Friday Newsletter | Lorne Rubis

Hot Topic Friday: May 31

Friday Newsletter Personal leadership

Happy Friday! Here are my May 31 Hot Topics and how they relate to advancing leadership or culture.

Hot Topic 1: ‘Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington Seeks Therapy.

Source: Page Six.

What it’s About: Kit Harington, best known for playing Jon Snow in HBO’s hit series “Game of Thrones,” spent time recovering from exhaustion and alcohol use at a rehab retreat in Connecticut. There was no spin or hiding the story. The actor was very transparent and proud of his decision to get help.

Why it’s Important: There is still too much negative stigma attached to declaring the need for mental wellness help. This is starting to change based on the courage of public figures like Harington, and radio personality Howard Stern, personally emphasizing the need and benefit of therapy. Mental health is perhaps the most important wellness issue of our time, and frankly, many of us need help. Our self-awareness and ability to confidently ask for it will move each of us forward.

Hot Topic 2: Mental Health: Truth is Lots of Us Need Help.

Source: Forbes.

What it’s About: To get a better sense of workplace mental health and stigma, 1,500 individuals were surveyed online between March and April, 2019. Nearly 60 percent of respondents experienced symptoms of a mental health condition in the past year. Half of those lasted from one month to the entire year. The most common symptoms were related to anxiety (37 percent), depression (32 percent), and eating disorders (26 percent). Perhaps even more surprising is that mental health symptoms were equally prevalent across all levels of seniority within companies, from individual contributors to the c-suite.

Why it’s Important: We have to make it acceptable and necessary to recognize when we are personally experiencing mental health issues. This includes more self-awareness. From drinking too much alcohol, eating disorders to depression, most of us can benefit from serious, competent therapy. Organizations need to lead the way with support services and leadership from and for top execs. That takes courage.

My Weekly Wine Recommendation (Thanks to Vivino):

Duckhorn Merlot Napa Valley 2015

[Picture and ratings provided by Vivino.]

And finally! Here’s Cecil’s Bleat of the Week!

“Do what you are scared to do and watch your confidence grow.” – Grant Cardone.

Bye for now!

– Lorne Rubis

Incase you Missed It:

Monday’s Lead In podcast.

Tuesday’s blog.

Wednesday’s Culture Cast podcast.

Also don’t forget to subscribe to our site, and follow Lorne Rubis on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for the latest from our podcasts, blogs, and all things offered on LorneRubis.com.

Hot Topic Friday: May 24

Friday Newsletter Personal leadership

Happy Friday! Here are my May 24 Hot Topics and how they relate to advancing leadership or culture.

Hot Topic 1: We Are More Adaptable than Top Leaders Think.

Source: Harvard Business Review.

What it’s About: According to a recent HBR article, the Project on Managing the Future of Work at Harvard Business School, teamed up with the Boston Consulting Group’s Henderson Institute in 2018, to survey 6,500 business leaders and 11,000 workers about the various forces reshaping the nature of work. The responses revealed a surprising gap: While the executives were pessimistic about their employees’ ability to acquire the capabilities needed to thrive in an era of rapid change, the employees were not. The employees were actually focused on the benefits that change would bring and far more eager to learn new skills than their leaders gave them credit for.

Why it’s Important: This idea that people are automatically resistant to change, and mostly need to be coerced to move forward, has been perpetuated and given rise to the idea we need to manage the changing of others. What if we assumed people were eager to adapt, grow, and improve instead of resistant, fearful, and ambivalent? Most people are eager to learn and thrive, and I need to lead in that context rather than managing their change.

Hot Topic 2: CEOs Are Held Accountable for More Than Financial Results.

Source: NPR.

What it’s About: NPR reports that the main reason chief executives were ousted from their jobs in 2018 was due to misconduct and ethical lapses. Historically, it’s mostly been financial results that has driven the termination criteria, with boards too willing to close their eyes or cover up other “personal matters.” The #MeToo era has impacted governance. However, my view is that attention to purpose, values and culture conversations has changed expectations regarding the corner office as well.

Why it’s Important: Corporations and their CEOs have an obligation to contribute to the well-being of all stakeholders, not just shareholders. In Canada, fiduciary board responsibility extends beyond shareholder return. It would serve all boards in every jurisdiction to govern this way. Stories about the “bad boy” behavior of CEOs, while touting their brilliance in delivering double digit shareholder returns, used to be the quiet after dinner chuckle amongst board members as they sipped on 18 year old scotch. Most CEOs get paid a ridiculous amount of money relative to the average employee. Get financial performance and BE the values you expect from the organization, or get fired!

My Weekly Wine Recommendation (Thanks to Vivino):

Gran Vino Tinto Mendoza Argentina 2015

[Picture and ratings provided by Vivino.]

And finally! Here’s Cecil’s Bleat of the Week!

“Truth – or more precisely, an accurate understanding of reality – is the essential foundation for any good outcome.” – Ray Dalio.

Bye for now!

– Lorne Rubis

Incase you Missed It:

Monday’s Lead In podcast.

Tuesday’s blog.

