Let the games begin

Today's opening ceremonies will usher in one of the most celebrated and controversial events of the new millennium. The Beijing Olympic Games, as IOC President Jacques Rogge has said, will provide an opportunity for the world to gain a better understanding of China, and for China's 1.3 billion people to better understand the rest of the world.

Should China have won the opportunity to host the Games? That's debatable. But I believe in the old adage "be careful what you wish for, because it may come true." China, famous for its strict and oppressive rule, has invited the world to its so-called coming out party. The awe-inspiring show, however, may not generate the intended effect, as China will be demystified before the world and ultimately held more globally accountable. That's a good thing.

In the months leading up to the Olympics, many called on world leaders to boycott the games. But to me, this is not a place for political posturing. (Imagine if Jesse Owens had not competed at the '36 games in Berlin.) The Games, and the spirit of Olympism, are dedicated to the highest ideals, set forth in the Olympic charter:

"Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, Olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles."

The pursuit of excellence. Mutual respect and fairness. Global unity. Let those ideals be the legacy of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

2008 LIVESTRONG Summit

Earlier this year, I was chosen by the Lance Armstrong Foundation to be a delegate to the 2008 LIVESTRONG Summit, which is being held this weekend at the Ohio State University in Columbus. I'm excited to meet other cancer activists from around the country, particularly those from other research universities. Although we'll hear from some famous folks and leading cancer experts, including former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, Senator John McCain and, of course, Lance Armstrong, I think I'm most excited about the workshops.

Sessions will focus on topics like grassroots advocacy, building a volunteer army, organizing community events, engaging voters and holding leaders accountable. I know I'll learn a lot, and I'll be eager to get back to campus to enlist KU students, faculty, staff and members of the Lawrence community in this fight against cancer. There's a lot we can do. Watch this space for more. In the meantime, enjoy this video about the 2008 LIVESTRONG Summit.

KU Fights Cancer

The University of Kansas is emerging as a leader in the fight against cancer. Last month, KU announced the opening of a Phase I clinical trial for a new ovarian cancer drug, Nanotax, developed by researchers at the KU Cancer Center. The new drug is a reformulation of the common chemotherapy drug, Paclitaxel, which is administered intravenously. Unpleasant side effects have been attributed to the solvent mixed with the drug for delivery.

The development of Nanotax by KU researchers was significant for two reasons. By breaking Paclitaxel to nanopartical form, they were able to mix it with water, allowing the drug to be administered to a patient's abdomen.

"By removing the source of the negative side effects, we believe Nanotax will be a less toxic treatment," said Roy Jensen, director of the KU Cancer Center.

Nanotax is also significant because it is KU's first "bench to bedside" drug, which means it was discovered, tested and brought to clinical trial by KU scientists at the KU Cancer Center. This fact significantly enhances KU's quest to obtain NCI designation for the KU Cancer Center. Kansas City remains the largest metropolitan area in the U.S. not served by an NCI designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and the university has made attaining the designation it's top priority.

KU has had a lot of big wins this past year, but this news was truly worth celebrating.

Olympic Hero: Eric Shanteau

Have you ever heard of Eric Shanteau? If not, you will soon.

Eric Shanteau trained his whole life for a shot at making the U.S. Olympic swim team. Although he was not picked among the favorites to make the team, he qualified for the trials this year, and came in prepared to swim the race of his life. He stunned everyone, save perhaps himself, when he touched the wall in second place, earning a trip to Beijing. Imagine, the weight of preparing your entire life for one short race.

Now imagine the weight of learning, just one week before that race, that you have cancer. Shanteau, diagnosed with testicular cancer just before the trials, used that knowledge to inspire the performance of his life. Then, almost immediately after making the team, he faced an agonizing decision. Skip the Olympics–his lifelong dream–to have surgery to remove the cancer as quickly as possible, or prolong the potentially life-saving procedure to fulfill his Olympic dream.

