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By Josh Linkner
Ever get stuck on a problem, only to realize you’re solving for the wrong thing? That’s exactly what happened when the rocket scientists at NASA were trying to make astronauts’ pens to work in the zero-gravity environment of space. According to Scientific American, “During the height of the space race in the 1960s, NASA scientists realized that pens could not function in zero gravity. They therefore spent years and millions of taxpayer dollars developing a ballpoint pen that could put ink to paper without needing gravitational force to pull on the fluid.” The Soviets, on the other hand, delivered us a nuclear warhead of embarrassment…they simply gave their astronauts pencils. NASA was focused on the wrong problem – making a pen work in space. The real issue at hand wasn’t a pen at all; it was providing astronauts a tool for writing. When reframing the challenge, the soviets solved a multi-million dollar problem for the cost of a #2 pencil. Innovation scholars refer to this as “jobs-to-be-done” theory. The classic example: when hanging a picture above your living room couch, the thing you need isn’t a 1/4″ drill bit but rather a 1/4″ hole. Too often, we get caught up in the nuances and complexities of a specific solution rather than deeply connecting to the job-to-be-done. Once we zero in on the right problem, we can more easily apply inventive thinking to achieve the desired outcome. If the brainiac rocket scientists at NASA can fall into this trap, so can we. As we approach our own challenges – big and small – let’s direct our attention to the job-to-be-done and proceed unencumbered with conventional wisdom. Instead of blowing 38 months on a pen that defies gravity, let’s push our creative boundaries to discover simple, efficient, and inventive solutions instead. Now that’s something to write home about. With your #2 pencil, of course. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success!
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By Josh Linkner
There’s an old saying among professional boxers: “Champions don’t become champions in the ring; they are merely recognized there.” The implication, of course, is that the hard work of winning happens during an intense training regimen. The blood, sweat, and tears on the gym floor; the relentless planning for every possible scenario; the sacrifice and careful preparation. This is the stuff that ultimately enables victory. Professional athletes achieve at the highest levels by spending 90% of their time training and 10% of their time performing. In most areas of life, however, we do the exact opposite. In fact, most business leaders, parents, and professionals spend closer to zero percent of their time in thoughtful study of their craft or training for improvement. Instead, we labor through the days in full-exertion mode and then wonder why we fail to reach our full potential. Imagine a star tennis player who never trained and only stepped foot on the court during major tournaments. Or a pro football player who never bothered with conditioning, learning the plays, or running drills with his teammates. Predictably, these athletes would unravel in a spectacular fashion. Which is exactly what we do when we fail to commit the time and energy to our own personal development. While you probably don’t have the luxury of devoting 90% of your days to training, carving out just 5-10% of your time for focused improvement will quickly improve your performance. If you are in sales, spend a few hours each week in role-playing sessions and carefully practicing your pitch. If you write code, spend time studying others’ work, attending hackathons, and forcing yourself to solve complex problems. Simply put, a training regimen will jettison your career to the next level. Just like the pro athletes who develop a written training program with specific maneuvers and goals, you should be taking the same, proactive approach for your own career. Reading books, attending lectures (or watching them online), running “drills,” solving practice problems, doing simulations with colleagues, and even trying to decode your competitors’ approach are all helpful exercises to include in your training plan. If you have the discipline to improve yourself without the prodding of others, you will quickly fly past those who lack the ambition to push themselves to becoming world-class. As the Spartan Warrior Creed professes, “Sweat more in training, bleed less in war.” Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Josh Linkner
Imagine that a loved one is on the operating table in a life-or-death situation. You and your family gather in the waiting room waiting with bated breath for the doctor to communicate the results of this life-saving procedure. When the surgeon finally arrives, you don’t want to hear about how hard she and her team labored. You don’t want to hear that she “gave it her all” and worked extra long, even cancelling her scheduled tee time. At this moment, trying hard doesn’t matter. You simply need results. When people under-deliver, they tend to justify their poor performance by effort exerted. “But we tried really hard,” the hapless manager professes. “Do you know how much work went into this?” the C minus student protests. Yes, it is true that effort is generally a precursor to results, but they are absolutely not one and the same. As leaders in our businesses and communities, we must hold each other to the highest standards of achievement — not just exertion. A city council that tries hard won’t get the job done. The business executive that burnt the midnight oil but missed the forecast might as well have gone to bed early. “What gets measured gets improved,” the old saying goes. What are you measuring in your own performance? How are you holding yourself and those around you accountable? Let’s commit to staying focused on the scoreboard while plotting out a successful game plan. When looking at the challenges our communities face, we must have laser beam focus on delivering tangible results. ‘Working hard’ to repair streetlights, ensure public safety, or deliver critical city services just doesn’t carry the day. It takes leaders from all walks of life to rally behind a unified effort to deliver real change instead of hype or excuses. It’s easy to hide in the shadows of best efforts when results remain elusive. It’s time for us all to shift our energy from trying to doing. From rhetoric to action. From planning it out to getting it done. A valiant effort just won’t cut it. Let’s all commit to delivering real, tangible results. Our companies, communities, and families will all win as a result. In the infamous words of Yoda, “Do or do not. There is no try.” Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Josh Linkner
