» Leadership

Steve Jobs and his impact on our world

JT — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:59:33 +0000

Wednesday, October 5, 2011 the world bid farewell to one of its innovating leaders, Steve Jobs. Whether you are a “Mac person” or not, it is hard to step outside the rays f light cast by Steve and his amazing innovations. Calling him simply an “Apple co-founder” or “CEO of Pixar Animation” does no justice to the impact he has made on our lives. To collect a list of the innovations he birthed in his 56 years of life on Earth would be a travesty to the impact he made on countless people who never held an iPod or iPhone in their hands.

Steve Jobs was much more than a leader of the tech world, he was a leader of the real world. He was much more than a man with a Vision, he was a Visionary. There will never be another Steve Jobs in the world, ever. But the kind of genius he exuded, the Vision he developed and shared with the world and the passion he had for a life well-lived exists in all of us. Right now.

Below, I embedded a video of the commencement speech he gave at Stanford University. I first saw it in 2008 when I was going through a particularly tough time in life. To me, his message was–and still is–so powerful because he nails down the TRUE essence of life. It’s not about making money, accumulating “stuff” or having hordes adoring fans, it is about happiness.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. Everything else is secondary.”
~ Steve Jobs

Thank you, Steve. While you are already dearly missed, your legacy and influence live on for eternity.

Shift your momentum with leadership development training built for serious entrepreneurs:

How to turn 4 minutes into millions

JT — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 16:26:04 +0000

When I left the US Navy in September of 2008, I walked away from a childhood dream.

Ever since I was a kid, all I wanted to was to fly in the Blue Angels. At the age of 16, I was at an air show in Boise, Idaho and I was invited to go “backstage” with the Blues after one of their demonstrations. The lead pilot, Commander Gil Rud, made it a point to come straight up to me and thank me for being at his show.

He thanked me.

Why would he thank me? After all, I was the kid that grew up hearing from seemingly every person in my life that I was “not cut out for flying”, that my dream of becoming a Naval Aviator was a fantasy, and that I should be “more realistic” in my desires for my life.

But Commander Rud changed that. For four minutes, he talked directly to me. Didn’t look way for one second. Listened to me, soaked in my enthusiasm, and told me that one day I’d wear the Wings of Gold that only Naval Aviators earn.

And he was right.

I tell you this story because that short conversation was more than just a “pump up” speech. It was more than an autograph session and a way to get closer to a hero. It provided so much more.

It provided hope. It provided inspiration. It set the example.

When I flew to air shows, or even stopped to pump gas after a long day of flying, I would sometimes get asked by mothers and fathers if I would say hello to their sons or daughters. Those kids, they’d say, “dream of growing up to fly just like you do”. It was the best part of my job.

Today, I take my message of mission accomplishment and use it as a vehicle to help people feel like I felt that spring afternoon of my 16th year. My mission these days is to turn four minutes into millions. Not just in money; but in dreams. And I don’t mean dreams in some sort of “woo-woo” sense. I mean your TRUE calling–your mission.

I hope you take the opportunities in life to be inspired by people you look to for such energy. I hope that you take the opportunities to inspire others. You have that ability every single day just by deciding to be excellent in all you do. And when you do, you set the tone for the future of not only the people you touch, but also the tone you set for yourself.

Inspire someone or be inspired by someone today. The four minutes you spend doing so can turn into millions.

~JT

Shift your momentum with leadership development training built for serious entrepreneurs:

Lunar Eclipses and Once-In-A-Lifetime Moments

JT — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 11:47:52 +0000

December 20, 2010 was a day that many of us will remember if we took the time to experience an amazing phenomenon. Not only was it the Winter Solstice, but there was a total lunar eclipse; the last time a total lunar eclipse happened on the Winter Solstice was 1638…372 years ago! If you love looking at the night sky like I do, you’ll appreciate the footage I shot with my not-so-high-tech video camera. Staying up late to take this event in reminded me of the importance of taking time out of a bust life to enjoy the once-in-a-lifetime moments that slip past us almost undetected. Enjoy!

