What does it take for females to lead?

As a female sports agent, I get the standard question two ways:

“How much more difficult is it for you being a sports agent as a women verses a man?”

Or the more half full minded folks ask it this way:

“Is that an advantage for you being a women? Being different than the others?”

As a female sports agent, representing mostly men in the most popular male team sports (ie MLB, PGA, NCAA Coaches) I have grown up professionally in a world surrounded by men – whether they were my clients, employees or my competition. 

What does it take for females to lead?  To win the top jobs?  How do we raise the recently published minuet 3% female CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies?

Do you have to be ruthless?
Do you have to be sexy?
Do you have to act like a man?

No, no and no.

Women have to be authentic, be passionate about why you do what you do and be committed to being in The Business of Being the Best (same title as my latest book).

I have summed up the things that I think are imperative to grow into a successful female leader.

You must have passionate integrity. In other words, in a competitive business environment, passion and integrity must live within you consistently to win. 

You must have fearless focus.  Don’t be aren’t afraid of what might not go right; you must expect to win.  Part of this is being a determined listener.  Listen more then you talk.  Ask questions that provide the kind of data you need to support others and learn about other ways to be an expert.  Handle yourself in a friendly, yet professional manner – always. 

Consistent discipline is paramount to proving you can lead others.  We must set the stage for the entire team and the customers as it relates to discipline and ability to sustain it day in and day out.   To success as a female, I believe you must have creative drive as a key ingredient.  Have 360 degree awareness around the things that need to happen for them to go to the next level.  Creativity helps you differentiate yourself from the pack.

The best influence others in a positive, consistent and substantial way – I call this humble and consistent energy.  They are intentional about where they put their energy and who gets their energy.  The bi product of this is a team that respects your focus on time and energy and provides a healthy respect for their time with you.

The best women expect to execute.  In other words, all the above are paramount, but if you don’t role those up into executing, you won’t win.

What role do men play in this? I believe that is like asking the Republican party: what role do the Democrats have in a republican earning the role of President of The United States?  An extreme example, so forgive me as I am not implying men and women are this divided but rather just different breads.  Isn’t it about being the best, being a leader, about the things discussed above.  In other words, be good, no rather be great.  Be better then the others.  Don’t wasn’t energy groveling over the “competition” . 

My ask to society, support the best candidate to lead your company.  My ask to women, support other smart and committed female leaders, in both our words and in our actions.  More specifically, support each other through transparent and positively impactful behavior.

We all need to own this.

Turn Defensiveness Into Curiosity

How do we turn defensiveness into curiosity?  And do it consistently. 

I know, that seems like a 180, doesn't it? And that's exactly what it is. It's taking those moments when we all immediately want to push back. But instead, we train ourselves to turn that completely around, and instead of pushing the door closed on a relationship, we're opening it up. We're making a surprise move.

Turning defensiveness into curiosity is unexpected. It's what will set us apart. It is a behavior that shows that we are immediately realizing that the relationship is not about us and our needs. When we feel defensive, this becomes a cue for our curiosity to kick in. Let me explain what I mean.

One of the most common situations is when I am working a deal for a client. I'm talking to a company or team that I believe would be a great fit for my athlete.  But then, the guy on the other side says, "I don't see value in your client, Mol." OK, so can you feel the hair go up on the back of your neck? Me too! Anger... resentment... the desire to fight back. It's all very normal. But I've redirected that defensiveness.  Though part of me may want to say, ‘‘You have to be kidding me! This guy's a winner! He's done everything needed and more to help his team win!"
Instead, I say, "OK, so it sounds like what you're saying is that it's not just this guy's performance on the field that you value. Is that right? What do you value?"

So you see in that story, instead of going at this guy, I've got my toolbox out and I'm ready to build a platform to keep standing right next to him. I'm taking the challenge and I'm doubling down. I'm buying into his reality and asking me to take me further into his world, into what he thinks is important.

Defensiveness can be a doorway into what you really need to know about this important person. Shifting into curiosity is  paramount to gaining clarity why someone feels the way that they feel about a particular situation. Paramount. Doesn't matter if the person is inside or outside your organization. This is important with your spouse or significant other -- anyone you care about knowing better.
I see two types of defensive behavior that we need to understand.

The first is direct, and the second is indirect.

Direct defensive behavior is when we blame someone or something else. Defensiveness comes from a situation that involves bad news or disappointment. Attacking or threatening the messenger -- we've all done that. We've all interrupted, often to justify our beliefs or actions, or to attack back. We've taken over the dialogue with long-winded explanations of why we are right. You probably have the picture by now, but a couple other cues for direct defensive behavior are a tone of righteous indignation and hostility, and demands for evidence.  Any of these might as well be a ton of bricks, and each one is making a wall between you and the person that you need to get close to and understand.

Indirect defensive behavior is more sneaky, but it's just as problematic. For those of us who internalize our feelings, we demonstrate defensiveness by withdrawing. We've heard or read something that makes us churn, and we've got a death grip on the office chair. We turn silent. Our answers are cryptic or confusing. We're punishing the other person with what many call passive aggression.  The standby is pretending to agree without really agreeing, and the moment the person walks out the door, we're telling our coworker what we really wanted to say. That does no good, because the person who holds the key to the deal is already off the elevator and gone baby gone.

As I describe this, maybe this thought is present: "Molly what other choice do I have? This guy shafted me!"   

So what I want to show you is another way, to reroute that reaction, from negative to something that's positive. No, it's more than positive. Curiosity is one of your most potent tools.

Let's talk about why and how you can turn defensiveness into curiosity. Let's dig deeper into what one of our most brilliant minds, Albert Einstein, valued this highly.  Einstein said, "I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious." 


In my years of negotiations, I know how hard it is to land a deal. In the world of sports, I'm dealing with clients whose skills will be at a peak for a relatively short period. I've got to sell that -- and hope the guy doesn't get injured -- in a very short window of time. It's a crapshoot. I'm the last person who wants any roadblocks in my way, because the road is tough enough to get this thing done.

Defensiveness is like a series of roadblocks, and as we are pushing towards a resolution, we can't get there, we can't drive down that road. We can't have a productive conversion with another party if we are defensive.

Defensiveness is the outward sign of inward insecurity. Defensiveness is like the Queen of Spades in the card game hearts. Practically the only way to win is to get ride of her. She is the devil. Defensiveness is like that card. Likewise, as long as you react to something going wrong in a defensive manner, you are not going to win.

People don't want to get close to insecurity. They don't want to do business with someone who takes everything personally. They see clearly that you don't have room to put them first, because guess what's there instead? Your baggage. Your defensiveness. You are looking through a heavy lens and what you see is the world against you. Defensiveness brushes people to the side and makes them feel, at the worst, almost worthless.  Defensiveness shows us as doors that are closed.  Curiosity demonstrates us as doors that are open.  Defensiveness gives an unfair advantage to your heart -- your emotions -- over your head, your reason and logic.  In contrast, curiosity gives a giant boost to your goal of a closer relationship. If defensiveness puts the brakes on a relationship, curiosity revs up the engine.  

Curiosity accomplishes two separate and distinct goals.
   
First, it shows that you are truly engaged and dedicated to communicating and finding out the most valuable information about your business partner’s ideals and desires. It is sending this critical message.

Second, curiosity is that platform I mentioned before. It's a strong position that enables us to gain insight and information.

Here's another quote that I like, from Samuel Johnson, the great British man of letters.  "Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion -- and the last."







Start your engines with curiosity and you will be in the business of being the best!

Molly Fletcher

Intentional Energy

Do you spend time thinking about where you put your energy? Who you give your energy to and why?

We have a choice each and every day about most everything in our life.  Such as a choice about how we use our energy or choices about who we spend time with or how we embrace opportunities and challenges.  People often think and talk about time management but through my experiences with the best coaches in the world, I believe the best also talk and think about energy management.  The best are intentional about where they put their energy.  They recognize that most of the time where they put their energy is a choice.  Some of you might be thinking? But if you get sick or are ill - that isn't a choice.  Correct it isn't, but how you deal with it is a choice.  I would challenge you to own your choices.  And that ownership of choices translates to energy management.

