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Simon Alexander Ong works with leaders, entrepreneurs and teams who are ready and committed for the next level of their success. As a coach and business strategist, he helps them transcend perceived limitations, dream bigger than they’ve ever done before and to see how powerful and gifted they truly are. You can connect with him at SimonInspires.com.
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Miguel Dias (Mike) is co-founder and CEO of CEOWorld.io, where European scaleup teams meet the best international peers, companies and investors. He got a quick beginning in the ups and downs of business after going through a bankruptcy in a family company. He then climbed the corporate ladder in a branding agency, starting out by organizing documents on a part time basis to becoming their CEO three years later at the age of 24. At 26 he founded CEO World, which has members in every continent. He lives in Porto, Portugal.
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The Complete Biographies For Today’s Guests:
Secretary James M. Le Blanc has worked for the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections for more than 40 years. He has served the past nine years as Secretary, being appointed to the Cabinet position by two governors.
Le Blanc enlisted in the United States Army and served during the Vietnam War. After an honorable discharge in 1971, he returned to school and received a B.A. in Business Administration from Southeastern Louisiana University in December 1972.
His career in corrections began in 1973 at Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women. Le Blanc promoted through the ranks, serving as Undersecretary (1992-1995), interim Director of Probation and Parole (1998-1999), Warden at Dixon Correctional Institute for 12 years, and Acting Chief of Operations (2007).
Secretary Le Blanc’s commitment to Louisiana’s justice system includes a focus on the fundamental importance of public safety while giving all citizens the opportunity to live productive lives. He routinely emphasizes “reentry” as a major factor of the Department’s mission. Reentry is his passion. Le Blanc believes that establishing valuable, real-world vocational, educational and life skills training for offenders in all institutions is one of the keys to ensuring the core mission of public safety. Reducing Louisiana’s number one (in the world) incarceration rate is a tall order, but Le Blanc’s enthusiasm for seeing offenders succeed is all the motivation this leader needs.
His many awards include being selected as the National Association of Wardens and Superintendents (NAAWS) “Warden of the Year.”
Perry Stagg is Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C). He oversees the Office of Adult Service, and has worked in the field of Public safety and Corrections for 21 years with experience in Investigations, Finance, Programing, Security and Administration
Mr. Stagg served 10 years as an Assistant Warden at Louisiana State Penitentiary. Angola. While at Angola, Mr. Stagg became heavily involved in the Corrections Court Reentry Program, an innovative approach to rehabilitating short term offenders using Lifer inmates as mentors.
Mr. Stagg received his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Louisiana Tech University in 1994. He is a member of the Louisiana Association of Wardens, the National Association of Wardens and Superintendents, the Louisiana Correctional Association and the American Correctional Association. Mr. Stagg is also a Certified Corrections Executive.
As many of you know, I dubbed 2017 the Year of the Peer. Throughout the year, I’ve learned (and continue to learn) a great deal from the people whom I surround myself – including the new people I have met. These are the guests on my podcast, audience members for my keynotes, and participants in the several dozen CEO/Key Executive workshops I’ve conducted. I’ve also learned a great deal from what you’ve all offered in the form of blog posts, articles, videos, etc.
My new book provides leaders, aspiring leaders, and educators with 12 practical takeaways about the value of surrounding yourself with the right people and the power of tapping into the unlimited potential they can create for your business and your life. It’s not focused on neuroscience, how to become part of the collaborative economy, or how to start or join a peer group. It’s focused squarely on our greatest (and most underutilized) source of success and happiness – the people we surround ourselves with each an every day.
Since you are playing such a prominent role in informing the content, I’d like to practice what I preach and not attempt to sit in a room by myself to craft a compelling title. So here’s what I’d like to do:
Starting today through July 31st, I invite you to submit a book title – a title that captures the essence of something you’d love to read. Assume that the subtitle will be 12 Timeless Takeaways From The Year of the Peer. Understand that I’m not the sole decision maker when it comes to selecting the final title. Fortunately, I have a wonderful publisher (the Taylor & Francis Group) which will have a hand in helping us make the best choice.
