Appendix
Your Moxie Handbook:
Making Moxie Work for You
Individuals with moxie, as we have seen in this book, are those who seek to make a positive difference in their own lives as well as the lives of those around them. Leaders with moxie are those with the courage to be counted, the get-up-and-go to take action, and the desire to get recognition for their teams as well as themselves.
This handbook will provide you with action steps you can apply to make moxie work for you. Part 1 focuses on motivation; part 2 provides motivational advice from the experts I have quoted throughout this book; and part 3 concentrates on actions suggested by the chapters in this book.
Motivation = Desire + Willpower
Part 1: Self-Motivation
Leaders by nature focus on things around them rather than on themselves, which is why mindfulness techniques are useful. There is something else leaders need to do because the organization expects it: they must be motivated, driven to push forward as well as to develop their skills and their talents. Typically, leaders are good at pushing, but sometimes they ignore their own needs, and one of them is maintaining their energy level—physically, mentally, and spiritually.
Here are some suggestions.
To keep your body energized …
- Exercise when possible. I know many executives who go out of their way to keep fit, even when travel and time push against them. If you cannot get to your local gym or personal exercise room, go for a run or practice calisthenics in your hotel room.
- Eat right. All things in moderation, as my physician father used to say. That includes alcohol as well as foods that may be tasty but not as good for us as, say, vegetables or tofu.
To keep your mind energized …
- Visit your employees. Make certain you go to where people work. Adopt their perspective when they approach a job. It will give you a different point of view about how well things are going or not going.
- Keep in touch with customers. These folks are the ones you are in business to serve. Find ways to learn how they use your products and services.
- Know your competition. The urge to compete likely emerges from deep within our genetic code. It’s part of self-preservation. Learn from what your competitors do right as well as what they do poorly.
- Keep up with the literature in your field. This is typically not too difficult because it is always readily available.
- Read for pleasure. This is hard for some, because if you work long hours and read material in your discipline, it can be hard to find time to open a book. Yet many executives do it. Read what you enjoy—fiction, biographies, history, military history. All of these topics stimulate our minds.
- Travel for pleasure. Visit places that are new and different. When we are in new places, we take in sights, sounds, and smells that are unfamiliar. They awaken our senses and keep us alert.
To keep your spirit energized …
- Reflect. Make time to gain perspective on the day. You can do it solo or with a trusted colleague. (See more suggestions in the Mindfulness section in part 3.)
- Meditate. Some leaders like to practice meditation. I have friends who meditate for thirty minutes a day. Others find five quiet moments to sit back and empty their minds of thoughts. It is a way of shutting out the outside world and getting in touch with your inner self.
Part 2: Advice from the Experts
Understand What Makes You Tick
Ryan Lance, CEO, ConocoPhillips
Ryan Lance credits his upbringing with molding him into the individual he is today.
Growing up on a farm with pretty significant role models like my father and grandfather taught me a strong work ethic and pride in my work—kind of a mental toughness. But more importantly, it taught me humility. I like to win, but certainly not at all costs.
I approach business with many of the same lessons from my early life. I want to be part of creating something that brings out the best in others. I want to be known for high ethical standards and a core set of moral values. And I think that gets enhanced and multiplied by a passion and love for what I do.
Build Your Dream
Rich Sheridan, cofounder and CEO, Menlo Innovations and author of Joy, Inc.
Rich Sheridan’s inclination toward entrepreneurship began early.
I loved to make things, whether it was just from scraps of lumber or Lego blocks or erector sets. I think there was that inner engineer in me that delighted not only in building things, but building things that delighted other people. That’s sort of a core of my existence to build things that delight other people, that sort of moment when you’re a kid where maybe your parents looked at something you made and were like, “Wow, that’s amazing. How did you do that?”
The real delight … [was that] I always wanted to work on something for other people, for something maybe bigger than myself over time. And that’s where a lot of the motivation came from.
But there were moments in my career, long moments, where that was not happening, where I was very frustrated, because I felt a barrier between me and those things that I was trying to help bring to the world that would delight people. And that shifted my motivation to better understanding how to create a system for delivering those kind of results over and over again.
Know What You Like to Do
Jim Kouzes, Dean’s Executive Fellow of Leadership, Leavey School of Business at Santa Clara University; coauthor with Barry Posner of more than thirty books and workbooks, including The Leadership Challenge
Lifelong learning has shaped Jim Kouzes’ outlook on life and career.
I love to learn. And I do what I do because I get to learn something new every day. It is really what motivates me to keep doing what I’m doing…. I make a daily habit of reading and learning. I set aside two hours every morning. That’s how I stay current in the field. Learning requires discipline and self-motivation. You have to make the time and space to do it.
