LIFE AFTER WORKAHOLISM

“There are two things to aim at in life: first, to get what you want; and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.”  -Logan Pearsall Smith (1865 – 1946) British essayist and critic

“For workaholics, all the eggs of self-esteem are in the basket of work.” 
- Judith M. Bardwick (b. 1933) U.S. management consultant

During a recent conversation over coffee, a seasoned private-sector senior executive (I'll refer to her as "Doris") shared with me an all-too-common observation.
DORIS: "Cris, I've been at this game a while, working my way up, putting in the hours, and now I'm nearly at the top..."
CRIS: "...I hear hesitation in your voice."
DORIS: "Now don't get me wrong--I've done all right. Nice house. Two great kids in college, last one she'll be graduating high school next spring..."
CRIS: "...But?"
DORIS: "But I'm still putting in those long hours. I swore after my eldest son, Greg, graduated high school that I'd attend more of my middle child, William's games...but there were always deadlines, projects, fires to put out. Now, even when I make it to Sarah's gymnastics competitions, I'm fielding phone calls, texts, responding to status update emails. And she knows I'm not really paying attention. Oh, I want to."
CRIS: "Doris, you could put the smartphone away while you're at the competition."
DORIS: "No, you don't understand--our Division President, Mary, sends email requests throughout the evening, sometimes until 10, 11 o'clock.  And throughout the weekend. I'm expected to respond--and if I don't respond quickly enough, she'll call to ensure I've received her email!"
CRIS: "The technology hasn't made us more efficient as the 'experts' predicted decades ago...
DORIS: "...it's only made us more accessible around the clock."
CRIS: "I don't believe you contacted me to wallow in regret about the unchangeable past."
DORIS: "No, of course not. As I told you in my email, I have to restore some balance to my life before I burn out--and more importantly, before my children marry, have their own children--my grandchildren--and move on without my having strengthened the bonds of our family."
CRIS: "Doris, it's clear to me that you've defined a higher purpose for your future. I know that you've navigated many challenging projects throughout your career. Are you committed to conquering the challenges you will face as you detach from a culture driven by the addiction of workaholism?"
DORIS: "I must. I don't want to lose more than I've already lost..."
CRIS: "Very well then, let us begin."

TODAY'S QUESTION: What do you stand to lose if you do not disentangle yourself from the bonds of your own or another person's workaholism?

NAKED LEADERSHIP

"The great and invigorating influences in American life have been the unorthodox: the people who challenge an existing institution or way of life, or say and do things that make people think." -William O. Douglas, U.S. Supreme Court Justice


"Here in America we are descended in blood and in spirit from revolutionists and rebels -- men and women who dare to dissent from accepted doctrine. As their heirs, we may never confuse honest dissent with disloyal subversion." -Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. President


Frequently I will be asked by new colleagues and acquaintances how I have managed to forge such a diverse (and seemingly contradictory) array of political, social and commercial alliances. Those of you that know me well have, of course, become accustomed to my genuine affection for and natural curiosity about people, causes and enterprises that seek to truly elevate and improve the human condition. I shun the false stereotype that Leaders are beholding to a unitary constituency.
 
Throughout the history of the United States, Americans of different faiths, education, careers, and social strata have converged and diverged at intervals to support and/or oppose wars, trends, atrocities, injustices, and commerce. While the discourse may at times become loud and abrasive, with few exceptions our Nation has moved forward, improved for the market place of ideas. Political theatre and Cable News Entertainment notwithstanding, our Commercial Enterprises, and our Cities, States and Nation are led and legislated by men and women committed to the ideals and practical applications of Freedom, Faith, Family, Fairness and Prosperity.
 
Hence, while I have not always been on the winning side when the final votes were tallied, I have always considered myself the victor in the arena of ethics, free markets, and human progress.
 
I stand behind you just out of camera range during your Victory Speech; I stand firmly beside you during your Concession Speech; but I always stand with you in your convictions when the Monday-morning media quarterbacking begins, poised to defend your sincerity and genuine affection for the citizens, the families, the communities, and the business leaders that you have so selflessly represented.
 
So when a new acquaintance doubtfully or sarcastically questions my ability to speak to his/her employees, volunteers, members, or constituency --given my array of clients-- I simply smile and walk into the meeting space with the well-researched conviction that I'm backing another winner. This is America, my Friend, and anyone who is willing to genuinely Invest, Innovate and Lead is a winner in my book.

I look forward to meeting you.
 
