Strong Leadership

My dad told me this Eisenhower quote the other day about successful leadership. I think that it is so important for an organization to have strong leadership to teach important qualities and drive positive growth in the environment. And, even though employees might not realize it at the time, workers on the receiving end of good leadership really value the structure and productivity.

My Dad followed up with this:

Well, I am a firm believer in planning outcomes, and working the plan to a successful conclusion. I was a Project manager by trade and I was very successful in every project that I did, and some were extremely large with up to 80 people working under me. We always had a plan and we constantly updated it with new information as we went down the path. This has served me well over the years and continues to do so, whether it’s large projects, a home building scenario, or just organizing my day to day activities.

Another way to say it is: Plan the work, then work the plan!

Rich Boy

Dave pulled a fancy music fact out at dinner the other night. Rich Girl, by Hall and Oates was originally titled Rich Boy after a guy they knew in college. Here's a quote from Hall about the lyrics and inspiration:

"Rich Girl" was written about an old boyfriend of Sara [Allen]’s from college that she was still friends with at the time. His name is Victor Walker. He came to our apartment, and he was acting sort of strange. His father was quite rich. I think he was involved with some kind of a fast-food chain. I said, "This guy is out of his mind, but he doesn't have to worry about it because his father's gonna bail him out of any problems he gets in." So I sat down and wrote that chorus. [Sings] "He can rely on the old man’s money/he can rely on the old man’s money/he's a rich guy." I thought that didn’t sound right, so I changed it to "Rich Girl." He knows the song was written about him

Picture Perfect

My coworker Scotty Karate has this picture set as his desktop background. It's perfectly positioned for me to stare at over the notice board of my desk. I love the picture. It's like a little piece of heaven.

Better Made in Detroit

I love Better Made potato chips. The traditional chips are light, crispy and mouth watering while the BBQ chips use a fantastic balance of sugar and spice. After looking into their history, it's pretty amazing that Better Made set up shop in Detroit during The Great Depression and has remained successful for 80 years.

Their site offers a quick glace at the Better Made plant on Gratiot, highlighting a 7 minute "Bin to Bag" packaging process, as well as a pretty diverse recipe section which features creative ways to cook with Better Made chips. Delicious!

A Must Read

Recommended by Julie, and further by myself, Gang Leader for a Day is a must read. This true story takes place in the Chicago Projects during the height of the Chicago gang era. Author Sudir Venkatesh details the ins and outs of life as a gang leader in the Black Kings, corner squatter, ruthless project leader, street hustler and average resident of the city's solution to mass housing. If you read Freakononmic, then you've experienced an excerpt. But, the whole story paints the best picture. I can't stop thinking about it! I felt like I was reading "True Life: I live The Wire".

Lessons on Vinyl

The very fancy and talented Ben Blackwell has a great article featured in Collectors Weekly this month. I enjoyed a mini science lesson on how vinyl records are made followed by the fantastic pic of Ben on his analog banana phone. Thanks for the smile!

Circles & Squares

The term L7 Weenie reminds me of The Sandlot. You know, when Squints is describing Smalls, "Come on, Benny. Man. The kid is a... L7 weenie!". But, it's ironic that with time the term evolved from a compliment to a slang insult. When referring to a person, a Square originally meant someone who was honest, traditional and loyal. An agreement that is equitable on all sides is a "square deal".

American culture transformed the term from a compliment to an insult to an obsolete term. The Square shape reference is created by putting together an "L" made with the left thumb and index finger and a "7" made with the right thumb and index finger. Makes total sense.

Personality Check

I'm a fan of Seth Godin's writing. His blog post today is straight forward and accurate. Light enough to make you think and strong enough to make you change your path.

Exploration and the risk of failure

People seem to be in one of two categories:

* Those who seek stability, affiliation, work worth doing and the assurance it (whatever it is) will be okay.
* Those who explore, need to know that failure is an option and quest to make a dent in the universe.

You can be in either category, the world needs and rewards both. But pick a brand and a job and a posture that matches your category, or you'll fail, and be miserable until you do.

Hint: there is no category of: "does risky exploration, never fails."

Hampsterdam

The Wire is by far the best TV series to date. This video sums up the best 100 quotes throughout all 5 seasons. Watching it reminds my why I gave 60 solid hours of my life to such a great cause. And, for the record, I still don't believe that Snoop is a girl.

Long Island Lolita

I was too young to really remember the whole Amy Fisher saga when it hit the news but I did catch Casualties of Love: The "Long Island Lolita" Story on Lifetime. And, I feel like I'm a better person for watching it. I can't believe IMDB only gave it 4.1/10 stars. Round of applause to Alyssa Milano. Who knew that the former Who's The Boss child star would go on to play such a pivotal role in a historical masterpiece... then create her own sports fashion line?

Now, I'm just wondering how I missed the Amy Fisher Story staring Drew Barrymore?

Anyway. That whole crew is still finding a way to make a dollar. This store in The Daily Beast, makes Mary Jo Buttafuoco the normal ones in the situation. If anyone reads her book, let me know. I'd love a full report.