Jon Gordon’s Blog | Developing Positive Leaders, Organizations and Teams

Unity and Great Teamwork

Before I spoke to the Atlanta Falcons during pre-season I had the opportunity to spend some time with Mike Smith, the head football coach. Coach Smith had been on the coaching staff of the Baltimore Ravens when they won the super bowl in 2001 and he has coached other teams since. Knowing he would have a unique perspective on what makes a team, a great team I asked him what he thought was the difference between a great football team that wins the super bowl and an average team that doesn’t.

His answer was one simple word.

UNITY

Unity is the key. Whether we’re talking about a sports team, work team, school team, health care team, church team, or home based business team, it’s essential that we get everyone on the bus and moving in the right direction with a shared vision, focus, purpose and direction. When a team comes together they are able to succeed together.

But if unity is so important then why aren’t more teams more united you might ask? Why are there so few great teams and so many average and dysfunctional teams? The answer is simple. It’s not easy to bring people together. Agendas, egos, politics, power struggles, negativity, energy vampires, poor leadership, mismanagement, complaining, and a lack of vision, focus and purpose all prevent a team from uniting and performing at their highest level.

The bad news is that there are hundreds of negative forces and factors that can sabotage your organization, teamwork, unity and success. The good news is that unified teams show us it is possible to overcome them.

Unity happens when leaders are committed to and engaged in the process of building a united, winning team. It requires focus, time, and energy. Unity occurs when team members care more about the vision, purpose and health of the organization than they do their own personal agenda. Changing the mindset is essential. Unity happens when each person on the team can clearly see how their personal vision and effort contributes to the overall vision and success of the team. This involves meaningful conversations. And Unity results when you weed out the negativity that sabotages far too many organizations.

The great news is that I don’t write this based on theory but rather from experience having witnessed the process of unification in countless organizations. In fact I wish I could share with you all the emails I receive from people who have utilized The Energy Bus to unify their teams. I don’t want to share this with you to impress you, but to show you that there are leaders who are doing what you want to do and teams that have come together like you know you can. I was able to provide a proven tool and plan that works and these leaders and their teams committed themselves to the process. I have heard from CEO’s who have increased their productivity and performance by 30%. I have heard from hospitals who say they can tell which members of their staff are on the bus and who is off the bus. I have heard from principals of schools who said their morale and unity were at an all time high. I’ve received emails from customer service teams that have won company-wide awards for their teamwork, results and positive energy. It’s truly a rewarding feeling to bring people together and best of all it leads to positive results. I wish that for you and your team.

To help you unify your team we now offer a number of resources including past newsletters, articles, books, and recently launched private workshops for your organization.

How do you unify your team? Share your feedback here.

Stay Positive!

-Jon

Dealing with Challenges

Forget Baseball. Lately, the new national pastime has become hurricane watching and with winds gusting faster than a Roger Clemens’ fastball it’s no wonder that they strike fear into the heart of so many people. To make matters worse it seems like every time you turn on the television a hurricane expert is showing the projected path of the storm and it’s headed right for your house. Whether it’s for safety reasons or ratings I can understand why the media would keep us on red alert and I can also understand why it would cause so much stress and fear.

Unfortunately, we are utterly and completely powerless in the face of a 120 mph hurricane that is headed straight for our house, our family, our business, our source of income and our life. As human beings who strive for control we come face to face with the ultimate reality—there is so much in life that is beyond our control.

You see, hurricanes don’t just come in the form of weather patterns, wind and rain. Every day we face hurricanes at work and in life.

A sudden illness. A sick child. A car accident. Divorce. Job loss. Company reorganization. Financial crisis. The death of a loved one. Loss of business, etc.

The winds of life blow. The conditions get worse. Hurricanes come at us from all directions.

So what do we do? Do we give up? Do we live in fear? Do we hide under the covers or do we face the storm?

