Evolve or Die

by Thomas C Triumph

  Flip it. You put together your own new look as the CEO—and approach your job with a new CEO-like perspective. The disguise or “new look” doesn’t need to be with clothes, though you could try to look more of the part—whatever that means in your company. Mostly though, the “new look” is the perspective and the questions you bring to your work.

  What are the things about your job that need fixing?

  Why is the department doing things this way?

  How could these projects go smoother?

  What are all the things you’re responsible for, and which ones matter the most?

  What things could you do differently, even as an experiment just a few times, to see if there are any improvements?

  What extra things could you do that would improve the quality of the work?

  How might the job change in three to five years, and what could you do to begin the changes?

  How could your eight hours of work get done in seven hours (or less)?

  What could you do outside your job? (Perhaps write a blog post, read a list of relevant books, meetup with people in similar jobs to compare and consider best practices, or interview industry thought leaders.)

  What could you analyze, test, or trial? Can you write a report of recommendations?

  Doing those things will have you thinking and acting more like the improvement-seeking solution-searching person you are.

  You’ll be thinking beyond your normal day-to-day activities. Maybe you can add some colleagues. It might even be fun.

  But the reality is … Your quest for improvements will probably be frustrating. It’ll definitely require extra effort, working through lunches, and some late nights. You might be viewed with odd looks or even criticism from your colleagues. Some of your ideas will probably be lame. Many of your suggestions will be ignored. It won’t be easy. And in the end, your work might not have any impact.

  But regardless of the outcomes, you’ll be better for the effort. You’ve stepped up and attempted to make things better. To improve the company and yourself. You’ll begin to recognize yourself as a CEO, at least of the work and the people for which you’re responsible. Soon others will recognize you too. That’s something you can’t disguise.

  The Secret to Great Work

  The refrigerator was dangling precariously from a rope about 20 feet in the air. Definitely not where it should be. I watched it break free and fall … on top of two guys working below. There was a massive crash and a lot of commotion. I don’t remember what happened next. But I do know both guys were fine. It was the magicians and illusionists Penn and Teller, who were performing their show in Los Angeles, aptly titled “The Refrigerator Tour.”

  I know enough about magic to know that a magician never reveals the secret. But this is something I’ve thought a lot about, so the rule will be broken. For one thing, I’m not a magician. For another, the secret could be applied to your business or line of work. The third rationalization for giving it away, is that I heard Penn Jillette talking about the magic and he let out the secret (perhaps inadvertently) during an excellent interview with James Altucher.40

  Should I be afraid?

  Penn Jillette is six foot seven inches tall and is the boisterous ringmaster for the duo, while Teller basically never speaks on stage (he learned while performing in college that if he said nothing, he was less likely to have hecklers throw things at him). My point is that Jillette could hurt me, and Teller ain’t talkin’. Besides, it’s fairly apparent they could certainly make me disappear.

  They’re bright, talented, and hard-working—and have come a long way since they started performing in the 1970s, when they were basically living out of their car and working nonstop. They have been headlining at the Rio in Las Vegas since 2001, have their own television show, and were recently awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (near the star dedicated to Houdini).

  “Doing beautiful things is its own reward.”

  —Teller

  So, what’s their secret. Here goes …

  Penn (I’m using his first name as a technique to get friendly before spilling the beans) explains their general thinking in these sentences cleverly hidden throughout the interview.

  “What I’ve learned, in art, you need both inspiration and skills.”

  “Once you get the brilliant idea, then you have to do the massive hard work.”

  “The most important thing is everything.

  “You’ve got to be brave enough to do shit that is absolutely buck-nutty crazy, and then you’ve got to work hard enough to make that being done perfectly skillful.”

  Then my friend, Penn, who I greatly respect (ahem) explains what really goes on behind the curtain!

  “There is only one trick we do. And that trick is we’re willing to work harder than you think we would work. We just put in a trick in the show that runs three minutes, that Teller and I worked on for six years solid. You would not work six years to do three minutes. We would.”

  Dear Penn and Teller, Don’t hurt me. It was a secret that needed to be told.

  Survival Lessons from the First Fish in Space

  I’m not above taking advice from a fish. Especially the first fish in space. The questions scientists and NASA wanted to know was, “How would a fish swim in a completely new environment of zero gravity? How would a fish (or a school of fish) orient itself?”

  If you think about it, it’s a great question! There is no “up” or “down” in zero gravity. In fact, if you’re swimming while in space, there’s not even a “sideways” or a “crooked.” There’s no gravity for the fish to orient itself. So NASA took live fish up to space and let them swim around in zero gravity. What they found out was really interesting.

  There were two main lessons I caught from this study. So, thank you, NASA and scientists, and my apologies to the fish for using the word caught. I think the surprising findings will help guide my future!

