why do I accept this language when I speak it to myself? Are you accepting or listening to this kind of internal dialog? I understand that there is value in being our own worse critic, but why not use words that stir up responses like determination, grit, drive, and hunger for greatness?

Not only do we need to ignore the negativity that can come from internal dialog, but we also must avoid listening to words like “try”, “believe”, and “hope”. At least avoid them in the sense of how they are commonly used in today’s vernacular. For example, when we use the word “try”, we give ourselves a way out of fulfilling a commitment. Think about it, “I will try to get that report to you by the end of the day.” Does that comment convey commitment, or would the recipient of that statement have full confidence you are committed to the goal? In the above example, replace the phrase “will try to” with “believe I will”, or “hope to”. Again, would you be confident in the outcome if someone made that statement to you?

Thom Shea, walks his reader through the importance of internal dialog in this well written and extremely engaging book. The original intent of the book was to present lessons in life, and 13 challenges to his children, when he was away on deployment for our nation, in case he did not return. He and his wife wanted to make sure that their children would fully understand Thom’s heart for his children. These 13 challenges, can be incorporated into anyone’s life. I have made it through lesson 1, but only after multiple re-starts. It all begins and ends with your internal dialog.

I highly recommend that others pick up the book, read it cover to cover, address your internal dialog, work through the challenges presented. Listen to Thom Shea’s podcast UNBREAKABLE, visit the website Adamantine Alliance, follow Thom Shea on social media. I guarantee, if you are seeking personal and professional growth, you will not be disappointed.

Courageous Leadership

By Jona Lendering - Livius.org Provided under CC 0 license (notice under the photograph in the description page of the photograph)., CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73611308

Today, I am sitting here asking myself…do I have courage in how I lead? Courage, like any other part of leadership is a choice…a decision…something you practice in order to improve. Eddie Rickenbacker (WW I Ace Fighter Pilot) stated, “Courage is doing what you are afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you are scared.”

For those of us who are interested in the lessons learned from military greatness, we see that many military leaders were in the line of fire, encouraging their troops in battle. We can read about how George Washington, at the Battle of Monongahela, rode forward to take charge of the troops. He had two horses shot out from under him and his jacket had four bullet holes. We can read about the courage of King Leonidas and his Spartan warrior, at the Battle of Thermopylae (the inspiration for 300).

Not all of us are destined to be great military leaders, but we are all in a position in our family, neighborhood, or job to lead others. Courage does not mean that bold decisions need to be made every day, but it does mean acting on what is right, in the face of what feels fearful. Here are some things to keep in mind as we strive to make courageous decisions.

1) Courage begins with an inward battle. Remember, it is not the absence of fear that defines courage. Courage is doing the very thing that stirs up fear in your heart

2) Courage is making things right, not just smoothing them over. Martin Luther King Jr. stated, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” Being courageous means that you are dealing with principles and not perception. A courageous leader is more focused on the potential outcome of the decision than they are on appeasing others.

3) Courage in a leader, inspires commitment from followers. Like in the examples of George Washington and King Leonidas, when a leader displays courage it inspires those whom they lead.

4) Being courageous will expand your horizons.. I am told that those who face the fear of something like sky-diving, often realize that the fear of sky-diving is worse than the act itself. Once the fear has been faced, it opens up their minds to the idea of exploring more ways to conquer their fears (perhaps it is time to give sky diving a try).

This post is as much to encourage me in being a courageous leader as it is to help others face their fears. If I am honest, not a week goes by without being presented with multiple opportunities to show courage. What am I going to do with the next time I am given a choice to be courageous? Am I going to lead, focus on principle and potential or will I abdicate and let others fill the gap that was meant for me?

Who Moved My Cheese? - A Book Review

Who Moved My Cheese?

How do you cope with change? Do you anticipate change? Do you help others successfully navigate change?

If you like the use of story-telling to make teach lessons that are important in life, I think that you will enjoy this book. There is nothing complicated, but the message is clear. Dealing with change is not always easy, and can be made harder if you have the wrong attitude toward future possibilities.

