Three Bullet Thursday - 20231012
#ThreeBulletThursday - Raising the Tide of Applied Knowledge and Continuous Improvement in Personal Life and Business. If this was insightful to you, please repost/share. #Inspiration #Leadership
*(What I'm Reading) - Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
If you're an entrepreneur or business person, this is worth a read. It may not be a path to fully follow, but it was Phil's path. Phil bet on himself, the whole way. Literally doubling down at each iteration. It was high risk, all reward or explosively fail. The key takeaways was how he empowered folks along the way and how he navigated every surprise challenge.
Empowerment was a theme to run at the velocity he did. During the early chapters, I felt bad for some of his employees, even Phil did, in how he did not reply to the mail they sent him. There was only one of Phil and only 24 hours in a day. To reply to everything was an unrealistic expectation. He did excel at getting his aces in the right places, peoples values aligned to where the business needed their talents most, and it allowed those empowered folks to thrive and consequently so did the company. Nike was able to meet problems head on, and deal with them directly, with the right talent, on the right problem, at the right time.
Another cool thing I read was how he could convert adversity into leverage in flow with the company direction. At one point, Nike was large enough and popular enough that factories would put out knock off competing shoes but not of the same quality or alignment to science they had. He approached it with a hammer and carrot. We can come in, go to war in the legal arena and put you out of business. Or, we have a high need for factories that can produce quality product in line with our standards, and if you're willing, we'd love to add your capacity to our growth. It gave the factory an ability to not only save face, but to thrive as part of a larger vision.
Quality questions: Where are you going to war? (And do you really need to? If you step back, can you see above the trees and the forest? What do you see, what opportunity aren't you seeing, that could pivot around force on force and leverage the two currently competing strengths in line with your mission?
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
*(What I'm Reading) - Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
1) Visioning, (not vision boards), but deep detailed, meditative visioning, we spoke of last week. This is the goal setting part of the brain, which allows for the next aspect, the automatic self to work towards.
2) Automatic Self, Failing ahead. Maltz speaks that the brain is a failure feedback based mechanism. It tries, fails, tries again, fails, etc. until success. It then forgets the failures, and engrains the success path in its wiring. Example: When a baby sees its rattle, and it desires to pick it up, it has a goal in mind, but the automatic body mechanics aren't there yet. It reaches out, misses left. Reaches out, misses right. Reaches out, touches it, but hasn't figured out the concept of grasp yet. It knows how to locate it, now, but not how to retrieve. Similarly, an iterative process of did I grab it or not, takes place until it is grabbed. The next time, these paths to success are wired in.
How to use this in life. The visioning and mindset set the stage, the automatic body takes over to achieve the goal. The vision has to be clear, detailed, meditative in nature, simulating the precise environment of the goal, immersing oneself in it. Details are critical. If it's travel, travel to where? Hawaii? What does that look like? Sunny days? Waves cresting? Lush Greens, what kind of birds? Were there clouds in the sky? What about the sands, are they on your toes?
In 2019, I had a vision, partly from a motorcycle magazine almost 20 years prior. There was a picture of a couple of fellows standing on a glacier in my motorcycle gear. One, I like mountains. Two, I like motorcycles. Three, I wanted to be there, standing on the ice of a glacier. I had that vision already in my minds eye, crystal clear, with the exact motorcycle gear I wear. I decided the time was now. (Key word, decided, we'll get into that word in a future episode). The rest started to flow. Calls to Canada for hotels were entertaining and challenging. International travel arrangements have some interesting nuances. So I defaulted to my values - teams & people with valuable skills to help make things happen. My travel agent plotted out a 4 day course with 400+ mile legs, and arranged the hotels. (Which was also cost effective and allowed me to use my time more effectively). July 2019, I stood on that glacier. 1800 miles to get there, rode through a storm black as night, with flash floods, along the way, as well as some bouts of cold and snow. We just navigated challenges as we went. Along the way, we saw some amazing nature, mountains, lakes, blue sky, and more. Have the detailed vision, then let the automatic self, get you to your goals.
Another example. I've attended motorcycle track days as well as racing schools. We walk through the track, as part of visualization. Entry points, apex points, exit points. The instructors ask us to visualize those, while in class, and out of class, not just on the track. See the exact braking point you're after, the landmarks, the apex point, and where to exit. See/feel/immerse yourself in those moments, down to the blades of grass next to the red/white/red/white curb of the apex. Your brain does not know the difference between simulation and reality, then allow the body to go execute.
Another example. When you first started walking, you probably saw the couch and wanted to get there from the floor. The destination is clear. The body executes, maybe fails some along the way, re-executes, and eventually gets there.
Another example, that can be reapplied to life. Torpedoes and Missiles, once locked on, use failure based feedback to navigate. Am I too far left? Adjust Too far right? Adjust. A little left? Adjust. That ability to navigate was programmed in by us, humans. Based on our own ability to navigate. The destination, however was very clear.
Quality Questions: How can you apply this to your life? Are you taking pause to "be" in the moment? Immersing in a destination you'd like to be there? Letting go, to just execute? And not judging along the way? How can you apply this to your teams?
领英推荐
I invite you to check this book out. It has a number of powerful aspects within it. It's not a read once and set down book. There is homework. Days and days of homework. I just happen to believe I'm worth working on me. :)
ps.. todays photo, which may be a repeat, is that glacier.
Psycho Cybernetics - Maxwell Maltz
*(What I"m listening to) - A heavier cover version of Wanted Dead or Alive - Bon Jovi" by Nazty Habit.
Why? I was riding my Steel Horse (Harley Pan America) the other day and the Bon Jovi tune was running through my head. I was thinking, I wonder if there is a more metal version of it. Sure enough, the internet wins again. A little more of an industrial edge to an oldy but goodie :) It's not for everyone, and that's ok. I'm personally tweaking one of the lines: "I've seen a million challenges, and I've rocked them all." Enjoy.
*(Inspiration)
Maybe you feel stuck. Maybe you're meant for more. If you'd like some clarity in your life, this path has provided insight which worked for me. It's an opportunity to understand your values, why you do what you do, and how to shift from reactive toward empowered & balanced progress in health, wealth, and your personal interactions. You can pay for it in time, or pay down the time tax of ignorance with some $. Is it hard work, hell yeah! You're going to dig into areas of yourself that won't feel good, but you're going to neutralize the emotional hold it has on you that is holding you back. Maybe this is for you, maybe not, and that is Ok. https://demartini.fm/ronbte
*(Bonus Bullets)
I've adapted/upgraded an old phrase:
- "You can pay him now, or pay him a lot more later, but the piper always gets paid" - Ron Vissers
And if you need an assist getting back to the present moment...
- "Love the ******* Moment" - Patrick Mahomes
and
- "It's about maximizing the moment" -- Patrick Mahomes