~JT

Shift your momentum with leadership development training built for serious entrepreneurs:

Watch what you say…it might influence someone

JT — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:35:12 +0000

Last night, my “baby” sister Kim (she’s 27 but younger than me!) had her first baby, a handsome little boy. He came into the world healthy, weighing in at 8 pounds, 9 ounces. Kim and her husband, Lance, have not yet decided on a name for him, but he’s magnificent either way.

I texted one of my brothers, who lives out of state, to tell him the great news. Unbeknownst to me his number changed and had been reassigned to someone else. I had inadvertently sent my text message to a total stranger! Here’s how the exchange went:

Me: “Hey, bro! Kimber had the baby! 8lbs 9oz…”

The response: “U must have the wrong number. Don’t know a kimber. Sorry bout that. But congrats”

Me (embarrassed and a little confused): “Sorry!”

At this point, you might assume the conversation ended. And for all intents and purposes it should have. But after a slight delay, and a bit of surprise on my end, here was the next text to come to my phone:

“Np. Congrats on the baby”

For some reason, that response struck chord with me. Not sure why, but it felt like genuine congratulations coming from the stranger on the other end of the line. It wasn’t so much what he or she said, but how the message was received.

I went on to explain my confusion, how I assumed he or she had the former cell number of my brother, and that we were celebrating the birth of our sister’s first baby. Rather than responding with “buzz off” or nothing at all, the final response was:

“Cool”

Now, I tell you this story because often in life, we overlook or underestimate the impact we have on others. We rarely consider the influence our words, or even something as simple as a brief response, can have on another person.

Too often in our busy lives we lose sight of just how important a simple gesture like holding the door open for someone, or saying “thank you”, or a pleasant smile can alter the other person’s day.

My electronic pen pal probably never will know how he or she lifted my already-high spirits. Or how by simply responding to let me know I had the wrong number made it possible to share the beautiful news of our family joy with my brother. It was, after all, Monday night; there was a football game on and other things far more important than responding to an errant text message.

But not to my mysterious pen pal.

He or she took the time to respond. Took the time to have a simple, seemingly unimportant conversation with me. And perhaps as you read this, you may think, “big deal!”. But to me it IS a big deal. Because I appreciate how hectic the pace of life can be, and how the seemingly never-ending gush of emails and text messages can intrude at times when you just want to relax and unplug.

I also appreciate how a simple ‘congrats’ on the other end of a wayward text message can feel pretty good.

Thank you, whoever you are. I appreciate your simple gesture of kindness.

And welcome to the world, my handsome little nephew!
~JT

Shift your momentum with leadership development training built for serious entrepreneurs:

No related posts.

Are You Slippin’ On The Way Up The Mountain Of Success?

JT — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 06:27:28 +0000

Sometimes in business, life…and mountain biking, we have to make adjustments to get to the top of the hill. Entrepreneurs, leaders, and high-achievers know what I’m talking about. Making small adjustment–gradual tweaks–can make a huge difference in your performance. Check out this video to learn the 3 things that help me get to the top of any hill.

Shift your momentum with leadership development training built for serious entrepreneurs:

You Deserve Credit For That…

JT — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 04:22:42 +0000

No matter where you are in life, no matter what your background or upbringing might be, you have endured a lot. You are more resilient, more flexible and tougher than you think. If you are like a lot of high-achievers, you probably don’t give yourself enough credit for the things you do well, and probably don’t account for your strengths or your victories as much as you should. Check out this video and learn a major point of entrepreneur leadership: taking credit for your victories. Take stock of your strengths, outsource your weaknesses, and build momentum off the reality that you are stronger and tougher than those who dare not to endeavor.

Shift your momentum with leadership development training built for serious entrepreneurs:

What Is Your Story?

JT — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 21:26:56 +0000

What is your vision? What is your dream? What is your message to the world? If you are an entrepreneur, coach, leader, innovator or someone who wants to influence the world you must make your message known to the world. Right now, the world needs more heroes, and there has never been a better time in our world’s history to make a profound difference. Watch this video and see what I mean!

