Tips for Talking to a Celebrity

What would you say if you had 15 minutes to spend with a celebrity?  Would you stammer your way through a question?  Would you turn your shirt sleeve up, request an autograph with the promise that you wouldn't wash your arm for a week?

I had the privilege of speaking recently at the Paterson Diocese Catechetical Conference which featured renowned Bible scholar Scott Hahn.  I had followed Scott since high school and had always appreciated his amazing story of conversion and hope.  When my friend Allan Wright called me the night before to see if I could bring Scott to the airport after the event, I glanced at Cary for permission (note to all husbands: always check with your wife) and then said, "heck yeah!"

Then I started stressing out.  What do you say to one of the premier Scripture scholars in America?  More practically, I walked outside and gave my car a quick cleaning.  After all, you don't want to have a celebrity in your car with an old Dunkin Donuts bag at his feet.  Not that that's my car mind you...

The day of the event I grew less nervous and my own workshop rocked.  I had 80 participants and the vibe was excellent.  Afterwards, I managed to get Scott to the airport in one piece and we had a great conversation along the way.  So what are some tips if you're faced with an event like the one I was, albeit with a "quasi-celebrity"?

• Make a great first impression.  Remember to use a firm handshake, look the person in the eye and be gracious.  Famous people are both fawned over and used all the time.  You don't want to fall into either of those categories.  Very specifically, do not ever eat salad prior to meeting someone you care about.
• Look good.  Not much to say here except what I tell our high school seniors- you want to be remembered for the right reasons. 
• Have one or two prepared questions.  For example, I asked Scott some "big picture" questions about the Church and his perspective on the new Pope.
• Get a photo taken.  Be sure to ask someone who will actually take a good, unblurred photo.  I once met Margaret Benefiel and was so excited to have a photo taken only to see later that is was blurry and a waste of megabites. 
• Write a personal note to follow up.  Sure, he or she will probably never see you again but polite people write personal notes so why not?
• Have fun telling people about it without being obnoxious.  Enough said.  

While Scott Hahn may not have as many Twitter followers as any member of the Kardashian family, he's a big deal to me.  My opportunity to meet him was definitely a highlight of the year.  I'm glad I made the most out of my 15 minutes with him.

What are your tips or suggestions for meeting and making the most out of the celebrities in your life?

5 Blogs I Turn to for Inspiration

People read differently these days.  Google is shutting down Google Reader for RSS subscriptions and Amazon now sells more ebooks than print versions for several years.  I stopped using RSS readers a few years ago when Twitter came on the scene.  There's something about the brevity of Twitter that's good for people on the go.

Now I use Twitter almost exlusively for reading but there are a few excemptions.  I still enjoy going to someone's blog to see what they are up to and to "crack open" their daily posts.  

Who do I turn to for insight?  Read on...

• Shrinking the Camel- by J.B. Wood, Shrinking the Camel is quite honestly one of the best written blogs there is when it comes to putting faith into work.  J.B. is a master narrator of the events of his life and how God's providence integrates with the most mundane of activities.  A classic post: Thanks for the Lovely Gift Basket.
• Michael Hyatt- the gold standard for productivity bloggers.  Michael is also a devout Christian- combining both geekness with God.  A classic post: 5 Characteristics of Weak Leaders (and how not to be one)
• Ron Edmundson- Ron is a pastor of a traditional church and is an incredibly adept blogger.  He finds a way to talk about his church without outing difficult folks.  Always a good read.  A classic post: 10 Things I'm Learning Leading Church Change.
• Time Management Ninja- written by Craig Jarrow, TMN is all about practical tips and tricks.  With a nod to Apple geeks (just sayin'), TMN is always, and I mean always, useful for decreasing drag on your work systems.  A classic post: 10 Ways to Save Time With Evernote.
• Michael Nozbe- written by Michael Sliwinski of Nozbe fame, this blog provides a behind-the-scenes look at one of today's best techpreneurs. Michael does business the right way and has created an avid following in the process.  A classic post: Combating Resistance: the 10 Step Productivity Course Recorded.

These sites work for me when I need encouragement along the way.  Where do you turn for inspiration?

Photo courtesy of RE

Six Things We Know About Leadership

One of the great myths about leadership is that it is a forever kind of assignment. Part of this is because we have such a low measuring stick for how someone gets constructive criticism. In many circles, you have to do something super bad in order to get fired. That's not good.

Another myth is that it springs out of having a title. Manager. Director. Sir. Mam. Father. Reverend. Rabbi. Most titles exist to put distance between people and the leaders. You can often spot a humble leader when she/he is comfortable with other people using their first name. I often struggle with this as a school leader. I prefer my first name but also realize that there are some times when it's actually more effective to allow someone to use my last name.

