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Newsletters
Ghost written speech (spec)
Good afternoon, everyone. It is my sincere hope that you are enjoying yourselves. We have tried to focus our efforts on providing you an opportunity to meet with colleagues today, away from the pressures and distractions of the office, and in the spirit of collaboration and appreciation, to establish connections we all share that may not come to light in a typical work setting or even be supported on the job. I encourage you all to speak with the planning committee and let them know whether or not you liked today’s venue and agenda and also share any ideas for similar events in the future.
In this room today are the brightest and most innovative minds and hearts of our industry and profession. Something I am very proud of and humbled by. Brad Paisley, when winning entertainer of the year from the Country Music Association, shared a quote from Little Jimmy Dickens- “If you see a turtle on a fence post, you know he had help getting there”. I am a turtle on a fence post and from here I see fence posts in need of turtles as far the eye can see. It is my desire to see many of you sitting up here with me. And that is what I want to speak about today- positioning yourself at the post hole and getting a boost up to the top.
The actual title of this speech is The Genie Ain’t Going Back into the Bottle-some ideas about thriving in the changing economy. Although turtles have been my illustrative, go- to up to this point, I’m not sure what would be an easy segue to genies from turtles, so I am going to just make the leap and invite you along with me.
You may be wondering, also, what is my investment in your doing well?
Career/work life is dramatically changed from what our parents experienced or for that matter, even from our own entries into the job market. Post World War II, the goal was to get an education, get a job at a large, stable company with a program for advancement, and comfortably retire. Places like General Electric, Kodak, General Motors, AT&T. Forty –one years in and out the same door every day. This all began to change in the mid-eighties with globalization, increased competition, computers and networks. New technologies and economic realities- the decanted genie- are shaping today’s careers. The how, as well as, where we make a living. Tom Peters writes that in the next ten years most jobs will be redefined, reconceived, and reinvented beyond recognition. Making radical reinvention of yourself a necessity for job security. Job security that is built on craft, distinction, and networking skills. You’ll need to be meticulously good and responsible at doing work that needs to be done. You’ll need to be self-reliant and networked. How to do this? It will look a little different for each and every one of us. However, two personal development ideas, self -branding and Leading Without a Title, I believe will illuminate the path for you. Success at the personal level-and here is my investment- ultimately can lead to organizational renewal and success.
What is self- branding and Leading Without a Title?
By definition, self- branding, is the process by which we market ourselves to others, intentionally or not. It is our perceived value. It is, partly the cover of the book we are judged by. Ideally, one’s self-image should equal other people’s perceptions of who we are and what we stand for.
A brand is a promise. Every interaction with the brand will be reliable, consistent and familiar. I say “Martha Stewart” and you think… what? (Wait for audience response) Precisely. She herself has said she realizes she is no longer a person, but a brand. And that brand is nearly indestructible. Remember where she spent half the year in 2004?
Brand development is a process. Malcolm Gladwell, in Blink, asserts that people make decisions about each other in the amount of time it takes to blink-literally in the blink of an eye. Some of this we have no control over. They may be attributing to us qualities of people they know who we remind them of…when this connection is positive, it works in our favor; negative-not so much. The good news is there are opportunities to define and redefine us daily.
Start with asking yourself: Who am I? Who am I not? What am I? What do I stand for? How do I stand out? What are my passions? What do I value? Ask others to answer these questions about you. Practice turning negatives into positives. What am I doing right now consistent with building my brand?
From here move on to honing your personal mission statement: A purpose driven, values packed statement personifying your reason for being.
Then identify your skills, attributes and talents.
Cultivate your network. Social equity is as valuable, if not more valuable, than monetary equity. Who you know can prepare the stage for demonstrating what you know.
Package yourself. Use calling cards, social media- like blogs, websites, LinkedIn, and the like.
Sell what you have to offer. Work at clearly and concisely conveying the benefits of you and your product or service and don’t forget to ask for what you want.
Remind yourself brand you is you incorporated, you matter and what you do -your work- matters.
Robin Sharma author of Leading Without a Title reminds us that along with work being hugely changed so is leadership. He states “The old way of leading is dead. The global economy has now transformed. We have just entered what I call The Decade of Leadership. Leadership has become democratized. We now work and live in a world where leadership isn't just something executives do. It's something everyone needs to do—for their organizations to survive, in this period of dramatic change.” I don’t know about you, but I want to do more than survive. I want to thrive, evolve, and grow.
