Rainmaker 19 - Foam Ball

Have you ever looked at electrical conduit (pipe) inside the walls of a building?

Do you know how electricians snake the wires through it?

They can’t push it. The wires bend and kink.

What they do is take a foam ball, the same size as the pipe, tie some fishing line to it, put a vacuum on the other end and suck the foam ball and fishing line through the pipe.

Then they attach metal tape, like a tape measure, to the fishing line and pull it back through the pipe.

Finally, they attach electrical wires to the tape and pull that back through the pipe, and that’s how you install electrical wires in conduit. If you think you are going to have to snake more wires through at a later date, you can include a run of fishing line with the electrical wires and leave it inside.

Communicating is a lot like pulling wires through conduit.

When I try to just ram my message through, it tends to bind and kink. Several unsuccessful attempts makes my message ugly and worn, maybe even breaks it.

Instead of pushing, a gentle pull to start the process is appreciated. Then a couple of easy back and forths gives us all confidence we can succeed.

Succeeding the first time takes a lot less time and effort than continually failing.

Previous Rainmakers

Sales Lab’s Rainmaker 19, Foam Ball is 300 seconds of sheer enlightenment at The Capital Technology Management Hub, 6:30 pm on Tuesday, April 9 at Teqcorner, 1616 Anderson Road, Third Floor, McLean, VA 22102. Rainmaker 19 Foam Ball will be immediately followed by our headliner presentation, Tom Cooper, BrightHill Group, Are You Too Busy To Plan?

Teaching Leadership

Some individuals are thought to be 'natural' leaders – they seemingly step into the role fully functional – such as George Washington.

Some individuals develop as leaders once in the role – Steve Jobs, for example.

Some individuals learn leadership by opening their mind and soaking up the rich material provided by other leaders, coaches, individuals from business and academia.

Based on this sampling, individuals can learn leadership.

At a recent presentation about leadership I noted no organization has a position 'leader'. Dick Davies offered a description: 'Leadership is a collection of behaviors, a calling, and a practice.'

Can we teach behavior? Passion? Continuous practical development and application?...

Can we teach leadership?

Teaching leadership may be like making policy.

Policy can make people do things; but not make them do it well.

What do you think?

Kick off the New Year Right at Talk Your Business - How to make more and better sales right away! Wednesday Jan 30, 11:45 - 1:00 at the Arlington Chamber Small Business Roundtable.

The Pivot Point Is About Transition

A Pivot Point is a 'game-changing' life event that you remember vividly forever, and it changes you.

Last Friday, Myron Radio facilitated a marvelous program at the Leadership Breakfast of Maryland; the core concept was the effect of pivot points on individual and organizational success.

Two stories which illuminate the transition effect of a pivot point:

As an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland studying business and economics, I experienced an ah-ha when a labor law professor opened my eyes to the difference between being a student and being a learner. My focus shifted from trying to discern what would be on the test to actually internalizing the material – linking it prior learning and experience. If it didn't fit I would find other viewpoints to better understand how it related to what I already knew. Suddenly I was using knowledge, instead of just storing it – and have continued to be a learner ever since.

In my professional career I was point-guy for my organization in a merger. The president of the acquiring firm open a discussion about my role in the combined organization – a lateral shift to VP of recruiting. To me recruiting is a functional role, not an executive one, and I shared my thoughts with him, indicating I would not be accepting his offer. With a clear mind, I went on to become a President and CEO.

Many of us realize while pivot points are the major shifts, often we suddenly see how a puzzle piece fits for the issue currently in our minds. For example, when reading the book Makers by Cory Doctorow, it became clear to me how the traditional business structure was evolving – a fictional work NOT about business yielded an explanation of the radical shift currently under way.

Being aware of these shifts, great and small, empowers the leader to transform an organization by creating an environment encouraging applied learning and innovation.

The key to future challenges are in the lessons learned during the journey from the present to the future.

Add to the discussion – share your experience with a Pivot Point.

Full Life-Cycle Learning

Learning is Doing. 

It’s not just cracking the books, it’s making something new. Making new makes learning stick.

Research and study are tools to get to the doing part.

Learning conductors do a better job when they conduct from concept to completion.

Shipping provides lessons that are not to be missed, that retroactively change understanding of all the stages, all the way back to “What are we doing?”

Imagine learning as a complete cycle.

Your ideas?

The Capital Technology Management Hub Startup Challenge is Tuesday, November 8, 6pm at GMU. At this event, audience rules! We need audience, startups, interested parties. Come investigate Sales Lab’s new business! See the future up close and personal.