Think Huge by Mark Arnold

The Power of Reading

I had the opportunity this past weekend to attend the National Speakers Association's Mid-Winter workshop. While I learned many tips about the art of speaking one of my biggest takeaways had to do with reading.

During one session I happened to be at the same table as Brian Tracy. For those that don't know, Tracy is a legend in the speaking community (one of the true pioneers, like Zig Ziglar). As a keynote speaker and seminar leader, Tracy addresses more than 250,000 people each year. He has also written over 45 books. The session we attended together happened to be about writing and publishing. Tracy made a passing comment that stunned me: he reads three hours per day. Think about that: do you spend three hours doing any one thing? Tracy directly links his personal and professional success to the amount of time he reads. So how many hours a day do you spend reading?

In another session, Brendon Burchard, founder of Experts Academy and author of The Millionaire Messenger,  talked about the power of social media and specifically video. But again, it was one of his passing comments (not major points) that hit me between the eyes. Burchard has read one book per week for 15 years straight. I’m not sure I’ve done any one thing every week for 15 consecutive years. But again, Burchard directly links his personal and professional success to his avid reading.

We all want to be experts. Experts on our jobs. Experts at home. Experts in our roles as parents, spouses, siblings, workers, etc. But all experts are students first. As students, we should never stop learning.

So how much are you reading these days?

Think Huge!

Reading Biographies

“A book can change a life.”
—Bryan Dodge

One of the major tenants of thinking huge is think learning. In fact, if you’re not reading you’re not growing. But what do you read? While there is nothing wrong with a good page turner, motivational books and business books should be a steady part of your reading diet.

Another genre I would recommend is biographies. Sound boring? That’s what I thought until I started reading a few. I was wrong—biographies are actually a great type of book to read and they offer tons of insight. I’m currently reading the Steve Jobs biography. The information I’m learning are just as good as any business book I’ve read this year.

“The most successful people in history have either written books about themselves or have had books written about them,” says Sean McDonald, president of Your Full Potential. “Reading about how others have achieved great things will inspire and motivate you. Why reinvent the wheel? Read about what other successful people have done and o the same things.”

Here are a few suggestions (some specific, some generic) on biographies you should consider:

• Steve Jobs—It’s on the New York Times bestseller list for a reason. I’m about a third of the way through it and I highly recommend it. Jobs obviously is a fascinating character. The book holds nothing back: it shows the good, bad and ugly of his volatile personality. Whether you are an Apple devotee or think Apple is an evil empire, there are tons you can learn by reading more about Jobs.
• Carly Fiorina—This book (Tough Choices: A Memoir) is another interesting read about a unique business personality. The former CEO of Hewlett-Packard shares her rise to the top and subsequent fall. She also gives keen insight on what it is like to be a female in a male dominated industry.
• Presidential Biographies—It doesn’t matter whether you lean left or right politically, the prior presidents make a solid read. Current possibilities include Decision Points (George Bush) My Life (Bill Clinton). Historical biographies (those of dead presidents) aren’t boring: they are engaging. There is lots we can learn from Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt (both of them), Kennedy and Reagan.
• Disney War—While it’s not a biography on a person, Disney War offers details on a fantastic company: Walt Disney. The book gives many details (both good and bad) about Michael Eisner and his management style. It’s a bit long but it provides in-depth coverage during one of Disney’s most trying times.
• Subject Specific Biographies—Think about your hobbies and what interests you. Then read about people who’ve done some cool stuff in this area, For example, I love to run so I’ve read about Dean Kanazes. If you love to cook, check out Paula Dean’s story (it’s fascinating). No matter what interests you or what your hobbies are pick up a book about someone in that area.

Life is about people. So part of your reading life should include reading about people.

Think Huge!

Summer Adventure Begins in a Book

 

Summer is officially here. You can tell that the season has arrived with higher temperatures and fewer school zones. Yes, summer is here: the kids are home (or at camp) and maybe the family is taking its yearly trek somewhere in the U.S.

You can also tell its summer because many local schools have the following words displayed on their marquee: “Schools Out. Enjoy Your Summer.” As our family was driving to dinner recently, we noticed one school had a different sign. It said:

“Summer Adventure Begins in a Book. Read.”

Now that is well said! Having adventures is fun (and important as a family). But you don’t have to go anywhere to have an adventure. You can simply read. The summer is an ideal time to catch up on your personal and professional reading.

When was the last time you read a business book? How many business books do you read in a quarter? According to Bryan Dodge, CEOs on average read four business books per week. You don’t have to read that many books—but his point illustrates that successful people read. My personal goal is to read at least one business book per month. Some of my recent favorites include The Referral Engine, Crush It, and Everyone Communicates Few Connect.