I’d like to share with you his 9 smart moves you can make today to become a game-changer and create exceptional results:
1. Remember That You Need No Title to be a Leader. Leadership has less to do with the size of your title than the depth of your commitment. Leadership isn't really about authority. It's about a choice you can make to do your best work each and every day, regardless of where you are planted.
2. Shift from Victimhood to Leadership. No great career, business or life was ever created on a platform of excuses. Too many people play victim at work. They blame the boss or the economy or the competition or the weather for their less than mediocre results. Leaders Without a Title are different. They get that they have power. The power to see opportunity amid crises. That's the power to drive positive change. That's the power to encourage everyone on your team.
3. Innovate or Stagnate. To Lead Without a Title is to leave everything you touch better than you found it. Mediocrity happens when people refuse to change and improve all that they do. The best leaders and the best enterprises have a hunger to improve. It's such a deep part of their culture they know of no other way to be.
4. Become a Value Creator versus a Clock Watcher. Success comes from the value you add rather than from the busyness you show. What's the point of being really busy around the wrong things? (Remember, in branding yourself-do work that matters.) Leadership is a game of focus. Focusing on fewer but smarter activities, the ones that create real value for your teammates, customers and the world at large.
5. Put People First. "The business of business is people" said Southwest Airlines founder Herb Kelleher. We have a ton of technology yet less and less humanity. Yet let's remember that people do business with people they like, trust and respect. So, build your team. Meet your customers. Deepen human connections. Treat others with respect. And put people first.
6. Remember that Tough Times Build Strong Leaders. Hunt for opportunity amid every adversity. Every setback has the seeds of an opportunity. Refuse to give up when faced with difficulty.
7. Go to Your Limits. Each day at work, do the things you know you must do but are scared to do. That's how you grow, build your leadership capability and access more of the leader within you. Staying in your comfort zone is just an illusion that bankrupts too many businesses and breaks too many human beings.
8. Lead Yourself First. How can you lead other people if you haven't first done what it takes to lead yourself? Get to know your values. Think through what you want your life to stand for. (This is your mission statement) Become physically, mentally and emotionally strong. And have a remarkably good relationship with your family. What's the point of becoming super successful yet being alone?
9. Give Back a Legacy. Success is good. Significance is even better. Sure, profit and peer recognition and doing great work is mission critical. But even more important than that is what you give – and all you leave behind.
Will Marre, self-described as an Emmy award winning writer, speaker and expert on what 21st century leaders and companies are doing that no one else is, reminds us that “we live in a time of astonishing turmoil. The world’s economy is confusing, and no one is sure what will happen next. But when you take control of your own future and help others do the same, you can live an extraordinary life.
Start by thinking of yourself as self-employed, even if your paycheck is signed by someone else. The only job security we really have is the security of our own ability, vision and will. What makes us valued economically is who we are, our character, and what we know, our competence.” In other words, our brand.
I hope I have inspired you today to renew and embrace your commitment to yourself, your work, your family and community. It is also my hope that you have some new tools and ideas to inspire and guide you. I know this is a lot of information and I also know it is just the tip of the iceberg, so in the fashion of Oprah, Rosie, and Ellen (all great brands, by the way) each of you will go home with your own copy of Robin Sharma’s book, The Leader Who Had No Title.
I’d like to leave you with an image and a question. 212 the extra degree, is an organization that uses the imagery of water as a powerful tool. They state “At 211 degrees, water is hot.
At 212 degrees, it boils.
And with boiling water, comes steam.
And with steam, you can power a train.
One extra degree makes all the difference...
Theirs is an inspiring message with a singular focus on effort, the most important aspect of life and work. Its purpose is to create a level of awareness and accountability that inspires and challenges all of us to try harder, give more and, ultimately, enjoy more. As an individual, you can embrace the 212 mindset in everything you do... at work, at home and in your community. As a leader, 212 is a fresh, succinct way to capture attention and inspire people to new levels of effort.
Own your power. You have the power to be excellent, to inspire everyone who intersects your path, to innovate, to make things better than ever before, and to stand for the best.
Will you?
Communication to the students about Epic Academy’s smoking, alcohol and drug policies. Ghost written for the Dean of Students.
Greetings Students,
As I am sure you are all aware, Rosemary Hall was damaged when a fire occurred on its third floor. The cause of the fire is being investigated and the party or parties found responsible will be punished in accordance with the law and the recommendations of disciplinary board at Epic. In the meantime, the students who are now without a dorm will be housed in other dorms on campus. We will be tripling roommates in Avila and Hawthorne. Seniors who have access to transportation will be given the option of living off campus with alumni families in the area, and we are also having temporary structures brought on to the grounds for additional showers, restrooms, and quiet areas. Your understanding and cooperation with these temporary changes is greatly appreciated by your fellow students and the faculty and staff.
It has been brought to my attention there are a number of rumors circulating as the cause of the fire. I would like to take this opportunity to remind you of the policies of Epic Academy regarding smoking, alcohol and drugs. The complete policy is attached but essentially, there is zero tolerance on campus for the use and/or abuse of any of these substances. Furthermore, I remind you, as you are all minors, your use of alcohol and drugs is not only a school policy violation, but also carries legal ramifications. These policies are in place to protect you and your fellow students. Your education in the classroom and your safety on campus is of the utmost importance everyone involved with Epic Academy. Your presence here is not by happenstance. Each and every one of you was chosen for your intellect and character. You are being educated and supported in your journey toward responsible, productive and savvy members of your communities.
If you have any concerns or information about the fire, the policies, or life on campus please know that you can come and speak to me at any time. I have an open-door policy.
Again, thank you in advance for your earnest efforts in the rebuilding phase of the campus go as smoothly as possible.
Press Releases
Rosemary Hall Damaged in fire on May 2, 2010
May 3, 2011/Woodstock, CT
Yesterday’s fire on campus in Rosemary Hall began in one of the third-floor rooms. Firewalls in the dormitory contained the fire to one room. The quick and excellent response of the local fire department and the academy’s personnel ensured the safety of students, faculty and staff. There was never any concern of the fire spreading to other structures on the campus. Rosemary Hall was constructed in the late 1970’s and was one of the oldest buildings on campus. Due to its age, it did not have an adequate sprinkler system and so the building sustained heavy water and smoke damage from yesterday's fire. The dormitory will be rebuilt to current fire and construction codes, including a state-of-the-art sprinkler system.
The cause of the fire is still being investigated. Authorities and school administration are questioning three students and necessary legal and disciplinary steps will be taken at the conclusion of the official investigation.
The students displaced by the damage will be housed in temporary housing on campus until the new dormitory is ready. As you can imagine this has been difficult and frightening for the students affected most directly by the fire as well as their parents, families, campus staff, personnel, and faculty. We remind the media there is a legal investigation ongoing and request the privacy of our students and their families be observed following this unfortunate event. Security on campus has been
School officials have contacted the families of all students and have made counseling and support available to anyone who feels they would benefit from it.
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Website Articles
Fire Damages Rosemary Hall
May 3, 2010/ Woodstock, CT
Rosemary Hall sustained heavy water damage yesterday when the local fire department extinguished a suspicious late afternoon fire in Rosemary Hall.
No students were in the building at the time of the incident. The fire was contained to a single room and the authorities were notified by the building’s alarm system.
The cause of the fire is unknown at this time but is under investigation. An eyewitness reported seeing three students fleeing the dorm, prior to the alarms sounding. The three male students have been identified and are being dealt with by the authorities and the campus administration. An investigation is ongoing.
Thirty students have been displaced by the damage and will be accommodated on campus until the repairs and renovations are completed.
If you have further information about yesterday’s fire or questions and concerns, please contact the office of the dean.
Emails and other communiques written for others
email from dean of faculty
To: Epic Academy faculty and staff
From: Dean Potter
As you know we have had some excitement on campus this week. The fire in Rosemary Hall has caused us as a community to re-configure (literally) and reassess our safety standards and policies.