Everyone that I know, has had to deal with a fear of the future. It ties into a fear of the unknown. What are you doing to prepare for and anticipate the future changes that will come your way? If change catches you off-guard how are you going to respond or react? How long will you take to make a decision about moving forward?

One thing that most of us can count on is that our circumstances will change. Job priorities will shift, family relationships grow and change, the stock market has highs and lows, sectors of an economy become obsolete as new technology arises. Keep a watch for things that you have the ability to foresee and be prepared to adjust on your own terms as often as feasible.

This would be a great book to go over in a master-mind group or book club. I am a slow reader and was able to get through the whole book in one morning. Read and review the book with the intent of understanding how your response to change is reflected in the characters.

"Visual Intelligence" - A Book Review

Visual Intelligence

“…this book should alter how readers look at the world.” - Kirkus Reviews

I highly doubt that I will look at my surroundings the same again! In this book, Amy E. Herman helps the reader become more observant of their surroundings. By nature and conditioning, most humans filter out many details of our world, in order to be able to better focus on those things which are in front of us. For example, think about the last time you walked into a crowded restaurant. Did you pay attention to how many people were wearing a ball cap, or which patrons seemed anxious or uncomfortable? How about describing a brief encounter with a new acquaintance, would you be able to confirm the color of their eyes or the clothing they had on?

Amy takes the reader on a journey that helps peel back layers of unconscious filtering in our mind as we go about our daily business. I had no idea just how much I was filtering out, nor how easy it is to allow inappropriate biases to taint my perceptions.

Using visual arts as a tool, the reader learns how to be more observant in all aspects of their lives. I pay more attention to things outside my primary visual focus, listen for white noise that may obscure hidden clues to solve problems, and take in more of my surroundings,

You will not be disappointed at what you learn and how it will change your view of everything around you.

Am I Being a Competent Leader?

Image found at www.prexels.com

How often do we see someone who we consider to be an expert in a given field and admire their work? As a citizen of the United States of America, have you peeked at The Federalist Papers and considered about the deep thought and clear communication which went into these writings? How about sitting in-front of a museum art-piece and taking in the details addressed in the artist’s work? We see professional athletes in our televised sporting events, but how often to we really consider the blood, sweat, and tears that helped them elevate beyond high school and collegiate athletics?

Being a competent leader is not a destiny or the completion of a complex equation. Leadership takes many skills, but demands competency in core components. There is the artful side of leadership, where one must know the people with whom they are charged and the direction of the industry into which they are thrust. A leader must orchestrate multiple tasks and operations much like a conductor of a symphony. To be an exceptional leader, one must also understand the technical or operational aspects of each team member’s duties well enough to coach and direct the team while observing and revealing blind spots which may create obstacles to success. The competent leader is consistently on a journey.

To ensure I am being a competent leader, I must be diligent in key aspects of my daily life, such as:

• Show up Every Day - This is more that just being physically present. I need to be engaged in both the relational and tactical aspects of my role!

• Keep Improving - Not every day is going to be a huge step in professional growth. The key is whether I am running, walking, or crawling…keep moving forward. I need to read books that challenge my thought process or provokes new ideas and put these ideas into practice.

• Follow Through with Excellence - Look at the output of my work. Does it reflect excellence, or mediocrity? Did I use proper grammar, is my message clear, does my team understand my intent…these are some of the questions to which I need to answer every time I communicate.

• Accomplish More than Expected - Am I going the extra mile? Have I pictured the end goal before beginning? Do I ensure the output is on-time, within budget, accomplishes the desired goals? Do I help position others to thrive?

• Inspire Others - This can only be done if I, myself am inspired. Do I have a mentor, coach, or cohort who will help push and encourage me to out perform my previous expectation? In my case, I do and I would encourage anyone who aspires to leadership to do the same.

Do I believe that I am a competent leader? Maybe, but the true answer of my competence can only be seen in the outcome of those who have trusted me. How am I removing obstacles to the success of others? How am I shielding my team from internal or external politics that end up being distractions? Am I seeking, reviewing, and/or providing tools for others to thrive? The answers to these questions help define my competence. These can be best answered by those who are around me and effected by my actions.

