In ‘When Harry Met Sally’, Rob Reiner has this wonderful section where he interviews couples who have been married for many years, and they talk about how they first met, and how long they’ve lived together. Many of them describe the magical, serendipitous quality of their first meeting, but you can see in their body language how hard they must have worked over the years to keep their love healthy. It is absolutely a joy to watch, and it points to an interesting question: ‘is love a magical feeling, or is it a conscious choice we make over time?’

Have you ever ‘fallen’ in love before? Do you remember how it felt in the beginning? Was your head swooning, your breath short, and were your palms sweating? Did you hear angels singing beyond the clouds, and were little happy squirrels happily tugging at your feet?

Probably not! But even if that was the case on day one, did it remain that way over the long term?

If you’re like most of us, you’ve been there and done that when it comes to the love department, and you’ve discovered over time that love—over the long term—is not a magical feeling one has. Love is a deliberate choice you make, every single day. Proof of this is very easy to find. Notice how, even if you initially felt great infatuation at the beginning of an affair, the feeling soon faded over time, and what kept your love going strong was the conscious, rational DECISION to take ACTIONS and BEHAVE in ways that sustained the relationship with the ‘one you are with’.

Leadership, Like Love, is a Choice. 

I once had a friend who said to me…”you just KNOW a leader when you see one: you can’t say what it is, but you can just FEEL it.” At first, I bought this explanation, but over time, and over years of working with leaders in real world situations, I’ve come to the conclusion that leadership—the type that creates success on a daily basis in organizations—is actually a set of observable behaviors that you can consciously CHOOSE to implement (or ignore).

Like anything else, if you implement the right behaviors, and do so consistently over time, you’ll get better. Consider ‘positive thinking’. It is not easy for many of us to do over sustained periods of time, and yet, it is something that we can consciously choose at any time. And if we do, the rewards of sustained positive thinking are enormous! Leadership works the same way. If you choose to consciously implement leadership behaviors every single day, some day you could be viewed as such a great ‘leader’ that people will think it’s something you magically have, and have always had. They won’t know how hard you practiced specific leadership behaviors over time. 

Just like some of the stories in ‘When Harry Met Sally’, Leadership behavior—like love—is a choice you can, and must make. And if you can find a way to make that choice consistently over time, it will become a very rewarding habit for you.

Make the CHOICE today to be a great leader. Identify positive leadership BEHAVIORS, and PRACTICE them daily!

I recently ordered a software-programming book from an online vendor to support some of the work we’re currently doing on our new website: www.behaviorpractice.com. The book I ordered was about the social application of PHP and MySQL, two of the most powerful open-source languages that currently drive most of today’s newer web-based applications. I was excited to receive this book so I could dive deeper into my software coding work, but nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. It turned out that the vendor mistakenly shipped me the wrong book. Instead of a software-programming book, I got a book about the power of positive affirmations. However, to my surprise, after thumbing through the pages of this new ‘wrong’ book, I quickly realized that it spoke directly and specifically about my website venture, albeit from a totally different point of view. It wasn’t a technology book, but it spoke loud and clear about something I believe is the single most important topic of business and life: Behavior Practice!

Wrong Book, Right Message!

I decided to thumb through the book, and after I read the first few chapters, I realized that I had just been visited by the awesome mystery of serendipity. How could it be that I’d receive the ‘wrong’ book, only to discover how much it was so ‘right’ for me? I seriously wondered if there wasn’t some supernatural intervention involved in all this. After reading a few more chapters, I realized that this book could literally change my life. It may have been the wrong order, but in every way, it was the best thing that could have happened to me in a long time!

The book is not a recognized best-seller. Indeed, I had never heard of the author before. However, the book was well-written and made one simple, self-evident point: you are what you think. Now, like most people, I am sure you’ve already heard about this concept or read it in a thousand other books. However, therein lies the paradox. Knowing and doing are two completely different things, and there is almost no guarantee that just because we know something, we will actually implement it. 