I was at a meeting recently and a gentleman walked in late and quickly said, "I am so sorry I am late, I had to finish that call."  The facilitator of the meeting said, "ok, but just to clarify, you chose to finish that call and to be late."   Challenging him to recognize that his being late was his choice.   And maybe it was a choice he wanted to make, but none the less it was a choice.

Great leaders own their decisions and own their energy management. They are intentional and aware of their choices.  The bi-product of this for leaders is a team that respects their focus on time and energy and, therefore, provides a healthy respect for time with their leader.

We can buy and/or hire things in life (if we choose to) but human energy isn't one of them.  I challenge you to embrace your days and weeks ahead with intentional energy management.  I am confident you will find what my coaches find, which is more wins then loses.

Twitter: @mollyfletcher

Are You Fearless?

Are you fearlessness?

We all deal with the little negative voices inside our heads that tells us we can't do something. 

Fearlessness removes or repositions those voices.
Fearlessness chases away the voices that aren't doing you any good. 
Fearlessness acknowledges fear, and puts that fear on a shelf, and keeps going.  
Fear looks at opportunity with consciousness of what might not go well, and keeps going.
Fearlessness is a choice, a state of mind.   It is confidence in our ability to excite and execute.   Fearlessness creates the space for us to do what we do best, in a meeting, a conversation, or a project.

Fearlessness is embodied by a baseball pitcher who wants the ball in the bottom of the 9th inning.  This pitcher wants the ball because even though he knows he could throw "a ball" (vs strike) he has put that reality up on a shelf.  He is going into the game, the ball in his hand, with every intention, every fiber of his being, saturated with the goal of striking out every batter and helping his team win the game. 

Elite athletes and coaches, to me, are perfect examples of fearlessness.  They step on a world stage, prepared for criticism.  They constantly face the reality that they could fumble on the goal line, or miss the winning kick with 2 seconds on the clock.  

Fearlessness is Jeff Francoeur stepping into the batters box days after being hit in he face with a 95 mph fastball.  Fearlessness is Evander Holyfield, the world famous boxer, crawling back to his feet after a right hook from Mike Tyson.

In the face of that risk, top athletes want nothing more than to step in and try.  They want the ball.  They are fearless in both body and mind.  This is our model of fearlessness. 

Fearlessness enables us to pursue anything you want.
Fearlessness opens up our minds, expands our boundaries and believes in all the possibilities.
Fearlessness is unbeatable persistence.
It is our ability to embrace challenges.
It is our guts and our tenacity.

For me, fearlessness means acting on my confidence in myself and the quality of my work.  Fearlessness is where dreams are born and bred. 
Fearlessness is rooted in the knowledge that life is short, that life comes and goes before we know it.  Fearlessness gives us energy and liberation from the boxes that tell us we have done all we can, that we should just settle for less.  
Fearlessness allows us to embrace the present and future. 
Fearlessness is a lens to the past that appreciates the many, many times we tried. 
Fearlessness is the antidote to us waking up one day and feeling that we could have done something but never tried because we were afraid. 

Afraid of what? 
Afraid to fail.

When we are fearless, that is when -- and this is something I personally want for you -- the boss taps us on the shoulder and tells us, "Hey your are presenting at the biggest sales meeting of the year"... or you are the lead for a paramount piece of business.   What is our reaction at the point? We are filled not with fear but with desire.  We embrace that chance to expand our horizons and skills.   We want it.    And if, just if, that little voice tries to remind us we might fail, put it aside, on a shelf. "Thanks for that information", "but I am going to crush it".  

Without fearlessness, there is no change.
If it wasn't for fearlessness, we wouldn't have airplanes. We wouldn't have electricity.
We wouldn't have laser surgery or antibiotics or computer chips.

I've seen the power of fearlessness in a famous pitcher and friend - John Smoltz.
 John Smoltz is a baseball pitcher so good that one day, no doubt, he'll be in the Hall of Fame.
For most of his long career, he was a starting pitcher -- an ace for the Atlanta Braves.
But when the Braves needed him to change his role, and become the closing pitcher -- the clutch guy who is going to come in and seal the win -- John didn't push back.  He didn't fear.  Essentially, he was going from being a marathon runner to a sprinter, and he was doing this fairly late in his career.
Yet he didn't worry that while the world of baseball was watching him try to do something that few pitchers ever do, he might fall on his face and fail.  The main person who knew that John Smoltz could pull this off was John Smoltz. In many ways, as great of an athlete he is physically, his mind is even stronger.  John loves pressure.  He loves a challenge. He wants the ball when the game is tied, bases loaded and the team is on his back.  He loves it.  Fear can find no footing with John Smoltz.  And he was not only a great starter, but a great closer too. 

We must have some degree of fearlessness to push beyond what we are doing now and into what our mind imagines.  Fearlessness is the engine that makes imagination into reality.  At the core of fearlessness is confidence and consistency. Confidence and fear cannot coexist. One is going to win. You want confidence to win.  Consistency helps us build confidence.  It is the rhythm produced when we do what we are uniquely capable of, over and over. When confidence is demonstrated consistently, that is fearlessness.

One of the most important aspects of the journey to fearlessness is taking action.
When we are fearful, we often are stuck.  We don't do anything.  Fearlessness is a state of activity, not passivity.  

Let me share a couple ideas on how I have seen the best become fearless:

• Fear comes from worrying about what other people think – stop it, don’t be a worrier about “WOPT"
• Collect and practice positive messages
• Find a fearless role models
• Think about that pitcher fearlessly taking the ball in the ninth inning
• Practice small acts of fearlessness
• Visualize fearlessness prior to key moments

Fearlessness is critical to move into a better relationship, personally or in business.  Fear stands in the way of change, so fearlessness is the state of mind, recognize it, move through it and put it aside on the shelf so you can operate fearlessly.

Coming soon on my website, a video on FEARLESSNESS…with more tools and tactics to overcome fears. Stay tuned.

Are You Evolving in Healthy and Impactful Ways?

Evolving in a healthy way is paramount to growth - personally and professionally.  Evolving is anchored against awareness.  Both self awareness and awareness of the world around us.  Being aware of our ever changing environment and being intentional about reacting to it to improve is the first step in evolving.

Brands evolve.  Or actually better said, great brands evolve.  One of the best of late, of course, is Apple.  Apple at the core is a computer company. Like so many others.  So why do we buy iphones, ipads, itouches, and other "i" devices from them?   Because they evolve their technology, their serves - instead of simply providing computers - they saw needs, evolved and provided the solution.  Apple is aware and acts on that awareness.

Sports evolve.  I remember when basketball added the 3 pt. line or when we instituted the instant replay to review on field calls.  Not to mention off the field/court/course evolution of sports with everything from the way athletes train to inclusion of social media in sport.   We can run the gamut of how sports has evolved.

And, in my belief, people should be intentional about evolving as well.  Or actually better said, the best people evolve.

So, the first step is believing it is imperative to evolve to be the best.  You in?

The second step is identifying the areas we want to evolve. An example of categories are:

Everything!

Or, to be slightly more specific, it is:

• Personally
• Professionally
• Community
• Company
• World

So, basically everything is open to us touching to evolve.

To dive a little deeper, ask yourself a few questions about each of the above (and other) categories:

• What is happening in these areas?
• What isn't happening in these areas? 
• What is working well?
• What isn't working well?
• What can we identify as needs and wants in these areas?
• What do we sense as the solution to these needs?
• What will they need tomorrow? Next year? Next 100 years?
• If they are already good, can they get better? If so, how?

Get clear on the answers to these questions so we can evolve in healthy and impactful ways!
 

Jacqueline Novogratz - A Brilliant Visionary

Acumen Fund and Jacqueline inspire me (and I know others) to think, share, inspire, deliver, understand and take action.  Check out this magical video link below on part of Jacqueline's story and her "why."  She is brilliant visionary who will inspire you to think differently about what you do and how you do it.

http://www.acumenfund.org/bluesweater/

Don't Buy PJ's With Pockets

I used to buy PJ's with pockets so I would never miss a call and sleep with my phone on all night by my bed side table. I use to think that everything had to happen right now. Everything. I have started to set down my long list of things to do next to my phone and what I have found is it brings greater clarity and efficiency to my work.

