What will be said at your funeral?

Ever wonder what will be said at your funeral? It's not a topic that I think of often, but it's on my mind today. A friend and close neighbor, Mike DeLeo, died last week from a 7 month battle against stomach cancer. He was only 46 years old, leaving a wife and three kids (junior in high school, 8th grade, and 1st grade). Clearly this was a life taken too early.

I was asked by the family to deliver the eulogy for Mike. I was up until 2:00am this morning trying to distill 46 years of life down to 10 minutes or less. I delivered it earlier today to a couple hundred family members and friends gathered to honor him.

Why do I tell you all this? This blog is about leadership in the real world, and in the real world we have no guarantees to see tomorrow morning. A key leadership competency is decision-making, and the decisions we make today have ramifications down the road.

Most likely someone some day will be trying to boil down your life into 10 minutes or less. What will they say?

My kids and I have been enjoying the Back to the Future trilogy recently. Each movie clearly shows that present decisions influence future reality. Unlike the movie, there are no do-overs for us. Let me use this tragic loss of my friend Mike as a wake up call for you to make decisions today that lead you to the difference you want to make tomorrow.

FYI: Here's what I said about Mike

posted by Andy at 9:30 PM  

Mort Meyerson on the Real Job of Leaders

Fast Company | Everything I Thought I Knew about Leadership Is Wrong

This article goes way back to the 2nd issue of FastCompany, back in 1996. It came to mind recently as I thought of people who have influenced my leadership thinking. Mort Meyerson is certainly one of those people.

His take on our job as leaders?

First: Make sure that the organization knows itself. Embody the values of the organization and focus on relationships.

Second: Surround yourself with great people and an environment where they can succeed. It's more than fostering collaboration and teamwork. We're coaches, not executives.

Third: Be accessible. In an age where face-to-face is becoming more rare, be accessible.

Though the business world is quite different from 1996, Mort's insights still inspire me today. Enjoy.

posted by Andy at 1:09 PM  

Welcome to the Institute's blog for Leadership in the Real World

We know how to spell leadership and we generally recognize it when we see it. Yet trying to wrap it up into a simple little definition or set of characteristics can be a challenge. There are no "5 Easy Steps to Being a Leader" in the real world. Yet our ability to grow and succeed in work and life is often related to our ability to lead.... people, projects, processes.

I love making a living by helping people become more effective leaders. This weblog is an extension of those efforts.

If you currently subscribe to my Horizon Time newsletter, you may find content that starts here and ends up there. Regardless, I invite you to check this blog regularly and engage in the interaction. Together we can help each other grow as leaders.... in the real world.

posted by Andy at 11:26 AM