The answer and my inspiration for writing this comes from a boy named Joshua. As a hurricane was approaching the gulf coast Joshua’s mom was in his room telling him that that she and his dad were getting a divorce. With tears streaming down his face he said, “You know Mom, this is really hard but I’m going to try to be strong and positive and trust it will all work out.”

As she told me this story over the phone, my heart just melted. This boy, whose pain was unbearable, was choosing to stay positive as his world was being torn apart. While his levies of strength were breaking and the pain was flooding in, he was mustering up the courage and faith to reinforce his walls and stay strong in the face of adversity. He didn’t act in denial. He accepted the situation. And he knew he had to deal with it; with courage, with strength, with faith and with positive energy.

I’ve come to realize that, like Joshua, every one of us will come face to face with hurricanes in our life. We will come to the realization that our situation is beyond our control. During these moments we are meant to realize that we can’t do it alone. In our powerlessness we are meant to discover the ultimate power. In our fear we are meant to find our faith. And in our need for control we are meant to find a peace that comes when we surrender. We are meant to stay positive and act like it depends on us and pray like it depends on God.

I don’t know why we have to face hurricanes but people like Joshua and my own heart show me the way to overcome them.

How do you overcome the hurricanes / challenges in your life and work? Share your thoughts here.

Stay Positive!
-Jon | www.JonGordon.com  

Happy Labor Day

Note: I wrote this newsletter as Hurricane Gustov was impacting Cuba and was expected to head to the Gulf. I’m not sure where and when this hurricane will hit but please join me in praying for the people who are in its path.

As I write this I’m getting ready to head to Long Island, NY to speak to a school district on September 2nd. I have a feeling it’s going to be a special trip. Not only because I’m going to connect with passionate, hard working principals and teachers but also because on Monday I’m going to visit the neighborhood and house where I grew up. While I’m there I’m also going to remember and celebrate my Mom who was born on September 3rd and who passed away 2 years ago.

We always celebrated my Mom’s birthday on Labor Day and this year it carries special significance. You see, only now do I realize how hard she worked to provide for her family. When I was a kid most women didn’t work outside the home, but she did. When women didn’t hold sales positions, she did. When women didn’t rise the corporate ladder, she did. Even during the last year of her life she worked 110% to become the top real estate agent in her South Florida office. It’s no wonder why I have always valued and honored hard work. I had a great role model.

So this Labor Day, I want to celebrate all the people who have worked hard to provide us with the lessons and examples of hard work, dedication, and commitment. I also want to honor the 100,000+ people who read this newsletter and who work hard every day to serve, design, create, build, drive, develop, share, sell, teach, lead, educate, heal, type, dig, paint, clean, fly, cook, farm, manufacture, deliver, code, and contribute to each other and the global economy.

And on this day I hope you will also honor yourself and the work you do because one of the most important legacies we will leave others is our attitude and example of how we approach work. Too many people believe their jobs don’t matter and they see their work as insignificant. But if you really think about it, every job matters and no one is insignificant.

Realize that when you order a salad at a restaurant a farmer had to grow the lettuce, someone had to transport the lettuce to the restaurant, where someone washed the lettuce, and someone chopped the lettuce and someone at the restaurant wrote a check to pay for the lettuce and someone made the plate where the lettuce was placed before someone finally brought the salad to your table that was built by someone so you wouldn’t have to eat on the floor.

Every one of us is connected to each other through the jobs we do, the products we create and the services we provide. Labor Day should not be a day just to celebrate the end of summer or enjoy our final day of freedom before heading back to the daily grind but rather it should be a day to honor ourselves and each other for the work we do and the contribution we make. Our children are watching us and our attitude and our example of how we approach work is something we will instill in them forever. Let us leave a legacy through our positive attitude and actions.

I hope you have fun and enjoy your Labor Day!!

Who taught you the value of hard work? How do you approach your job? Why and how does your job matter? Join the conversation here.