On a personal level, what books are you reading? If you just stick to the vampire or spy novels you are limiting yourself. I often fell into the trap of reading just one type of genre for pleasure. Now I’m trying to diversify my personal reading with classics, biographies, histories and some riveting non-fiction. If you haven’t already, check out my post about Unbroken.

Summer is a wonderful time to unwind, deplug from work, reconnect with the family, head to the beach and hike a mountain. But summer is also an ideal time to read because a book can help you professionally and personally.

Think Huge!

Don't Stop Graduating

 

Cue the music….you know it….“Pomp and Circumstance.” May and June means graduation for many young people. Three are tons of ceremonies this time of year: graduation from college; graduation from high school; and yes, even graduation from kindergarten.

If you haven’t already, during the next few weeks you might sit through a few boring speeches, listen to valedictorians use big words and maybe go to a party or two. Graduation is a combination of happiness and sadness for families.

But do we ever stop graduating? I hope not.

Most graduation ceremonies mark four year time periods (okay, for many college kids now it’s more like five; true confession: it took me 4 ½ years!). So what have you done with the last four years of your life? Are you the same today as you were back in 2007 or are you a better person? Where have you progressed? What have you learned in the last four years? If you were giving a commencement address on how you’ve spent the last four years, what would you say?

These are questions upon which you should reflect.

But graduating is not just about the past—it’s about the future. So what do you want the next four years of your life to say? What do you want to accomplish personally and professionally? Is there a special trip you want to take? Is there a particular job you want to have? Is there an anniversary you want to celebrate?

As graduates are embarking on new chapters of their lives, now is a great time to reflect on your life as well. It’s never too late to graduate to the next stage of your personal or professional life.

Think Huge!

Every Day is Training Day

My wife gave me a t-shirt for my birthday that says, “Every Day is Training Day.” I love it not just for the way it feels but for what it says. There is a lot to that saying for an avid runner. But the quote applies both professionally and personally. If you treat every day as a training day you are thinking huge.

Training for an event like a marathon, triathlon or ultra-marathon takes tons of time. In fact you are exercising pretty much six days a week. In theory even your “off” day is training because your body is recovering and preparing for your next training run.

 

Think professionally. No matter what you do (salesperson, stay at home mom, executive, accountant, etc.) you need practice. You don’t just magically turn into a great (insert your profession here _____________) overnight. It takes time to become the best professional you can be. We often try to rush success. That is a mistake. Look at every opportunity as a learning opportunity. Whether you are new to your field or a seasoned veteran you can improve your performance every day. But improvement won’t happen unless you see every day as a way to get better. If you see every day as a training day.

Think personally. No matter what you are currently involved in (exercise, sports, hobby, kids, family, etc.) you need practice as well. Yes even parenting needs practicing (that’s probably why we have two kids—we needed more work at parenting!). Here’s an example from our family: teaching our oldest daughter to drive. Learning to drive doesn’t just happen overnight. It takes time to learn all those skills. It has taken numerous practice (training) sessions for her to get this driving thing down. And it will take time for you to get (insert your personal goal here ________________). Attaining your personal goals doesn’t just happen overnight as well. And becoming better in certain areas of your life won’t happen unless you see every day as a way to get better. If you see every day as a training day.


Think Huge!

Reading = Growing

When I was in college, we frequently had media giants and political big wigs address us in the communications department. Bill Moyers was one of them. He was extremely successful throughout his life, serving as press secretary for President Lyndon B. Johnson and working for CBS News, NBC News and PBS.

During that class, I asked Mr. Moyers how he became so successful. He said, “I am always reading and I always carry a book with me no matter where I am or what I’m doing.” That answer has stuck with me my entire life.

If you’re not reading, you’re not growing. That seems like a strong statement, but study after study has proven it to be true. Reading impacts your income and your health.

A National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) study showed a direct link between non-reading and poverty. According to the report, poor adults were less likely than non-poor adults to read books, newspapers or magazines.

NHS Choices, a comprehensive health information service in England, once reported that reading helps people cope with stress and anxiety. It provides them a form of relaxation and an outlet to escape. The report indicates that reading is also a great brain tool that helps people of all ages learn and develop life skills.

If you want to grow into a better person or a better career position, start reading more. I’m not talking about romance novels or spy mysteries. I’m talking about non-fiction, business, or biographical books. How many of those have you read this year? In an AP-Ipsos poll, one in four people admitted to reading zero books in a year. The typical reader claimed to read four books per year. Many people say they just don’t have time to read.