Whitney Johnson said it well in her HBR article below. Take a few moments and read her article. I, as I know many people, often need this reminder.


Whitney Johnson - Harvard Business Review
Last weekend, like every weekend, I scrawled a long list of things to do on an old envelope. But unlike most weekends, instead of tethering myself to a computer and working, I sat in my backyard alongside my 10 year-old daughter in our collapsible camping chairs, reading novels. I wish I could tell you that this was a bona fide afternoon of rest and relaxation (R&R). Not quite. In flinging aside my agenda, my workaholic self felt more than a little bit naughty. In fact, a more accurate descriptor of that afternoon would have been rebellion — with a little relaxation on the side (R&r).
In this same spirit of rebellion, I've begun docking my phone downstairs, rather than on my nightstand. Now that I'm no longer checking e-mail during the wee hours, I'm sleeping more soundly. Emboldened by this win, I left my phone (which my children call, not entirely in jest, my third child) home during a recent family outing. The bad news is that my 24/7, always-on fortress remains relatively unassailable. Just last night, when it was time for our family's evening prayer, I was so busy tweeting that my husband deadpanned, "What, are you going to tweet your prayer?"
And yet I'm not about to advocate a wholesale disconnect. After all, it's been demonstrated that technology and connectivity do make us happier. But now that we can live life in the cloud, I wonder if there's an ever-present dark cloud of "more-to-do" hanging over our heads, with the languorous, lazy days of summer becoming bygones, and busyness a badge of honor. Do we consider unplugging a necessary evil, a nuisance we would happily do without, rather than recognizing that rest is integral to innovation, and more importantly, to a meaningful life?
According to current neuroscience research, after focusing intently on a project or problem, the brain needs to fully disengage and relax. As composer, musician and producer Brian Eno has opined: "The difficulty of always feeling that you ought to be doing something is that you tend to undervalue the times when you're apparently doing nothing, and those are very important times. It's the time when things get sorted out. If you're constantly awake work-wise you don't allow that to happen." More pithily, as said by John Cleese: "If you are racing around all day, ticking things off lists, looking at your watch, making phone calls, and generally just keeping all the balls in the air, you are not going to have any creative ideas."
When we do nothing (take a walk, a warm shower, slowly wake up), we defy the "always on" mindset, recognizing that we, like our muscles, become more productive by alternating work with rest. As leaders, we can encourage this healthy rebellion by example. We may think we're being responsive, even impressive, when we send work-related e-mails at midnight, on the weekend, or vacation, but those who work for us will see us as establishing a norm. If you will take some real down-time without the constant tug of technology or a to-do list absorbing your thoughts, you will give your employees permission to do the same.
Refraining from constant communication can give your words more weight when you do speak. In the book Sabbath, author Wayne Muller recounts a conversation with Oscar Castro-Neves, an accomplished guitarist and composer for movies, in which Castro-Neves teaches, "It is common in a dramatic scene to gradually bring the music to crescendo, and then stop — rest — silence. Whatever is spoken on the screen in silence is heard more clearly, more powerfully; the words are lent an additional potency, because they are spoken out of silence. When you listen to music, listen to the cadence of rest. Martin Luther King, the most famous speech of his life. Listen to the cadence. Free at last. (Rest) Free at last. (Rest) Thank God almighty, we are free at last."
The most typical dictionary definition of rest is "not moving or tranquil." Another definition is "a thing or place to put something for support." Rest is life and work support. It reinvigorates us so we can get things done. It allows us to subvert our inner workaholic, liberating our innovative self. It also allows us pause to gain perspective, to plumb the meaning of our life.
What we think and do today makes meaning of what we did yesterday. Learn to lie dormant. Listen to your cadence of rest. Take a break.
Only after a break can you have a breakthrough.

Healthy Relationships Are Like The Best Tasting Tomatoes

Sports fans know this chant between two sections of the stadium:
"What do we want?" The other side yells, "A victory."
"When do we want it?" "Now!"

We all want what we want now. We don't want to wait. We are in rush. Time is money -- and all that.
Today I am asking us to take it back a notch or more. Because we don't have to have everything all at once.

Say that with me: We don't have to have everything all at once.
That may not sound like me, because by now you know, I talk and move a mile a minute. Fast is my normal speed. But, I don't rush all the time (especially when I go for a run). I take my time when I need to, and I need to more than you probably think. I slow down because it is in my best interest to do so.

Let me explain. I have recruited hundreds of the best athletes, coaches and broadcasters in the world, and beat out the competition in doing so. Go fishing and there will always be more fish than people who want to catch them. Not so in the athlete representation business. There are more agents than athletes.

So what I saw early on was a lot of jostling, a lot of pushing, a lot of the "Jerry McGuire" scenes of working against some imaginary clock to sign someone, to nail the deal, to get so wound up it just has to happen, or bust.

Yuck.

Early on, I got clarity around the fact that it doesn't happen all at once. I needed to create a connection and that takes time. Without a true connection, a true relationship would never happen.
Deep down, when I saw this pace of competition around me, when I took a step back to put myself in the shoes of those I was pursuing, this really crystallized: I hate being rushed. I believe most people do. In sales -- and that's a big part of athlete representation at the core -- when we rush, the other party feels like we have something to hide. In that moment there is a real risk of being seen as a user or insincere. We're just trying to get the deal done so we can sit back and let their money roll in. Not cool.

Think about that from the other person's view. Doesn't feel good. Right.
Rushing can sometimes close deals, I'll say that -- but rushing never, ever builds a relationship.
In a relationship, the opposite is true: Haste makes waste.

OK, so pause for a minute while I clarify what may seem like a contradiction to you. When I say that you don't need everything all at once, I need to make something clear: We still need to be urgent about building the relationship. This is the key difference: focusing our urgency on the relationship, not on the transaction. What I want to get us moving toward is adding value to them with urgency.... and moving away from any rush to add value to ourselves. Do you see how big that difference is?

A transaction is like one ordinary plant -- a relationship is a garden full of precious, valuable plants. The plants don't grow overnight, especially the ones that have really deep roots. We've got to be patient and let those roots take hold, and then we can count on knowing we'll have a really strong plant.....a flower or a bush or tree that will weather the worst storms and drought. That's the kind of strong relationships we want, too.


There are countless examples in nature, all around us, of living things that cannot be rushed. Take something common like a tomato. These are grown in hothouses so they'll be ready to ship quickly. They don't taste as good as a tomato from a garden. People don't rush out to get tomatoes from a greenhouse. No question, if you want a truly tasty tomato, we're looking on the roadside for the shack with heirloom tomatoes nurtured with sunlight and water. That's going to taste really good.

And so, as it's been said for centuries: there is a time for everything, and paying attention to your pace is critical. Realizing that what we want doesn't have to happen all at once is at the core of this thought from Maya Angelou, the great writer:

"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."

It is hard to make someone feel important, and genuinely special, if we rush. Why is slowing down in this regard so important? My goal for us is not to land one deal. It is to land multiple, ongoing deals with a core group of customers who see us not as sales people but as people who add value to their lives. People they cannot live without.

Bottom line is, a good relationship takes time. Anything authentic involves time. When we talk about building a platform that's a place that must be strong, thus you don't expect it to be built overnight. If that happened, the platform would be shaky, wouldn't it? We'd worry about it collapsing and hurting anyone who was counting on it for support, maybe even injuring ourselves.

There are hidden powers in slowing down: For starters, this habit requires confidence, and it builds confidence. If you are confident in what you do and how you do it, you will refrain from forcing it. If you are not as confident as you'd like to be in what you do and how you do it, you can start mastering that mindset by slowing down. Slowing down gives you the room to set one's self up to act "as if." Acting as if I already have someone's business before I do is my way of practicing and rehearsing for the big show. Because I know that I don't have to have it all at once, I have given myself time and space for authenticity. We only control yourselves, and we must wait for another party to connect, so why not let it flow?