Shift your momentum with leadership development training built for serious entrepreneurs:

Leadership Development Through Associations

JT — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:34:08 +0000

Leadership Development is influenced by so many things, your head would spin just thinking about it. But one of the key factors to success in leadership is choosing who you associate with on a daily basis. Check out this video and learn how you can streamline your associations to maximize your time and cut your learning curve in half. It’s a technique I learned form the amazing Eben Pagan…

Shift your momentum with leadership development training built for serious entrepreneurs:

Leadership Development Lessons From a 4 Year-Old

JT — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:30:32 +0000

Leadership development lessons can come from just about anybody, regardless of their age. Check out what my 4 year-old daughter, Callie, has to say about her champion mindset and doing what you love!

Shift your momentum with leadership development training built for serious entrepreneurs:

Leadership Lessons From Walt Disney

JT — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:48:21 +0000

Earlier this year my family and I took a trip to Disneyland. It was nice to get back to Southern California for a few days, and we had the pleasure of having Mia’s folks join us for the trip.

It was the first time our daughter, Callie, had been to “The Happiest Place On Earth”, and our son Maximus (then 15-months old) was enjoying his maiden voyage as well.

I want to share 3 valuable lessons it took away from Walt Disney as I visited his amusement park.

Lesson 1: Continually upgrade, grow and build.
My two favorite rides when I was a kid were Space Mountain and The Haunted Mansion. When we visited the park in September, BOTH rides were closed. I was bummed.

But the employees of the park did a great job of enthusiastically talking about how those rides are the crown jewels of their upcoming Halloween extravaganza, and were being upgraded for their big celebration.

What did that do for me, the customer?
1.) It immediately took the frustration out of my experience, because I couldn’t help but feel the Disney employee’s genuine enthusiasm.
2.) It made me want return the following month for the big Halloween bash. Gone was my initial annoyance; that was replaced by a sense of anticipation for the future. I wanted to be there, dammit! That is great for business.

Lesson 2: Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For The Sale
From the time you show up to the park until the moment you leave, Disney is constantly selling you. You have the option to show up an hour early; when you do, you are given access to the shops, the Disney characters (gotta get a picture with Mickey!), and of course food and drinks.

You get another opportunity at this when the park closes. All the shops and restaurants are open for an additional hour “for you convenience”. Why? So you can focus on enjoying the park, the rides, and the experience. Sure. But because the rides are closed, and you (and your kids) are far from ready to leave at that point.

The impeccable cleanliness of the grounds, outstanding customer service and perceived value of the product creates an incredible immersion of joy. You almost feel obligated to purchase a souvenir before you leave just so you can take a piece of the experience home with you.

Point here is that Disney is not at all afraid to ask for the sale. They have made a staggering fortune from professionally, confidently, and consistently selling in an almost-elegant fashion.

Lesson 3: Attitude Is Everything
I swear there must be something in the water at Disneyland. Every employee presents a professional, upbeat, and gracious attitude, seemingly every second of the day. I like to think I’m pretty good at picking up on things like this, and I can tell you that in the 3 days we were in hte park, I never once picked up on a bad attitude, fatigue, annoyance, unhappiness, or displeasure from a single Disney employee. And it was all genuine.

How do you get EVERY employee to project an attitude like that?
1.) Create a culture of quality. That means “service first” thinking. In a business like Disney’s you have to serve the customer, and over-deliver the quality.
2.) Total belief in the brand. I doubt any human being, regardless of their level of mental toughness or physical fitness could wear a fuzzy duck/mouse/dog/bear suit in 80-plus degree heat for hours on end, kids pestering you for photos, and the same Its-A-Small-World-After-All music playing over and over (and over) in your head and stay happy unless they had total belief in the brand and the mission.
3.) Money Could Not Be The Only Focus. Money is great, and money is important, but it cannot be the sole motivator for entrepreneurs. Walt Disney passionately loved his work, and that energy transcends time and permeates its way into every member of the Disney staff.

Strive to have that level of influence in your business, too.

I could write a book on my trip to Disneyland; it was that profound. As a kid, I loved it for the wonder and magic. As an entrepreneur I loved it for the unbelievable attention to detail and world-class professionalism. It was a real treat to witness a top-notch organization operate at such a high level.

If you have the chance to get to any Disney park, definitely go. Take notes, learn all you can, and remember Walt Disney’s quote:
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

~JT

Shift your momentum with leadership development training built for serious entrepreneurs: