Cheryl A. Bachelder's Blog, page 9
September 29, 2015
Go Big Or Go Home
When you search the web for an image representing a big idea, you get a lot of pictures of light bulbs. Why is that? Was the light bulb the last big idea? Is it the only symbol of transformative technology? What is it about the light bulb that makes it the perfect image for the big idea?
My conclusion is this: the big idea energizes the people and the enterprise. Without energy, people flounder or even slide backwards. The big idea provides the inspiring and motivating idea for the team to pu...
September 22, 2015
Boldly Prepared
Have you heard about the extreme sport called expedition mountaineering? It is one of the most dangerous activities you can do – attempting to reach the summits of mountains like Mt. Rainier in Washington or Mt. Everest in the Himalayas.
Most extreme sports are done alone, like cliff diving and BASE jumping. But this one is done in a group. And as such, the expedition mountaineering team must train and prepare for the climb, with intense conditioning of the body and diligent study to understa...
September 15, 2015
Dare to Grow
I’ve enjoyed the recent news coverage about Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon. Jeff Bezos has proposed that one day soon our packages will be delivered to our doors by Prime Air drones. This vision has been called audacious. Many critics have implied this idea is laughable. Yet at Amazon, there is a whole team of people working to make this vision real.
As I think about leaders that stand out from the rest, whether in history or in business, every one of them led the people towards a highly aspiratio...
September 8, 2015
Ambition or Aspiration
In our family, words are a constant source of debate. “When you said that you hated the Caesar salad, what did you mean by that?” Really? Do we need to discuss this? But the conversation will continue: “Did you really mean hate, or did you dislike one of the elements of the salad?” “Would it be a better to say you prefer a salad without anchovies? Hate seems like a strong word for a salad.”
I must admit that these word debates are problematic for me. I use words with less precision than other...
September 1, 2015
Achievement: A Mask of Power?
There is a book series for children 8-12 years of age called Skylanders Universe: The Mask of Power. It is a conventional storyline of good versus evil. The good guys are called Skylanders. The bad guys, called Spell Punks, create a mask of power that uses fire, water, technology and more to bring chaos and harm to people. When the mask is destroyed, the good guys return to rule.
Power used for good. Power used for evil. A typical storyline in real-life leadership, too.
But what about achieve...
August 25, 2015
The Purpose of Power
A few years ago, I was with a group of Popeyes assistant restaurant managers and I asked them, “what happens when one of your friends gets promoted to restaurant manager? Does anything change?”
Laughter. Of course it does!
“They become ‘the boss.’ It’s different.”
“Suddenly act like they own the place.”
“Some act like they’re better than us.”
Why does getting promoted to leadership change our behavior? You know what I mean… Hands on hips. Stern faces. Louder voice. Wearing power on the sleeve...
August 18, 2015
Imagine the Impact of your Work
Last Friday I had the privilege of speaking with a team of leaders – my favorite thing to do.
The owner of a local landscaping company asked me to talk with his team about leadership. Eighteen of us gathered in my living room and, over pizza lunch, we talked about the topic. I opened the conversation by thanking the team for the amazing landscaping work they had done in my yard last summer.
About a year ago, my husband and I decided we wanted to build a fire pit and seating area in our backya...
August 11, 2015
Living Up To Your Expectations
Dick Lynch is the Global Brand Leader at Popeyes. He tells this remarkable story about his first job out of college:
“I had always dreamed of a career in advertising, but could only scrape up enough money to attend a small, rather undistinguished Midwestern college. When I graduated with a business degree, Madison Avenue wasn’t beating down my door. I’m a resourceful guy, so I took a job delivering Snap-On Tools trucks to various destinations around the US, in order to interview at ad agencie...
August 4, 2015
Mere Grasshoppers
When you ask someone – what is the opposite of humility? – the answers come quickly.
Arrogance. Egotism. Pride. Superiority. Haughtiness.
But when you ask someone – what is humility? – the answers come much more slowly.
Meekness. Quietness. Modesty?
So what does humility mean at work? And what would it look like if you saw it?
At Popeyes, I give an award at our monthly company meetings called The Grasshopper Award. I developed this award when I realized that many people in our organization we...
July 28, 2015
Your Piece of the Puzzle
Anyone working on a jigsaw puzzle this summer? Have you ever worked for hours and hours on a jigsaw puzzle – only to find one piece missing? The frustration of not being able to complete the masterpiece intensifies. The satisfaction and joy of seeing the complete picture evaporates. We walk away disappointed and annoyed.
Similarly, work teams are like complex jigsaw puzzles. Everyone on the team has a part to play – and the task often cannot be completed without the contribution of each perso...