Stay Positive!
-Jon | www.JonGordon.com

Too Blessed to Be Stressed

I call it the “Disney Test” and it goes something like this. No matter how much you meditate, breathe, pray and practice emotional mastery the real test of whether you are the master of your emotional domain is how you respond when its 100 degrees in the middle of July and your kids are experiencing a category 5 meltdown in front of Cinderella’s castle. Mickey’s smiling, Goofy’s dancing and your child is standing in the middle of the Magic Kingdom crying like he just saw a ghost in the House of Terror.

I’ve seen Dad’s shake their kids and say, “You’re going to have fun whether you like it or not!!” And, in all honesty, I must admit, I know of all of this from first hand experience.

But now I have a different approach and it works when I remember to use it. It’s called Too Blessed to be Stressed and the reason this simple, powerful saying works so well is because it is physiologically impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time. It’s the way our brains our wired. When we focus on gratitude and blessings we can’t be focusing on the stresses in our life. Instead of flooding our body and brains with stress hormones that age and drain us, we fuel our mind and body with emotions that make us feel great and help us overcome the daily challenges that so often sabotage our joy, success and happiness.

So when the work is piled high on your desk, think about how thankful you are to even have a job while so many are unemployed. When a tropical storm is dropping ten inches of rain on your neighborhood, which happened to me this week, thank God that your house is still standing. And if your house happens be flooded or knocked down then be thankful you’re still alive. When work is driving you crazy think about the fact that you are healthy enough to work. And when busyness and stress starts to impact your performance and interactions with others at work, simply stop, take a deep breath and say I’m too blessed to be stressed. Some might say it’s corny. But those who try it know it makes them a better leader, sales person, customer service provider, team member and parent.

Just as the sun is always shining behind the clouds, there is always something to be thankful for in the midst of a stressful moment. When you remember you are blessed you won’t be stressed. When you’re feeling down and blue remember the words “Thank You”. This will help you not only find joy and peace in the Magic Kingdom but also experience the magic in every day life.

Share your “Too Blessed to Be Stressed” thoughts here.

Stay Positive!

-Jon | www.JonGordon.com  

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Energy Hogs

The numbers don’t lie. Numerous surveys show that 70-80% of employees don’t like their jobs. 42% say they are burned out. Only 15% say they are energized by their jobs. While there are many factors for this, a primary cause is that too many organizations, businesses and workplaces have become Energy Hogs, zapping their employees’ energy instead of Power Generators that fuel them.

If you are wondering where I came up with the term Energy Hog it’s from those “energy efficient” commercials that share ideas on how to save energy and money in your home. Energy Hogs are appliances that can suck the energy out of your home and dollars from your wallet.

I realized that just as a home can act as an Energy Hog or serve as a Power Generator (think solar panels) so could the work place. And in my experience I have found that Power Generators produce happier, more engaged employees who perform at a higher level and deliver superior results while Energy Hogs produce a toxic culture that leads to dysfunction, apathy, disengagement and poor performance.

Therefore, a few questions every leader and manager should ask themselves and their employees, as part of an Energy Audit are: Are we an Energy Hog or a Power Generator? Do we suck the life and energy out of our people or do we encourage, uplift, engage and energize them.

Then the next step, of course, is to take action and become a Power Generator. To accomplish this I believe there are two simple principles leadership, management and employees must follow.

Principle 1 - Positive Leadership and Management
The most significant roles of leadership and management are to create a positive culture, communicate a clear vision and provide a positive work environment where employees can utilize their strengths and energy to contribute to the vision and success of the organization. This will lead to engaged, energized employees who perform at their highest level and who are fueled by their jobs.

Principle 2 - Positive Employees
As leaders and managers work to create an environment that is conducive to success it is then the responsibility of each employee to be positive, share positive energy with their co-workers and customers, and contribute to the overall success of the organization.

