Whatsapp Founder wanted A Job; Facebook Said No -- In A $3 Billion Mistake

Was commuting to work and reading Forbes when a headline caught my eye. Whatsapp Founder wanted A Job; Facebook Said No -- In A $3 Billion Mistake.

As occurs often in our technology-related jobs, by the time I got to work two or three team members had forwarded same article to me or to the team with varying comments -- but all recommended a read.

Having already read it, I decided to respond to the entire distribution list with the following:

I absolutely LOVE this story.

While I think Facebook and Twitter made a mistake, I don’t believe it was a mistake for Brian Acton. In fact, NOT being hired was probably the best thing to happen. Heck, without corporate boundaries, he was able to be create WhatsApp. Thank heavens he wasn’t hired!! If he had, would he be worth $3 billion today? Would we even know his name?

The bigger message in this story just feels good and is a good reminder:
• It’s not important how many times you are knocked down. It is important that you get up and continue forward.
• Do not get hung up by people or companies that don’t know your value. Know your personal value.
• Do not EVER be content with lack of leadership. Instead rise and be the leader you want to see in your workplace.
• And, always remember that investment in people wins in the end. One of these days, I will consolidate all of these "reminders" as I imagine I would have quite a list.

Happy Thursday all,
Stacy

Vulnerability

Brené Brown has spent the past ten years studying vulnerability, courage, authenticity, and shame. The first five years of her study focused on shame and empathy. She is now taking that learning to explore a concept that she calls “wholeheartedness”.

Last year, a friend introduced me to a Ted Talk by researcher professor, Brené Brown. Upon recommendation, my friend told me to “move beyond the title” and just watch the video. That was when I knew I was in trouble. Yep, there was going to be a message for me within the video.

The title of the Ted Talk was “The Power of Vulnerability”. My thoughts went between “um, okay” to ““Really?” to “No chance in …” to “If I get a free moment.” But, I did watch the video and 20 minutes later I understood why she had recommended it to me.

Brown describes herself as a “researcher storyteller” who studies the human connection. In the Ted Talk, Brown talks about her “slugfest” with vulnerability and the journey to understand courage, authenticity and shame in a world that thrives on controlling and predicting. Brown says, “And now my mission to control and predict had turned up the answer that the way to live is with vulnerability and to stop controlling and predicting.” AHHHH! If you have seen my pantry, you know I enjoy a degree of control and predict … so letting go was CRAZY TALK! Or was it?

In our world that focuses on our imperfections, how does one find the courage to embrace vulnerability in order to find authenticity and worthiness? And, how do we build a culture of compassion to connect with others and share the message that we are all worthy. We all belong. And, we all deserve joy.

Now it is your turn.

Get beyond the title.

Watch the video.

There is a message within uniquely for you.

TED Talks: The Power of Vulnerability http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html

The Great Pumpkin

Pumpkin carving is a popular part of modern America’s Halloween celebration. Come October, pumpkins can be found everywhere in the country from doorsteps to dinner tables. Despite the widespread carving that goes on in this country every autumn, few Americans really know why or when the jack o ’lantern tradition began.

People have been making jack o’lanterns at Halloween for centuries. But what people don’t know is the practice originated from an Irish myth about a man nicknamed “Stingy Jack.” According to the story, Stingy Jack invited the Devil to have a drink with him. Jack didn’t want to pay for his drink (hence his name?), so he convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin that Jack could use to buy their drinks. Once the Devil did so, Jack decided to keep the money and put it into his pocket next to a silver cross to prevent the devil from changing back into his original form. Jack eventually freed the Devil, under the condition that he would not bother Jack for a year and he would never lay claim to Jack’s soul. A year passed and Jack was up to his trickery again. This time, he tricked the Devil by having him climb a tree for a piece of fruit. At the end, Jack walked away with ten years of not being bothered by the Devil. Unfortunately for Jack, he died. Legend says he was not able to go to Heaven nor Hell, and the Devil was so mad at Jack that he sent Jack off into the dark night with only a burning coal to light his way. Jack put the coal into a carved out turnip and has been roaming the Earth ever since. The Irish began to refer to this ghostly figure as “Jack of the Lantern,” and then simply “Jack O’Lantern.”

In Ireland and Scotland, people began to make their own versions of Jack’s lanterns by carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. In England, large beets are used. Immigrants from these countries brought the tradition with them when they came to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America, make perfect jack o’lanterns.

Did You Know?

Pumpkins are fruits.

A pumpkin is a type of squash and is a member of the gourd family.

The seed is edible and is a good source of protein, magnesium, copper and zinc.

Pumpkins have been grown in North America for five thousand years. They are indigenous to the western hemisphere.

In 1584, after French explorer Jacques Cartier explored the St. Lawrence region of No. America, he reported finding “gros melons.” The name became “pompions,” which has evolved into the modern name pumpkins.