The allure of the corner office has captured the imagination of nearly everyone in the working world. A promotion to the next level – or the level after that – would be a gigantic win, both personally and professionally. You’d be able to create a bigger impact, serve and lead more, and leave your fingerprints on the organization. The extra money and perks could really help out on the family front too, allowing you to better provide for your loved ones. We all want that brass ring, but don’t always know specifically how to snag it. To help accelerate your journey, here are five time-tested moves that will put you on the fast track to success: 1) Master the 5X Rule – Calculate the amount you’ll get paid when you get that big promotion. Next, calculate in real dollars the value you add to (or save) your company each year. If those numbers are close, you’ve got some work to do. On the other hand, if you can clearly show you’re delivering five times the value of what you’re getting paid, you’ll be promoted quickly (and never fired). 2) Add Hot Sauce to Everything – If you’re delivering a project or task, never just deliver what was requested. Instead, take it upon yourself to add a little extra zip. A fresh idea, some extra value that no one asked for. That extra little spice on everything you do will get you noticed, appreciated, and promoted. 3) Make Self-improvement a Job Requirement – Don’t wait for a boss or HR director to set your learning curriculum. Instead, make a commitment to drive your own personal growth and skill development. It’s your job to elevate your capacity and understanding. Push yourself to learn more and get better and you’ll soon be fully prepared to take on the bigger role you seek. 4) Be User friendly – Make it easy, pleasant, and energizing for others to interact with you. Clear communication, friction-free exchanges. Unlike the pain-in-the-neck guy down the hall, strive to be as positive and accommodating as possible. This stuff gets noticed. Every interaction is your chance to reinforce your brand and leave a mark. To a degree, you’re always interviewing so don’t squander that opportunity. 5) Inject Artistry – Think of your work product as an artist thinks of her paintings, taking personal pride in both the quality and design of every email, live interaction, service, report, or product you ship. Before hitting “send”, ask yourself if you’d be excited to showcase what you’re delivering as a shining example of your best work. If you are reluctant to autograph the work, as a musician would sign his new album, take another stab at improving your art. Follow these five simple steps, and you’ll rise through the ranks like a bottle rocket. Miss them, and you could be looking for your next gig. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Josh Linkner
Pilots are required to invest hundreds of hours in simulated flight scenarios before taking command of a live aircraft. Race car simulators help drivers prepare for the unexpected, so that they’ll be fully ready for unforeseen circumstances. Astronauts first experience weightlessness in a simulation chamber so they can become accustomed to a gravity-free environment. Simulations are used by top performing surgeons, symphony conductors, and professional athletes. Attorneys hone their skills in mock trials while boxers spend hours sparring in the ring before the big fight. Closely mimicking a high-stakes experience before it actually happens invariably leads to better performance. Now think for a moment about the work that matters most to you. The importance of interviewing a new job candidate, holding that mission-critical team meeting, or giving an impactful performance review of your team member. Or maybe you’ve got a big upcoming pitch – to an investor, new client, or key partner. Your products and services may be high stakes as well, whether you organize mountain climbing excursions, produce luxury hand-finished furniture, or run a retail shop in a busy shopping mall. How you perform determines how well you’ll serve your customers, family, and community. With such important outcomes on the line, have you first bothered to do a dry run? In the business world, we’re just supposed to know what we’re doing: 50+ hours a week of performance with virtually no time for training and preparation. The idea of an NFL player running zero practice drills before the Super Bowl or a Broadway performer never bothering to rehearse for opening night sounds crazy. Yet isn’t that exactly what we do in our professional lives? If we truly care about performing at the highest level, we must follow the lead of the greats in other professions by embracing a series of simulations before game day. In business, this can often be accomplished through role-playing. For example, if you have a big sales presentation coming up, don’t do the pitch for the first time in front of your prospective client. Instead, gather two colleagues and present to one while the other takes notes and records key points of feedback. Next, rotate and have one of your colleagues pitch you while the other plays the observer role. A few rotations a day, and you’ll start to build powerful muscle memory, which will allow you to optimize performance when it really matters. This small investment in simulation can become a game-changer when it comes to results. I have no interest in flying on a plane with a pilot who’s never bothered to practice in a simulated setting. And you should have the same discomfort when performing critical business tasks without the requisite pre-game training. If you run the drills in advance, your odds of success skyrocket. Use simulations to stimulate optimal performance. To perfect your craft. To drive better outcomes. And when you do, your victory will be anything but simulated. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Josh Linkner
