Today I'm inspired by this song by the band FUN.

This morning I attended Jubilee Asheville, my spiritual community. The message for the day revolved around the following spiritual question: What if the difficult times we encounter (individually and collectively) are the very things that point us to the fullest experience of life?

How do you, as a leader, create meaning out of adversity?

How does your team create meaning out of adversity?

 

My wife and I recently watched the new documentary I AM by Tom Shadyac.  It was WONDERFUL!

The movie is a probing exploration of our world, what's wrong with it, and what we can do to make it better.

Shadyac is best known for his movies "Ace Ventura," "Liar Liar," and "Bruce Almighty" among others. I AM recounts what happened to the filmmaker after a cycling accident left him incapacitated, possibly for good. Though he ultimately recovered, he emerged a changed man.

The movie shares the powerful and important message that we are all connected. What happens to one of us impacts all of us.

Through our work as teamwork facilitators we can help people celebrate the connection we have with each other and learn how to leverage this connection to create a prosperous win-win outcome.

From the movie:

"The truth of who we are is that we are because we belong."

-- Reverend Desmond Tutu

 

Visit the movie's website HERE.

Watch the movie preview here:

 

Watch Director Tom Shadyac interviewed by Thom Hartmann here:

 

Have you ever worked with a teacher who was so good at what he did that your life was forever changed for the positive? John Hunter is that kind of teacher.

John Hunter is an elementary school teacher from the Charlottesville, Virginia area where he's been helping students learn important life lessons for 30 years.

John achieved noteriety outside of Charlottesville because of a TED tealk he did in 2011 (video below).  In this presentation John explains how his "World Peace Game" helps 4th grade students learn how to solve complex world problems experientially.  The amazing experiential game he developed allows students to experience life changing lessons spantaneiously (and sometimes surprisingly).  The experience the students have always go further than a classroom lecture can.

I had the opportunity to meet John recently (photo of John Hunter and Tom Heck to the left) when a documentary about his work was shown (documentary trailer below).  John is an amazing person and the kind of teacher I wish my kids could spend hours with.

John understands the power of experiential learning.  Through the game he's developed John is able to touch the heart of the student (not just the mind of the student) and thus, the learning experience is deeper and more profound for the student.

To what degree are you using games in your training events?  If you're not using games then you're probably not touching the heart of your participants.

Learn more about the World Peace Game HERE.

 

Seth Godin is one of my favorite authors.  He's written a lot of great books and his best is TRIBES.

The video below is from Seth's presentation at the TED conference.

Towards the end of the video Seth shares the attributes that leaders have in common:

• Leaders challenge the status quo.
• Leaders build a culture. 
• Leaders are curious.
• Leaders connect people to each other.
• Leaders commit.

To be successful in the Inspiration Economy you must be a TRIBE leader.

Remember the US Airways Flight 1549 that crash landed in the Hudson River?  Can  you imagine what it must have been like to hear the captain say "Brace for impact."?  Ric Elias was on that flight and in this five minute video from TED Ric shares the three things he learned that day. 

I'm sharing this video with you because I want you to think about what is most important to you.

How would an experience like Ric's change the way you show up as a leader?

 

What would happen if you smiled more?

 

"Everybody, I know you can believe in yourself!  If you believe in yourself you will know how to ride a bike!  If you don't, you just keep practicing!"

I LOVE IT!

Totally unscripted.  This boy is in the moment and his words of encouragement are a a result of his being in the moment (i.e. Be Here Now). 

Eckhart Tolle would be proud.

Your job as a manager is getting harder all the time. But your most critical responsibility–especially in today’s world of intensifying competition and economic stress–is how to help your people shine their brightest.

What do you do when your most talented employees fall short of their potential?

How do you inspire a solid contributor to strive for more?

What should you try if a star player falls off their game?

In this video Dr. Edward Hallowell outlines the five steps necessary to excel at work: select, connect, play, grapple and shine.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Dr. Hallowell's new book SHINE.

 

FACT:  Inspired teams have a stronger bottom line than "average" teams.

No surprises there.

But HOW do you build and lead inspired teams?