  Aside from being an interesting question to any curious person, it got me thinking about applying the findings here on Earth. Even with gravity, things can feel a bit disorienting in our careers and lives. Sometimes it seems the world is changing so fast, that the old “right-side-up” rules don’t quite apply.

  A study by Oxford University said 47 percent of the current jobs will disappear in the next 25 years, largely due to robots, automation, and artificial intelligence.41

  Historically, technology displaced jobs, but those losses were offset by the creation of new jobs required to support the new technologies. Such was the case with the Industrial Revolution, when machines and factories resulted in the significant elimination of many craftspeople. Although a large percentage of those folks then retrained and went to work in those factories building, operating, and repairing the machines.

  But researchers say the coming revolution is different, as a large number of displaced jobs are not going to be replaced in other areas of employment. As is always the case, there’s some disagreement among the economists and academics who study such things. Predicting the future is slippery business, and not as simple as shooting fish in a barrel. I couldn’t resist using two fish metaphors in one sentence. Take time to mullet over.

  But, regardless of the specifics, there’s going to be major disruption and subsequent disorientation resulting from the accelerating impact of technologies including driverless vehicles, artificial intelligence (AI), automation, etc.

  So, here are two lessons from the fish when they experienced zero gravity environment in space.

  Keep moving.

  When faced with a new (weightless) environment, the fish kept moving like they were swimming around in the bay down on Earth. This, of course, was necessary, as the water moving through their gills provided them oxygen to live.

  Maybe this isn’t too surprising. But, on the other hand, maybe if we were in space we’d just float around, stare out the window, eat freeze-dried astronaut ice cream, and stop exercising. Hopefully, we’ll all keep moving when our environmen
t changes. “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.”

  —Stephen Hawking

  Move toward the light.

  For the first few days in their zero gravity environment, the fish swam in random, directional ovals. There was no gravity pulling them to indicate which way was up or which way was down. Without directional orientation, they swam in upside-down and sideways loops. However, after a few days, the fish eventually settled on what was consistently their “up” and “down!”

  How did they do that? Wherever the light originated, the fish assumed that to be “up.” After all, the sunlight is always shining from above when they’re on Earth. So, eventually the fish always kept their backs to the interior lighting within the space lab. That makes sense. Even the fish learned to orient themselves to the light. “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to

  anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”

  —Yoda

  So thank you to the fish for teaching me those two vital lessons on adapting to change. Keep moving and orient using the light. You don’t have to be a brain sturgeon to keep their pioneering spaceflight in mind as we navigate the changing world here on Earth.

  If you think of a better fish pun … let minnow.

  “No good fish goes anywhere without a porpoise.”

  —Lewis Carroll

  Lessons from

  Working with Leaders

  There’s nothing quite like working with great people. During a recent business trip, I thought about the things I’ve learned from some of the great people with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working. I simply thought about those folks who’ve made lasting positive impressions, those I learned from and wanted to imitate. It goes without saying—you don’t need to be the person at the top to lead. So, certainly, these lessons were learned from folks at all levels.

  The list flowed readily within just a few minutes. In no particular order, other than the order in which these lessons came to mind, here is what I noted.

  Be candid, be direct, and be considerate.

  Let your word be your bond.

  Show up early, everywhere.

  Take time for lunch.

  Pitch in and do whatever needs to be done. Don’t wait for an invitation, and don’t wait for somebody else to get started first. It’s ok to be the first. Others will follow you (or not).

  Go home at night and get your rest.

  Set aggressive goals and drive yourself (and those you’re leading) to attain them. People want to pursue big goals.

  Insist on a written schedule and plan. A verbal plan is not worth the paper it’s not printed on.

  Work weekends, evenings, and early morning when needed.

  Start your day early.

  Don’t worry about the things you can’t control.

  Be nice. That doesn’t mean you can’t be direct and hold people accountable.

  Politely acknowledge the naysayers and doubters who offer no constructive criticism, then promptly discard their opinions and move along steadfastly with your efforts.

  Be generous with your time.

  Structure business dealings where all the parties have a shared interest in the same outcome.

  Be a gentleman or a lady. Being polite, considerate, and exhibiting some class are distinct characteristics that always reflect positively.

  Be steadfast.

  Never make a threat.

  Trust your instincts. They’re coming from the most advanced-thinking machine in the known universe—the human brain.

  Take responsibility for your own career and life. Outside of your children or your spouse … nobody really cares.

  Make the hard decisions.

  Stay physically active. Our bodies were made to move. Move. Every day.

  Adapt to change, including new technologies. Usually things are awkward and slow going at first. Get used to it. Learn. Improve. Repeat.

  Try new things.

  Don’t be afraid.

  Dress like a professional.

  Swear infrequently.

  Control your temper and remain collected.

  Set your sites on the future, and really make a point of enjoying the day—today.