The worst myth, by far is the myth that leadership is something to be protected at all costs. This comes from a scarcity model to be sure. It also reveals a mindset of fear- "if I lose my post, what will happen?" All of this is a very sad and we see it over and over again.

Look at the members of Congress. Many would rather be re-elected than be principled or courageous. They act as if the world will stop if they aren't re-elected. Many who have lost have become more effective at creating change than when they held the title of Senator or House Member.

Even in Christian circles, scandal after scandal has shown that leaders would rather prevent bad press than do the right thing. News flash: when you are more concerned with keeping something out of the paper than with doing the right thing, your leadership is in trouble.

So I'm thinking today about work and how one ought to be protective of it in a healthy sort of way. Cut through the myths as we've laid them out above and let's talk about what we know to be true about leadership:

1. Leadership is temporary.
2. Leadership takes guts.
3. Leadership isn't always popular.
4. Leadership ought to be aligned with the truth.
5. Leaders serve others.
6. Leadership looks for the good of the organization.

In order to wrap your arms around these six beliefs, great leaders have shown that a certain sheath is important to be built around their leadership role. This can also be seen as a scaffolding of sorts. Think of it as a support system to keep you fresh and healthy as a leader.

Six corresponding actions that we can take to match action to belief include:

1. Leadership is temporary. EMBRACE THIS BY PLANNING FOR YOUR NEXT LEADERSHIP ROLE.
2. Leadership takes guts. EMBRACE THIS BY ANTICIPATING PUSH-BACK ON YOUR NEXT BIG DECISION.
3. Leadership isn't always popular. EMBRACE THIS BY BEING OK WITH DISAGREEMENT.
4. Leadership ought to be aligned with the truth. EMBRACE THIS WITH AN INVENTORY OF HOW PEACEFUL YOU FEEL WITH A TOUGH DECISION.
5. Leaders serve others. EMBRACE THIS BY TAKING OUT THE TRASH, PAYING COMPLIMENTS AND DOING THE LITTLE THINGS.
6. Leadership looks for the good of the organization. EMBRACE THIS EACH TIME YOU MAKE A PERSONNEL DECISION.

Each of us is probably more of a leader than we give ourselves credit for. And less of one too if we're honest. By embracing action with belief, you'll maintain your leadership for the long haul and make one heck of a difference along the way.

Question: which of the six things we know resonates most with you?

Photo courtesy of FMM.

The Secret Behind Interviewing

When was the last time that you put a spotlight on one of your competitors? 

If this seems counterintuitive, it probably is.  On the other hand, if you think that the internet now affords a “culture of sharing” (as Charlene Li puts it), praising a competitor might be a good idea after all.

Earlier today I participated in a podcast with another school’s administrator.  Sure, Jim and I compete for some of the same students and sure, it might seem like we were giving Jim praise for the work that he’s done at his school. Still, it just seemed like the right thing to do.

That’s one of the great things about the internet- it gives you a platform to share your knowledge with anyone, even a competitor.  It levels the playing field in order to serve a higher good.  In our case, as school leaders, our higher good is the cause of furthering digital education among teens.  

The bottom line: there’s plenty of attention to go around.

Someone who does this very well is Michael Sliwinski of Nozbe.  At no cost to anyone but himself, Michael offers Productive Magazine to anyone who wants it.  He interviews some of the smartest people on the planet in an effort to shine a spotlight on their talents.  The counterintuitive result- Michael actually takes the lead as a facilitator of productive people.  Not a bad role to play!

Myke Hurley of the 70 Decibels Podcast Network also does this well.  He interviews noteworthy bloggers and authors on various topics and this results in a series of listen-worthy shows.  You should seriously check him out.

The good news is that you can do this too.  Are you a realtor who can interview others in your field?  Are you a musician who can highlight the musical skills of a fellow instrumentalist?  Are you a chef who can host dinner parties that feature the recipes of noteworthy cooks?  The ideas are endless and as they say, the potential is huge.

The point is that you become more by giving away information, ideas and even your network. What you get in return is a bigger audience, a more robust platform and a generous heart.  We give in order to get.  Very simple.

For follow up: With whom can you share your expertise this week?  

Photo courtesy of JR

Capturing Data

A thought came to me recently as I was preparing for a publication that won't go to press for another four months: what data do I want captured in order to tell the story that I want to tell? This question is one which financial institutions ask every day and schools ought to think along the same lines. Schools could ask: -How many of my C students are progressing to B students? -Of my students who travel 20+ miles to and from school, how many report fatigue as an issue that prevents learning? -Of my students who are involved in a club or a team, how many show positive academic progress? And on and on. The key is this- capture the data that you will need to tell the story that you want to tell. At my school, we want to tell a story of technology improvements and the difference they make in the lives of students. Second, we want to tell the story that leadership programs produce further maturation in the leadership continuum. So what are we busy doing this week? Capturing the data that we'll need to tell our story in the Summer! Photo by: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=587