Another reason to slow down is to create leverage. When the other side sees our urgency, they wonder, "Are they hiding something? Something up their sleeve?" They sense it and close down. They're having post-trauma from being burned, from being sold, from being pushed too close before they are ready.

Grow relationships like we grow tomatoes in our backyard garden not the hothouse.

Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have too few women leaders | Video on TED.com

I have watched this talk twice, as I do with many Ted Talks. Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, has three great points in her talk about what she believes is important for women to be aware of to be leaders in the work force:

1. Sit at the table
2. Make your partner a real partner
3. Don't leave before you leave

Listen for the story of her brother and his reaction to how he did on a college exam. Capture this, own it, implement it. I promise, believing you can (as I often say) 'crush it' is paramount to success.

Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have too few women leaders | Video on TED.com

Jeff Bezos: What matters more than your talents | Video on TED.com

Whether you are old or young, just starting or just finishing, watch this - please - it will make you think and make you reflect. Enjoy.
Jeff Bezos: What matters more than your talents | Video on TED.com

Business of Best, Invest in Ethics

Strong marketing and advertising plan?  Check.  Front and center product placement? Check.  Good cash flow? Got it.  Employees that work hard and understand your vision? You betcha.  Unwavering ethics and solid underlying principles guiding your business?  Wait just a second. 

Across the business world, there is a general focus on the product, the plan, and the business.  Most managers and CEO’s feel if we have a good product, a smart plan, and a quality business, we will inevitably succeed and achieve dividends for our stakeholders. 

But the power of investing in good business ethics cannot be understated.  Great companies have strong visions and ethical practices.  They give back, remain focused on the customer, and do not cut corners at the expense of society as a whole.  The platform that successful businesses have is compelling and influential.  They have the medium to reach people and make a difference in society as a whole.   

In general, people want to do business with companies that have a positive influence and quality morals.  At the end of the day, we are who we do business with.  If a company is found to be unethical or dishonest, it may never recover.  We never want to be stuck on that sinking ship because it will go down quickly and be forgotten forever.  Good businesses build success through strong ethical considerations.  One way is by giving back to the community.  A strong business understands the concept that when we uplift the surrounding community, we uplift our company.   The late Ray Anderson of Interface is a perfect example of this mentality.

Good ethics come in many different shapes and sizes, and shine a light on the same general values.  It can be the company that supports the local community, the one that is a good steward of the environment, the one that backs numerous philanthropic endeavors, or even the one that is honest and forthcoming with the general public, and focuses on morals and principles, not just dollars and cents.            

Far too often businesses forget to value the vitality of ethics.  They sweep them under the rug, or focus little time or energy on them.  Our vision and morals should be just as clear to consumers as our products.  Think Apple and Steve Jobs as the ultimate example of communicating “vision and morals”.  Think Chick-fil-A--they do more business in six days than most of their competitors do in seven days.  Not only do customers enjoy their product, but they are also catapulted by their clearly articulated ethics and vision.  People should not only know what we sell or offer, but also, what we believe in and what kind of character we have.   When value propositions are equal, clients and consumers will do business with those that they respect, relate to, and admire.  

We are all in the business of being the best and it is crucial to implement strong ethics and morals to help maximize success.  As our business grows, so will the opportunity and the platform to infuse our environment with quality ethics.  Sometimes it costs more and takes more time to do the right thing, but the time and money will pale in comparison if people do not trust our business or if you are caught doing the wrong thing.  I always say their are similarities in the way we should grow our businesses and the way we raise our children.  Teach right from wrong, instill fundamental ethics that are relatable, promote honesty and integrity, and educate on values, character and morals.  Once we take those steps, we will notice changes.  Our business will blossom and grow, consumers will be more welcoming and embrace our brand, and we will inevitably see greater success.    






Ethics and being in the business of the best go hand in hand. 

The Journey, Not the Destination

Picture this.  We get into our car, close the door, and buckle our seatbelt.  We turn on the ignition, hearing the engine come to life after sleeping all night long.  Next we check our mirrors, turn on the radio, and open our garage door.  We are ready to go to our destination.  After pausing for a second, we consider that while we know where we are doing, we are unsure how to get there.  So we type in the address into our navigation, and we begin to hear the guiding voice, directing we to our location.  As we travel to our destination, we think little of the directions or the journey.  We simply hope to get there in a timely manner, and do not consider the path we will take.  In fact, we just listen to the technologically created voice, guiding we along our way.  We are focused on the destination, caring little for the journey to get there. 

Many people run their businesses in the same manner.  They take the time to prepare for the destination, planning ahead and strategically checking their mirrors, their seatbelts, and confirming the address.  But once they get going, they pay little attention to the journey, the pathway to the final destination.  But through my experience as a negotiator and businesswoman, I have found that the journey can be more important than where we are actually trying to go.  The learning, the education, and the experience occur during the journey, not when we arrive at the destination.   

The old saying is the end justifies the mean, but so many times, the mean is really where the opportunity falls.  Some of the greatest learning experiences have come through the voyage to the target.  Think about how many times we have set a goal and have failed to reach it.  It happens to all of us.  With life comes great success and great failure, fantastic highs and sometimes lows.  But even in failure, there is an opportunity to learn.  If we consider the journey and focus on what happens along the way, we may learn the most valuable lessons of them all.  Rarely do we learn life-changing lessons in success.  But in failure comes teaching moments.  And how we implement this education into our own business practices can be the difference between hitting a home run or striking out the next time around.

Through negotiating hundred of millions of dollars in contracts for professional athletes, there are times when my players got the contract of their dreams, and other times when we are left wanting more because of the nature of the business (ie injuries, age, challenging season).  But in those times, even though we did not reach our desired destination, I studied why we fell short and focused on the journey as a learning experience. 

In the realm of business, a journey will come in many different shapes and sizes.  It could be in the form of launching a new product, or attempting to reposition an existing product, or pitching to a new client, or marketing for an old one.  Regardless of the journey it is vital to spend time evaluating the path we or our company took to reach any destination.  Because this is what the best businessmen and woman do.  To be the best, we have to evaluate like the best do.  Whether I succeed or fail, after each journey, I spend time reflecting and ask myself the following vital questions:

1.    Was there a quicker and more efficient way to reach the same result?

2.    Did I exhaust all of the resources I have in order to effectuate my goal in a positive manner?

3.    Did my company or business benefit from this experience? If not, why and what could I do different the next time? 

4.    What lessons have I learned from the journey? 

By answering each of these four questions after every business opportunity and experience, we will obtain a more insightful understanding of how we get where we are today.  This reflection is something many people do not take the time to do, but the best businesses, companies, and leaders spend just as much time studying their journey as they do their destination.  Through evaluating our path, we will learn from our mistakes, and find better ways to implement a more efficient and effective manner of reaching our destination the next time. So take time and consider not only where we are going, but also how we will get there—because we never know, sometimes the mean justifies the end.    
   

How the Best Get Better

Becoming one of the best in your field is not easy.  It takes dedication, determination, and the know-how acquired by only a select group of people.  But maintaining this success and growing into a better version of you can often times be an even greater challenge.  Many people reach the top of the mountain once, but to do it again and again takes a special type of person.  To be the best, you have to navigate the torrential terrain and reach the summit day in and day out. 

Being the best is one thing, but preserving and sustaining your reputation as one of the go-getters and game-changers can be an even greater challenge.  But the success stories that have occurred over and over again are not coincidence.  These people have a formula and have mapped out a path to reach the top of the mountain each time they begin their ascent. 

So this begs the question:  How do the best get better?  

They are Students, Not Teachers.  The best are willing to be vulnerable.  They carry themselves with a confidence and energy that is engaging and relatable, but they also know there is much work to be done.  The best get better through always looking for the opportunity to learn.  Whether it is through a mistake, a success, or another person, they simply never stop striving to learn.  So many successful businessmen and women are content teaching others, and speaking about their triumphs.  But the terrain is treacherous and the competition is always looking for a leg up. That being said, if you are not learning and increasing your aptitude, times will change and you will be left in the dust.  In life, the opportunity to learn is available around each and every corner.  But you have to turn those corners and seek out these prospects.  The best do just that.  To get better, they understand they do not know everything, but also have an inner drive and fire that pushes them to constantly learn more.    