This question is best answered by inspiration in the workplace expert Dr. Lance Secretan who is the author of the new best seller "The Spark, The Flame, and the Torch"

Dr. Secretan's much anticipated new book is broad, effective and extraordinarily inspiring. The Spark, The Flame, and the Torch  is Dr. Secretan's masterwork in which he has taken 35 years of intellectual property—which he calls Higher Ground Leadership—developed through his research, client engagements, coaching and teaching experience, and integrated it into a unified theory of inspired leadership, that offers a comprehensive approach to being an inspiring person and therefore an inspiring leader.

You will learn how to be a transformational leader and how to be the change the world needs for a brighter future. It is a brilliant work that helps leaders:

• rethink the role of modern organizations
• reassess our personal contribution
• develop greater meaning and fulfillment
• overhaul performance management and coaching practice
• become clearer about future visioning
• build stronger personal relationships and teams
• rethink leadership, and
• focus on inspiration

We all long for greater authenticity, integrity, and inspiration from our corporations and institutions. The Spark, the Flame, and the Torch reveals a leadership path that will forever change your perception of yourself, others, your organization and the world around you—enabling you to live a more effective, purposeful, and inspiring life.

Join us for this inspiring TeleSeminar and gain important lessons for building and leading inspired teams. 

Call Details

TITLE

How To Build & Lead Inspired Teams with Dr. Lance Secretan

DATE

Thursday, June 17, 2010

TIME

Starts at 1 pm Eastern (NY City time zone)
runs for 70 minutes

PRESENTERS

Dr. Lance Secretan, IATF Visiting Faculty Member
Tom Heck, President & Founder of the IATF

WHAT TO EXPECT

Come to the call ready to participate in small group discussions, share ideas and resources, ask questions, answer quick polls, and be fully engaged as we put the newest distance learning telephone conferencing technology to use!

RECORDING

This call was recorded and is available in the IATF Members Only Area HERE.

Non IATF members can get the recording HERE free for a limited time.

REGISTER HERE

CLICK HERE to register. It's free!  After you register, we'll send you the secret phone number and "PIN".  Registration is closed.

What do people who were once paid to be creative for a living do when they’re laid off? They get creative with their own lives.

Lemonade is an inspirational film about 16 advertising professionals who lost their jobs and found their calling, encouraging people to listen to that little voice inside their head that asks, “What if?”

If you lead creative people or are building a team of creative people, how best to lead them?  Find out HERE.

View a 2 minute preview of this inspirational documentary below.

CLICK HERE to watch the full movie for free HERE on Hulu.com

As a leader, do you understand the difference between Motivation and Inspiration?

Your understanding of the difference between these two concepts is an indicator of the degree to which you and your team will experience success.

Clearly, the world needs more Inspirational leaders.

And how does one become an Inspirational leader?  What is the path?  Where is the path?

These questions are best answered by Dr. Lance Secretan, author of nine books, adviser to leaders, keynote speaker, and a recipient of the International Caring Award.

In this TeleSeminar, Dr. Secretan shares insights from his upcoming book "The Spark, The Flame and the Torch - How to be inspired and inspiring – everywhere, with everyone, all the time".

• The Spark – Knowing Who We Are: The Why-Be-Do; 5 Dynamics, Having ONE Dream
• The Flame – Living Higher Values : Practicing the CASTLE Principles; The Metaphor of Skiing
• The Torch: Promethean Leadership; Paying it Forward; Making the world a Better Place Than We Found It.

This TeleSeminar is the perfect event to bring 2009 to a close.  It promises to be inspirational and set the right tone for you and your team as you enter 2010.

Call Details

TITLE

The Spark, The Flame and the Torch - How to be inspired and inspiring – everywhere, with everyone, all the time.

DATE

Thursday, December 17, 2009

TIME

Starts at 1 pm Eastern (NY City time zone)
runs for 70 minutes

PRESENTERS

Dr. Lance Secretan, IATF Visiting Faculty Member
Tom Heck, President & Founder of the IATF

WHAT TO EXPECT

Come to the call ready to participate in small group discussions, share ideas and resources, ask questions, answer quick polls, and be fully engaged as we put the newest distance learning telephone conferencing technology to use!

RECORDING

Download the recording of this call HERE.  IATF members have access to an entire library of recordings with teamwork and leadership luminaries.  Learn more about IATF membership HERE. 

COST

Free

REGISTER HERE

Registration is closed.

In the 90 second video clip below, Dr. Secretan shares insights on Inspiration.