He chose the Olympics. Cancer would have to wait.

Although doctors will monitor him closely and pull him out if the cancer appears to be spreading to quickly, Shanteau's brave decision will bring national and international attention to a disease affecting 1.4 million Americans. He will not only be swimming for his country, he'll be inspiring cancer survivors worldwide and motivating leaders to join the fight.

Sound familiar? Since starting the Lance Armstrong Foundation in 1997, the 7-time Tour de France winner–and cancer survivor–has focused the spotlight on a disease that hits 1 in 4 families. Through his celebrity and the popularity of those now ubiquitous LIVESTRONG yellow wrist bands, Armstrong's fight has enlisted other notable cancer activists, such as Elizabeth Edwards, Ted Kennedy and the late Tony Snow. Last night on the ESPY awards, many people probably learned for the first time that ESPN personalities Stuart Scott and Robin Roberts were also recent cancer survivors when they presented the Jimmy V. Award for Perseverance. No one is immune. It's everyone's fight.

Although cancer affects millions worldwide, I am encouraged by the increased visibility the cause is receiving, thanks to those who are brave enough and able to capture the spotlight and keep it focused where it should be, on ending this dreaded disease. I've highlighted the efforts of Lance Armstrong before in my blog, as well as those behind Stand Up To Cancer. At the Olympic Games, Eric Shanteau will make his mark on the world, and his contribution will be greater than gold.

Kindred Spirits

Last night I watched one of my favorite movies from my teenage years, The Natural, starring Robert Redford as Roy Hobbs, an aging, journeyman ball player on his quest to become the best who ever played the game. I always loved the movie and was drawn to Hobbs' character for some reason, but I never really understood why until last night, when he uttered the famous line, "God I love baseball."

Roy was no saint, as this espn.com article attests. But what I admired about his character was not his virtue; it was his unapologetic passion for the game. Sadly, it's all too rare to find this characteristic in others, since so few people are willing to wear their loyalty on their sleeve for fear of public scrutiny. If you were to simply ask people "what are you passionate about," many would find the question invasive and awkward. But I recently met someone who, like Roy Hobbs, was so dedicated to her passion that I immediately connected with her.

I met "Tanya" at a training workshop for LeaderShape counselors. LeaderShape is an immersive week-long leadership camp that is a transforming experience for participants. Tanya was the co-lead for our session, and the very first thing she said when introducing herself to us was, "LeaderShape is my favorite thing in the world. I love it." So in the first minute of knowing her, I knew everything I needed to know about her. I knew her passion.

At the conclusion of the camp, she said we had a "kindred spirit," which was flattering. It told me she understood my passion as well. But to those who know me, and even those who have just met me, it's not difficult to figure out what I care about. After all, I'm not a tough nut to crack. I don't care about much, but the things that are important to me, I care deeply about them, and people know that. I find that I relate well to those who are similarly unapologetic about their passions, whether they are educators, politicians, athletes, ...or, apparently, even fictional movie characters.

The Girl Effect

Last month, the Nike Foundation and Peter and Jennifer Buffett announced a $100 million investment in, well, girls. They call it “the girl effect”: the ability of adolescent girls in developing countries to bring unprecedented social and economic change to their families, communities and countries.

As the father of 2 girls, I can assure you there's no more powerful force in the world than the potential of a girl when given a chance. There are a lot of causes out there, approaching the world's challenges from many different angles. This one that makes a heck of a lot of sense to me. Check it out.

Stretching the Brand

This week, the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and Demand Media announced the launch of LIVESTRONG.com, an online community dedicated to healthy living, built on the brand essence of LIVESTRONG (e.g. health, fitness, nutrition, balance), a brand Nike created and nurtured for the LAF in 2003.

Containing more than 600,000 pages of content, LIVESTRONG.com includes more than 15,000 videos and articles, 50,000 questions and answers, plus personal profiles, photo galleries, discussion groups, personal action plans, recipes, interactive tools and calculators... (whew) let's face it, it's a behemoth. More to the point, it's a stretch.