They are Doers, Not Sleepers.  I always say the best never sleep.  Not literally.  By that I mean they do not rest on their laurels.  What they have accomplished is on their resume, but does not define their destination.  The best get better because they want more, do more, and inevitably get more.  It is so easy to be a sleeper, feeling like you have done enough and the rest will take care of itself.  But the best are doers, not sleepers.  They are always looking for the next opportunity or the next great idea.  Think of people like Arthur Blank, Mark Cuban, and Steve Jobs.  These are the trailblazers of our time.  They are constantly reinventing, reassessing, and reorganizing their businesses.  The second you think they have no more tricks up their sleeves, they wow you with a success of enormous proportions.  The best are always doing, and never rest on what they have done.    

They are Encircled, Not an Island.  The best do not run alone.  They get better by surrounding themselves with the best…the best mentors, the best employees, the best strategists, and the best team.  The best businessmen and women do this very well.  They get better through the people around them.  They are not islands and do not stand solo, keeping distance from others and rarely working with a strong and dedicated team.  The best understand that to get better, you have to turn to the experts.  The smartest thing you can do is surround yourself with people that are smarter than you in various areas, people who compliment your skill set and enhance what you can deliver.

These are just three of the numerous tools the best constantly implement into their lives to become better.  They constantly reinvent and reshape their lives and diligently work to build and rebuild.  They are students of the game, they are doers, and their circles are large and include dedicated and intelligent mentors, employees, and trusted advisors.  Maintaining greatness is just as difficult, if not more, than reaching greatness.  But the best work hard day in and day out to ensure they can summit the mountain and handle the torrential terrain.  

Go Time...

Last week we talked about the steps you can take to lay the groundwork to find your perfect career.  Before you even walk into the office of someone you want to connect with, there are a number of things you can consider doing before the encounter even begins.  The three crucial steps you can take before your interview are to begin networking with your potential employer early, researching your new company, and rehearsing your interview numerous times.  Implementing these skills into your interview process will give you the inside track and a leg up on the competition.  Let's take this concept and stretch it out into relationship building as it relates to business development as well.

So what happens after your interview or even the sales call?  Selling yourself after an interview is much like selling your brand after you have made a pitch.  You think you nailed it, but there is a lot of competition in this day and age for any coveted job opening or potential business partner.  The goal is to start the race with a substantial head start, and by networking, researching, and rehearsing you definitely did that.  But what steps can you take now to ensure that your head start on the competition stays intact?  To some the below will seem like basic fundamentals, however in this "instant what next"  society we live in, many folks both young and experienced alike would be wise to put into practice these fundamentals:
Follow Up.  Out of all the steps you can take post interview, your number one focus should be on ensuring your name stays top of mind.  Stay relevant in a productive way.  Sure, do the obvious things, like an email or hand-written card thanking the person with whom you interviewed with for his or her time.  This demonstrates that not only are you passionate about the job, but also that you are the type of person that follows up and follows through.  In that note, add a nugget or two that demonstrates you listened well.  Maybe it is a reference to something they had to do or a trip they were taking or a business meeting they mentioned to you.  Furthermore, finding and sending relevant articles or media coverage to your potential employer is a great way to keep your name fresh and express your passion for the opportunity.
When it comes to selling, following up will be vital to your success. In fact, I tell business development teams the meeting really starts when you walk out the door.  Some of the best ways to do this are through social networking and the Internet, including connecting with your contact on Linked In, Facebook, and any other social networking sites.  Many of these mediums offer you the ability to direct connect to your contact and to utilize the "like" option on Facebook to support their efforts.  This may seem like a small step, but it brings your name to the forefront of your contact's mind.  Not to mention it creates a platform to stay connected to their activities without bothering them.
Use Your Network.  Again, we go back to the power of your network.  Most of your interviews will come from word of mouth via a friend, colleague, or family member.  After your interview, use these people to plant seeds.  Perhaps you got the interview through a current employee at the company with which you interviewed.  When he or she sees your interviewer, ask them to mention how much you enjoyed the interview and how impressed you were with the company and its vision.  People love to be appreciated and to know that others buy into their vision.  And through channeling your network, you have the ability to show the person making the big decision how engaged you really are.
The same can be true in sales.  After an important pitch, I encourage people to find articles or topics your contact may find interesting or helpful towards their business development and send direct links to them.  Also, work hard to incorporate social networking opportunities like Twitter in order to tweet about your contact's brand and even retweet the contact's Tweet's in order to garner support and spread the word.  Right then and there you are demonstrating how you can be a vital tool and resource.
Keep Your Options Open.  People sometimes make the grave mistake of closing off all other options while waiting to hear back from that one person.  In this tough competitive environment, it can take employers weeks to make a decision.  Even more of a concern, they are deciding from a large pool of qualified candidates.  Just like in investing, remember to diversify your portfolio.  Sometimes in life, the best prospects come when you are not looking for them at all.  When awaiting a response from a potential employer, keep interviewing and creating prospects for the future so if this particular opportunity does not pan out, you are not left waiting for the next one.
Keep pitching, keep hustling, but consider the positives and negatives of your social media and communicative decisions. The interview and sales process is about hard work and these small steps post interview and post sales call can often times be the difference.

The First Meeting Starts Today

Finally.  Resume after resume, cover letter after cover letter, and phone call after phone call, you can calendar it.   September 21st, 2011.  1:00PM.  In the heart of Midtown.  You finally have a date for your interview with one of the most successful and trendy employers in the City.  You have worked hard to get your foot in the door and in just fifteen short days, you will be sitting in front of your potential employer, resume in hand, and pitching yourself for the job of your dreams.

This scenario has happened to many of us:  the coveted first interview.  And in this competitive and difficult job market, the opportunities are few and far in between.  So you have to make the most of each one with which you are presented.  But this one in is particularly important, because this interview is for your dream job.

So just a little bit over two weeks out, what can you do to plant the seed and lay the groundwork for your first meeting?

Start Networking Now.  The first impression for your interview starts today.  When you walk into your future boss’s office, your reputation should precede your meeting.   Before I pitch a new client or athlete, I always focus on his network and reach out to that person through the network.  I do this because any positive reinforcement or endorsements I receive will be vital to winning my potential client over.  I do this through finding out who is close to my new client and networking with them.  The same can be true for your future interview.  Many times, you may get your first interview through a contact in the office.  Reach out to your contact and show your enthusiasm and excitement for the potential job, and hopefully that will be relayed to your interviewer.

Your goal should be for your reputation to reach your potential interviewer before you do.  Your future boss will be interviewing numerous people and it is crucial to your ability to get hired to be on his radar while he is interviewing everyone else.  You may be his first interview, you may be his last, but having his eye and his ear will be beneficial to propelling you to the top of his list.

Do Your Research Early. You have to know your employer inside and out.  What do they stand for? What drives them? What is their purpose? What type of position are they hiring for? Who are their typical clients? These are just some of the questions you should know the answer to before you walk into the conference room.  In this day and age, with the web and social media sites, it is very easy to research an employer and all of the big players at almost any company.

Your research should start there, going to your future company’s website and reading all you can, attempting to gain any meaningful and useful information that you can incorporate into your interview.  Every business has a purpose and a goal, and when you interview with a new employer, it should be your priority to ensure your vision resonates with theirs.  I always take the time before pitching to a new client to research the web, find relevant articles about the company, and then incorporate those articles and media coverage into my interview.  This will not only demonstrate that you are meticulous and prepared, but that you are passionate about the job.

Rehearse Your Interview.  The interview is coming soon, and you only get one shot at it.  There are no make-ups or do over’s.  Tough questions will almost certainly be thrown your way, and how you answer these questions will almost certainly be the difference between getting the job or not.  So it is vital to not only practice, but also prepare.  Start by creating a thorough list of potential questions your future boss may ask, and write down the answers to these questions.   This will help you avoid being caught in an uncomfortable position, unable to answer a question quickly and efficiently.