If leadership, management and employees apply these principles and focus on the positive and weed out the negative, the result will be a collective group of positive people that fuel each other and ultimately the bottom line.

Is your workplace an Energy Hog or Power Generator? Share the reasons why here. Please don’t share the name of your business.

Stay Positive!
-Jon
www.JonGordon.com
www.NoComplainingRule.com
www.TheEnergyBus.com  

Turn Your Workplace into a Power Generator

The Best of the Best

I had the opportunity this past week to speak to the Atlanta Falcons football team (they all read The Energy Bus) and Fisher Investments (regarded by many as having the best sales team in the financial industry). As I prepared for these talks I thought a lot about what I should say that would benefit them. After all, I would be talking to people who have reached the pinnacle of their industry. What could I say that they haven’t heard before?

I realized that there was nothing new I could say. They have heard it all. We all have. But what I could do was say it in a way that would inspire them towards positive action. My job was to help the best of the best get even better. This inspired a series of thoughts about what makes someone great in their field of work. I realized the best of the best, whether you are a sales person, teacher, athlete, nurse, entrepreneur, etc, share a number of similar characteristics. Here are three. I hope they inspire you to be your best.

1. The best are always striving to get better. When I was speaking in Dallas in June, Zig Ziglar was in the front row and to my surprise he was taking notes. Wow, I thought. Here was one of my heroes, eighty years old, and he’s still learning and growing. Any speaker could have been up there and Zig would have had his note pad and pen ready. How about you? Are you striving to get better? Are you a life long learner?

2. The best do ordinary things better than everyone else. (Chuck Noll). There really isn’t anything new when it comes to success principles. It’s not about doing anything different. It’s about closing the gap that is bigger than the Grand Canyon-the gap between knowing and doing. The best take action. They execute and excel in the small things that create big results. They know that to be the best you must do a hundred simple things 10% better than everyone else.

3. The best stay positive. Every individual and team faces negativity and challenges but the best rebound with positive energy, resilience, hope and faith. The best stay positive and don’t let adversities and obstacles sabotage their individual and team success. The best don’t let naysayers and energy vampires keep them from their goal. The best teams get on the bus together, stay positive and move forward with a shared vision, focus and direction.

Share your thoughts. What qualities do you admire in the best of the best in your industry and work? If you are one of the best, what do you attribute your success to?

Stay Positive!
-Jon
www.JonGordon.com

A Bigger Purpose

I watched Oprah as she told the story of a man who walked away from making millions at Microsoft in order to build libraries and distribute books in developing areas around the world. Other people featured on the show told Oprah similar stories of how they left their jobs to find their purpose. I began to think about all the people I meet around the world who don’t plan on leaving their jobs and yet they are burned out, tired and purpose-less.

In fact, in a recent Harris Interactive poll, 42% of those surveyed said they were burned out. Only 15% were actually energized by their jobs.

I believe these numbers are perpetuated by a misconception that in order to live a life of purpose we have to leave our jobs and go solve world hunger, feed the homeless, move to Africa or start a charity. While these are all noble causes and many are called to do these very things, for many of us our bigger purpose can be found in the here and now, in the jobs we have right under our noses. And when we find and live this purpose it will provide the ultimate fuel for a meaningful life.

We can eat all the avocado, drink all the water and do all the exercise we want but unless we live and work with purpose we’ll never be fully energized. Research shows that people who apply their strengths towards a bigger purpose beyond themselves are happier and more energized.

You may not build libraries around the world but you can find the bigger purpose in reading to your children. You may not feed the homeless every day but you can nourish your employees and customers with a smile, kind word and care. And while you may not start your own non-profit organization you can begin a charity initiative at work. After all, “charity” means “love in action.” You can make a difference every day and touch the lives of everyone you meet. While these people may not be starving because of a lack of food, you can provide them with a different kind of nourishment that will feed their souls and feed your own in the process.