My personal goal it to read one book per month (although I don’t always reach that goal). In my office, I require all employees who report to me to read two or three books per year. Some of them struggle with this, but they all find the time. Here are some ways you can incorporate more reading into your daily life:

• Always carry a book with you. When you have a meeting that has been delayed, or when you’re waiting for something like a doctor appointment or your kid to come out of school, pull out the book and read it.
• Listen to audio books in the car or on your MP3 player when you are exercising.
• Read a book on the treadmill or elliptical.
• Form a book club at the office, or have every employee in your department read the same book, a chapter at a time, and dedicate time in each staff meeting to talking about that chapter.
• Schedule time to read, just like you schedule time to watch your favorite TV shows.

Successful people are usually readers. If you read 15 minutes per day for five years, you will have read between 50 and 75 books. That’s a small time commitment for the success that will follow.

 Think Huge!

New Take on Frenemy

Do you have friends? Do you have enemies? Do you have frenemies? I wasn’t all that familiar with the term “frenemy” until I started writing this post. According to Wikipedia (yes, I’m using that as a source!), a frenemy is "friend and enemy which can refer to either an enemy disguised as a friend or to a partner who is simultaneously a competitor and rival.” Urbandictionary.com defines frenemy as “an enemy disguised as a friend.”

Basically people are combining the words “friend” and “enemy” and assuming “frenemy” is some type of two-faced negative.

 

What if we were to combine those words into a positive instead? In other words, what if “frenemy” referred to someone who was such a friend they shared things with you from an enemies’ perspective?

 

We all have weaknesses—I sure have my share. And all too often we only want to hear the good things about ourselves. But a true friend (or in this case a frenemy—sometimes called friendemy) lets you know about your blind spots.

 

Are there people in your life you can contact that will give you honest feedback about yourself? Even if you don’t want to hear it? One of the think huge principles is “think learning.” That means learning about yourself: the good, the bad and the ugly. One of the best ways to learn about yourself is to ask others for feedback.

 

Here’s a recent example a colleague shared with me. One of his friends had just been fired from his job as a CEO of a financial institution. The fired friend had run into trouble with the financial institution’s board of directors. My colleague shared with his friend that he was pretty gruff and sometimes rough around the edges. While his friend was knowledgeable and often right on the issues he was not a natural relationship builder. My colleague let him know that to be a successful CEO you have to have strong people skills. That was a hard conversation to have. However, this “frenemy” shared something that needed to shared. As a result, this friend is now aware of a former blind spot/weakness and is improving it.

 

Let’s be honest: it is hard to change. Especially when it comes to how we are wired individually. But do you want to be the same person tomorrow or next year as you are today? Or do you want to be better?

 

If you choose to be better then you might need to choose a “frenemy” who will help you become that better person.

 

 

 

Think Huge!

Wooden Thought Huge

Legendary coach John Wooden passed away last week. Many former players talked a great deal about the impact he had their lives.

In fact, Kareem Abdul Jabbar said, "It's kind of hard to talk about Coach Wooden simply, because he was a complex man. But he taught in a very simple way. He just used sports as a means to teach us how to apply ourselves to any situation. He set quite an example. He was more like a parent than a coach. He really was a very selfless and giving human being, but he was a disciplinarian. We learned all about those aspects of life that most kids want to skip over. He wouldn't let us do that."

Coach Wooden is famous for his numerous NCAA basketball titles. He was also known for developing his Pyramid of Success.

A few years ago I read his book Wooden on Leadership. One of the quotes had such an impact on me I use it in my speech Think Huge: Elevating Your Life and Your Business. He said, “A leader who is through learning is through. You must never become satisfied with your ability or level of knowledge.”

You can see some of Wooden’s comments about leadership here:

 

 

 

If you are a leader, you probably know a lot.  But be very careful—that knowledge could lead to arrogance. When attending a conference or training session, you may know a great deal about the topic being covered. However, if you have a “know-it-all” attitude you won’t learn anything. And as Wooden indicates, a true leader is always learning.

We often talk about what we did or what we accomplished in a particular week. While that’s important another question to ask yourself (or your employees or kids) is “what did you learn this week?”  If you can’t answer that question then perhaps you aren’t the leader you think you are.

Think Huge!

The Tests, Then The Lessons

 
  
As I mentioned in my Mark Arnold blog, a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend a leadership summit sponsored by CUNA Mutual. One of the speakers was Mark Piland, FEMA Task Force Leader (Virginia Task Force 2). While working for FEMA, Piland has extensive experience working with multiple disaster situations, including 9/11, Katrina and the Haiti earthquake. Both former president George W. Bush and current President Barrack Obama have personally recognized Piland’s efforts.