  What You Learn from a Difficult (Career) Path

  This is embarrassing to admit, but when I was in first grade, my mom got me a little briefcase. This had nothing to do with my wanting to be a businessman, but it had everything to do with my wanting to be James Bond. She even wrote on the inside in block lettering, “Property of 007.” It was the only attaché case in the entire St. Joseph Catholic school. No surprise.

  While waiting for the bus at the end of the day, one of the older kids purposely kicked my briefcase across the paved parking lot. I remember watching it slide like a big, black, hockey puck.

  I loved James Bond. He was tough and cool. He defeated lots of bad guys, and by the end of the movie, he saved the world. Bond would overcome ridiculous odds through cleverness, confidence, tenacity, and well-honed skills.

  And like most boys, I loved gadgets. And Bond had lots of innovative technology—a rocket belt, an underwater jet pack, a mini rocket cigarette, and a Rolex with a rotating bezel that cuts ropes (and let him escape from a tank of man-eating sharks). But maybe all that toughness and all those inventions pale in comparison to the tenacity required to create the man himself.

  Before he became 007, James Bond was homeless. Well, more accurately, the actor Daniel Craig was homeless. Craig was a struggling actor with no money, and he slept on park benches. It should have been obvious that villains in the movie wouldn’t stand a chance against him. The guy slept on park benches for a time.

  And if James Bond is not your cup of tea (the British reference was unavoidable), there are a shocking number of other successful people who were also homeless at one time. They include Suze Orman, Jim Carrey, Ella Fitzgerald, Houdini, Sylvester Stallone, and Charlie Chaplin—to name just several.

  I can’t imagine the difficulty and hardship involved in moving from the streets to establishing a successful career and life. But, amazingly, some people do it. Perhaps not surprisingly, they credit their early struggles with helping build the framework for their future successes.

  Here is what some people have said that being homeless taught them.

  Innovation

  It probably goes without saying, but creativity and invention are often necessary in creating a new future to move toward. Without that invented or imagined destiny, you’d have no goal and would stop making progress.

  John Paul DeJoria, the founder of the hair-care company John Paul Mitchell Systems and an American billionaire says, “When you start with next to nothing, all you’ve got is a lot of thought, a lot of innovation, figuring new ways to do things without using a lot of money.” He was homeless twice.

  Courage.

  The fear of being stuck, of failing, must feel incredibly discouraging. And that fear needs to be pushed aside with bravery.

  Turns out David Letterman spent time living in his red 1973 Chevy pickup while he was a struggling comedian in Los Angeles. Dave said, “There’s only one requirement of any of us, and that is to be courageous. Because courage, as you might know, defines all other human behavior. And, I believe—because I’ve done a little of this myself—pretending to be courageous is just as good as the real thing.”

  A Sense of Humor

  It’s hard to imagine maintaining a sense of humor about such a difficult situation. But Joan Rivers, the Emmy-winning television show host and comedienne, spent some time living in her car, said it was critical. “Life goes by fast. Enjoy it. Calm down. It’s all funny. Next. Everyone gets so upset about the wrong things.”

  Taking Action

  No doubt, the ability to continue putting one foot in front of the other and moving toward your goal is essential in making progress. Whoever told you “Nothing comes to those who wait” was right.

  Tyler Perry, the actor, director, writer, producer, and playwright, lived in hi
s Geo Metro convertible in the mid-1990s. His words of advice, “The key to life when it gets tough is to keep moving. Just keep moving.”

  Empathy

  Although nobody wants to endure hardship for long, it does provide perspective. In general, and whether you believe it or not, there’s often a thin line and a small number of events that separates people and their seemingly wildly different situations.

  Singer-songwriter and musician Ed Sheeran, who at times slept on the Central Line and outside Buckingham Palace said, “Be nice to everyone, always smile, and appreciate things because it could all be gone tomorrow.”

  Persistence

  Actress Halle Berry slept in a homeless shelter in New York City for a time. “There have been so many people who have said to me, ‘You can’t do that,’ but I’ve had an innate belief that they were wrong. Be unwavering and relentless in your approach.”

  Belief

  Like a lot of things in life, what people do depends on what they believe they can do.

  Jean-Claude Van Damme slept on the streets of Los Angeles, working for his break in Hollywood. “I came to America with a dream and I made it. The dream became reality. America is built for success.”

  I continued taking my 007 briefcase to first grade, but as I continued through school, I found an even better character to imitate—Captain Kirk, the commander of the USS Enterprise. He was cool under pressure, utilized lots of innovations (he went into warp drive in every show, for goodness sake), and was a good leader. Captain Kirk also had to deal with things not even James Bond encountered—aliens. In hindsight, it should have been obvious that aliens wouldn’t stood a chance against Captain Kirk. Turns out, William Shatner also spent some time nearly broke and living in his pickup truck.

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