Effective Communication

Image provided by Modern Contractor Solutions

“Communicators take something complicated and make it simple.” – John C. Maxwell

Effective Communication

The word “Communicate” finds it roots in the Latin word, communicare – to impart, participate. 

Merriam-Webster shows the definition of “Communicate” as, “a process by which information is exchanged between individuals through a common sense of symbols, signs, or behavior.”

In my life we have had one United States President who was nicknamed, “The Great Communicator”, that was Ronald Reagan!  What was it that made Ronald Reagan such a great communicator?  I am sure there are many nuances that can be discussed. For this article I will focus on four key elements of his effective communication. 

-          Simplicity – His message was never complicated, nor complex; however, it also was not easy.  It takes great effort, skill, and diligence to prepare a message that will truly be effective.

-          Know the Audience – He spoke directly to the citizens of the United States.  When there was a serious message to convey, he did not rely on others but spoke plainly to those of us who could and would watch him on television.

-          Show the Truth – It was clear that he believed that his message was true for him and his audience.  He lived by the convictions that motivated the words he used while communicating.

-          Seek a Response – Ronald Reagan urged those who listened, to put into action the steps that would be needed to accomplish the goals he communicated. 

I know that there are times that I can use a lot of words, but not say a whole lot.  Effective communication is more than just sharing words.  As leaders, we need to be thoughtful, seek simplicity, have integrity, and prompts others to action in our communication efforts.  Ask yourself, how will you ensure effective communication in all areas of your life?

New Beginnings and Success

Originally Published December 3rd, 2017

So, where do I start? I could start from the beginning, but which beginning? I cannot tell you much about the beginning of my life, as I was well protected and still forming in the care and protection of my mother's womb. I cannot tell you much about my youth that would be of interest others on this particular thread. I could tell you about the beginning of my career, my family, my political interests, or much more. Perhaps all of this can be shared later, under separate topics.

Let's begin with today. Each day has an opportunity for new beginnings. Many of us are told this many times in our lives. Today, I want to begin sharing through a series of thoughts about "success". The word "success" covers a broad spectrum of thoughts, categories, ideas, and perceptions. I cannot hope to cover all of the areas of "success" in a life-time. I can seek to uncover some areas where we can all be involved in successful enterprise solutions.

In our Western heritage and culture, and our Capitalistic leaning economy, a large number of individuals have the opportunity to be involved in the success of a company, an enterprise, or an organization. These successes are not isolated to owners, proprietors, or those holding an executive office. These successes are not without pitfalls along the journey (and I can assure you I have had plenty of pitfalls). I am not holding myself up as the picture or model of success. I am hoping to share success stories in business settings, that will instruct, motivate, and inspire others who need help in striving toward success. Success is a journey that one will never complete, less they become complacent and have a fall from grace. It is not a series of sprints, but rather a marathon which requires endurance. Striving for success may cause you to get bumped and bruised, you may fall down and will need help getting up. Success is not defined by lack of failure, but rather by consistently learning with humility, from failure and improving as you continue to move forward.

I want to be clear here. I am focusing on organizational (or enterprise) success, but much of success in one area can and does lead to success in other areas. People, if they are authentic, do not change who they are as they enter or leave their work domain. I am convinced that those who are authentic have the greatest opportunity for true, long-term success. I am interested in drawing attention to striving for success and learning through the struggles and failures along that path.

Footnote:

To follow the author on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddrthomsen/

For more information on the GSI where Todd is a Sr. Client Success Manager - https://www.getgsi.com/

What Is Success In The Workplace?

Originally Published December 10, 2017

In last week’s post, I mentioned that the ongoing theme for these articles is about, “successful enterprise solutions”. I thought it would be a good idea to describe the intent of this phrase. As with the word “success”, the phrase “enterprise solutions” can have a variety of meanings. For the foreseeable future, I will be using, “successful enterprise solutions” as any solution (human, mechanical, technological, or otherwise) which can be implemented in an enterprise (private, public, government, or even volunteer run) to further the success of that enterprise and the people who thrive in their workplace.