Don’t Be Afraid to Take Risks
Donald Altman, MA, LPC, psychotherapist; best-selling author of The Mindfulness Code and One-Minute Mindfulness
Donald Altman, psychotherapist, counsels others to delve into their consciousness. He follows his own advice.
I was willing to move into areas where I was uncomfortable, and that helped me succeed in ways I couldn’t have imagined. And I think that we all need to allow ourselves to evolve and to grow in areas that are not necessarily our strengths. And when we do that it can open up new avenues and new understandings of ourselves that allow us to go past thinking, “Oh, I can’t do that” or “I can’t do this.” [As we say] “Necessity is the mother of invention.” But necessity is also what can help us grow and provide us some of the greatest opportunities in our lives.
Know Your Background
General John Allen, USMC (retired), Commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan (2009–2011) and special deputy for the Middle East for Secretary of State John Kerry
For General John Allen, history is a motivator socially. History is also personal to Allen who together with his wife’s family comes from a tradition totaling over 100 years of service:
History for [Marines] is almost genealogical in a sense. Keeping faith with our traditions, keeping faith with our service, keeping faith with each other as marines, semper fidelis, which is always faithful, is not something that is lightly used or exchanged between marines as a matter of our history…. I also have a pretty substantial sense of my family history, which I try to keep faith with, but also my personal religious faith as well. So all of those things are intrinsic to my doing my duty.
Make Things Happen
Fernando Aguirre, former CEO, Chiquita Brands
Fernando Aguirre believes that if you want to succeed you must try to make things happen. Growing up in Mexico City, he was a star baseball player and played on the winning national teams three times between the ages of twelve and fifteen. His ambitions, however, extended beyond baseball. He wanted to learn English so he could one day study in the United States. Says Aguirre:
What I did at seventeen years old was very adventuresome in those days. You didn’t hear of foreign exchange student that much then. I worked for a year with my grandfather selling cars, or I thought I was selling cars, and I saved and paid the equivalent of $750 to become a foreign exchange student for one year. My parents couldn’t pay for it and I went in one day to my parents and I said, “I’m going to the U.S.” And they said, “No, you’re not because we can’t pay for it.” I said, “I’ve already paid for it.” And they couldn’t believe it. And I put my 750 bucks in and bought my year of being abroad, and it probably was the best decision I’ve ever made in my life.
Conquer Your Fears
Adam Grant, professor of management, University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and author of Give and Take
Adam Grant was a competitive diver in his youth. It was not easy because Grant was afraid of heights, and the idea of standing at the edge of a tall platform made him nervous. But he persevered, even advancing to the U.S. Olympic trials one year. He also faced another fear in his post-diving life. Fears do not dissipate by themselves. It requires practice and often the expertise of coaches and mentors, which Grant credits with helping him become a better diver and eventually an accomplished public speaker:
As somebody who is afraid of heights and afraid of public speaking leaping off a thirty-three-foot, nine-inch platform to hit the water at thirty-five miles an hour was a lot scarier and overcoming that was great preparation for getting more comfortable on stage.
Doug Conant, former CEO of Campbell’s Soup and best-selling author of TouchPoints
Often, you can motivate yourself by looking at how you can be of assistance to others This approach is one that Doug Conant draws upon.
I have found that what keeps me in the game all the time is bringing forward a “How can I help?” attitude to every engagement and to every issue. And that leads me to a place where I’m trying to be very mindful of what’s going on so I can find a way to add value to the situation.
Never Stop Believing in Yourself
Jim Haudan, CEO, Root, Inc.; author of The Art of Engagement
Jim Haudan believes deeply that leaders must commit to their work as well as their people. The key words are faith, fire, and focus.
FAITH … Faith in my ability to excel, to contribute, to be a champion. A champion is someone who believes in themselves when no one else does. FAITH is also the deep belief that the only one that could keep me off the field is me … and the only one who could get me on the field is me.
FIRE is passion … that intangible ingredient that trumps all else. If life was a game of rock, paper, and scissors … passion is the wild card. Passion wins over skill. It beats out better ideas, and it outruns commonly accepted stopping points. Passion has no accepted boundaries.
FOCUS is the relentless preparation, the flawless success routines, and to the exclusion of all else … envisioning only the successful outcome.
Because limits like fears are often Illusions … FAITH … FIRE … and FOCUS are the “Illusion Busters.”1
See the Future As a Possibility
Mark Goulston, MD, founder Heartfelt Leadership and author of Just Listen and Get Out of Your Own Way at Work
Mark Goulston is a keen observer and as such his powers of observation coupled with his deep perception provide him with insights from which others draw wisdom.
