Tag: excellence

Five A Day Blogger Explosion

To Serve, To Strive, and not To Yield
To Serve, To Strive, and not To Yield

In March 2009, just ten short months ago, I made a promise – a 100-day challenge.

Have you ever made important promises, big promises, promises that you could almost taste the life-changing benefits?

Some call it dreaming big dreams.  Walt Disney, one of my heroes, was like that. But Walt Disney also had something different.

He had drive. And Walt Disney did what he set out to do. And Walt turned a deaf ear to the multitudes who called him crazy.

Walt Disney did things others said were impossible. When I set out to write five daily blogs for 100 days, not even I could imagine what it’s turned into.

Here we are, not 50 blog posts later, not 100, not 500 blog posts later, not 1,000 either, but over 1,500 blog posts – in ten short months.

It is quite literally a Five-A-Day Blogger explosion.

PS.  Who would you rather listen to:

  1. A big-time dreamer?
  2. A big-time dreamer and a big-time doer?

Audacious, antagonistic, insightful, servant.

A Brand Called You

Icons Help Shape A Brand
Icons Help Shape A Brand

Who needs me to draw a map?

No seriously, I hope you’re getting this.  Hey, everyone is busy. You don’t think I know that?  Come on, I get it.

But do others get it?  There is never going to be a time when you will have time. It hurts to hear this, doesn’t it?

So now is the time.  And this is the place for simple, daily reflections on excellence. It has to be a daily habit, or it will never be excellent.

You can be very good, without a daily habit, but not excellent.

My whole point last week, spontaneously inspired by a ten-minute walk outside that Dallas hotel, was what Tom Peters calls: “A Brand Called You”. Others call it ,  “Me Inc”.

Don’t believe me?  Then click here to read an August 2007 Fast Company article from Tom Peters entitled, A Brand Called You.

Leaders Focus On Culture

Of the things a leader can spend time doing, maintaining, growing and reinforcing corporate culture should be on the short list of critical success factors.

Can you imagine trying to be world-class with an average corporate culture?

Can you imagine a team of highly energized, focused, and driven professionals in an average corporate culture?

What would happen if a great organization took it’s corporate culture for granted?

What would happen to a good (not great) organization that elevated it’s corporate culture?

The other day, I went outside my Hotel for a breath of fresh air. During a ten minute break to take a walk, I shot a half dozen “one-take-You Tube videos”.

Most of them were about culture.  You can observe a lot by watching:

Maybe you are all set with your corporate culture. Maybe you have a great personal culture for you and your family. You do focus these business applications to your personal life, right?

jungle jeff Daily Reflections on Excellence

jungle jeff Daily Reflections on Excellence.  Created the tag line, Daily Reflections on Excellence, a long time ago. It just felt right.

And of course, the term, jungle jeff, goes all the way back to January 1982, when I was a seasonal Walt Disney World Cast Member, and Jungle Cruise Skipper.

Had a college degree and was wearing a straw hat, polyester costume, plus I carried a microphone and a real gun.

And, get this, being able to work for Disney, a world-class organization, founded on excellence, it all seemed to speak to my dual approach to life.  Crazy and serious.

So the two seemed a natural fit.  And that’s why I use jungle jeff Daily Reflections on Excellence all these years later.

There are milestones in your life, just like everyone else.  The question is, it seems, is there significant value in perpetuating their memory?

I’d love to hear your story.  Comment here or email [email protected] Carpe diem.

Trophy Value

Last night as my wife and I celebrated our 25th anniversary with our great company, it really hit me.  I mean, it seriously hit me.  And it really comes as no surprise.  However, because of it’s simplicity, it is rampantly commonly overlooked.

Great companies are founded and grow for one simple reason: They want to make a difference in the lives of others.

Plus, great companies reward loyalty with valuable trophies. Trophy value is a priceless, intangible reminder that an employee’s longevity is an integral part of being world-class.

Say what you want, but nothing changes the fact that there is an unstoppable force when people are led with passion and are committed to make a difference.

And then it occurred to me this morning, that’s why I write five daily blogs.  I mean, who does that?

Does this mean I get another trophy?