I get the strategy- it's an evolution of the brand, leveraging it's key attributes. I'm just not sure I buy it. Where does it leave the foundation? I'm looking at my little yellow LIVESTRONG wrist band today, and I'm not sure what to make of it. Yesterday it said I was united in the fight against cancer. Today, however, I think it says a lot more ...and means a lot less. Let's watch- I could always be wrong.

Faster. Cheaper. Better?

Faster? Yes, please.
Cheaper? Thank you.
Better? Are you kidding?
Apple's announcement yesterday that the revolutionary iPhone would be getting an upgrade surprised few people. Rumors abounded that the new versions would take advantage of the faster 3G (third generation) network with speeds approaching broadband. And while most early iPhone adopters were willing to sacrifice speed for mobility, those days are dwindling. Meanwhile, the biggest obstacle to iPhone purchases, not surprisingly, was price. So Apple announced significant cuts, dropping the 8GB iPhone from $399 to $199. Meaning, you'll start seeing a lot more of them.

But the real surprise (to me anyway) was the announcement of iPhone 2.0. Apple had already revolutionized "smart" phones with a new touch interface and multiple applications that take advantage of OS X's advanced graphical user interface, as well as features like multi-touch, built-in GPS and accelerometer. Developers–like kids in a candy store–are already producing amazing apps, soon to be available at the new "App Store." Apple also threw in support for Microsoft Exchange, catering to enterprise users demanding push email, calendar and contacts, enabling the iPhone to take on (and overtake) the industry leader, Blackberry.

Apple didn't have to make it better. Faster? Yes, please. Cheaper? Thank you. But better? Once again, Apple sets the standard for innovation, while their competitors can barely keep up. Not only will the iPhone become a new standard, much like iPod became the brand standard mp3 player, iPhone 2.0–in my opinion–will become the third major computing platform. Effectively there is now Mac OS X, Windows, and iPhone. And pretty soon, your Blackberry with QWERTY keyboard will be as outdated as a rotary-dial phone.

Historic Milestone

Last night marked a milestone in this year's presidential election as well as in our nation's history. Barack Obama earned enough delegates to become the presumptive democratic nominee, becoming this country's first black candidate for president representing a major party.

Either way, we knew this would be a historic race, pitting the first black man who would be president against the first woman, but what is most satisfying to me, is how race and gender became secondary. Even though votes seemed separated as much by demography as ideology, the campaigns were primarily issue based.

Race and gender became the focus only for fleeting moments. Obama's association (and disassociation) with an outspoken pastor seemed to indicate more of a cultural divide than a political one. And Hillary's gender only seemed to be an issue when her husband (and his potential impact on her presidency) came into the picture. Despite these instances, both candidates held their own, and proved they were ready for the office. And Americans proved they were ready too.

Hillary will leave a tremendous mark in American politics. Although I would never have voted for her or her policies, she showed an unrelenting commitment to issues and prepared this nation for the inevitability of a truly capable female commander-in-chief. As for Obama, his legacy continues to be his transformational leadership and the movement he started that has swept the country. Could you describe it in one word? Can we elect Barack Obama? By now, I think you know the answers.

Stand Up

I had lunch today with Jan-Eric Anderson, a good friend of mine at Barkley- the KC agency that has emerged as a leader in the cause marketing movement thanks largely to Mike Swenson, Barkley's EVP, CMO (and KU grad). My visit reminded me of something special that happened last week in the fight against cancer that I thought was worth sharing, and I'm sure the folks at Barkley would agree.

Laura Ziskin, a movie producer and cancer survivor, aggressively launched Stand Up 2 Cancer to help make cancer a national priority, lining up celebrities like Katie Couric and Lance Armstrong as well as partners, including the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and Lee Jeans (a Barkley client) among many others. Perhaps most impressive is that Stand Up 2 Cancer has lined up ABC, CBS and NBC to donate airtime to a special one-hour show on September 5th designed to "educate, inspire and entertain."

