Toronto, 12pm, May 25 2010
It’s almost summer. The days are bright. The sun is warm. The foliage is full. Winter is over, and so is the recession. Or is it? The Canadian and the US economies will grow at over 3% this year? Or will they really? The stock market will rise by double digits this year. Or will it really?
Have you noticed that just when you think you’re there, you’re not? Just when you thought it was safe, along comes a spider to scare you all over again. For every solution, there’s a problem. It’s always something. And lately, the somethings seem to be bigger and nastier. Whether it’s the oil spills in the gulf, the financial crises in Greece, the volcanic explosions in Iceland, or the breakdowns in your own backyard, the living ain’t easy anymore. Everything is connected to everything. What you don’t know and don’t care about, will hurt you.
Our research indicates that people are tired of being surprised by surprises they don’t like. They’re more anxious. They’re more doubtful. They’re turning inwards to protect themselves against The New Volatility –lows that are lower than they used to be and highs that are not as high as they used to be.
The majority of us are in survival mode. We’re trying to get through the month before we get through the money. We’re trying to meet our obligations to others and meet their expectations of us. At work, it’s becoming harder to try harder. So many people are so resistant. It seems like they don’t have the time or the inclination to be truly open or receptive. Cynicism has become the new mental normal. If one approaches everything as a potential hoax or wipe-out, then disappointment is not an option. It’s a different kind of failure. It’s the failure that comes from avoiding failure. It’s the failure to act, take a chance, experiment and explore.
Cynicism at work leads to tension at home. Frustration knows no boundaries. If you can’t get no satisfaction in one place, you’re unlikely to find it in another. Love and money are joined at the hip – like it or not. When one’s livelihood is endangered, one’s quality of life diminishes. Joy and passion are directly correlated with one’s perception of reality. A tougher reality means it’s tougher to see the world the way one wants it to be.
That’s the good news. People want change. They want to achieve the results they’re banking on. They want to get back into their groove. They want to be the star they used to be – before the meltdown, before the divorce, before the injury, before the job loss, before the erosion of their assets.
That’s where you and I come in. We need to become the antidote to other’s malaise. We need to be the joy, the delight, the relief that others crave. We need to become the surprises that others want to have. We need to be the reason why people still believe in themselves and their ability to make a difference.
It’s easier than you think. The smallest action can have the most disproportionate consequences. One conversation can change someone forever. One statement can be exactly what the other person needed to hear. I know. This how I make a living. Every day, I motivate and inspire people to do things they would otherwise never have done. Over and over again, people tell me that just one thing I said to them shifted their attitude and refocused them on what’s really important to them. Motivation and Inspiration is my stock-in-trade. It’s what I sell. I am a merchant of hope and possibility. It’s all I do. But it’s a major part of what you do too.
So what do you need to do to become the surprise that others want to have? What kind of conversations do you need to have? What kind of actions do you need to take? What kind of standards do you need to achieve? What kind of contributions do you need to make? What kind of responsibilities do you need to take on? What kind of attitude do you need to have? What kind of person do you need to be?
In short, what will it take for you to be Amazing? I define “Amazing” as causing others to be delighted, thrilled, motivated, inspired, joyous, excited, or happy. When you’re Amazing, you restore others faith in their future. You remind them of what’s possible. You cause their rejuvenation. You become the bridge between where they are and where they can be.
Here’s what I know: over the past week, you have been Amazing. Maybe it was your impact on one person. Or maybe it was just for a few moments with a few people. Or maybe that’s who you already are. Now your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to consciously, constantly and committedly be Amazing. Say and do things that Amaze others. Make your goal causing others to be delighted, thrilled, motivated, inspired, joyous, excited, or happy and you’ll find you’re the primary beneficiary of your own Amazing behaviour.
So here are Lipkin’s seven steps to being Amazing (send me yours):
1. Condition yourself for success. Be physically and mentally vibrant. Amazing others takes massive amounts of personal energy.
2. Go deep on your specialty. Be extraordinarily competent. Know everything you can and can everything you know. Then share it with everyone who wants and needs it. The more you share, the more you grow. That’s why I’m sharing this with you right now.
3. Reach out to strangers. Make the first move. Meet others much more than half-way. Open up the dialogue. Whether it’s at a cocktail party or a corporate event, initiate conversations with people you don’t know. And do it with authentic joy and love for them.
4. Design what you do and say to cause others to be delighted, thrilled, motivated, inspired, joyous, excited, or happy. Whatever you do for a living, how can you make it Amazing? What do your colleagues, customers and communities really want from you? It may mean redesigning your process or your style. It may simply mean being aware of being Amazing. It may mean stepping back or leaping forward, but do it. Think Apple, Starbucks, Tim Horton, Sidney Crosby, Mandela, Your Grandfather, Your Newborn Niece, Clint Eastwood, Canada Goose, Cirque Du Soleil, Your Favourite Person, You-At-Your-Best.
5. Make your environment your never-ending source of Amazing. Manufacturing your Amazing-Ability from within. Don’t rely on the situation or the people around you to Amaze you. If they do, that’s a gift. If they don’t, it’s an even greater gift. Remember: the time to be Amazing is when it seems impossible to be that way.
6. Build a reputation for being Amazing. Train people to expect you to be Amazing. Then kick it up a notch every time. In a world where most people are concerned with their own survival, being fully committed to others “thrival” will fuel your Amazing Ability. Make big promises and then over-deliver. Risk yourself. Share yourself. Be yourself – at your best. Use all the media available to you. Make it viral. Encourage others to talk about your contribution and reward them for it. Appreciation is still the most valuable currency in the world.
7. Inoculate yourself against cynicism. Give more than others expect, but don’t expect them to give you more. Treat reciprocation as a bonus. And don’t be derailed by others’ hostility. The more you expose yourself, the more vulnerable you become to criticism and even ridicule. It takes courage. It takes caring. Most of all, it takes an understanding of one primary truth: We all get just one life to share with everyone around us. So let’s live large and play big together.
I’d love to coach your team on the art of Being Amazing. So call me on 416-917-6007. And let’s light up some people together.