Furthermore, after preparing these questions, find a close friend or loved one and role-play, with that person acting as your employer, throwing out your tough questions.  Do this a few times until you can answer these questions without hesitation.  Practice makes perfect and in what will become a dogfight for this open job, you want every advantage you can have.

These are just a few of the most effective tools and resources you can implement into your interview preparation to ensure you get a leg up on the competition.  And in this economy, you need every advantage you can get.  But it does not stop there.  There are just as many steps you can take after your interview to put an exclamation mark on your interview.

Check back next week for what you can do after your interview to get the job…

Work on closing relationship gap

It's the toughest job market in almost anyone's memory. A lot of people are looking for jobs, and a lot of them are having challenges getting them.

That's due, in part, to this fact: The way many job applicants look for a job is opposite of the way companies look for employees.
What do I mean?

Most applicants send a resume and hope that it gets noticed enough to allow them to secure an interview when and if there is an actual job open. Whereas companies often look for potential employees in this order:

1. Referrals from trusted colleagues and friends.
2. Candidates supplied by career fairs, recruitment drives, search firms or employment agencies.
3. Responses to want ads and Web sites.
4. Unsolicited resumes.

People hire people, they don't hire paper. So, you need to build relationships with the people who you think will hire you or help you.
Relationships almost always trump resumes. A resume is a great way to showcase your "stats" and experiences, but your resume can't vouch for your intangible qualities. It can't fully illustrate your character, your consistency, your ability to anticipate, your judgment, your creativity, your reliability, your passion, your genuine style, your management style and/or your coachability, just to name a few.

You need to find ways to demonstrate your intangibles, and when you do, you close the relationship gap that exists between you and the people who can hire you. You need to "recruit" these people.

How do you close the relationship gap and connect with the people who can hire you or, at least, help you?

Let's say there is a job open at a company and you don't know anyone at the company. My advice is, send your resume to the person listed (i.e. director of human resources) but also send it to the person you would report to. After doing that, continue to track every move that the company makes (i.e. new clients, new business, articles, etc.). Identify ways you can support their business needs based on knowledge you gather. Identify ways you can add value.

Be, what I like to call, "respectfully aggressive" in regards to "recruiting" them.

E-mail congratulations on their successes, ideas, articles you believe they may find interesting that demonstrates your awareness of their business. The overall goal is for them to realize you are in their world and that you can add value. If you do this well, you will demonstrate they need you and need to hire you to improve their business.
Or let's say a job opens at a company and you know someone at the company. My advice is contact the person you know inside the organization and make them aware that you saw the job posting and are eager to apply. Gain their blessing for you to copy them on your application to the person noted on the job posting. Also, ask if they would be so kind as to hand your resume or place a phone call endorsing you to the respective people in the company. Execute and then continue to close the relationship gap with the appropriate people inside the company. By illustrating your intangibles, you will close the relationship gap and increase your odds of securing an opportunity.
You will work about 100,000 hours in your life --- make sure you spend the time needed to find a career you love.

Finding great job like finding soul mate

I have always told people, if you ask for advice you get a job, and if you ask for a job you get advice. This is no different than dating. If you ask someone on a date, you might end up finding a wife. If you ask someone to marry you right off the bat, you might never get a first date.
My husband, Fred, didn't ask me to marry him out of the gate. He got to know me. He realized I watched more ESPN than he did, and that we sit center court at games. But he also realized I couldn't cook quite like his mother.

Meanwhile, I found out as much as I could about him, as well. He was smart, funny and would be an even better husband and father than a boyfriend. It didn't bother him that my phone rang late at night with players who wanted to discuss each pitch from that evening's outing, and it didn't bother him that I couldn't whip up a gourmet meal.

Treat business meetings like you'd treat dating. Start by being prepared:

> Make a list of at least 20 people, 10 people you know, like and respect, and 10 people you don't know. On that list should be people you think you want to be or people who work closely with people you think you want to be.
> Find out everything you can about these 20 people --- personally and professionally --- so you are "in their world."
> Call or e-mail them and ask whether they would be kind enough to meet with you for 15 minutes in an effort for you to get their advice.
> Secure the meeting. Once you have the meeting, send a handwritten note thanking them in advance for the meeting, their time and their advice.
> Once the meeting is secured, be prepared in the meeting --- by that I mean know everything that you should know about their world and know a few things they don't think you should know about their business.
> During the meeting, secure three names of people they like and respect and that they believe you should meet with in light of what you have shared as your career passions.

> After the meeting, continue to "date" the person by sporadic phone calls, handwritten notes, informational e-mails about your world and their world --- show value by being respectfully aggressive.

Done right, you should have been on 20 "dates" and have 20 people who are aware of your career aspirations. Equally as important, you should have 60 more people to meet with.

It may take 60 dates to find the person you want to marry. Hopefully it will take less than 60 meetings to find the job you love.

Preparation in sports translates to business

How does a baseball player make it in the big leagues? How does a coach get a head job at a NCAA Division I school? How does a PGA Tour player earn a spot in a major championship? How do people find great jobs in a tough economy?

They all get it by overcoming adversity, preparing, and executing. Mark DeRosa, third baseman for the Cleveland Indians and our longtime client, has taken a long path to success in the Major Leagues.

Mark made his debut with the Atlanta Braves in 1998 at the age of 23, and spent parts of seven seasons with the club but was never able to stick as a starting player.

Through hard work every off-season, Mark broke through as a starter with the Texas Rangers in 2006, hitting nearly .300 with 74 RBI. Because of that we helped secure him a multi-year, multi-million-dollar contract.
Ryuji Imada, PGA Tour player and our longtime client, has dealt with challenges in his career, but has always been committed and determined to make a living as a professional golfer. He has lived a roller coaster, from helping the Georgia men's golf team win the National Championship in 1999, to missing out on getting his PGA Tour card via qualifying school or the Nationwide Tour on multiple occasions for several years.

Through preparation, resilience and executing, in 2008 he kissed a trophy after winning his first PGA Tour event, the AT&T Classic in Atlanta, and earned a spot to compete in The Masters this year.
Ryuji's commitment to preparation through off-season training ensured better execution and has proved rewarding.

Every job seeker needs to recognize the areas they need to improve on and effectively utilize their "off seasons." Remember, getting to the plate or the tee box --- getting the meeting --- only matters if you execute when you are there.

The difference between good and great athletes, I often tell people, is their ability to recover from adversity quickly --- a golfer's ability to go from a bogey to a birdie, or a pitcher's ability to go from walking a guy to striking the next guy out.

Mark and Ryuji's preparation might have included things like hitting thousands of baseballs in off-season batting practice or thousands of golf balls at the driving range. For those of you looking for a great job, embrace the fact that you are going to hear "no" a lot. But the more "no's" you get, the closer you get to getting a "yes."

> Prepare for every meeting, both informational meetings and interviews. Define your message. How can you add value to the company? When we sit in front of players, coaches or media talent, my team of agents and I illustrate the numerous ways that we can add value to their world. Whether it be our ability to create and manage their Web site or develop a branding plan for them, or to our contract negotiation strategy and track record, we are constantly showing them ways we do things better than the others.

> At the core of your preparation initiatives, do more than everyone else: Know something they wouldn't expect you to know. When I meet with any player, I know everything from their "greens in regulation" stats to the time frame of their equipment deals; or their stats vs. righties and lefties, all the way down to their children's names.

Any great sales person knows what I am talking about. When you are looking for a job, you are a salesperson, so get comfortable with it.
> During the meeting listen, listen and listen some more. Gather information --- via their verbal and non-verbal communication --- that might be relevant. Listen for things like personal and professional dates that they share with you. All of this data becomes part of your follow up plan.

> After the meeting, do the traditional things --- E-mail your contact within 24 hours and send a hand written note to them --- but remain consistently aware of their world and find creative ways to make them aware of your ideas.

I once did an informational meeting with a young man and during the course of the conversation I asked him, "What are some ideas you would have regarding marketing plans for several of our clients (i.e. John Smoltz, Ernie Johnson Jr.)?"

He answered the question well and "top lined" his thoughts, but what impressed me was the conceptual marketing plan he E-mailed just a few hours later. He showed great initiative and that he had some guts.

