Tim Osborn’s Blog

BEEEEEEP! Well before dawn my alarm wakes me on most Tuesdays. I hit the snooze button (best 8 minutes ever!) and tell myself perhaps the clock has malfunctioned, or I try to convince myself it is still Monday, or I just lay there and whine silently to myself so as to not wake my wife  (yes, I can simultaneously be thoughtful and have a pity party). Then I remember that six other guys are doing the same thing, but will choose to get out of bed, shower, scrape ice off their car windshields (this time of year), and make their way to some central location that has strong, hot coffee. And I while I don’t want to go, I don’t want to miss even more.

What draws us to add an extra 60 minutes to our already long work days? None of us work together,  and we span multiple industries – it’s all voluntary. In our group there are company presidents, a regional director, managers and even a back-to-college student (after being laid off). We meet because we believe we can gain from each other’s experiences, insights, and even questions. We’re united by a desire to be better. Better leaders, bosses, employees, husbands and fathers.

Leaders are often prone to isolation, frequently bearing responsibilities and stress and unsure who can be trusted. They can feel pressured to always have the right answer in hand, as if their credibility might suddenly evaporate with a display of uncertainty, or (gasp) admitted shortcomings. Eventually the inner circle shrinks and shrinks, until there are just two that remain: a leader and his shadow.

Are you trying to be the best leader/employee/etc. you can be on your own? That’s a lot of burden. Find a peer group that you trust. Reach out, start small, and find one or two others. Don’t wait for an invitation, send one. Be committed – to showing up, to being honest, to holding confidence, and to giving your best to others. The ROI is in your favor…even when the "I" means waking to beep, beep, beep at an hour typically seen only by baristas.

On my flight from Seattle to L.A. for last year’s PDC there were two young boys with their mother seated behind me. As we approached LAX the plane banked sharply for final approach, and one of the boys exclaimed, “This is where the sickness comes in!”

It reminded me that while change can be exhilarating, it can also be stressful. And because we often want to avoid stress, we avoid change. We stick with our proven practices at work, our established relationships in the community, our trusted recipes when cooking at home. They are convenient, cost effective and safe. At least in the short term. As Seth Godin points out, “There’s always a gap between the short-term results of a well-polished system and the first results of a switch to a more efficient one.” The morning after I read that post I woke up with this picture in my head:

The challenge is that the two circles are also frequently in motion. Sometimes there is great overlap, sometimes there is none. What is convenient and what is effective often change due to external factors beyond our control. Ultimately change has no inherent value on its own; it’s the intended results we are after. Don’t deny the cost, count the cost. And once counted, maybe your fear will subside enough that you’ll find yourself more exhilarated than stressed as you change your company strategies. Or at least try out a new recipe at home with some recently made friends.