I think it's amazing what can be accomplished when we come together and leverage our talents and resources for a common cause. Enjoy this PSA.

Profiles in Leadership: Billy Mills

In a recent class, several of my students admitted they had not heard the story of Billy Mills (okay, all of them). Mills, who is one of my heroes, is someone every KU student should know about- not only because his story is so inspirational- but also because his story says so much about who we are and what we can accomplish.

Without going into a full biography of Billy Mills, which you can read here, I'll just offer a few of his quotations. The first is one he found in a psychology textbook when he was a student at KU. It said that "the subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between reality or imagination." It was that simple message that initiated his vision of winning an Olympic gold medal. Another quotation attributed to Mills is the following:

"Every Passion has its Destiny."

This is something to keep in mind as you develop your own goals and set your own vision. Your will to prepare will help determine your own destiny and whether or not your passion is ultimately realized.

Finally, in response to his winning the 1964 Olympic 10,000 meter gold medal (he remains the only American ever to win the event), in what many consider the greatest Olympic upset in history, Mills simply said this:

"To me it was never an upset. I got myself into great shape, I went over there to win the race, and I did it."

In other words, winning became a self-fulfilling prophecy, as Mills' vision was realized in Tokyo. If you've never seen footage of the race, you absolutely must watch it.

COMS 201: Intro to Leadership

Since I'm teaching a class on leadership this semester, it occurs to me that some of my students may be reading my blog. And since one of the assignments is for each student to keep a "journal" throughout the semester, it's likely they might refer to my blog as an example. With that in mind, this entry is written for the benefit of my students.

Your journal entries, especially if you choose to keep a blog like this one, should each be about as long as the paragraphs that follow. In other words, each entry should be long enough to introduce a topic, demonstrate an opinion and form a conclusion. For example, I might throw out a topic like, the recent South Carolina democratic primary, and talk about it from a leadership perspective...


Heading into the South Carolina primaries, Hillary Clinton was suffering some backlash from her husband's involvement in the campaign. While President Clinton's endorsement carries weight, especially given his wide popularity, it should be a given when you consider he's married to the candidate. So, to what extent does his campaigning help Hillary? Or more to the point, to what extent does his campaigning on her behalf undermine her efforts to be seen as a strong and independent leader?

Running as the woman who would be the country's first female President, she is having to overcome issues that more traditional candidates (i.e. old white men) would not, such as the double-edged sword of coming off as strong and assertive. Among male candidates, these traits are often construed as characteristics of a strong leader (positive). However, female candidates displaying the same traits are in contrast often viewed as overly aggressive or antagonistic (negative).

Barack Obama's significant victory in S.C. demonstrates, to me at least, that Hillary has been hindered more than she's been helped by her husband's support. Obama's remark during the New Hampshire debate only added fuel to the fire when he said in reference to the political power couple "I'm not sure who I'm running against." Hillary will need to find a way to become the more high-profile, personable and dynamic half of the Clinton couple. Overshadowing her husband may take some doing, but it will be much easier if and when he decides to play a more supportive role... by providing less support.

(Note: the opinion expressed here is mine, and frankly, is not the point. The point, rather, is to demonstrate how you can frame an opinion on a leadership topic. I do not intend to promote any candidate.)

Guiding Principles

I admire organizations that have a strong corporate culture, which usually begins with a clear sense of purpose. In some cases, it's a "mission statement." In other cases, it's a statement of values or guiding principles. You might even call it a conscience. Regardless of how it is defined, it is critical. It's certainly no coincidence that the most successful companies infuse these principles into everything they do.

It's hard to believe you can boil a company like Nike down to 2 words, but they can: Nike claims to Bring Inspiration and Innovation to Every Athlete in the World. Meanwhile, the BBC asks potential employees to test their personal values against the company's to determine whether the candidate would fit in (Take the test here). In Kansas City, Sprint promotes its value internally as a "single, ownable idea," while other companies, like Disney, go so far as to implement "service standards," defining not only what they do, but how they do it.