God Bless!
Cris

A LITTLE TOO CONVENIENT

"I resolve to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a matter of truth; but rather by some means excuse the faults I hear charged upon others, and upon proper occasions speak all the good I know of everybody." ~Benjamin Franklin

“Truth is generally the best vindication against slander” ~Abraham Lincoln


As we make our way through this warm, fun-filled summer of 2010, enjoying backyard barbeques, week-long family vacations, and cheering our local professional baseball team, another longstanding American sport is underway: Vicious Political Slander.

While I can cite no candidate for public office who has ever declared himself/herself to be a sinless saint, I have generally found the men and women who undertake this great political journey to campaign for elected office to be individuals of noble character who truly revere the United States, its Constitution and the respective state constitutions. My observations have encompassed the large majority of members of both major political parties and independents, lest we devolve into myopic slander of our own.

When we strip away the caricatures of the few infamous politicians whose stunts make for mainstream media fodder, we find family-oriented men and women from all walks of life who have consulted their spouses (and often their children) to discuss the personal/family sacrifices necessary to undertake a campaign on behalf of their citizens. Achieving electoral victory often means added responsibility at reduced income amidst a 24/7/365 glare of anyone with access to a camera, video recorder, and a computer. 

So, while vicious political slander has been the favored "hail mary pass" of cowardly, vacuous single-issue opponents since the dawn of time, I have been particularly startled by the personal nature of the baseless attacks against two fine gubernatorial candidates this summer. Nikki Haley (http://www.nikkihaley.com/) of South Carolina and Mike Cox (http://mikecox2010.com/) of Michigan have both been subjected to publicly-disseminated prurient slander certainly launched by unscrupulous consultants funded by their flailing (and failing) opponents.

These two fine Christians have spouses and children--Nikki's husband, Michael, a dedicated father and patriotic Army National Guard Officer; Mike's wife, Laura, a loving mother and selfless public official working on behalf of Wayne County residents--innocent spouses and children who have been crudely disregarded by paid political hacks attempting to score points for an opposition Titanic campaign. 

Nikki (helping from a young age in a proud family-owned business) and Mike (a Marine Corp veteran of ) have brought bold, transformative ideas to their respective constituents. Both candidates have involved diverse groups of residents, and will work on behalf of ALL regardless of political party. Yet, within a week of critical elections, slush-funded and well-publicized slander emerged. A LITTLE TOO CONVENIENT if you ask anyone. Informed citizens will not be distracted by this insulting use of slimy, dime-arcade innuendo, but will instead recognize the opponent's cowardice that contrived and funded it. It happened during their candidacies...fortunately to no avail...but it could happen to YOUR CANDIDACY at that cricitial moment. PREPARE!

TODAY'S QUESTION: Have you consulted with your family and with your campaign team to plan in advance to assess, address, and dismiss your desperate opponent(s)' potential, and almost certain, use of vicious political slander against YOU?

LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."  -Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence

"But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."  JAMES 1:25, New King James Version


As we enjoy and participate in the active celebration of our great Nation's 234th birthday, I find it instructive to return to the Document itself and the scriptural precursor, The Bible, to remind ourselves that The United States of America was born and remains a blessed nation. Our Founders, beginning with the 17th century settlers who sought refuge from British religious persecution and leading to the brave men and women who courageously signed and defended The Declaration of Independence against 18th century British tyranny, derived their Faith and Grace directly from the Creator, God Almighty.

I find it equally instructive that "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" are "among" our "unalienable rights"...we are not simply limited to those ennumerated rights. God has provided his People throughout history with much opportunity for freedom, and when exercised faithfully, fairly, and fruitfully, our Nation has grown and prospered, enjoying the fruits of our combined labors. George Washington avoided political party affiliation, recognizing the tendency for partisanship to undermine the productive collaboration necessary to forge enabling legislation vital to the efficient functioning of a national government. Thomas Jefferson trusted the power of the individual citizen to direct the Nation's affairs by electing his/her representatives to travel to the seat of government, draft sensible legislation, and cast well-informed votes.

Both men, Washington and Jefferson, together with many others recognized--and continue to recognize--that our unalienable rights must be defended, respected, and exercised.