In early August, I’ll post our favorite submissions and ask you to pick among your favorites on the list. That doesn’t mean the top vote-getter will be selected, because there are a host of other considerations when it comes to picking a title, yet your preferences will provide us with another important data point that will undoubtedly be helpful to reaching a final decision.
The working title to date is: Winning With Your Peers. Another option under consideration is Who You Surround Yourself With Matters. I believe you can offer other powerful options! The person who comes up with the title selected for publication will receive 12 signed copies of the book – one for you and 11 others for you to give away to the people you value in your life. I hope you see this as 12 valuable takeaways for your efforts. Please send your suggested titles to leo@leobottary.com (submit as many ideas as you like), and I will confirm receipt of your email(s). Game on!
*No purchase necessary. The decision of the author and the publisher is final. If I receive multiple entries of the same title, the one I received first will take precedence. Once you are notified that you have won, the signed books will be shipped to you free of charge when they become available in Spring, 2018.
**Book artwork is not meant to represent the final cover.
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Leo Bottary is an author, keynote speaker, workshop facilitator, and thought leader on the topic of peer advantage. After eight years as an instructor for Seton Hall University, where he was named adjunct teacher of the year in 2015, he now serves as an instructor for Rutgers.
During his tenure at Vistage Worldwide, Leo Bottary led the rebranding of the company and directed a thought leadership initiative on the power of peers in business. This work resulted in a book he coauthored with Leon Shapiro titled: The Power of Peers: How the Company You Keep Drives Leadership, Growth & Success. Leo (and publisher Taylor & Francis Group) will release a new book in Spring 2018, which he’ll tell us more about on the show!
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Gini Dietrich is the founder and CEO of Arment Dietrich, a digital marketing communications firm based in Chicago. She is the author of Spin Sucks, co-author of Marketing in the Round, and co-host of Inside PR. Gini is also the lead blogger at Spin Sucks and the founder of Spin Sucks Pro. Clients who have benefited from Gini’s forward thinking approach to communication have included Ocean Spray, Sprint, Denny’s, GE, and Abbott, to name a few.
Next week’s guest is Louis J. DeGennaro, PhD, president and CEO of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
If you’ve ever uttered Scar’s famous quote from the Lion King (as only Jeremy Irons can express it), I suggest you pause for a moment to think about what you said. Consider the possibility that the people you’re talking about are not idiots at all, you might be just treating them that way. Or, on the off chance they really ARE idiots, then why would you surround yourself with these people in the first place?
In either case, surrounding yourself with people you respect is your responsibility – it’s on you, no one else. Who you surround yourself with matters. As you assess progress against your goals for the back half of this year, take stock of the people around you. Are they contributing to your success, holding you back, or dragging you down? While you’re at it, ask yourself if you are contributing positively to the people who depend on you to lift them up. This is the time to course correct on both fronts.
Don’t be a Scar (or one of the hyenas for that matter). Here’s the scene from the movie that inspired Scar’s famous assertion. You can do better!
Talking about the value of our peers in business and in life can be entertaining as well as informative. Enjoy this short video and then tell me that who you surround yourself with doesn’t matter! 😉
A number of years ago, I saw Cirque du Soleil perform Ka` at the MGM Grand. I didn’t know a great deal about the show until reading about it after the performance. The LA Times review confirmed my belief that it “may be the most lavish production in the history of western theater.” I thought, “Yup. That’s sounds about right to me!” I’ll never forget it. I reflected on how this amazing ensemble comes to work and performs this show twice a day, five days a week – knowing full well that for 95+% percent of the people in the audience, it will be the only Ka` experience they will ever have. They have to “bring it” to each and every performance! No show ever gets “phoned in.” Together, performers and crew members alike are committed to WOWing every audience that walks through the doors of the $220 million theater specially created for this show.