Several of you have contacted my office inquiring about the construction and safety of your campus living quarters. Let me assure you, Rosemary Hall was the only campus structure that did not have the most recently updated sprinkler/alarm system. The fire safety features that were in place-firewalls and alarms worked exactly as they were intended. All remaining buildings on the grounds are equipped with state-of-the-art firewalls, alarm systems including smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide detectors. The system we have is wired to notify facilities management on campus and the local fire department when activated. The new dorm when it is completed will have this same system. All buildings will be tested and maintained to ensure proper functioning on a quarterly basis.
Your safety and the safety of those you love is extremely important to Epic and we have devoted a great deal of research and investment in keeping you safe and healthy.
As you know we have several local counselors and support people available on campus to offer attention to anyone wishing for these services with regard to the fire. I have asked these professionals to be available to meet with you and the students at your monthly dorm meetings. (A list of counselor names and dorm meeting assignments is attached.)
I am asking you to have a mandatory meeting in your dorms tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. First period classes will be cancelled so that all faculty and students can be in attendance. The agenda for this meeting is to discuss the fire and its implications. Please share with the students the facts of the fire, the plan for reconstruction of Rosemary Hall and the housing of the displaced students (this information is included in an email to follow). Remind them there is an investigation into the cause of the fire and disciplinary and perhaps legal action will be taken with those found responsible. This is also a good time to review with students and proctors, Epic’s rules regarding smoking, drugs, and alcohol use on campus as well as expectations for class attendance. Reiterate violations of school policy regarding student safety will not be tolerated and consequences will be handed out for any violations.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please speak with me or my office directly.
Thank you for the important work you do.
In appreciation,
B. Potter
Dean of faculty
NY Times op/ed piece
Ah, spring time in New England. The distractions, the hormones, the sunshine and warm air, the greening of the grass and the trees and most importantly the disappearance of the snow. It has been argued that spring fever is a remnant of our evolutionary ancestry. This fever is a subconscious, instinctive condition releasing pent up energies subdued by the long, dark winter. In New England, we are reluctant experts on the isolating, soul crushing effects of winter and the resulting “fever” accompanying the thaw. As a school administrator, this seasonal condition is at the root of many late night, desperate phone calls from parents who have just received word their child may not graduate unless grades come up or has just received detention for some infraction. Poor decisions made by members of the student body are rampant. Some people would claim this is a debilitating condition, worthy of quarantine.
The seasons are often seen as metaphor for life. There are many cycles within a human life. If and how this pattern continues after we are gone from this plane remains to be seen. Youth is analogous to the spring of a lifetime. Summer, the time of young adulthood with the slow march into middle-aged years. Retirement follows, the autumn of one’s existence. Closing with winter’s time of death and dying. Continuing this analogy, one of the primary energies associated with spring is growth. It is a time of planting and growing gardens; a time of great energies bursting forth, reproduction…in education the spring also marks the end of one’s studies either for the summer break or for graduation. This, of course, makes some prone to another common disease of the calendar-senioritis.
I am the headmaster at Epic academy, a well-known, private, co-ed academic institution located in VT. We recently have been in the news-not for the excellence of the faculty, the championship season our boys' and girls' teams achieved in basketball and Nordic programs, not for the record number of students being accepted to top universities to continue their education. No, we were in the news because of a fire in one of our dormitories on campus. A fire accidentally begun when three seniors were skipping class one glorious afternoon in May. As a community we were lucky that no one was injured or killed. By contrast there is a school district near us in Vermont where each spring there is a least one fatality, due to either drunk driving or horseplay involving a graduating member of the senior class. So, yes, in comparison, the Epic Academy community was lucky. The monetary cost, although substantial, was insignificant compared to the loss of a life. The parents of these young men did not romanticize their off-springs' actions to spring fever, the folly of youth or senioritis and neither did the authorities or school administration. It is my sincere hope and belief the boys who were responsible for the blaze have had the lesson of a lifetime.
There has been a great deal of discussion in the media and the community about the foibles of youth and the compounding of this weakness with the immunities granted by wealth and privilege. Attendance at Epic comes with a price. Tuition is costly by most standards. However, we have a significant endowment and are able to offer an education without equal to a number of young people and their families who otherwise would have to forgo such an opportunity. The persistent message that is given to each student at our school is they are all wealthy and privileged regardless of financial means- otherwise they would not be there. Their wealth is not measured monetarily, but by an abundance of character, intellect, creativity and compassion. These rich and substantial resources are tended to, nurtured and cultivated so that they can be the very best humans they are capable of being. Furthermore, it is a privilege to be in a position to use their talents, brains, and resources to serve the larger community and each other. With wealth and privilege comes responsibility. To be an alum at our school requires broad shoulders and solid roots in order to be able to abide the high expectations and accountability sown during their educations and persisting after their graduation from Epic Academy.
