Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger.

John Belushi was a mainstay on Saturday Night Live. A comic genius. It boggles my mind that he passed away forty-one years ago this week. Yes, I grew up with SNL. John Belushi. Dan Akroyd. Bill Murray. Gilda Radner. Jane Curtin. Eddie Murphy.

One of Belushi's most famous SNL sketches involved him working at a diner with a very simple menu -- cheeseburgers, chips or Pepsi. That's it. When a customer would ask for something on the menu that didn't fit the three items offered, Belushi's character would re-direct the customer -- often, by repeating the word "cheeseburger" several times. His cook, Dan Akroyd, would hear "cheeseburger" on repeat and load up the grill accordingly. Thus, the comic interaction.

Yesterday, I took my sons to a local burger joint for dinner. It was mid-week, but, surprisingly, the restaurant was packed. Mid week. Minnesota. March. Snow. I kid you not. The menu, like the menu in the SNL skit, was very simple. Burgers/Cheeseburgers. Fries. Soda. Beer. Water. I could seriously hear Belushi's voice and it made me smile. But, I digress. Really good cheeseburgers. Excellent cheeseburgers. And, excellent service. We will be returning.

So how does this experience translate into leadership development? And Belushi? Really?

A successful business, like the burger joint, has a value proposition -- a "sweet spot". In the case of the burger joint, it does one thing (limited menu with burgers), and does that one thing very well. Equally important, its "one thing" adds value to the bottom line as evidenced by the fact that folks were waiting for tables. Mid-week. March. Minnesota.

Guess what? Individuals also have value propositions. You. Add. Value. Every. Day. (Don't ever forget it!) The value you add is based on the contribution of your talent and your engagement level to the enterprise or community you serve. The trick is figuring out where (and if) your talent and engagement level actually intersect with the needs of the business or community. Once you have alignment, you literally have lift off.

To complete this very pretty (and amazingly easy to produce) graphic, ask yourself three simple questions listed below. Ignite the internal dialogue. Observe the connections. Begin the journey.

In the words of the Blues Brothers . . .

Elwood (Akroyd) :"Its 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, its dark . . . and we're wearing sunglasses."

Jake (Belushi): "Hit it."

Three Questions to Determine Your Professional Value Proposition (and complete pretty chart):

(1) What do I enjoy doing? (Engagement)

(2) What am I good at? (Talent)

(3) What will add value to the business/overall community? (Business/Community Needs)