The largest pumpkin pie ever baked was 2,020 pounds (in 2005*).*Guinness Book of World Records
The story of Stingy Jack was pulled from http://www.history.com/topics/jack-olantern-history

Festival + Family = Mooncake!!

The Chinese have celebrated the harvest during the autumn full moon since the Shang Dynasty. The festival, which falls on September 19 this year, is focused on the moon. Lunar worship, moon watching, lanterns, storytelling and mooncakes are a part of the celebration, as is a love story of a moon beauty (Chang’e), her husband and uber archer (Houyi), ten suns and a Jade Rabbit. But enough about that, let’s talk mooncake!

As the mid-autumn festival is an occasion of reunion, the round moon cake symbolizes the family circle and the flavor brings to mind the sweetness of filial ties. There are records of yuebing (moon cakes in Mandarin) from the Tang dynasty (609-960).

Typical mooncakes are round pastries, measuring about 10cm in diameter and 4–5cm thick. A rich thick filling usually made from white or red lotus seed, orange peel, or red bean paste is surrounded by a thin crust. The most popular include yolks to represent the roundness of the moon. The ornate decoration on the top of mooncake varies between words, the bakeries name, what is in the moon cake to decorations celebrating the festival.

Mooncakes are usually eaten in small wedges with tea and since I had never tried a mooncake before, I chose the smallest, white lotus paste one and tried it with some green tea. Totally unexpected was the texture and the flavor. Freshly baked moon cakes should be smooth, soft and delicate.

If you would like to learn more about the Mid Autumn Festival or mooncakes, click on either link below.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mooncake

Long Drive to Results

Driving execution is someone else's job....right? Nope! What differentiates extraordinary leaders from everyday managers is that the former demonstrate an active role in executing plans — not just in producing them. And in demonstrating execution, they model “drive for results”.

Drive for results is more complex in fluid or fungible organizations. Understanding and learning to leverage people, process and technology is required, but also enabling connections between the three in order to align them with vision and strategy.

With the goal to realize the vision and strategy, it is disheartening to review current statistics that reveal 70% of companies fail to implement their strategy. Shocking number when you think of the investment—time, money, reputation—that goes into strategy implementation.

Architecture was one of the last classes I took for my Masters degree. One of my favorite learnings from the class? Architects bring clarity to chaos. Another lesson was the importance of not only thinking big, deep thoughts, but having the ability to drive them to execution.

Tying this back to The Extraordinary Leader, Zenger and Folkman identify the following behaviors to demonstrate the activities necessary to drive for results:

• Aggressively pursue all assignments and projects until completion.
• Do everything possible to meet goals and deadlines. Identify actions, assign accountability and align communications, people and processes to deliver results.
• Consistently meet or exceed commitments.
• Follow through on assignments to ensure successful completion – don’t lose interest before a project is completed.
• Build commitment in others for their individual and team objectives.
• Hold others accountable for achieving results.
• Lead or champion efforts to increase productivity and goal accomplishment.

The role of Architecture in the organization affords us the ability to see what could be (vision), translate it into strategy and then oversee the tactical execution.

My advice to each of you is to passionately drive your vision through to reality. Recognize that more times than not, that will mean rolling up your sleeves and investing “sweat equity” to see a strategy all the way through!

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Wrapping it Up...

Here are some ideas that other leaders identified on how to improve effectiveness in the Drives for Results competency.

• Recognize and capitalize on opportunities.
• Set and maintain high performance standards for self and others that support our companies strategic plan and holds self and other team members accountable for achieving results.
• Try new things to reach challenging goals and persists until personal and team goals are achieved and commitments met.
• Work to meet individual and company goals with positive regard, acknowledgment of, and cooperation with the achievement of others' goals.
• Motivate others to translate ideas into actions and results.

As you make Drive for Results a focus continue to share your successes with the team for shared learning. Um, sounds like bullet #5 above in action!!

~ Stacy

The Theory of the Dipper and the Bucket (How Full is Your Bucket?)

The Theory of the Dipper and the Bucket is from the book, entitled How Full is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath and Donald Clifton.

"Each of us has an invisible bucket. It is constantly emptied or filled, depending on what others say or do to us. When our bucket is full, we feel great. When it’s empty, we feel awful.

Each of us also has an invisible dipper. When we use that dipper to fill other people’s buckets—by saying or doing things to increase their positive emotions—we also fill our own bucket. But when we use that dipper to dip from others’ buckets—by saying or doing things that decrease their positive emotions—we diminish ourselves.

Like the cup that runneth over, a full bucket gives us a positive outlook and renewed energy. Every drop in that bucket makes us stronger and more optimistic.
But an empty bucket poisons our outlook, saps our energy, and undermines our will. That’s why every time someone dips from our bucket, it hurts us.

So we face a choice every moment of every day: We can fill one another’s buckets, or we can dip from them. It’s an important choice—one that profoundly influences our relationships, productivity, health and happiness."

Less About Rain and More About Attitude

"some people walk in the rain...
others just get wet..."
-Roger Miller