Wednesday’s Culture Cast podcast.

Also don’t forget to subscribe to our site, and follow Lorne Rubis on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for the latest from our podcasts, blogs, and all things offered on LorneRubis.com.

Hot Topic Friday: May 17

Friday Newsletter Personal leadership

Happy Friday! Here are my May 17 Hot Topics and how they relate to advancing leadership or culture.

Hot Topic 1: New Long-Term Stock Exchange to Open in California.

Source: Investopedia.

What it’s About: On May 10, 2019, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) granted approval for a new national securities exchange, the Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE). The LTSE (aka the Silicon Valley Stock Exchange), expects to begin accepting listings of companies and commencing trading sometime later in 2019. The exchange has high profile backers like venture capitalist, Marc Andreessen, who came to fame in the 1990’s as the co-developer of the pioneer browser, Netscape Navigator, and Eric Ries, who will be the CEO.

Why it’s Important: I’ve always believed that a CEO wringing his or her hands in quarterly increments is way more distracting than beneficial. Yes, businesses are expected to create sustainable value. However, short-term thinking can cause near-sighted, myopic decision making at the top of the house. A 2017 study by public policy think tank, Third Way, found that within five years after going public, the pressures to meet analysts’ short-term profit estimates leads to, on average, a 40 percent decline in patents; an indication that innovation momentum slows. Short-term focus can set you back. If you’re in the c-suite or board, keep your eye on this experiment and understand the implications for you. The long view is an important trend for the rest of us to be aware of.

Hot Topic 2: Adidas Will Sell 11 Million Ultra Cool Shoes Made of Plastic Waste.

Source: Goodnewsnetwork.org.

What it’s About: Adidas first started making the recycled shoes in collaboration with environmental group, Parley for the Oceans, in 2015. They developed the very cool kicks using plastic waste intercepted on beaches, before it can reach the oceans. The Parley shoes will reuse designs from the UltraBoost collection, and newer versions of Adidas Originals. They are as “hot” as these topics!

Why it’s Important: Before we are consumers, we are all citizens first. Many of us are looking beyond just a transaction. We want things that are hip, functional, available, and at value. Many of us will pay somewhat more when all four elements are achieved. The current plan, as I understand it, is to make the Parley originals out of recycled plastic and when they deteriorate, to grind and micro-manufacture your next pair out of the old pair; a continuous, local, personal supply chain. This is an example of how being purpose and value focused can drive innovation; maybe even market disruption.

My Weekly Wine Recommendation (Thanks to Vivino):

Checkered Lily Pinot Noir Anderson Valley California 2016.

[Picture and ratings provided by Vivino.]

And finally! Here’s Cecil’s Bleat of the Week!

“There is no innovation or creativity without failure.” – Brené Brown.

Bye for now!

– Lorne Rubis

Incase you missed it:

Monday’s Lead In podcast.

Tuesday’s blog.

Wednesday’s Culture Cast podcast.

Also don’t forget to subscribe to our site, and follow Lorne Rubis on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for the latest from our podcasts, blogs, and all things offered on LorneRubis.com.

Hot Topic Friday: May 10

Friday Newsletter Personal leadership

Happy Friday! Here are my May 10 Hot Topics and how they relate to advancing leadership or culture.

Hot Topic 1: Read 500 Pages a Day!

Source: Inc.

What it’s About: We should read much more than we are currently. The average person reads four books per year. Famous investor Warren Buffett, is quoted: “Read 500 pages every day. That’s how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will.”

Why it’s Important: There is ample research on the many physical and mental benefits of reading, and not just on your iPad or Kindle, either. Reading is different, and has additional and unique benefits not available from listening to podcasts or Audible books at 1.5x speed. Read more! Some tips: 1. Read physical books. 2. Set a reading goal and stick to it. 3. Read between the lines. 4. If the book sucks, move on. 5. Read several genres at once. 6. Make reading an experience.

Hot Topic 2: Ditch Netflix for a Novel.

Source: New York Times.

What it’s About: Did you ever play the game as a kid where you search for a certain color of car? After you find it, when you really look, they seem to be everywhere. This applies to the “read more books” theme. As I was finishing the Inc. article above, another showed up in the Sunday New York Times: “I had accidentally discovered one of the great disadvantages of books (a medium that is not exactly short on disadvantages at the moment). There is no team of brilliant and vaguely sinister engineers, cooking up ways to get you binge reading.”

Why it’s Important: Look, the fact is that most of us are just too darn screen addicted. As novelist Ben Dolnick emphasizes: “When I’ve found the right book, and I’m reading it the right way, reading is fun — head-tingling, goosebump-raising fun. It’s a vivid and continuous dream that is somehow both directed from without and cast from within, and I get to be awake for it… Netflix can wait.” I hope you read more. Your brain and body will like it. P.S. this is a tribute to my wife Kathleen, a ferocious physical book reader. She is the most read and best writer in our family.

My Weekly Wine Recommendation (Thanks to Vivino):

Stags Leap Wine Cellars Hands of Time Napa Valley 2014.

[Picture and ratings provided by Vivino.]