In the context of seemingly endless volatility, the pandemic has led many of us to pause in order to reassess what it really takes to win in this new era of business. What leadership attributes are needed right now to create a sustainable competitive advantage? In the past, it was enough to be a thoughtful and deliberate manager, executing a plan with precision and accuracy. Today, however, leaders have to embrace a new set of roles and responsibilities to remain relevant and effective. Building on your previous training, let’s explore the five new faces of leadership: 1. Sherpa – The leader of a mountain-climbing expedition’s sole purpose is to help others reach the summit. Sherpa leadership isn’t about individual achievement – you are in your role to serve others – your team, your customers, and your community. If your team knows you are there to help them succeed, they’ll give back far more than any rah-rah speech or management technique of the week. 2. Provocateur – Tip-toeing around deeply entrenched viewpoints is less productive than trying to fry eggs on a hot sidewalk. A key role of great leaders is to challenge everything and be a poking-stick of change. A healthy disdain for the status quo is the hallmark of leaders who shape history. Don’t let fear glue you to conventional wisdom. 3. Futurist – Aiming our efforts at last year’s market data will yield a surefire miss. Effective leaders must clearly articulate a compelling vision of what lies ahead, and ensure their organizations are ready to seize it when that window opens. Imagine all the possibilities, and never allow the past to restrict your imagination. 4. Storyteller – Getting your message to stand out and be heard above the noise can be tougher than running a four-minute mile. Make sure you’re crafting your story – to both internal and external audiences – in such a compelling way that it cannot be ignored. You must communicate your purpose and a clear plan of how you’ll get there if you expect your team to leap forward with urgency and alignment. 5. Speed Demon – The world of getting things 100% right before hitting the market is long over. Today, we must execute and problem solve with ferocious speed, making regular adjustments in real-time. Complete business cycles can now last weeks instead of years. Accordingly, we must build a culture that embraces speed in all aspects of business – from innovation to customer delivery to hiring to technological advances. On the highway, speed kills. In business, speed wins. We all know that the surest path to obsolescence is hugging the status quo. It’s time to relinquish the mindsets and techniques of the past in favor of approaches better suited to the challenges of the day. Good leaders may stay the course, but great leaders reinvent. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Josh Linkner
By the end of the second week of January, 29% of us will abandon our New Year’s resolutions. By the end of the year, only 9% of resolutions will remain resolute. Sobering. So many of us resolve to change, only to have those commitments meet an untimely death. A single, small temptation can lead us astray, causing us to conclude that our resolutions have crumbled. Better luck next year, we tell ourselves, as we regress to our old ways. A key problem with resolutions is their all-or-nothing nature. These immovable rules suggest that any deviance from perfection is an act of total destruction. Since few of us are perfect, we slip once and then terminate our commitment to change. To combat this trap and enjoy meaningful progress, I suggest you set a New Year’s theme instead. Your theme isn’t a rigid, binary, unrealistic promise but rather a direction that can be sustained over the next 12 months. Two years ago, my theme was Health. There were moments that I ate peanut M&Ms, to be sure, but I also managed to read several books on the subject, listen to dozens of podcasts, drop 20 pounds, and reduce my lipid profile by 40%. If it were a weight loss resolution, I’d likely given up after the first bite of a hot pepperoni pizza (my weakness). Since it was a theme, however, I realized that each decision on each day was a guilt-free, independent opportunity to align with my broader objective. This year, my theme is artistry. My focus will be to inject creativity into every problem I confront and every opportunity I pursue. When I send emails, I’ll try to make them more artistic. I’ll try to inject inventive thinking in weekly team meetings. To support the theme, I plan to expose myself to great works of art in many categories ranging from spoken word poetry to business invention. I’ll also be mindful of this theme when walking into a room, giving a speech, or having dinner with my family. How might an artist post a blog, negotiate a deal, or take out the trash? My theme will be ever-present, guiding my behavior rather than holding me to an unrealistic metric. Your theme could be a personal one such as compassion, kindness, better listening, or helping others. Or your theme may be a pragmatic business skill such as finance, PowerPoint mastery, or enhanced communication. Your theme may center on a passion or hobby such as music, art, or fly-fishing. Simply put, a single theme for the year has a far better probability of delivering the progress you seek compared to those vapid resolutions that most of us quickly dismiss. Once your theme is established, brainstorm rituals, reinforcements, and rewards to keep your theme front and center. Share it widely, as your public pronouncement creates its own accountability mechanism. Allow your theme to seep into daily life, and mastery will soon follow. Here’s to your tremendous success in the New Year, and to hoping your annual theme serves as a powerful guidepost along the journey. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Josh Linkner
