Week 22.46 Arcs Of Light

As the days get shorter the light gets longer, coming more from the side than above here in New York. There is a certain beauty to the light as it slices down the streets, through the trees, into the river. Though not nearly as warming, it stays golden longer and is somewhat more appreciated for its scarcity. As a photographer, I am acutely aware of the quality of light, its color, and the angle at which it reaches the subject. The light right now is my favorite; it has the warm glow of the low light on the horizon, there are fewer shadows on faces, and the shadows that exist are more dramatic. As summer becomes winter passing through fall, I find this particular light to be remarkable, signaling the passing of another year with golden highlights.

The low curving nature of the light also reminds me that by analogy, our lives are also arcs of light. The beginning of our arc begins at birth, a light born from the light of our parents, one of their gifts to the world. We begin our upward trajectory, amplified by siblings and the people around us as we grow up. As children, our light is simple and pure, and it becomes richer and more complex as we add the illumination of others to our own lights and as we add our light to theirs. Thus, the process of growing up is the exercise of combining one’s light with others and then creating greater, stronger light together. Some lights will stay with us forever, others will influence us in a moment. Collectively they make us who we are.?

As we get older, perhaps we have children, setting new arcs of light into motion. In this we create a new kind of light that does more than simply influence us - we influence them to a much greater degree. And yet, from their moment of birth, children have their own unique light and unique path. We might try to bend it, influence it, or contain it, but in the end, each light finds its own arc. If we are lucky, we can join our light with our children’s light from time to time, constantly aware that they are independent beams with their own paths to travel.

I am influenced by Ayse Birsel's new book, Design The Long Life You Love. While we often think that the families we are raised in and the children we raise define so much of our lives, more and more, I am finding that the people I work and play with are even more defining. Our chosen families are really what define us. The arc of their lights amplifies the arc of ours and we each shine brighter. I have found that we have tremendous power to define our lives and our impact on others through the people we choose to be, celebrate, support, experience, care, share, support, and raise.?

At the 100 Coaches Agency, we talk a lot about how we work with exceptional executives and pair them with elite coaches so they will be even more successful. In life and leadership, we should do this with every relationship. Connect with people who support the arc of your light to shine brighter and for whom you can help shine brighter. My daughter Lily has done this remarkably well, attracting mentors, professors, designers, investors, and other resources because she shines so bright. As we move from a world in which we prioritize transactions to one in which we understand the importance of relationships, the people we associate with define the arc of your light.

Dump Your Misconceptions of Aging! by Deborah Heiser, PhD

Whether we connect with an individual, our community, or the greater world, we can realize we have skills, values, talents, and expertise that matter to others. Our lives take on a deeper meaning, and the joy we experience is far greater than the material joy we feel when we buy a new handbag or shoes.?This is a lasting joy that allows us to realize that we matter, that our footprint on the world makes a difference, and that the world is a better place because of our impact.?We aren't going through life checking off boxes or spending time with people who don't really matter to us. Instead, we are fully engaged in what we enjoy and with whom we enjoy life.?And, most important, everyone can experience this.?This developmental stage is not reserved for professionals, for the "elite." From a grandma to a four-star general, anyone can expect to experience this increased emotional awareness with age that has the side effect of happiness.?You can find this article and more about The Right Side of 40 on Psychology Today

CEOs Have Lost Touch with Frontline Workers by Bill George

When I was the CEO of Medtronic, I established a 30/30/30/10 target for my time — 30% with customers, 30% with frontline employees, 30% with executives, and 10% with external constituencies. That made me an outlier. According to an in-depth time study by Harvard Business School professors Michael Porter and Nitin Nohria, CEOs spend, on average, just 6% of their time with frontline teams, only 3% with customers, and 72% in meetings. “CEOs face a real risk of operating in a bubble and never seeing the actual world their workers face,” the authors note. “Spending time with the rank and file, and with savvy external frontline constituencies, is…an indispensable way to gain reliable information on what is really going on in the company and in the industry.”

Two-plus years of coping with Covid-19 has shown how essential frontline workers are to a functioning economy. But many executives have not yet absorbed that lesson. In my experience, frontline workers are making the greatest difference in terms of customer satisfaction, innovation, product quality, and service excellence. Yet they’re commonly treated as a cost to be managed rather than an asset to empower and support. Instead of building on this asset, managers cut costs by reducing the number of frontline workers with layoffs or through outsourcing and automation, as employers shift production overseas. That strategy backfired for many restaurants and retailers over the past two years, as Covid, stimulus payments, and a tight labor market left businesses understaffed. Companies can benefit through improved employee engagement, reduced turnover, and increased customer satisfaction — which in turn will power revenue growth and higher levels of profit. Too many of my peers in the C-suite still don’t recognize this. Despite the examples I’ve cited, not enough executives have realized the importance of frontline workers and their potential to transform businesses. My challenge to them is simple: Get out of your office and spend more time on the front lines.

With love and gratitude and wonder, Scott