• Sometimes defended upon the battlefield, domestic or internationally, and for that WE MUST PRAY FOR AND THANK OUR BRAVE AND SELFLESS ACTIVE AND VETERAN SERVICE MEMBERS.
• Sometimes defended in the courtrooms, legislatures, and executive offices of our cities & towns, states, and federal government, and for that we must pray for continued fidelity for our elected leaders and appointed officials.
• Respecting and exercising our unalienable rights remains incumbent upon each of us as citizens. We each have an obligation to lead this nation, one citizen at a time, daily. When we cease to respect and exercise our rights, those rights will erode and eventually be eliminated or forgotten.

You and I, and our Families, our Neighbors, and our Congregations...we are today's Defenders of the God-given Rights and Responsibilities ennumerated and implied in The Declaration of Independence and United States (and State) Constitution. Go forth this Independence Day and proudly proclaim the Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness for which so many, including you, have labored so hard for and died for. Amen.

TODAY'S QUESTION: When evaluating prospective candidates for 2010 elections, have YOU measured their commitment to preserving, defending and respecting YOUR God-given, unalienable rights?

THE 3 C'S OF AMERICAN ECONOMIC RESURGENCE

"The history of free men is never written by chance, but by choice - their choice."   --Dwight D. Eisenhower

"Forget about the consequences of failure. Failure is only a temporary change in direction to set you straight for your next success."   -- Denis Waitley


I had the pleasure to engage in a discussion centered around faith, family and leadership with one Mr. Hughes recently. Mr. Hughes was recounting various significant events in his life, which had led him courageously to escape the restraints of segregation and to proudly serve our nation militarily before becoming a public school educator/administrator. He imparted to me the importance to every leader of embracing "the three C's: Choices, Challenges and Consequences."
 
Our Great Nation is currently gripped by the lingering effects of economic deterioration, which has led to an erosion of employment, family financial security, and confidence in government and corporate leadership.  Whether we like it or not, our Nation's economic viability relies upon the efficient interdependent workings of (1) a sound, ethical, well-financed free market economy; and (2) the local, state and national governments that regulate interstate commerce, fair competition, consumer protection and safety.
 
The free market economy depends upon the efficient flow of plentiful intellectual, human and financial capital. Excessive government regulation, taxation, and marketplace interference merely decrease the incentives for responsible entrepreneurs and corporate leaders to invest and develop (or possibly delay) new products and services.  Burdensome, unresponsive and unilateral governmental regulatory choices may create insurmountable challenges to businesses, whereupon the direct consequences may include middle- and working class job losses, and interstate/international facility relocations.
 
Clearly, government has a limited and necessary role to play in economic affairs as provided for my the Constitution's Articles. Interstate highways and waterways that facilitate the motorized conveyance of goods must be built and maintained.  Border inspection of imported foreign produce, children's toys, and vehicles must be undertaken to protect American lives.  Illegal acts, excessive pollution, and unsafe workplaces must be addressed.  But, if America is to remain the dominant world economic power whose intellectual property, manufacturing productivity, and service excellence exceed all international competitors, then elected officials and agency appointees must choose to partner with business leaders to face those challenges together, lest we mortgage our future to those self-serving nations currently acquiring our Treasury Bills.
 
In the November elections, and in the various state and federal primaries leading up to those November elections, We The People are going to register our votes in a referendum upon the imbalance between lobbyist-loving incumbents and the resurgence of freedom-loving, free market leaders who challenge those entrenched politicians. Neither Party's cronies will be spared as Independent voters makes choices grounded in fact, not swayed by mere opinion or slick 30-second advertisements. Independent voters will be focused upon unfulfilled candidate promises, upon the return of economic prosperity for the American family, upon the values underscored by faith in God. And the consequences for those foolish, fattened incumbents who choose poorly will be a one-way ticket back to the hometown...
 
TODAY'S QUESTION: What definitive economic plan have you --whether incumbent or challenger--developed and published to restore the appropriate balance between free market job creation and government regulation and taxation? [Remember: If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.]

CONSISTENCY, NOT HYPOCRISY

"Honest discussions - even and perhaps especially on topics about which we disagree - can help us resist hypocrisy and arrogance. They can also help us live up to the basic ideals, such as liberty and justice for all, on which our country was founded."   -David E. Price

"The world is full of fools and faint hearts; and yet everyone has courage enough to bear the misfortunes, and wisdom enough to manage the affairs, of his neighbor."  -Benjamin Franklin


I can hardly be labeled "Liberal" in my steadfast defense of the clearly Constitutional Right to Life, the First Amendment Right to Free Speech and Peaceful Assembly, the Second Amendment Right to Bear Arms, Tenth Amendment States' Rights, etc.  But, as Dr. Seuss writes in Oh, the Places You'll Go!, "[w]ith your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street."
 