And finally! Here’s Cecil’s Bleat of the Week!

“You’re never as smart as you think you are when you are winning and never as dumb as you feel when you are losing.” – Michael Hyatt

Bye for now!

– Lorne Rubis

Incase you missed it:

Monday’s Lead In podcast.

Tuesday’s blog.

Wednesday’s Culture Cast podcast.

Also don’t forget to subscribe to our site, and follow Lorne Rubis on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for the latest from our podcasts, blogs, and all things offered on LorneRubis.com.

Hot Topic Friday: May 3

Abundance Accountability Friday Newsletter Personal leadership Respect

Happy Friday! Here are my May 3 Hot Topics relating to advancing leadership and culture.

Hot Topic 1: The Nike ‘Boys Club’ Lawsuits and What They Mean For All Organizations.

Source: Portland Business Journal.

What it’s About: Nike has faced various lawsuits since allegations of a toxic workplace first emerged more than a year ago. Nike has remained on the defensive, and continues taking numerous actions designed to improve the company’s culture.

[Note: While some lawsuits have since been dismissed, this uncomfortable distraction has caused increased attention to improving culture.]

Why it’s Important: Boards of directors are going to start really digging into the culture issue for risk management purposes, as much as for competitive leverage. CEOs who claim to be surprised or unaware of widespread inappropriate behavior are going to get fired.

Hot Topic 2: How ‘Free Solo’ is Inspiration for All Leaders.

Source: Inc.

What it’s About: A friend and thought-leader raved on about Free Solo over dinner. On June 3, 2017, Alex Honnold completed the 3,000-foot climb of El Capitan in Yosemite Park, without safety ropes or harnesses, in three hours, 56 minutes. This almost superhuman feat is a study in what it takes to be 10x better. The experience is captured in the Academy-Award winning documentary, Free Solo.

Why it’s Important: These outside-the-organization accomplishments can be such a learning framework for achieving extraordinary results. According to this Inc. article, Honnold attributes his success to lessons like: 1. Mind your mindset. 2. Extraordinary success requires focus and sacrifice. 3. Believe in your unlimited potential. 4. No luck – only preparation. 5. Shortcuts can prove fatal. 6. Overnight success takes years of hard work. Learn from Alex. Watch the movie. Become inspired!

My Weekly Wine Recommendation (Thanks to Vivino):

Treana Red Blend Paso Robles 2015.

Picture and ratings provided by Vivino.

And finally! Here’s Cecil’s Bleat of the Week!

“People don’t want a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole.” – Theodore Levitt

Bye for now!

– Lorne Rubis

Incase you missed it:

Monday’s Lead In podcast.

Tuesday’s blog.

Wednesday’s Culture Cast podcast.

Also don’t forget to subscribe to our site, and follow Lorne Rubis on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for the latest from our podcasts, blogs, and all things offered on LorneRubis.com.

Hot Topic Friday: April 26

Friday Newsletter Personal leadership

Happy Friday! Here are my April 26 Hot Topics relating to advancing leadership and culture.

Hot Topic 1: Transformations in Organizations Will Only Succeed if You Answer This Question.

Source: McKinsey & Company, Stephen Hall.

What it’s About: Renowned consultant organization, McKinsey & Company, published an instructive article regarding what serious, successful organizations do to drive meaningful, sustainable transformations; with a capital T!

Why it’s Important: The one important insight in the article I want to emphasize is the “why?” If the CEO and rest of the leadership team do not have a compelling, inspirational reason for the “why” behind a transformation initiative, then I’d suggest not wasting time and money by announcing one. There has to be a personal, emotional connection to the “why.” Start there, then ask incredible, mind-bending questions regarding a possible future. Think Big, Start Small, Act Now.

Hot Topic 2: How Challenging Your Perspective Can Increase Your IQ

Source: Rachel Kushner, The New York Times Magazine.

What it’s About: Ruth Wilson Gilmore, renowned scholar and prison abolitionist, makes her argument for why prisons should be abolished. While making me uncomfortable, she makes a thought-provoking case.

Why it’s Important: Google has a view that a shift in perspective measurably increases IQ. They have built a high performance, innovative culture based on collective mindsets that start with questions like: “How might we?” “Have you considered?” Exponential leaders need to be better at asking and challenging people to think in both innovative and disruptive ways. This includes inviting people to reconsider their traditional assumptions. For example: “What if we could eliminate the need for prisons?” Regardless of whether we agree or disagree with Gilmore, it’s a mindset exercise to help us practice confronting our perspectives.

My Weekly Wine Recommendation (Thanks to Vivino):

Quilt Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2016

Picture and ratings provided by Vivino.

And finally! Here’s Cecil’s Bleat of the Week!

“What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do.” – Tim Ferriss.

Bye for now!

– Lorne Rubis

Incase you missed it:

Monday’s Lead In podcast.

Tuesday’s blog.

Wednesday’s Culture Cast podcast.

Also don’t forget to subscribe to our site, and follow Lorne Rubis on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for the latest from our podcasts, blogs, and all things offered on LorneRubis.com.