While these two temperature-related instruments may be easy to confuse, they’re actually surprisingly different. Thermometers can report the current temperature with remarkable precision. Your shiny new digital thermometer will ensure you know that your family room is exactly 69.3 degrees. Or if your five year old daughter seems warm, it will only take a couple seconds to know how high her fever is with that handheld device you snagged from the drugstore for just $12. In contrast, a thermostat is used to adjust the temperature, not merely report it. The thermostat is an active tool to effectuate change, while the thermometer merely reports the facts with no ability to modify them. Controlled with intention and a vision for the future, we use a thermostat to raise or lower the temperature as we choose. My good friend and business partner Seth Mattison pointed out the difference to me recently with a call to arms for us all. Leadership isn’t about reporting what already is, but rather it’s imagining what can be and taking an active role in manifesting your vision. It’s about proactively driving change rather than reacting to external circumstances. You can be a thermostat in how you show up to meetings, raising the energy of the room with your enthusiasm. You can be a thermostat by setting a new change initiative in motion and seeing to it that the project reaches its mark. You can be a thermostat by creating and sharing content with the world to change hearts and minds. Too many of us shuffle through life as the lowly thermometer, falsely believing that we can’t change much and that we’re simply victims of circumstance. Instead, let’s take agency for ourselves and those around us. Let’s step into our ability to create impact in all aspects of our businesses and lives. As thermostats, we each get to be the architect, designer, and builder. We get to envision a better future, and then set those intentions into action. Thermometers are decent gauges of the current state, but we can be so much more when we take command of the dial. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Josh Linkner
Mention the word creativity, and people begin to squirm in their chairs. The very thought can prompt anxiety, fear, and doubt — even in the most accomplished professionals. At the same time, we know that innovation is mission-critical in these disruptive times. As many competitive advantages of the past have become automated or outsourced, creative problem solving and inventive thinking have become essential to driving growth and sustainable success. The COVID crisis has forced us all to adapt to changing conditions, making it increasingly clear that we can no longer simply rely on the models of the past and expect the same results. Recognizing the need for creativity isn’t a groundbreaking concept, but how do we cultivate this valuable resource and deploy it in order to drive meaningful results? What’s getting in our way? By exposing the five biggest misconceptions about creativity, we can bust the myths and get on with harnessing our most powerful and productive thinking. MYTH 1: Creativity is only needed at the top TRUTH: Creativity is no longer just for the C-suite. To win in these challenging times, creativity must be a core priority at all levels of the org-chart. In fact, a key leadership responsibility is to help everyday people become everyday innovators. You don’t need to be wearing a lab coat or a fancy suit to be an effective innovator. The dormant creative capacity of your entire workforce may be the most powerful asset at your disposal. To that end, encourage your full team to look for small, daily creative opportunities (micro-innovations) which are low-risk and can be highly-effective. MYTH 2: It only counts if it’s gigantic TRUTH: While massive innovations grab media headlines, small innovations are responsible for 77% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product according to recent research from Harvard University. The big ideas may be sexy, but the underappreciated small ideas are the ones that drive consistent results. Instead of shooting for a $10 billion IPO or a Nobel Prize, the most prolific innovators focus instead on Big Little Breakthroughs – small creative acts that unlock massive rewards over time. By building a daily habit of creativity, organizations not only enjoy a high volume of small wins, but daily practice is the fastest route to discover the massive breakthroughs we seek. MYTH 3: It’s not my job TRUTH: Your role has nothing to do with your creativity. There are professional musicians in major symphonies that are great technicians but don’t use an ounce of creativity. There are also statisticians that are brilliantly creative. Don’t let labels or job titles limit your imaginative potential. Today, creativity is everyone’s job. It is no longer just something those “artsy people” do. There isn’t a job function that can’t benefit from creative problem solving, inventive thinking, or simply finding a better way. MYTH 4: Creativity is a born talent, not a learned skill TRUTH: The research is crystal clear that as human beings, we all have tremendous creative capacity. We are hard-wired to be creative, yet many of us haven’t fully developed these skills. Importantly, your level of creativity isn’t fixed at birth. Instead, think of creativity as an expandable muscle. You don’t become a champion bodybuilder without hitting the gym. Similarly, to build creative capacity requires some practice and focus. There is an overwhelming amount of scientific research confirming that you can grow your creativity at any age. Every one of us can expand our creative abilities with the right mindset and tactics. MYTH 5: My technical skills and experience are enough TRUTH: Maybe in the past, but definitely not today or in the future. Unorthodox approaches, original thought and imagination have become the building blocks for career advancement and efficacy. According to the Future of Jobs report from the World Economic Forum, four of the top five most-needed skills in the workforce are directly tied to creativity. The report cites ‘innovation and analytical skills’, ‘complex problem-solving’, ‘critical thinking and analysis’, and ‘creativity, originality and initiative’ as positions 1, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. The difference between getting a promotion, making the sale, delivering on expectations, raising capital, or fulfilling your calling lies in your ability to embrace and nurture your creative potential. As we enter a new era riddled with uncertainty, complexity, speed, and ruthless competition, busting the myths and building our creative skillset is crucial for both survival and success. The stakes are higher than ever, but so is the opportunity. It’s time to seize it, one Big Little Breakthrough at a time. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! By Josh Linkner
When we hear stories about world class creators like Lady Gaga or Lin Manuel-Miranda, or ultra-successful entrepreneurs like Elon Musk or Sara Blakely, we immediately think these people must have some special gift that we normal folk are missing. As if the skies opened for a brief moment and the gods anointed a chosen few with heavenly powers. We’re led to believe that we’re either creative or we’re not, and there’s very little we can do about it. This is what we’ve been told our whole lives. And it’s dead wrong. Over the last decade, neuroscientists have made massive leaps forward in understanding the human brain. Much of this bold discovery has been the result of advanced technology such as fMRI machines, providing history-making clarity and unlocking century-old mysteries about how the brain functions. A key finding is the concept of neuroplasticity, now widely accepted in the scientific community. Until recently, the prevailing belief was that your brain was fixed. It was wired the way it was wired, and that was that. You’ve probably heard myths such as brain cells can’t regenerate or that cognition is the result of a piece of static equipment, incapable of adapting or growing. If your brain was the lawnmower you bought at a garage sale, there was nothing you could really do to upgrade it shy of replacing it entirely by shelling out $1,900 for a brand-new John Deere E120 42 in., 20 hp, V-twin Gas Hydrostatic Riding Mower (try discount code: neuroplasticity). It turns out, the brain isn’t at all like the old lawnmower that can’t be rebuilt. It’s more like the lawn itself. Your lawn is malleable, responding to changes in environment, fertilizer, pesticides, new seeds, and your neighbor’s yappy brown poodle. If you never water your lawn, it turns to scorched earth. Leave it unprotected and it becomes a hideous weed field. But if you add new seeds, fertilizer, and irrigation, trimming—if you protect and care for it—your emerald-green lawn can become the envy of the subdivision. A lawn is something that responds to change; it can be grown or killed, thickened or depleted, beautified or polluted. With the right care, it can quickly bounce back from previous neglect, once again growing and thriving. That is the essence of the incredible breakthrough of neuroplasticity: your brain isn’t fixed…it can change, adapt, and grow. One of the least-technical definitions I found was from a 2017 article in the painfully dry scientific journal Frontiers in Psychology: Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience: “Neuroplasticity can be viewed as a general umbrella term that refers to the brain’s ability to modify, change, and adapt both structure and function throughout life and in response to experience.” (Pro tip: reading technical neuroscience research is an excellent cure for insomnia.) What made bespectacled research scientists want to stand up from their lab desks to dance in a conga line? It was the proof that our brains can form new pathways, synapses, and connections. We’re not just talking learning; we’re talking actual changes in brain chemistry and composition. Just as coal can transform into diamonds and snotty teenagers can eventually transform into tolerable human beings, your brain is something that can be shaped and developed. Relating to your creativity, I’m taking a big leap here and coining a new phrase: INNOplasticity. (Should I disappear unexpectedly, please notify the authorities to investigate the evil geniuses behind Frontiers in Psychology: Auditory Cognitive Neuroscience.) Building on its big brother neuroplasticity, innoplasticity is the notion that your creativity is expandable just like your brain. Swapping out a few words from the above definition, think of innoplasticity as “a general umbrella term that refers to one’s ability to modify, adapt, and grow creative capacity throughout life and in response to training, development, and experience.” Innoplasticity is a fancy way of saying that your creative potential is far greater than the creativity you had at birth, in eleventh grade, or even now. All of us can cultivate and improve our imagination, the same way brains—and front lawns—can transform for the better. And these changes can happen much faster than you might think. Planning your next event? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to schedule your ideal speaker and make your event a success! |
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