Sports translates to business

Unemployment, like free agency in sports, can be a positive experience. Really.

Many of you are probably thinking, what does a wealthy athlete have in common with me in the "job search" process?

I'll tell you, it's the process. From a tactical perspective, we all can learn a lot from successful people; we just have to extract what is applicable to us. It's why corporations book athletes and coaches to speak to their employees. Their stories resonate. We just have to embrace and utilize the similarities for our particular situation.
Free agency in sports is often considered a "maximizing opportunity" event for the athlete. For the most part, it's when an athlete has a choice: the athlete might have more than one team to choose from and has more control of their compensation on the open market. Generally, it's viewed as a positive in the sports world.

Free agency in the business world should be considered a positive as well. Attitude, as they say, is more important than fact. If you have been recently laid off, you should approach the your "free agent employee" period as your opportunity to maximize this crossroads event in your working career with the utmost positive attitude. Sometimes unemployment can lift the weight off your shoulders and help you seek that fresh start.

As a "free agent" employee, you have choices. A free agent employee can look at it as an opportunity to create a demand for their skill set. He or she can view the situation as an opportunity to drive up their value monetarily.

Baseball pitcher John Smoltz, our client for nearly twenty years, recently went through free agency for the fifth time. This past offseason's events are well documented. However, what made this event special was the way in which John viewed his situation. John and all of us at CS&E viewed this free agency time period like all the other opportunities prior, as nothing but a positive experience to embrace.
John wears a Red Sox hat now, always grateful for the platform the Braves organization created for him. As the story applies to most of you, John allowed free agency --- unemployment --- to be a positive experience. He was in our office almost every day for weeks straight discussing options as we shared our conversations with organizations. We helped him process it as it became more apparent he was turning a new chapter of his life. John's preference --- to remain in Atlanta --- was probably not going to become a reality. But he stayed calm and embraced the other opportunities.

There are five tools you need for a job search. They apply to the unemployed as well as those in free agency.

Passionate Style: This separates those who will make it happen from those who hope it happens; it's the belief and vision to execute during critical times. Anyone who has watched John Smoltz knows he has this on and off the mound. His passion for the game and desire to complete energized him to come back from multiple surgeries. Teams want that presence and style in their clubhouse, just like employers want that same passion from employees.

Fearlessness: One of your most important tools. It is your ability to embrace challenges without allowing the fear of failure to inhibit your efforts. John is as fearless as they come on the mound (and yes, on the golf course too). He wants the ball when it's a tight game. His fearlessness toward free agency allowed us to do our job.

Game Plan: You must insert your passion, style, and fearlessness into your game plan. It's your road map. It needs to be tailored to you. With John, our initial priority was to demonstrate that a 41-year-old, future hall of fame pitcher was healthy and eager to still pitch in the big leagues.

Execution: We executed our game plan with deliberate, calming style so as to allow John to enjoy what could have been a draining process. You must do the same.

Choices: We created choices for John. You must create choices for yourself as well. They are a product of hard work and creating opportunities and making them a reality.

Be a five-tool player and you won't be a free agent much longer

Intangibles vital, get you to the top

They show you 'get it, ' sports agent says. Respectful confidence, authentic energy among qualities to embrace.

Intangibles are crucial to succeed in any business. But what are they?

Here are some of my definitions:
Intangibles aren't what you say, but rather they are how you say it.
They aren't what you do, but rather they are how you do it.
Intangibles help demonstrate your honesty, your communication skills and your ability to work as part of a team.

At the most basic level, intangibles illustrate that you "get it." They bring life to your style. They make you 3-D instead of one-dimensional.
Tom Izzo --- the head basketball coach at Michigan State University and winner of a national championship, is a friend and client. "Championships, " he said, "aren't won because of intangibles, but they are lost without them."

Izzo got his job because of his stats and resume, but he won a national title because of his intangibles.

Tangibles get you the job; intangibles can get you to the top. Here are some intangibles to consider on your climb up the career ladder:
Strategic vision: Basically, this means seeing what others don't. Leaders provide it; followers follow it. Athletes do this by implementing good course or court management --- preparing for the next shot or setting up the play. From a business perspective, strategy and vision are part of anticipating trends, identifying niches and capitalizing on your competition's weaknesses.

Selective vulnerability: You must be secure to embrace this skill; smart enough to know your strengths and weaknesses and confident enough to express it appropriately for your advantage. Embrace insight and advice from a select group. Create opportunities by asking questions; most effective leaders gather lots of advice but implement it as they see necessary.

Respectful confidence: I call this the fine line between cocky and insecure. It's where grace meets spunk. Envision a line with "cocky" on the left side and "insecure" on the right. Most people, I believe, like to work with and hire people left of the center, but certainly not too cocky. Think about the style of John Smoltz: Many would agree with me that the former Atlanta Braves pitcher embodies respectful confidence. Find the place on the line that feels real to you as you embrace life's opportunities and challenges.

Authentic energy: This creates momentum for you and those around you. Everyone wants to be around positive and sincere people. It's contagious and it's magnetic. It's fairly simple, if you exude positive energy you are more likely to find or advance your career.

Make these intangibles part of your DNA. If you are looking for a job, stick them in your resume. But, more important, bring them to life in your meetings.

How to embrace, not resist, change

Change.
We've all heard it: The only thing constant in life is change.
If we know that there is constant change, let's anticipate it. Let's embrace the inevitable. Let's execute in our new reality.

We may not be able to control the change that is forthcoming, but we can control our attitude and work toward successfully executing during the transition and on into the new situation.

Change is particularly relevant with our free-agent baseball players during this time of year, as we evaluate 30 teams and work to secure the best fit for our free-agent clients.

But change can come at any time. A friend and client, Jeff Francoeur, experienced change this summer --- a trade from the Atlanta Braves to the New York Mets.

One Friday afternoon this summer, my phone rang at 5:50 p.m. Players don't typically call me after they get to the field unless something is pressing. It was Jeff calling from Colorado. I answered and I said, "Hey Jeff, let me guess . . ."
"Yes, I just got traded to the Mets, " he said.
"Awesome, " I replied.
That wasn't the reaction he was expecting --- and it was welcomed. All of a sudden No. 7 on the Braves became No. 12 on the Mets.

What characteristics do we need to implement during our changing times?
Anticipate: I was confident Jeff was going to get traded. As time passed, I began to not only anticipate a trade but appreciate what it might provide --- a new beginning. I anticipated that call from him, and when it came I knew he needed to believe that the change could be positive.

The reality is that he was the lead on making the change a positive one, but as his agent I was there to help him capitalize on it.
In this economic environment, we are all experiencing change. The more we anticipate it and plan for it, the more likely we can determine the most efficient and effective way to add value in the new situation.
Embrace: Whether change is a reality for a week, a year or forever, it's healthy to embrace it. Our ability to adjust quickly in trying times has a direct correlation with our ability to be successful. The quicker and more fluidly we adjust and create a platform for success the better.
Jeff had a lot of things to process as he boarded that plane from Colorado to New York. He had a lot to process as he changed his closet from the red and blue of the Braves to the orange and blue of the Mets.
We talked about the importance of those first games as a Met. His results in the second half of the season in New York demonstrate how well he embraced the trade.

Execute: His results in the second half of the season in New York demonstrate how well he executed these philosophies. Jeff arrived in New York with a new energy and the desire to prove to his new team that he would contribute at the plate, in the field and in the clubhouse.
He wanted to prove to manager Jerry Manuel and hitting coach Howard Johnson that he could contribute in a positive way to the club. He did just that.

In 2009, in 82 games with the Braves, Jeff hit .250 with five home runs and 35 RBI. In 75 games with the Mets, he hit .311 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI. After he arrived in New York, he led all Mets players in both home runs and RBI. Defensively, in just half the season he still tied for team lead in assists.

As you walk into new roles, sit in new board rooms, work with new co-workers, deal with new clients , you need to anticipate, embrace and, most important, consistently over-deliver.

So wake up every day and anticipate, embrace and execute in these ever changing times. You will find the roller-coaster of change to be less jarring and even positive.

