MBA syndrome

Disney Concierge team in the 1990's — Disney’s Grand Floridian Concierge Team in the 1990’s. Even 8-10 years into my Disney salaried leadership career, an MBA felt like a legit credential. These days though, i know text-book theories can’t hold a candle to actually running a profitable business.

Actual email exchange today:

Me: Why do you think an MBA is what’s missing? The people who sell MBA’s work hard to exploit insecurities. Discover your insecurities and then pretend you want to slay them as much as an Olympian wants to be on the podium

Them: You’re right on about the sell job advice from the MBA folks. $$$$$$ As for insecurities, I’ve been thinking about your question over lunch… there are definitely ones coming to mind already which create some false assumptions about an MBA’s potential to “patch” insecurity. Conquer them head on with focus!

Me: Your first sentence is encouraging because you didn’t try to defend the industry. Your second is vital because you have signaled to me – and more critically to yourself – that you see the pervasive patch syndrome. The last thing i wanna do is discourage anyone from their plans…and at the same time the last thing i wanna do is see someone blindly follow the herd without looking at the vitality and vibrancy of the herd. It also works in reverse when people leave organizations to start their entrepreneurial lifestyle – most don’t make it. The romanticizing hype always covers its tracks about the vitality and vibrancy of its success rate.

.think .differently

CEO of You, Inc. (embrace it)

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It’s not a priority sounds like this

Thank you note — Wrote this two days ago and tucked it under Chapin’s blanket so he’d see it before falling asleep.

‘It’s not a priority”, sounds like the following whether we say these two things or not…

i don’t have time.
i can’t afford it.

When something is a priority, we figure out a solution. If we don’t figure out a solution, it’s not a priority.

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You are never tested and tempted to make excuses

group meeting expectations list — The list of flaws is long…this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Being on the road reminds me of how important habits are.

You are never tested and tempted to make excuses like you are when you travel – everything about your routine is out of synch.

You’re living in a hotel room.

No kitchen, no car (probably), travel fatigue, weather changes, limited to resources that fit in your travel bag(s), etc.

The interesting thing as i observe people and organizations as a profession is that habits drive everything we do.

We have the power to change habits, but we almost always make excuses for why we can’t change.

To which a brilliant piece of wisdom emerges automatically:

Can’t and won’t are not synonymous.

i can’t change.

i won’t change.

Those two are not the same.

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This website is about our WORK. To ponder today’s post about our HQ, click here.

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Notes to myself

inspiring sayings — Upper left hand-written note: Over-estimate short-term, under-estimate long term.

Notes to myself…

We over-estimate the short run and under-estimate the long run.

The long way is the short-cut.

Simply decide to begin and go slowly.

Your progress over time will astound you.

And if you don’t begin, your lack of progress will bury you.

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This website is about our WORK. To ponder today’s post about our HQ, click here.

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Turn the great money down, it’s not worth it

Barber shop near Disney — Yesterday, waiting for a haircut. Vince Lombardi’s photo made me think.

Vince Lombardi photo — Paraphrased: “Gentlemen, **we will chase perfection** and in doing so we’ll catch excellence.”

In my business, i steer clear of desperate organizations, even when they are willing to pay a premium.

Why?

Because it’s just not worth it.

And by the way, it’s very tempting – for about five seconds.

Weirdly, the same feeling is seeping into my personal life.

Friends, Family – some of them are digging themselves into a hole so deep, i don’t have a clue how to help them.

My focus is listed on my business cards…

“Speeches and Advising for organizations that want to change the world.”

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This website is about our WORK. To ponder today’s post about our HQ, click here.

If you want to stay on this site and read more posts from this Blog, click here.