The book was poignant, and was personally relevant to me because I had recently been allowing too many fears, negative thoughts, and negative people into my mind. Things weren’t going well on the outside, and it was all because of what I was allowing to happen on the inside. What and who I was permitting into my mind were creating undesirable results in my life. The book made the point that if we want to get back true power in our lives—real control of any kind—all we need to do is to make sure to take back our minds, and fill it with powerful, positive affirmations that will create the kind of life and reality we desire. 

In short, whatever you think, say, and practice, will become your reality!

Now, if you ask me, this is a timeless, self-evident principle, right up there with sayings such as ‘every cloud has a silver lining’, or ‘birds of a feather flock together’, or the saying that powers most of my books and my work:  ’practice makes perfect’. The book proposed that by repeating positive, affirming words several times a day, you could literally remake your life into whatever you want! Needless to say, I was very excited to begin implementing this simple approach to regaining internal power, and ultimately, to creating a new, more positive reality in my life.  

Life Application:

But then I stopped to think. ‘Practice makes perfect’. ‘You are what you think’. ‘We create reality first from our thoughts’. These concepts are not dissimilar to what most religions or self-development books espouse. Repeated, affirming words and thoughts create desired realities. This is also what is involved in the development of any human skill, whether it’s playing the piano, riding a bike, or becoming a better leader, which is what our current software—LeaderPractice—is all about. Repetition creates muscle-memory, which allows your subconscious mind to achieve things so much greater than you could ever accomplish at a conscious level. Essentially, this book reminded me that what powers successful change of any kind is the repetitive practice of positive affirmations and behaviors. 

Back to Basics:

I kept the book on positive affirmations, and put in another order for my software programming book. When the software book finally arrived, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. I sat back and thanked whatever fate or serendipity had sent me the ‘wrong’ book the first time. Somehow the universe had conspired to send me the message that my work on behaviorpractice.com needed to be more than a whole bunch of software code, sales and marketing strategies, or the thrill of yet another entrepreneurial venture. My work on behavior practice had to be more about getting back to basics and helping to change people’s lives. Behavior practice is essential in our lives. I hope that someday, when www.behaviorpractice.com is finally completed and realeased to the world, it will bring into someone’s life the kind of simple, timeless, positive power that I received when I got that ‘wrong’ book in the mail. In my own small way, I hope to use software to help people implement what they already know: that there is true power in positive affirmations. 

How did we achieve this marvelous feat? How did we as a human race go silently and steadily from (1) letting go of a ‘flight-is-impossible’ belief system, to (2) embracing its possibility, and then finally, (3) engineering flight into reality? The answer to these questions is the same answer that lies at the heart of our ability to become more productive, efficient, and successful in our lives and at work. The answer lies in the occurrence of a silent but powerful ‘paradigm shift’, which precedes every great human achievement.

What is a paradigm shift?

Take a look at the above diagram. what do you see? (Most people probably start out seeing a duck. But in fact, it if you shift the way you interpret this diagram ever so slightly, you’ll see that it could be a rabbit as well).

A paradigm shift occurs when people are able to transform their thinking and start seeing the world in a very different way. Imagine Galileo asking people to believe that the world was round, not flat. Or imagine Bill Gates and Steve Jobs insisting in the early 70’s that a computer could one day fit in the palm of your hand. Like the tiny water trickle in western Minnesota that is the source of the mighty, ocean-bound Mississippi river, those were the beginning noises of huge paradigm shifts that have changed the way we live and interact with the world around us.

What will be the next great paradigm shift?

I believe that the next great paradigm shift will be an ‘Execute Button’ that, once pressed, can help us change our behavior so that we can become better people, workers, students, parents, leaders, and general members of society. How is this possible, you ask? How can you teach old dogs new tricks? How can technology change behavior?

I believe this particular paradigm shift will happen when technology can be harnessed to accurately and elegantly measure human behavior. As the saying goes, you can only improve what you can measure. Once we can measure behavior well, we will be able to more easily change and improve it.

Think of how difficult it is to lose weight, or to keep any kind of New Year’s resolution. Think of how ineffective most leadership or employee (behavior) training programs are today. Or think of how difficult it is to implement certain religious (or personal) behavior changes. Imagine if you could hit an ‘execute’ button on your smart phone that would help you effectively and reliably implement any new behavior you learn. Now that would be a great paradigm shift indeed!