I think what motivates me is being able to see the “hidden-in-plain-sight” elephant in the room that stands in the way of progress and at the other end is the gateway to breakthrough opportunity and success. When I work with people I seem to be able to listen and describe a future and a personal brand that they love of the idea of living. The proof that you have arrived at such a potential vision is that they break eye contact with you, look up at the ceiling to ponder what you and they are talking about, then they look back at you with a smile and say, “Do you really think that’s possible? Could I really do and be that?” The fact that it really floats their boat is not a bad start.
Cherish Your Family
Chester Elton, the “Apostle of Appreciation” and coauthor with Adrian Gostick of The Carrot Principle, The Orange Revolution, and All In
Chester Elton believes strongly in family. His own is closely knit and from it he draws comfort and strength.
I think when you’ve got a family and kids, you’re very motivated to pay your mortgage. But it’s really interesting. The way I’ve always done it is I’ve always looked at how grateful I was to be where I was, how lucky I was to be where I was, and that there were so many people who would trade places with me. To never take it for granted and to always make sure that I represented not only the company that I worked for well, but that I represented my family and my family name. Those were always great motivators for me, to really be grateful but to understand that I didn’t get here just by luck. That there were a lot of people who contributed to my success and I have great motivation to never let those people down. So I always want to give my best every day.
The good leaders I’ve found take the great principles that build good teams at work and help [their employees] build good families at home. It really does help. It’s so funny. We’ve got all these great principles to create all these great teams at work and then these guys go home and their families are completely dysfunctional. I say, “You idiot. Take what you have learned at work and apply it at home! And what you learn at home bring it to work!
Part 3: Action Steps
Mindfulness—being aware of the world around you
- Take stock of your situation every day. Ask yourself what is happening, as well as what is not happening.
- Look for ways to teach others to be mindful of the way they interact with colleagues. Setting the right example is the best way to teach.
- Find ways to exercise patience. Remember, patience is an act of control. You cannot control the situation, but you can control how you react to it.
- Make time to enjoy something simple every day: your morning coffee, your daily exercise, or your walk to a favorite spot. Savor the moment.
Opportunity—seeing potential where others see only problems
- Look for challenges facing your team. Ask yourself what it will take to address them.
- Examine the obstacles. Are they real or imagined? Can you overcome them with the right resources?
- Ask yourself what ventures are worth pursuing and why. Stretching too far may overextend your team.
- Consider the talent on your team. Do you have the right people in the right places to succeed? If not, do you need to provide further training and development opportunities?
- Be realistic. Every obstacle does not need to be overcome. Sometimes it is best to walk away. Husband your resources for future challenges.
X factor—demonstrating the “right stuff of leadership”
- Character is fundamental to leadership. Is the example you set rooted in integrity?
- How are you channeling ambition? For yourself or for your team?
- Creativity is essential to thinking differently. Are you providing yourself the right stimuli to keep your creative flame lit?
- How are you demonstrating resilience? Resourceful leaders do not give up right away. They persevere. And while they cannot succeed all of the time, the way they battle adversity radiates their character.
- Are you finding ways to insist on integrity in your team? Strong organizations practice their values in such a way that they make it almost hard for employees to make a wrong ethical choice. This does not mean they are perfect; it means that they practice their values so that people are rewarded for doing what is right rather than what is expedient.
Innovation—thinking and doing differently
- Teams that innovate must do so in an environment where ideas are wanted.
- Consider the obstacles that are hindering innovation in your team. Obstacles could be resources, time, or even management. What can you do to overcome such obstacles?
- Artists in Venice’s famed Murano glassblowing district are invited to “think in glass.” Consider how you are applying that idea to your team. Are you encouraging them to think new and differently?2
- Are you enabling people to apply lessons from the past (even the very recent past) to solve problems that are vexing your team right now?
- How are you building a culture of innovation? That is, are you making it safe for people to fail—as long as they fail the “right way.” This means people are trying new things that complement—and do not hinder—what the organization is trying to accomplish.
Engagement—viewing others as contributors and collaborators
- As a leader, you can’t accomplish much of anything alone. You need the talents and skills of others.
- Consider how you treat your teammates. Are they people with whom you want to work, or people with whom you have to work? How can you change the dynamic?
- How do you let people know that you regard them as contributors? Do you recognize their work or do you ignore it until something goes wrong?
- Consider what collaboration means. To be successful, collaborators often combine their ideas to create something that is greater than the sum of its parts. This involves a sacrifice in pride of authorship perhaps. What kind of a contributor are you? What can you do differently?
- What steps are you taking to encourage collaboration? Are you setting the right example yourself? That is, are you asking people to do what you are not willing to do?