Piland made a presentation on “The Tests, then The Lessons.” In essence he said that often the tests come first and then we have to learn the lessons. As he was talking, I thought much of what he said applied to Think Huge.

“There will be tests in your professional and personal life” Piland said. “Everything is preparation.”

He mentioned four tests (and then four lessons) that will help when things hit the fan:

(1)    Training

“Is training a top priority in your organization,” Piland asked as the first test. He cited several organizations that obviously have good training: Chick-Fil-A, Nordstrom and Southwest Airlines. “Training should be a top priority in your organization.”

A key think huge principle is think learning. The more learning you have in your personal life and your business life the more prepared you will be when life “tests” hit. What type of learning base do you have?

(2)    Preparation

“Is your organization in a solid state of readiness and are you prepared,” Piland asked as the second test. The lesson he took from this question was operational readiness.

Think huge takes preparation. You can’t accomplish huge things in your professional or personal life without preparation. For example, when my brother and I attempted to summit Mt. Whitney we had to train for that adventure. What are you preparing for? Is it something that is a huge adventure you want to do personally or professionally?

(3)    People

“Does your organization hire or promote special people,” Piland said was the third test. He talked about how hiring was the most important decision you make. “There are no badges for bozos,” he joked. “You can’t fly with eagles if you are hanging out with ducks.” He added that, “some people know the cost of something but the value of nothing.”

Think huge means think people. Are you valuing the people in your life? Both those you work with and those you live with? People always come before tasks.

(4)    Leadership

“Are you ready to lead,” Piland asked as the last test. His lesson was that leadership is a full contact sport and that leadership is your choice. “There is a leadership crisis today; people are choosing to opt-out of leadership.” He mentioned that we all have comfort zones and true leaders will move beyond their level of comfortably.

Think huge is about stretching yourself, which is a sign of leadership. A great think huge question to ask yourself is, “Would you follow you?”

Piland certainly challenged me and I learned a great deal from his presentation. He is absolutely correct that tests will come in our lives and we must learn valuable lessons from those tests.

Think Huge!

Discomfort is a Function of Growth

“You will either step forward into growth, or you will step back into safety.”

—Abraham Maslow

To think huge—and certainly to think learning—you must grow professionally and personally. Some of that growth could be uncomfortable, but discomfort is a function of growth. It is human nature to do what is easiest. But if you are thinking huge, you gravitate to that which is hardest.

It is so easy to get stuck in a rut. I know I’m guilty of doing that: just going through life and doing the same things. The same things at work. The same things at home. Instead of going through life comfortable, allow yourself to be pushed and challenged. That’s hard but it’s a necessity. Some of the best coaches and mentors you’ve probably had in your life are ones that pushed you the most. We all need to be challenged from time to time. That’s a good thing.

Laurie Hayes, founder of The HBB Source (a company that helps home-based business owners), noted in an online article, “One of the biggest obstacles to succeeding in business or achieving what you want in life is setting the bar too low. Most people don't like feeling uncomfortable and as soon as they're required to step it up a notch, self-doubt creeps in, turns into fear and they back away.

“In order to reach your goals, there must be discomfort, otherwise you will just stay where you've always been. When you come up with a new, big idea, it will not be in harmony with your existing way of thinking and will create a conflict in your internal vibration.”

Hayes is right—we should push ourselves beyond what we think we can do. That means growing in areas that might make us uncomfortable. You can check out Hayes’ work on her website.

So what are going to do this year that is uncomfortable for you personally or professionally? Let me give you two examples, one from work and one from home. Each year I do one “Think Huge” experience with each of my daughters. This year, my oldest daughter and are going to go zip lining. You know, the thing where you hang from a rope hundreds of feet above the ground and slide from point to point. I can guarantee you that will stretch both of us! Will we be uncomfortable? Sure, but we’re going to stretch ourselves anyway.

On the business front, I’m taking a more active approach with how I spend my lunch time. Because I’m so task oriented and try to  do so much each day I tend to eat at my desk and work through lunch. While I might cross off an extra “To Do” item I’m not getting up from my desk, getting out and taking time for something more important than tasks: people. So I’m stretching myself by setting up more lunches with colleagues and friends. Not just meeting someone to talk about an agenda, but truly spending time and getting to know each other (by the way, if you’re ever in the Dallas area and want to go to lunch or meet for coffee, e-mail me and let’s arrange a time to get together).

What about you? What things will you do professionally and personally to get away from your comfort zone this year?

Think Huge!