If there's truly nothing new under the sun, then perhaps leaders should be listening more carefully. Ideas are out there waiting to be heard!

Nothing New Under the Sun

May 16, 2022

Good morning!

What can we learn from this?

You go out into the yard to clear a few large branches whose dismemberments were caused by the storms.

Only to discover hundreds of additional smaller branches not previously seen from the window.

  • Boeing is moving from Chicago to Northern Virginia — what does that tell you?
    • All the way from Seattle to Chicago and now to Northern Virginia.  Remember when only AOL (America On Line) was on that corner of town?!
  • When you eat m&m candies — if you eat them at all — to what degree are you influenced by the colours?
  • Here’s one for you:  Less than one percent (1%) of textiles; e.g., clothing, carpets, are being recycled currently.
    • Of the remaining ninety-nine percent (99%), most of it isn’t even recyclable.  ((Textile Exchange and U.S.D.A. Economics, Statistics, Market Information, 2021)
  • It was enormously gratifying this past weekend to help a client take several important steps forward with a vision.
    • From vision (lots of work and patience!) to a shared vision (will anyone else care?!) to the first steps of transforming that shared vision into action.
    • Patience and persistence along parallel paths… and now, just keep moving forward a step at a time.
    • You can’t make a right turn or a left turn if you aren’t moving forward. (Chef José   Andrés)
  • More from José:  “The best of humanity show up to help at the places of greatest humanitarian need.”
  • The shipping industry (logistics) continues to feel the effects of the COVIDs, labour shortages, and demand for goods.
    • In late 2021 — six months ago data — container schedule delays doubled globally and increased sixfold (6x) for countries in the Far East and North America. (McKinsey & Co., 2022)
    • And more:  Seventy-four percent (74%) of merchandising leaders think supply chain dynamics will greatly impact retail sales, but…
    • … only four percent (4%) of those same leaders report readiness to address that reality in the next year to year-and-a-half.

Nothing New Under the Sun

  • King Solomon said it first.
    • There is nothing new under the sun.
    • Whether you agree or disagree, it’s something to think about — and at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter.
    • When it comes to leadership and business, most of us could hear the same message ten different times and it wouldn’t resonate.
    • That is, until we hear the message from the right person at the right time in the right way…
    • Listening is such an underused skill, but we can get better at it if we work at it.
    • Listening, really listening, might be among the most difficult skills of all — and the least practiced.

Inflation

  • Macro inflation is worst in Phoenix (11%) — and best (if there is such a thing) — counterintuitively — in San Francisco (5.0%) (WSJ)
    • Could that be because San Francisco already has more of it on a daily basis than almost anywhere else?  Enough is enough?
      • Economists, chime in, please.
  • “Each leader is unique, just as is each human being.  The reality is that no one can be authentic by trying to be like someone else.”  (George)
  • Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.,”  (Brown)
  • Next week, watch for it:  A few insights from a futurist I learned from recently.

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