As a school administrator, I have spent a good deal of my professional life, attempting to inoculate students against the co-ocurring conditions of spring fever and senioritis. The innate message at Epic, is one that encourages students to consider the farther-reaching implications of their actions for themselves, their families, their contemporaries, and their communities.
Creative Nonfiction
A Pantheist’s Guide
to Fishing
Often when people learn I’m an avid
angler, their reaction is “Really? You?”.
Fishing, for me, is spiritual. The
artifacts of my religion are manifest:
The wood lining the shores populated generously of birch, pine, and
alder, a congregation; the water lilies,
their distinctive fragrance emanating from their blissful, upturned
faces, incense; the bird songs, mixing stellar sopranos and resonate altos, a choir;
The firmament, blue and wide, the cathedral;
the shadows in the woods and reflections on the surface of the water, stained
glass; the casting out and reeling in of the line and lure, ritual; the distant
hum of the cicadae, the wing beats of a dragonfly, the solitary croak of a
bullfrog, a liturgical melody. And the water, with its requirement to be read
and its commandment about where to go and how to proceed, a holy tome.
I have Ten Commandments for fishing
that align with my beliefs. Number One:
No live bait. This has curtailed my ice
fishing and spring trout fishing. I don’t know if the world is richer with a
few more shiners and worms in it, but it sure made a difference for those few I
didn’t use for bait. Also, it seems rather absurd to use worms for bait when I
often relocate worms off a sidewalk and back to the soil after a rain. Number
Two: Bend back all barbs on the hooks. This gives a wriggling fish a chance at
escape and makes hook removal an easier task.
This includes hook removal from one’s own person or the flesh of an
angling companion. Number Three: Do not use treble hooks. Same reasoning as
rule Number Two. Number Four: Do not handle any fish with dry hands and use
pliers to remove the hook as quickly as possible. If your hands are wet the
fish’s slime coat will not be disturbed and the fish is less likely to incur an
injury or infection. Using pliers to
remove the hook while the fish is still in the water is the best scenario
because for a fish, breathing air is suffocation. Number Five: Catch and
Release. Catch, in this sense, is
loosely defined as having a fish on the line and seeing what it is before it
happily, by its own maneuvering, is able to shake free of the lure. This I have dubbed “The Quick Release”. Number
Six: Faith Healing. Sometimes, despite
all the precautions I take, a fish will be hooked badly. He may bleed or get hooked in the side or in
the eye. Removal of the hook results in injury.
Ichthyologists theorize that fish have a limited ability to sense pain. Since
fish share at least 75% of the same genes with humans, I am not willing to
believe this, hook, line, and sinker. Also, in my own field studies, I have
concluded that a fish hook piercing any flesh is painful as hell. When I hook a
fish and manually remove it, I use Reiki on that fish. Reiki is a form of “laying on of hands”. It is channeling life energy to promote
healing and well being. Number Seven: Prayer. When I release the fish I usually
say a prayer for it and a statement of gratitude for having the opportunity to
interact with it. Number Eight: Take a fishing hiatus. When a catch is been particularly injurious
with copious amounts of blood, a lure is lost in a fish, or one in a maimed
(think eyeball), I will stop for a while.
Number Nine: Help any creature who is struggling if you can. I often
slow down and lift a moth or some other insect from the surface of the water
and place it on my boat and give it an opportunity to dry off and fly away.
This is something I struggle with sometimes (much like clearing the worms from
the sidewalk). The struggle arises from my
inner conflict between my desire to “let nature take its course” versus my
impulse to intervene. As I’ve said, most likely, these small actions will not
change the course of history, although I hope they add to the energy of
compassion and kindness in the universe. Number ten: Remove anything that is a
hazard to animals and wildlife. This
means I often return to shore with a boat full of cans, fishing line, plastic
bags, plastic six pack rings and a host of other items.
These are the guidelines, as major
domo, that I acquiesce to in order to practice my pan-fishing pantheism.