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"What if big ideas don't work? Let's examine the premise. You own a business. That business provides goods and/or services. You try to distinguish those goods and/or services by some means. Your widget is the best, or cheapest, or most coveted because of its uniqueness, or you simply promote your widget with advertising that drowns out the competition. But in a world of near instant commoditization and destructive price promotion, the eventuality is that these approaches wane over time, and so begins the quest for the big idea that you believe is going to save your business. These big ideas typically come in the form of a new campaign tagline or logo, or a new way of talking about an old idea, or they come with a general makeover. Not necessarily lipstick on a pig, but the vast majority of re-branding efforts are simply a new way of looking at the same old thing. Rarely are they grounded in the principles of the organization. Rather, something else that feels all shiny and bright. With time, the veneer rubs off uncovering the fundamental truth that resides beneath. If you are best in class, not much reason to talk about it. Customers know. If you are the lowest price and the best deal there's little need to worry. Customers know. But, if you're truly caught in a competitive environment where the buyer has choice, the knee jerk reaction is to think of something big."
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"Over the next few years, you will experience up to 100 transformative moments every year. 100 moments yearly that may or may not determine the future, but will most certainly reveal your future.
Your future reveals itself only after you choose how you will face every disruption and opportunity that comes your way.
What goes into your choices—your beliefs, unconscious biases, values and emotions—drives every situation as much as any disruption that is thrown at you.
The future is personal."
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"Through my work as a philanthropy advisor, I also had a chance to meet and speak privately with so many men and women from the social sector—social entrepreneurs, nonprofit professionals, young students and volunteers from different walks of life. Not everyone had a lot of money to give away. Many were giving their time, their talents, and a big part of their lives to something that mattered deeply to them, and again I was struck by what I observed. Every time they spoke about their work, regardless of how grim the issues they were addressing—whether it was cancer, global warming, or domestic abuse—and even when what they do for a living barely lets them make a living, they beamed with purpose and radiated with something that I can only call joy."
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"The state of workplaces, not just in the U.S. but all over the world, can only be described as dire. Moreover, there is no evidence that things are getting better over time. What gives? And maybe more importantly for those people worried about companies and their people, is there any hope for a better future?"
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"Emerging research proves, beyond a doubt, that grit is the most accurate predictor of success in achieving life goals. Yet grit is often seen as a rather antiquated, 19th century ideal, equated more with methodical stick-to-itiveness and survival than the secret sauce to success. But the truth is, grit is about sweat, not swagger, character, not charisma. Grit is the result of a hard-fought struggle, a willingness to take risks, a passionate pursuit of one's goals, and the perseverance to continue against all odds.
And the best part of grit is that anyone can develop and nurture it, whether you're eight or eighty-eight. Even Pablo Casals, one of the world's most acclaimed cellists, when asked why at age 93 he still practiced several hours a day, thoughtfully replied, 'I'm beginning to notice some improvement.'"
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