I heard of a janitor who worked at NASA and even though he was sweeping floors he felt his bigger purpose was contributing to put a man on the moon. I met a bus driver who knows his purpose is to help kids stay off drugs. I met a hairstylist who saves lives by taking time to talk about life with each client. I met an administrative assistant who has become the Chief Energy Officer of her company. I know a Popeye’s Chicken employee named Edith in the Atlanta Airport who makes millions of air traveler’s smile each day. The list goes on…

Ordinary people with an extra-ordinary purpose, bigger than themselves.

In any job our purpose waits for us to find it and live it. It’s not the job we have but the energy and purpose we bring to it that matters.

I can’t tell you what your purpose should be but I can tell you that everyone of us can find a bigger purpose in the job we have. I can tell you that we can find the excitement in the mundane, the passion in the every day and the extraordinary in the ordinary. I can tell you that every job, no matter how glorious or boring it may seem, will get mundane if we let it. Purpose keeps it fresh and when we are filled with purpose, we never run out of gas.

Don’t wait until you go to Africa to start living with a mission. Don’t wait until the weekend to feed people who are hungry. Bring your mission to work, start feeding yourself with purpose today and nourish others in the process.

Join the conversation on our blog and share how you will live a bigger purpose.

Stay Positive!
-Jon

The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways

to Deal with Negativity at Work

Order the book, receive free gifts.

Watch No Complaining videos.

Download No Complaining tools.

“Get off the complain train and read this book!” -Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager and The One Minute Entrepreneur

Encouragement

“How do you know if a man needs encouragement? If he is breathing.”
-Truett Cathy, Founder, Chick Fil A Restaurants

With so many people in the world telling us we can’t succeed, we need to hear people telling us we can. I remember my high school English teacher telling me not to apply to Cornell University because they wouldn’t accept me and even if they did I wouldn’t be able to do the work. (It’s funny that I’m a writer now). I almost didn’t apply but a few days later I saw Ivan Foldfarb, a former teacher, in the hallway and asked him about Cornell. He said, “If you get in, then you go. You can do it.” His words made all the difference. I applied, was accepted and majored in Lacrosse :).

Too often we think it’s our role to inject a dose of “reality” into someone’s life. We think it’s our job to protect people from the pain of failure and defeat. We think we must point out how bad the economy is and how horrible the job market is and how the sky is falling. We think that dreams were meant for others but not for people like you and me.

I say there are enough pessimists and “realists” in the world. The world doesn’t need more negativity and impossible thinkers. The world needs more optimists, encouragers, and inspirers. The world needs more people to speak into the hearts of others and say “I believe in you.” “Follow your passion and live your purpose.” “If you have the desire then you also have the power to make it happen.” “Keep working hard.” “You’re improving and getting better. Keep it up.” “The economy is tough but you can still grow your business.” “The job market is not great but I believe you’ll find the right job for you.” “We’ve hit a lot of obstacles but we’ll get the project finished.” “Even if you fail it will lead to something even better.” “You’re learning and growing.”

When it comes to encouragement I know that everyone of us loves working for and with people who bring out the best in ourselves. We love being around people who uplift us and make us feel great. And while we’ll always remember the negative people who told us we couldn’t accomplish something, we will always cherish and hold a special place in our heart for those who encouraged us on the road to success.

Today I want to encourage you to be an encourager. So often the difference between success and failure is belief. And so often that belief is instilled in us by someone who encouraged us. Today decide to be that person who instills a positive belief in someone who needs to hear your encouraging words. Uplift someone who is feeling down. Fuel your team with your positive energy. Rally others to focus on what is possible rather than what seems impossible. Share encouragement. It matters and we all need it.

Join the conversation here on our blog and share how you will encourage others or how others have encouraged you.

Stay Positive!