Back to the Future

I was watching Star Trek the other day, and noticed how frivolously captain Kirk and his crewmates tossed around seemingly impossible technologies like ‘tricorders’, ‘universal translators’ and ‘communicators’. At the time, these gadgets were mere fantasies in the minds of sci-fi television and movie entertainers. Fast forward 30 years later, and voila: we now have technologies that work almost exactly as predicted back in those Star Trek days. Smart phones have enabled a silent and powerful paradigm shift over the past three decades, and now, some of Star Trek’s innovations have (almost) become real.

Are Today’s Smart Phones ‘Execute’ Buttons?

I believe they are. Smart phones have heralded a new paradigm shift that will someday make the ‘execute’ button a reality. In the not-too-distant future, you’ll be able to program ‘who’ you want to become into a computer, and by simply entering and reviewing data about your daily behavior through your smart phone, you’ll be able to ‘practice’ new behavior habits that will ultimately engineer a totally ‘new’ you.

People will be healthier, happier, and more successful in their lives because of this new ‘execute’ button. People will program their personal and religious beliefs, leadership philosophies, morals, and any behavior principles they believe in, and by simply hitting their ‘execute’ buttons, they’ll be able to partner with smart phones to create real, lasting behavior change in their daily lives and work. Now that would be a really cool paradigm shift!

Do you believe this is possible? Either way, let us know…we’d love to hear from you!

I thoroughly enjoyed watching it yesterday. Starring Brad Pitt, ‘MoneyBall’ beautifully lays out how focusing on current behavior and statistics—in lieu of reputation and past achievement—helped the Oakland A’s win 20 games in a row! According to IMDB, Moneyball is “The story of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane’s successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.” I couldn’t help but enjoy the similarity to the idea of using computer-generated analysis to help leaders succeed on a daily basis. Watch this movie to see how NEW leadership execution rules clashed with the old…and see what the results were!

A group of scientists worldwide have been working for years to solve a puzzle that could lead to a cure for AIDS. Next, picture a group of grandmothers, thirteen year-old boys and retired lay people who just got together over the internet for three weeks to play a computer game. Who do you think will solve the puzzle?

Guess what?

You’re right! The grandmothers beat the scientists! (Or else, why write this article, right?)

CNN just announced today that this latter group of gamers (grandmothers, thirteen year-olds etc.) have found a breakthrough solution to the same AIDS puzzle that has stumped scientists for years!

The problem these gamers solved involved spatially replicating the shape of an AIDS virus molecule. The idea is that once the shape of a virus is understood, it becomes much more possible to design antivirus solutions for it. The scientists had years of research and experience on their side, but all the gamers had was an online game called ‘Foldit’. The solution they discovered is great news for the fight against AIDS worldwide, but it is also a testament to the power of gamification.

In a report today on CNN, computer science professor Zoran Popovic—one of the developers of the online game ‘Foldit’—was asked the following question: “how could a bunch of gamers solve something that computers and experts haven’t been able to do for years?” He gave two main answers, which I’m paraphrasing below:

The gamers had developed a very high level of expertise on this particular problem as a result of playing the game. They were no longer just ‘gamers’, they were now experts at solving this particular problem.

They solved the problem because they were able to collaborate and share individual skills together in a way that scientists don’t currently do.

Gamification

This reminded me of the Biblical story of David and Goliath. In that story, common sense would tell you that Goliath should win the battle, but as it turned out, the much smaller, less equiped David brought down the mighty Goliath. These gamers, just like David, had something on their side that changed the playing field in a major way. In the Biblical story, David had God on his side, but in today’s CNN story, the gamers had ‘gamification’ on theirs.

Gamification, according to Gabe Zichermann, co-author of the book Game-Based Marketing, “is the process of using game thinking and game mechanics to engage users and solve problems.” It is also a new computing phenonemon that has seized the software development world. The big question most developers are asking now is, “how can I gamify my software?” Naturally, I have also asked this question, and that is why we created LeaderPractice, a ‘game’ for developing leaders and helping them execute leadership behaviors on a daily basis.

