A Peek Inside My Medicine Cabinet

This is what my shelf in our medicine cabinet looks like.?

Can you tell I'm a fan of Bevel? The only thing here not from Bevel is the rubbing alcohol—and that’s only because they don’t sell it.

I was prompted to take the picture when I realized that the new packaging design—the gray bottles—features a symbol that indicates the company is Black Founded. (For context, I originally knew of the brand because the founder, tristan walker , was a year behind me at business school.)

That overt branding decision struck me because, the previous day, I’d listened to a panel about the nonprofit sector, titled “The Current State of DEI.” The panel talked about how some nonprofits have started to soften the language they began to use in 2020 to describe their commitments to diversity and equity.?

One charitable interpretation of these actions is that the nonprofits are responding to the cultural backlash against “woke” companies and the Supreme Court decision that muddied the legal waters on programs meant to achieve greater equity.

However, one of the panelists, Marcus Braxton, the COO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, argued that this was a mistake. He encouraged audience members to be bold in whatever stance they take because, even if you lose support from those who disagree, you gain by having a clear position for those who agree with you, leading to an “aligned donor base.”

In strategy terms, an aligned donor base is probably more powerful over time than one that’s less passionate about the organization.

His argument reminded me that the most compelling companies stand for something. Having some people dislike what you’re doing is, in fact, a sign that you are compelling.?

After all, Walmart doesn’t offer luxury products. Porsche doesn’t try to make a budget-friendly minivan. And Quentin Tarantino doesn’t make movies without prolific cursing. And it’s because of their courageous clarity in offer and viewpoint that customers know what to go to them for.?

The opposite of this strategic clarity arises from a mindset of fear and scarcity, and it leads to trying to offer everything to everyone—usually executed poorly, and at higher costs—or sanding down everything interesting about the product until the only version is medium-sized, gray, lukewarm, and it gets no one excited.?

That’s not to say every organization needs to be a social justice warrior. It’s more about teams and organizations recognizing the opportunity to take a courageous mindset into their strategic choices.?

Leadership Wisdom

As I was finishing this edition of Monday Musings, I saw the news of Bill Walton’s death. By coincidence, Walton embodied taking bold stands. He was famously arrested for occupying a UCLA administrative building part part of a protest against the Vietnam War.?

In the book Wooden, Seth Davis writes, “It was no surprise to anyone who knew him that Walton would dive in with such passion. As [UCLA coach John] Wooden once said of Walton, ‘He’s the type who is either totally committed or totally disinterested—no in-between.’” He did not let his fame or the fact that he had a lot to lose affect his beliefs and willingness to share them.

Another compelling part of Walton’s story was that he seemed to balance being different and bringing people together, as well as balancing being the lead actor and fitting in with the rest of the team. As one example, even after signing a $3 million NBA contract, Walton lived in a group house and rode a bike to work.?

Jay Bilas, a broadcasting colleague at ESPN, reflected on how Walton used his leadership position in an inclusive way: “He was never the center of attention, even though everybody around him wanted him to be. He was always one of the group, but if he were going to be the center of attention, he would act to put the spotlight on someone else in the group. So, he would be a ring leader of starting a conversation but to draw out others, find out more about others, [and] get others talking about themselves and their families.”

Finally, the ESPN documentary about Walton, The Luckiest Guy in the World, is fascinating. The title reflects Walton’s oft-repeated mantra that he considered himself the luckiest guy in the world. He wasn’t a naive optimist. Rather, it was a belief that, despite living with tremendous pain as a result of several leg and foot surgeries, he actively chose positivity and gratitude.

Something Fun

Bill Walton’s on-air antics were legendary. They were part of his fun-loving approach to life. Rick Carlisle, Walton’s teammate on the Boston Celtics and the current coach of the Indiana Pacers, reflected on Walton’s approach in his post-game press conference yesterday:

Thanks for reading!

Charles

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