Don't let lemons turn you sour

For years I've carped on my kids about how to deal best with tough situations:

"When life serves you lemons it's time to make lemonade!"

Branding guru Seth Godin has a new twist on this common tale in "The Lesson From Two Lemonade Stands." Given the ever-increasing importance in creating the best possible brand experience for our customers, I thought Seth's story deserves a second look:
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/01/the-lesson-from-two-lemonade-stands.html

Chicago Last in Marathon Olympic Bid

Immediately after news broke that Chicago came in last in voting for the 2016 Olympics my in-box & Facebook filled quickly. Here's my own humble list of "Top 10 Reasons Why Chicago Lost Its Olympics Bid."

1. Arrogance. The Chicago organizers drank too much of the Kool-Aid they continually served.
2. Mayor Daley emphasized in closing remarks that the Olympics would be good for Chicago instead of how Chicago would be good for the Olympics.
3. There was way too much local boosterism on the part of media instead of critical thinking (and commentary) on what was wrong with the Chicago bid.
4. We sent Oprah. Rio sent Pele. 'nuff said ...
5. The IOC is quirky at best. Remember that these people took bribes (from the Salt Lake City committee).
6. When will we understand that most of the world hates us?
7. Chicago organizers pooh-poohed local, VERY VOCAL opposition who didn't want the games here.
8. Reputation matters. An ex-governor is in prison and another one is on the way.
9. Persistence pays. Brazil was rejected three times previously. They earned this one.
10. Oak Street Beach ain't the Copacabana! (Anybody got tickets for beach volleyball?)

Lessons Learned from the Summit

Last week I attended the 2009 Global Leadership Summit at Willow Creek, a big church up in our neck of the woods. This event was a little different than most in that it was designed to appeal to leaders in business, churches and community organizations.

The line-up of speakers was world class -- David Gergen, Bono, Tony Blair, Carly Fiorina, Gary Hamel, Jessica Jackley, Christian innovators, church leaders and Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor of Willow Creek Church. Hybels' opening presentation set a perfect tone for the 2-day experience. (His notes are pictured here ...)

So what I'd learn? Plenty!

• Gary Hamel, author of The Future of Management says the world we live in today "is shaken, not stirred." Five bits of advice from Hamel include "Conquer Denial," "Face Facts," "Question Your Beliefs," "Listen to Renegades" and "Generate More Options."


• Dave Gibbons, founder and lead pastor of New Song Church in Irvine (CA) challenged us to be "Third Culture Leaders" by "Focusing on the Fringe," "Realize that Failure Can Be Success," "Weakness Should Be A Guide," "Relationships Trump Vision" and "Obedience is More Important Than Passion."


• Chip & Dan Heath, brothers and authors of Switch, How to Change Things When Change is Hard, offered several provocative ideas, including: Don't worry about what's not working. Instead, "focus on the bright spots and figure out how to clone them." On growing a business, enterprise or church, the Heaths urged the leaders to "adopt a growth mindset, but be tolerant of failure. Failure may in fact be an early warning sign for success."

It was my good fortune to attend the Summit. I'll be back next year. Let me know if you want to join me.

Building a Durable Brand

I started a relationship with a particular brand on April 24, 1976 when I went with fraternity brothers to a gymnasium on the campus of Appalachin State University in Boone, NC. For the last 33 years I have remained a fan with a loyalty that borders on the evangelistic.

Over time, I've sampled every brand extension. Some stuck; others were just okay. Through it all I've come to admire the brand for what it represents: honesty, passion, fun, social consciousness, family values and community.

The boss of this brand is a charismatic leader. His hard work and attention to detail are legendary. He's been the subject of countless cover stories and books. On occasion, his personal life has been fodder for tabloid journalism but it never seems to sway him from his purpose -- to deliver each and every time the highest value brand experience to his customers.

If you've stayed with me this far -- and perhaps recognized in my photo the most famous Fender Esquire ever -- you've no doubt figured out that the brand I'm talking about is Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. I had the great fortune to join 549 other folks, including family & friends, in "the pit" for Springsteen's recent Chicago show. The pit is the standing room only area in the front of the stage. We didn't just see a show; we were in it, up close and personal. Every one of the "brand attributes" described here was in full force at the United Center on May 12th, providing ample evidence that building a durable brand really does matter.

Random Thoughts

Biz Card Management: When you dig in your pockets after a conference or networking event you'll no doubt find a few new business cards from people you've met. From now on, right after the event be sure to jot a quick note on the card to remind you where and when you met this person. Then in the day or two following send a thank you email to each person. A few days later, use LinkedIn and/or Plaxo to add the new person to your contacts list. In no time you'll find you've built a qualified list.

Get Help: A few years back I joined a business group called The Alternative Board (TAB). I had been running my agency for 6-7 years and felt that things had gone flat. My business had hit a plateau and I needed help.

TAB is built for business owners who need a new boss. A feature of the organization is participation in a local board. My board includes a great facilitator/coach by the name of Denny Coll. There's also half a dozen other entrepreneurs across a range of businesses. We meet monthly to focus on each others business which is a terrific resource for troubled economic times.

Learn from the Best: Warren Buffett is a real busy guy (and has been for the last 40 years managing Berkshire Hathaway). As he approached his 80th birthday he wanted to share his experience, thoughts and beliefs in a biography, but didn't have the time or inclination to write his own book. Instead, like any good manager, he delegated to somebody else.

Alice Schroeder was hand-picked by Buffett to write his authorized biography, "The Snowball." I'm a junkie for biographies and found this one exceptionally entertaining. I needed to hurry up and finish it since I'm attending my first-ever annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway shareholders on May 2nd -- which I'll write about in a future post.