Leadership Execution

In a recent conversation I had with a colleague, we asked ourselves the question, “what will be the NEW way of leading and working in corporations in this current ‘Knowledge Age?” Here are my predictions:

There will be a much greater emphasis on measurable behavior as a means of determining success in organizations.

Gamification of work and management processes will play an increasingly important role in how people come together to solve problems.

Mobile devices will be the new arena for leadership execution and the management of employee actions.

Here’s how I see it: if gamification is helping grandmothers and thirteen year old boys solve problems as complicated as the AIDS antivirus, why can’t we successfully apply its principles to the daily execution of leadership in organizations?

The Parable:

John Doe was in a great mood. He had just called his wife Jane and invited her out to a celebration dinner. He had a lot to celebrate today because he had finally been promoted to a managerial position. He was now a leader!

Or so he thought.

The very next day at work he walked into his new corner office with an elevated sense of confidence. His career was finally going somewhere! The title on his door was no longer just his name. It was now “DIRECTOR” John Doe!

But then he got a phone call. It was Sally, one of his ‘new’ subordinate employees from several cubicles away. She had a long list of problems, issues, and items that needed attention, and she wanted to meet with him. When they met, she rambled for so long about all kinds of issues, that John soon lost track of what Sally was saying, and her words and complaints were like a meaningless monotone rant. Somehow, he had to solve this problem and keep his unit productive, but he had no idea how to do it. So, naturally, he did what he knew best. He took the items from her, and with a weak smile, promised her he’d get them done himself.

When she left, he got a forwarded leadership article by email from a friend with the simple question: ‘Are you a leader, or an individual contributor?’ Sadly, he sat back and looked at the new pile of work on his desk. Looking out the window of his brand new office, he realized that his title and income may have just changed, but he was nowhere near being a real leader.

The Point:

This is the plight of far too many people in ‘leadership’ positions. They have big, fancy titles, but they never actually ‘DO’ any leadership on a daily basis. They are focused on being personally and individually productive…attending meetings, writing reports, making phone calls. But influencing employees? No. Walking around and building trust among the team? No. Providing a sense of vision and direction for subordinates? No. Delegating tasks? No. None of the above!

The corporate world at large needs to examine what is meant when someone is described as a ‘leader’. Leadership is about influence—getting others to do things—and it is NOT about title. Most people know this intuitively, but in practice, they walk around with big ‘leadership’ titles, yet they behave like individual contributors. If you have a title that implies leadership, take a look around you, and realize that your job is not just about providing reports and ‘doing’ stuff yourself. Your job is now about enabling and empowering OTHER people, and about getting THEM to be successful as a result of your vision and influence.

If you’re not out influencing anyone…if no one is following you…if all you do is stay busy ‘doing stuff’…then you’re probably not a leader. You’re an individual contributor with a cool new title and a fancy office. If you thought it was hard work getting that title…get ready, because it’s going to be even harder work to learn how to EXECUTE real leadership everyday.

The Solution:

Thankfully, ANYONE can learn to BE a great leader by DOING great leadership behaviors, one day at a time. If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to go from being an individual contributor to actually ‘DOING’ great leadership, we’d love to hear from you!

This Ebook covers the following four essential steps for maximizing leadership execution at your organization:

1. Measure, monitor, and manage leadership behavior
2. Reinforce, reward, and promote high-impact leadership habits
3. Shape and develop successful leaders at all levels of the organization
4. Promote and nurture a community of feedback and practice

Leadership execution is about the daily behaviors that motivate employees to action. Sports is a great model for how leadership execution could be done better. Here is a list of 7 sports characterisics that could be great for leadership execution.

• Teams
• Measurable results
• Emphasis on Pinpointed Behaviors
• Emphasis on Practice for turning Behaviors into Habits
• Positive reinforcement from a community of peers, coaches, and fans.
• Immediate, Real-time Feedback
• Challenging Goals and Subgoals

To learn more, download our FREE ebook: 8 Steps For Turning Strategy Into Results.