In my post, Peer Group Accountability: Who’s Responsible?, I essentially mentioned that it starts with each of us holding ourselves to high standards and modeling that behavior to inspire and motivate others. In researching and writing about peer advisory groups, I’ve talked to countless members and group leaders who extol the virtues of their culture of group accountability – saying by comparison, that individuals, left to their own devices, primarily dare to be average. I’m sure you’re bristling at the mere suggestion, but ask yourself if you’re doing everything you can do to be at the top of your game each and every day. Do you go to work with the same commitment to excellence as the team at Cirque du Soleil? If you do, you’re a rare bird.
Contrast Jim Collins’ explanation of “good being the enemy of great” (where good is too often good enough), with the concept of perfectionism and the familiar quote from Voltaire, translated literally as “The best is the enemy of good” or more commonly expressed as ‘”The perfect is the enemy of the good.” The quote references the paralyzing effect of the pursuit of perfection. It’s where the hope to implement the perfect solution can result in no solution at all. So is good the enemy of great? Or is the pursuit of perfection the enemy of good? Seems to me, they are two sides of the same coin. Neither is an excuse for mediocrity.
Understanding these dynamics is just one of many ways being part of the right peer group or high performing team will help you discern the difference and inspire you to achieve more than what you could ever do alone. What’s more, it will help you bring a little Ka`into your own life.
Moments ago, the #1 ranked University of Connecticut women’s basketball team defeated #6 South Carolina 66-55 for its 100th consecutive victory. To put this perspective, the team hasn’t lost a game since November 17, 2014. Last year, their big three, seniors Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson, and Morgan Tuck were drafted by the WNBA, number 1, 2 and 3 respectively. After losing the players who led the Huskies to four consecutive national championships, this would have been a rebuilding year for any other sports program in America – except for UConn. They’re already 25-0 this season, beating nationally ranked opponents Notre Dame, Baylor, Maryland, Florida State, Ohio State, and now South Carolina, with no one left of the regular season schedule likely to give them a serious challenge until the NCAA tournament.
Why should organizations outside of sports be marveling at the streak and paying close attention to this program? Let me offer this:
Several years ago, I heard Dave Logan deliver a terrific presentation based on a book he coauthored called Tribal Leadership. Among other things, he talked about the five stages of culture. Here are the five stages as I recall them:
Stage 1 – “Life sucks.” Roughly 2% of companies have cultures that represent something akin to a prison gang. (Scary but, true).
Stage 2 – “My life sucks.” The implication here is that people are likely to believe that your life may be okay, but my life sucks. (25%) of companies have cultures where people pretty much show up and do just enough to avoid getting fired. They can’t wait until 5:00 PM – especially on a Friday.
Stage 3 – “I’m great.” (with an implied, “and you’re not.”) This culture is characterized by an egotistical, command and control style leader who creates dyad relationships with the employees. (49% of organizational cultures fit this description, by the way).
Stage 4 – “We’re great.” 22% of organizations enjoy a team culture that wants to be the best as defined by their competition. They’re all about being #1 among everyone else in their space.
Stage 5 – “Life is great.” This is the organizational culture that sets its own standard of excellence. Think Secretariat at the Belmont. Logan noted that roughly 2% of organizations experience this rarefied air, but no one lives there for very long. They typically toggle between stages 4 and 5.
Dave Logan, meet the University of Connecticut women’s basketball program.
UConn players, and the coaching staff who created this culture over the past 30 years, compare themselves to the great UConn teams of the past, not to the teams on their upcoming schedule. They set their own standard of excellence each and every day at practice and with every possession – offensively and defensively – in every game. Rather than pay attention to the scoreboard, they honor the work ethic of UConn’s former players and are committed to making the dream of winning a national championship possible for their teammates. Their accountability culture and support for one another is off the charts. They will lose a game someday, but as long as they maintain their culture, it won’t happen very often.
This is what living in stage five looks like. Close your eyes and imagine your organization playing at UConn’s level. Now open them. Life is great! (Or it could be, if you take the power of their example seriously).
Congratulations to UConn for winning 100 consecutive games and for setting a standard of excellence for all of us to follow.