The base of any political party may generally accept with little question the perspective placed upon any event in a particular era. But the Independent Voter--that individual who will cast that marginal majority vote that catapults one candidate over another in a particular local, state, or federal election--will not soon forget the shifting opinions from one year to the next, from one administration to the next, from one decade to the next.
 
Is it right in one era to caricature and curse one American President, and to condemn those who do likewise to an American President of the opposite party in another era? Why don't we all rise above it regardless of the President's party and move on to SUBSTANTIVE bi-partisan conservative Constitutional SOLUTIONS.


When one group engages in mass demonstration and speeches condemning government abuse and decrying the usurpation of power (immigration reform; healthcare; deficits & taxation), this self-proclaimed mob is called patriotic, a Tea Party; when another group engages in mass demonstration and speeches condemning government inaction (immigration reform; healthcare; deficits & taxation) and decrying their lack of opportunity, this second group is labeled unpatriotic, unAmerican. 
 
When the federal government, through legislation or enabling regulation, sets standards, protocols and reporting requirements for private sector entities (i.e. oil companies), that federal government action is labeled as interfering with the free markets or overstepping states' rights to regulate the business climate of its own state. When the federal government complies with regulations that direct the private entity (i.e. oil companies) to pay for and remedy its own fatal environmental disaster, that same federal government is accused of not doing enough to engage itself directly in the private entity's affairs.
 
Can that same state government Chief Executive who publicly rejected federal stimulus dollars destined for infrastructure improvement projects and working class financial stability justify now requesting that federal dollars and manpower be directed to correct a private corporation's infrastructure failure that imperils Gulf Coast working class financial stability?
 
In this 24/7/365 media circus that our elected officials operate in, one can understand the political pressure that they are under to communicate decisions that appear to effectively address the concerns of the moment, the crisis, or the era. But, I caution incumbents of both parties that this is a year where Independent Voter memories are long, discernment is deep, and inconsistency is fatal career-wise.
 

TODAY'S QUESTION: Will a thorough review of your public record (votes, statements, positions, alliances, contributors, appearances) reveal solution-oriented consistency...or will it betray self-interested hypocrisy to the inquisitive Independent Voter.

LEADERSHIP TRUMPS LONGEVITY

"In the history of mankind many republics have risen, have flourished for a lesser or greater time, and then have fallen because their citizens lost the power of governing themselves and thereby of governing their state; and in no way has this loss of power been so often and so clearly shown as in the tendency to turn the government into a government primarily for the benefit of one class, a ruling class, instead of a government for the benefit of the people as a whole."  -Theodore Roosevelt

“Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.”  -Frederick Douglass


Nothing cries out for Change and Leadership like the defeat of incumbents. Lame ducks all: Utah Senator Bob Bennett, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, and West Virginia Congressman Alan Mollohan. Their bipartisan outbound migration will be joined by many more local, state, and national figures between now and January 2011.

As I've noted to my clients for some time, the collective electoral will of the Independent American voter prizes Principles over party affiliation, favors Faith and Family Values over favoritism, and loves Life for All more than lazy government-sanctioned preferences. The Constitution is a non-partisan living document drafted and ratified by a diverse body of farmers, business leaders, and lawyers --statesman all-- who early recognized the tendency for one ruling class to displace less powerful interests of the common citizen. The Constitution remains safeguarded by their descendants --you and I--- today and every day.

Our nation and its citizens have always fared best when elected officials embraced the will of those who elected them and honored the sacred entrustment placed upon them to carry out the limited role of government in town/city halls, state houses, and the nation's capital. This is NOT a Political Party's nation, but it IS the People's nation! The individual who blindly calls all of one Party saints and all of the opposing Party sinners lazily casts aside the insight to discern the individual Leader's strengths and weaknesses. History is replete with principled, Faithful, family-committed, prolife leaders of all Party affiliations, so we must not devolve into petty soundbite statements purporting to label all one way and all the other way.

2010 has already begun to demonstrate that Americans love America and its Freedom, love their God, love their Families and Life, love their Neighbors, and value Economic Opportunity MORE than they are willing to defer to the failed leadership of the past. The forced migration of incumbency has begun.

TODAY'S QUESTION: Does your candidacy demonstrate Leadership experience supported by a foundation of Faith, Family, Life, Liberty, and Economic Opportunity that the Independent Voter will reward with that sacred trust of electoral victory?