Week 20.44 Excited By Success

A few months ago, as I was doing my daily questions with Ayse we discussed how many people (me) have a complicated relationship with success. Some fear they won’t have it, some fear they will. Others are afraid of it, and still, others want it too much so that it becomes their sole focus. That led us to consider what Daily Question I could ask that would help me untangle my relationship with success and allow it to be another tool that I can deploy to create the world I want to see. We came up with the question: Did I try my best to be excited by success?

That question has been transformative for me. It has de-coupled the outcome from the process and connected me with an ability to internalize the joy in my work. For the first week, I struggled with “owning” the feeling of being excited by success. I over-intellectualized what the phrase really meant. In short order, I let the old relationship fall away like taking off an old coat and began to hear the question as a prompt, a reminder, a kind of prod to remember that whatever I am doing, I am making a choice to do it because I feel it is worthy of my time. I am engaged for the process and for the destination (even if the destination is a way station, not a terminus.) Excited by Success is a commitment to the process and the destination, a recognition that the journey and the accomplishment are each worthy of being excited by. Thanks to my teachers like Marshall, Srikumar Rao, and Alex Osterwalder, I understand that holding two ideas that are in conflict is not only possible, it is normal. I can be excited by the work and by success and one does not diminish the other. 

As a result of this insight, I am piloting a new podcast called Excited By Success in which I will explore my guests’ relationship with success and what excites them. We recorded with Ayse Birsel, my first guest Wednesday, Nov 4 at 10 am. It is an 18-minute “interview” and then 30 mins of breakout sessions to discuss what you heard and meet some new people. Please feel free to join in for future episodes!

A message from Frances Hesselbein on the occasion of her birthday (last Sunday)

“Your presence, messages, and gifts touched my heart. I was overwhelmed. I couldn’t believe it could happen and it did. It did, and I loved it. I am here at home trying to behave, quietly, and I have beautiful flowers surrounding me. Every moment with you was a precious gift, as were your messages. There is something about being together virtually that is so powerful. I am doing well, and I am, of course, looking forward to being back in the office. All I can see is a bright future. Thank you.”

Today marks the official kick-off of a two-month-long crowdfunding campaign to celebrate significant milestones of the Hesselbein Forum and Frances. Thank you to those who have already made a donation, every dollar counts! Please use this campaign as an opportunity to share Frances’ inspiration and the mission of the Forum with others who have benefitted in some way from Frances and our work. If you know Frances, I know you will donate. If you don't know her yet, I encourage you to learn more about this remarkable woman who is top of the charts of people like Marshall, Alan Mulally, and Dr. Jim Kim and so many others! To donate and learn more about Frances Hesselbein’s living legacy,  Click Here. 

Methods Announces MG Structures for Change: launching November 12

Mark your calendars: Marshall’s newest Methods course on Structures for Change is coming Nov. 12th! This course features in-depth examinations of how the structures we employ for behavioral change can have a huge impact on how successful those behavioral initiatives are. Go to https://methodsof.com

Methods is creating high quality, interactive e-learning videos featuring coaches from the MG100 pool. With an ever-expanding library of content from both new and existing coaches, you’ll always be able to find relevant and exciting content to learn from, so you can take your business or organization to the next level. 

Molly Says It Skillfully

Molly Tschang has been producing her Say it Skillfully videos and has now created a library of amazing thinking. Her latest episode is very current. If you are tired of accepting that our times are “too divisive” for people who disagree to have civil conversations? Here’s how to build a positive connection with someone who disagrees with you. Check it out here.

And, as always, thank you, Marshall, for making all of this possible 

With love and gratitude

Scott