It all starts with a clear understanding of WHAT the organization does- and better yet, WHY it matters. This is where the company finds its value. I'm always suprised by how many organizations get by without a clear sense of purpose. Instead of empowering employees to be creative and collaborative, purpose-less organizations breed employees who are often risk-averse, siloed and territorial. Yet, for those with a clear and well-articulated purpose, the best organizations go a step further by not only defining the WHAT and the WHY, they also articulate HOW their mission will be manifested. This permeates all levels from the chief executive to the entry-level hourly.

Fortune Magazine annually lists the 100 Best Companies to Work For, including Google (this year's no. 1) and Kansas City's very own American Century Investments (no. 15). A common thread? Every company on the list provides its employees with a clear purpose, and they are rewarded with loyalty and productivity- which is just as good for morale as it is for the bottom line.

Starbucks: A best Brand

I'm currently reading Joseph Michelli's book "The Starbucks Experience" to gain insights on how such a well-branded company carefully crafted its image. Michelli wondered too, and when he approached Starbucks about his idea, he was surprised to receive full support and unfettered access at all levels. Such openness may be suprising at first glance, but that alone tells you everything you need to know about Starbucks' success; Everyone from the CEO to the baristas behind the counter embody the brand with clarity, consistency and passion.

Wait a minute here, I thought we were just talking about coffee? Exactly. Passion is critical, whether you're curing cancer or just making a cup of coffee. Communicating passion, however, is easier said than done. That's why I am enjoying this book. Filled with nuggets on employee empowerment strategies, complete with great anecdotes, one statistic jumped off the page. Long considered one of the nation's best employers, with an employee (Starbucks calls them "partners") satisfaction rate at an unheard of 82%, Michelli writes:

"But the treatment that partners receive at Starbucks goes well beyond stock options and health insurance. For example, partners are given extensive training in product knowledge, guiding principles for success, personal empowerment, and the importance of creating warm customer experiences. In stunning contrast to most Fortune 500 companies, Starbucks consistently spends more on training than it does advertising" (page 8).

Makes sense. The most effective marketing is a positive customer experience, which in this case goes beyond just premium coffee. That is why Starbucks remains a dominant market leader despite new competition from unlikely sources like McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts. While taste tests may induce trial, it's the "Starbucks Experience" that has solidified their market position and makes Starbucks a Best Brand.

Patagonia: a Best Brand

Every now and then, I will try to feature what I refer to as a "Best Brand", companies or organizations that have built indelible relationships with their customers or even the public at large. Inevitably, they do this over time by placing their values at the forefront.

Last week's Fortune magazine (April 2, 2007) featured an article on Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard and his Ventura, California-based outdoor clothing and equipment business. An accomplished climber and outdoor enthusiast, Chouinard had always hoped to combine work and play in his career, and to that end he has succeeded more than most.

He focuses the company's efforts on environmental stewardship more than profits, constantly assessing product materials to find more recyclable fibers. Etched in glass on the front door of their headquarters is the timeless quote of legendary Sierra Club executive director David Brower; "There is no business to be done on a dead planet."

But its hardly doom and gloom- this is a fun company. When surf's up, many of the 350 employees head out the door for 3 or 4 hours, knowing the work will be there when they get back. Patagonia's current brand awareness campaign (advertising typically accounts just 1% of their operating budget) is focused on donating your underwear to be recycled- and people are doing it!

Chouinard knows what others are learning- that having a conscience is good for business, and good for branding. It matters less what you believe in than THAT you believe in something. For Nike, it's innovation and attitude. At Starbucks, it's not coffee, it's the coffee experience. And this is articulated throughout these organizations so that every employee is empowered to deliver the brand promise. After all, brands are all about relationships, and people like to know where you stand.