As these article progress, there will be interviews with individuals who have experienced success at a variety of levels. I will strive to have conversations with business owners, executive level leadership, project manager, subject matter experts, and more. I have been privileged to hear and partake in many conversations where people have reflected on success in the workplace. Most of those who have the greatest success are those who love. They love what they do, who they are, where they live, their role in the organization, and mostly the cohorts with whom they work shoulder-to-shoulder. They will come from a variety of functions within an organization. Many love the people they are responsible to manage, others love the feeling of success when accomplishing the difficult tasks, most strive for excellence and want to share their passion with those around them.

The reader may find that these articles are focused on successful enterprise solutions, but the success is mostly a result of the people who are working the solutions and making them better every day. Success is not necessarily about automation, although automation may certainly help. Success will never be perfection, if perfection is the goal the outcome will likely be one of two possibilities:

1) If one perceives that perfection is obtained, they stop striving to get better

2) Once one observes that perfection is unobtainable, they will lose drive and determination

Successful enterprise solutions are mostly found in organizations that strive for excellence and are primarily motivated by compassion and love for those who work there. 

I hope that the reader is not “hearing” what I am not saying. A successful enterprise should seek out solutions that drive labor efficiency, promote creative genius, pursue increased market share, and add to their bottom line. All organizations should be focused on properly stewarding the resources at hand. Privately held, or publicly traded companies should strive to be profitable. If a company can help raise the standard of living for all of those employed there, or find a way to prevent layoffs during an economic downturn, these actions go a long way in showing the loving care that ownership and/or the executive team has for those who share their vision.

There are a lot of great organizations, large and small. I hope to highlight, encourage, and motivate those who would read these articles. My goal is to show the authentic struggles and triumphs in the lives of those who provide, implement, direct, manage, or in any other capacity currently work with successful enterprise solutions.

Footnote:

To follow the author on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddrthomsen/

For more information on the GSI where Todd is a Sr. Client Success Manager - https://www.getgsi.com/

Success Story – Huey-Tien Tan

Originally Published December 17, 2017

In my previous two articles, the foundation for this series was set. Now I get to the fun part! We get to hear from people who are out in the world, making a difference, working with and implementing successful enterprise solutions. The first person that I get to introduce is Huey-Tien Tan (https://www.linkedin.com/in/hueytien/). Starting with Huey-Tien is an honor as she, to this day, still has a profound impact on my success. Let’s start with some background on how I know Huey-Tien. 

March 1st, 1998, I was privileged to begin employment at J.D. Edwards (a company that was purchased by PeopleSoft in 2003 and within less than a week Oracle announced that it would take over PeopleSoft). This was when the OneWorld Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software was in it’s infancy. That product is now known as EnterpriseOne. Huey-Tien had already established herself as one of the first and best support staff for a new administrative role, coined by J.D. Edwards – Configurable Network Computing (CNC). Huey-Tien was among the first group of 4, who were the only ones in the world to be given the title of J.D. Edwards CNC Professional. This term of a J.D. Edwards CNC is far more than just a normal ERP System Administrator. A J.D. Edwards CNC professional needs to be able to perform Database Administrator (DBA), Operating System (OS) administration, WebLogic and/or WebSphere administration, network configuration and administration, and many other technical tasks required to ensure that the software is communicating with the database using the right ports while also working with the Java Application Server (JAS) interface, and ensure that the software middleware is properly configured to handle expected user load.

Fast-forward to December 2017 and Huey-Tien has mastered the J.D. Edwards CNC skills like few others have. She really is a solution architect and can troubleshoot EnterpriseOne problems with precision, speed, and accuracy. 

The J.D. Edwards software is the enterprise solution that has provided Huey-Tien with an unparalleled measure of success. This is true for her personal career, and for those companies with which she has worked over the years.  Having over 20 years’ experience with the product her experience vast.

Huey-Tien now calls Oshkosh her professional home and has been a Sr. Technical Analyst for Oshkosh (https://www.oshkoshcorp.com/) since August of this year.

When I asked Huey-Tien how she defines success, she shared that she thinks of success in two ways:

• Becoming a subject matter expert (SME) to the point where +90% of any difficulty that may be experienced with the product is something that she can resolve without any assistance from the vendor (Oracle in this case). Over the years, as the EnterpriseOne software has been advanced by Oracle, to keep up with leading business technology, Huey-Tien has been able to keep up with how to implement the latest technology solutions (i.e. Internet of Things, Application Integration Service, Mobile Applications, etc.).

  Before Huey-Tien was a Sr. Technical Analyst for Oshkosh, she did a lot of work as a consultant. In this role, the second way she defined success was when a client would seek her out for additional work after a successful project. She saw the biggest compliment that she could have as a consultant was that the client would hand her a project charter and goals (unsolicited), and give her the freedom to define the details of the scope and implementation timeline.

When asked if should could share who would be one mentor that she would attribute to having a huge influence on her success, she did not hesitate to point out Allen Jacot. Allen was her cohort at J.D. Edwards and was also among those first 4 to ever learn how to be a J.D. Edwards CNC Professional. Huey-Tien mentioned that when she decided to go out on her own as a consultant, Allen handed her the first engagement and coached her to success through the experience. Allen has always made himself available for Huey-Tien.

Consistent to what was mentioned in earlier articles, Huey-Tien wants to clarify that she does not see success as anything that is a final destination. It is the accomplishment of the next goal that you have set before you, and as you reach that goal it is time to set the next goal for growth.

Footnote:

To follow the author on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddrthomsen/

For more information on the GSI where Todd is a Sr. Client Success Manager - https://www.getgsi.com/

John Bassett - Success Story

Originally Published December 22, 2017

In the middle of the Midwest state of Ohio, just a bit north of center, you will find the small town of Mansfield. This small, and thriving metropolis is home to a number of great finds. Among them is one of the founders of a consulting firm with a reputation of being a “best of breed” in the core competencies of their foundation. John Bassett (https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-bassett-a23328111/) grew up in the Midwest and still calls that region home. A graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Management Information Systems.

John began his professional career working with a loan origination/title software company, helping to develop their software solution. He then had a stint as a Novell Certified professional setting up Wide Area Networks (WANs) and Local Area Networks (LANs). This included coding for fire alarm systems that had to maintain operational integrity in the event of loss of a user interface to trigger the alarms. From there he became a network administrator for a company that ran JD Edwards software. These roles among others has now led him to being a principle owner and CTO for Global Systems Integrations, Inc., also known as GSI (www.getgsi.com). 

The history of GSI is very interesting and there will be additional opportunities to get more insight into its foundation from the other two principles in other articles. From John’s perspective he started as an independent contractor in 2004 under the company label of Enterprise Solutions of Ohio. Through that experience he connected with Shawn Scanlon in 2006 to form Enterprise Solution Partners (ESP). This is where he first experienced the need to hire team members, grow a company to sustain payroll, and begin to lead people. In 2008 ESP merged with Global Systems Integrations, Inc. and the three principles have been driving a successful partnership for 9 years now.

Currently, as CTO of GSI, John has responsibilities of co-leading this company that is closer to a mid-sized organization and has been recognized twice by Inc. 5000 Magazine as a “fastest growing company” in the America. However, even now, he sees one of the greatest successful enterprise solutions of his career has little to do with an actual software implementation and is more focused on giving to and sharing with others. He was a primary catalyst in the formation of what has now become a series of free WebCasts provided by GSI that include topics around JD Edwards (functional use and administration), NetSuite, Database Administration, RapidReconciler, Cloud services, and Salesforce administration. John is quick to credit other key people in making these WebCasts a success. What he does not say (but I will), is that his leadership draws others to him and helps others around him want to see his visions come to success. That is what has been a major contributor to this solution of successful, free WebCasts.

I asked John to give me the name of one person who has had a significant, professional influence for him. He mentioned Thomas Schwab (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-schwab-7606326/) who now serves as President of Solutions and Services for Encore Technology Group. The way Thomas communicates with others in a professional setting is something that John seeks to put into practice when interacting with those around him.

Footnote:

To follow the author on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddrthomsen/

For more information on the GSI where Todd is a Sr. Client Success Manager - https://www.getgsi.com/