-Jon

www.JonGordon.com | www.NoComplainingRule.com | www.TheEnergyBus.com

In the News

A few recent news articles featuring The No Complaining Rule: 

Eliminating negativity can change the culture of a business
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

MarketWatch TV
Watch video of Jon discussing The No Complaining Rule on Market Watch, a subsidiary of Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Business Books: Making the workplace a gripe-free zone

Article from Reuters, also featured on Forbes.com and a number of other business sites.

Top 10 Thoughts

I’ve been in Maine with my wife and kids and the experience has inspired a number of ideas and thoughts about business, life and family travel. In last week’s newsletter I included my top 5 thoughts from the trip. Well, after more traveling, bike rides, fishing attempts, sunsets and a few family fights I have 5 more to share with you.

Click here to read 1-5 thoughts in last week’s newsletter.

Here are my next five.

6. There Will Be Ups and Downs - We biked a 6 mile path around Eagle Lake in Acadia National park. The first part of the ride was all uphill which wasn’t easy for my kids, ages 8 and 10. Jade cried because her legs hurt. Cole had to stop several times because he was tired. My wife and I invoked The No Complaining Rule with them but honestly it didn’t work. They kept complaining and crying but to their credit they didn’t give up. We finally reached the top and took a short break before enjoying a nice 5 minute coast downhill. Laughter, smiles and joy filled cheers once again filled the air. However, when we reached the bottom we still had to navigate a series of small hills and challenging climbs before reaching the finish line. The kids were frustrated, exhausted and yet I could tell they felt good about their accomplishment. The ride, I told them, is a lot like life. It’s not going to be easy. To get to the top you have to work hard. There will be many painful moments and ups and downs. But if you are facing an uphill climb you can expect a downhill coast to be in your future. And if you are enjoying a downhill coast also expect more challenging uphill climbs. Life, like a bike ride is a series of ups and downs. The key is to stay positive during the climb, enjoy the ride downhill and always be ready to face new challenges.

7. Don’t Settle - When we arrived at our hotel in Bar Harbor we realized we had clearly chosen the wrong hotel. While on a walk that night we walked into a beautiful hotel right on the harbor. “They won’t have room,” I said. Yes, I was being negative. “Let’s just ask,” my wife responded. Turned out they not only had room, they were able to offer rooms at a lower price then the hotel where we were originally booked. www.TheHarborsidehotel.com was amazing and everyone there was filled with positive energy. I learned to not settle for less, expect more and always ask. We asked and it made all the difference.

8. Fish Where the Fish Are - After my children’s successful fishing experience in Kennebunkport (last weeks newsletter “you catch more fish being positive”) they were determined to fish again in Bar Harbor. But after many failed attempts we learned that there weren’t many fish in Bar Harbor due to the waters being over fished. So we decided to catch crabs instead. I told them you could be the best fisherman in the world and have the best fishing pole but if you are fishing in the wrong place they won’t do you any good. What a great business lesson!

9. Families Fight - Like all families my family fights. My kids fight with each other. My wife and I fight and we fight with our kids. I’ve realized it’s not about whether you fight or not but rather how you fight and whether you are a “real” family. This goes for teams at work too. Real families and real teams at work fight but they have a bond of love and trust that prevents the fighting from destroying the core. They fight, they make up and they move on. In fact, if you are a “real” family and “real” team, conflict often leads to growth. On the other hand, if you don’t have love and trust then fighting and conflict can actually destroy the family and team. Fighting exposes the deeper wounds revealing the lack of love and trust that exists. With fighting, remember that the core of love and trust must be more powerful than the issue causing the fight.

10. Enjoy More Moments - In The Energy Bus I wrote “We act like we are going to live forever, but instead we need to find forever in the timeless moment.” I heard of a study where they asked a group of 95 year olds if they could live their life all over again what they would do differently. The number one thing they said was that they would enjoy more moments. More sunrises and sunsets. Remember to enjoy the moments. It’s all we have. Here’s a moment I had the last day of our trip. Share your moments here on our blog.

Stay Positive!

-Jon