Be consistent, creative

In most businesses, I believe you must operate with the following fundamentals: productive consistency, appropriate uniqueness, creativity and a purposeful sense of urgency. We all need refreshers on our fundamentals as we get roped into our day-to-day business lives.
Our golfers have hit the road to compete against the world's best on the PGA Tour.

Our baseball players are gearing up for spring training.

Our broadcasters are preparing to call games for new networks.

Our corporate and equipment sponsors want to see these guys at the top of their game on a consistent basis. Our clients garner sponsorships and endorsements because we help create unique partnerships for celebrity brands and companies.

We all must enhance the individuals and/or brands that provide us with the money and resources we need to succeed.

We can do it with the following qualities:

Productive consistency
Athletes are a tremendous example of the need to be consistent. A golfer must shoot low rounds four days in a row to win tour events. Baseball players' batting average or ERA are barometers of their consistency. Coaches are measured by their wins and losses. All of the above are rewarded based on their ability to deliver consistently.

In a traditional business-development environment, your retention of existing business and growth of new business are directly related to your ability to consistently deliver.

Pending your business model, ask yourself this question: Is anything more important than consistency in making your product successful?

Appropriate uniqueness
People always ask me, "Why do your clients get paid so much?" Because, at the most basic level, they do something few can do --- they leverage supply and demand to their advantage. Our job is to help them understand their value and then secure it. When you can throw a baseball 98 miles an hour --- and know where it is going --- you can make a lot of money. But we can all be the "demand" in the supply chain --- and it doesn't have to be on a field --- if we deliver something unique to a marketplace demanding that product. What makes us more unique, more valuable and more visible in the market?

We have all heard the old saying "differentiate or die." In our highly competitive world, we have to fill a special niche to be successful in the marketplace. There will always be a need for talent --- whether it's an athlete or you. What is your unique selling proposition? Create purposeful urgency around it and success will follow. Enjoy it!

Creativity
There is usually room for improvement in all that we do in life. I often refer to it as evolving. Is there a more efficient way? A more profitable way?

In other words, being willing to change and adjust to ensure success is imperative. In our economic environment, building an agile company will help you survive and give you an enormous advantage.

Creativity is not just the domain of a talented few. We are all creative by nature. Creativity is instilled in each of us and can fulfill our need to work in solutions. It breeds innovation and creates platforms for needed change.

Charles Darwin is credited with coining the phrase, "the survival of the fittest." The "fittest" are a lot of things --- but one thing about those who survive is that they are creative --- for sure. If you're on the fringe, ask yourself what club will get you closest to the hole --- a 7 iron, wedge or putter. Let's be creative and we're more likely to throw strikes and drain puts.

Sense of urgency
One Sunday afternoon I was at a neighbor's house and my cellphone continued ringing. I answered each call, from various clients. After about the fifth call, my neighbor looked at me and said, "What do they want? It's Sunday afternoon, what do they need right now?"
I explained that my world is 24/7 --- if our clients want to tell me about a conversation with a manager, or something they read, they want to tell me now. That's okay, I understand. In fact, I welcome it and it's all I've known after 15 years as a sports agent.

My neighbor is a neonatal intensive care doctor and he really understands the meaning of urgency and of "right now." So I humbly replied, "I guess 'right now' is relative."

At the most basic level, I embrace the "now" with a sense of urgency whether it is Sunday at 5 or Tuesday at 2.

At the micro level, a successful tactic to improve your value starts with being productively consistent, appropriately unique, creative and approaching life with a purposeful sense of urgency. Invest in these qualities. Execute your business plan now and great things will happen.

Telling beats selling

We have all been in sales since we started posturing for later bed times or an extra cookie after dinner.

Regardless of what you are "accountable for" in your business, we can all be 24/7 promoters for our organizations, our boards and our philanthropic affiliations.

I recently gave a speech to a group of national sales people for a Fortune 500 company. I talked about the importance of telling, not selling.

Telling builds relationships. It brings the product or service to life by illustrating a story or case study. It doesn't force connectivity. It feels authentic, long-lasting vs. self-serving, like the feeling a traditional sales experience may bring.

Telling authenticates past and future actions. It creates credibility.
I believe valuable moments are created by telling vs. selling. Here are a couple of tactical "to do's" as you work to bring value:
Prep: Why was John Smoltz in high demand as a broadcaster? One reason is certainly because of the way he handles himself on and off the field.
I would argue the other is because over the years we have worked to put John in the booth when the timing and the situation was right, in order for John and the market to determine if one day this could be an option for him.

The choices we had and the respect he was shown as we expressed interest in broadcasting wasn't an accident.

Another example: I have walked hundreds of practice rounds with PGA Tour players, and consistently watch them drop multiple balls in the fairway to check distances. They putt to and from all areas of each green --- all in preparation for competition. Prep for each situation you might encounter so as to take advantage of your opportunities to win.
Inquire and then listen: Asking questions can help you position the opportunity. It helps you to gather information. Doc Rivers, coach of the Boston Celtics, constantly asks his players, "Do you need anything from me?" I watch golf equipment representatives stand on the range Monday through Wednesday of tournament week as players try their clubs. The rep drills them with questions as players try the clubs. "Too firm? Too much loft?"

They gather information to build the very best club for the player. Ask your employees, your clients, your boss, your customers questions so you can gather data and put yourself in the best position to deliver the best product. If they win, you should win. After you ask questions --- listen. Just listen.

Listen authentically so you can better position the way you bring them value.

Don't talk too much or too loud: The analogy here is the rookie in the clubhouse that comes in and forgets he's the rookie. Trust me, the veterans will remind him. The best sales people ask a question --- short and sweet --- and then simply listen and react to their answer. They may know a lot of the answers, but not all of them --- and they're eager to learn so as to provide the best and most fitting solutions.
Stories work: You can tell people what you are going to do for them, or simply tell them what you have already done for others. Do the latter first, then the other is more real. When you tell, you sell. When we show a player how we will manage their career, it is powerful. But when we show them how and what we have done for 200-plus clients similar to them, it resonates.

Most important, wrap these tactics with integrity. It should be central to your message. Integrity is the quality most needed to succeed personally and professionally.

The good news is that you have an opportunity to be the player that creates valuable moments. Work so hard and so smart that you are faced with abundant moments and are prepared to capitalize on each and every one of them.

Execution trumps stereotyping

In the world of sports, I am usually the only woman in the room, behind home plate, on the sideline or on the driving range.
I often get the question, "Is it a disadvantage being a woman sports agent?" Or sometimes they ask it like, "How much harder is it for you since you are a woman?"

Rarely, someone will follow up with, "I bet it helps."
You bet it does, if you handle it right. It is easy to tell women in work environments filled primarily with men to just be great. Be smarter, work harder, execute better and more consistently. I would add that awareness is paramount: Be aware of the messages you send.
My advice during gender diverse moments is to avoid stereotyping others. My experiences have demonstrated that that, in turn, supports connectivity.

Awareness: Who is in the room? Or on the call? Earn their respect, just as they must earn yours. You might walk in with it because of your reputation, but walk out with it because of how authentic, smart, collaborative and solution-oriented you are --- and because of your ability to connect. I would argue that awareness enhances your ability to connect. Awareness requires preparation. Know your audience. I've been the only woman in the room full of men on thousands of occasions, I'm aware but unfazed at the same time.
Jason Heyward, a CSE client, broke camp with the club in the big league and made the All-Star team --- he was aware but unfazed --- he expected it. And, it's working.

Authentic and productive visibility: Know the others' business, from their clients, to their competition, to their jargon.
And contribute communicatively. It matters --- a lot. Early in an encounter with a player, I'm aware I'm the only woman, but when you speak their language you connect. "Why the double switch in the 8th last night?" "Were you sitting fast ball on that 3-2 count in your second at bat?"
Adapt, connect in an authentic and genuine way.
Be great and better: One of our coaches tells his guys, "You better be better than your problems."

I have seen athletes who are not better than their problems, they are dismissed (T.O. among the most well-known). Tiger was better than his problems to Nike, but not for Accenture, Gillette and plenty of others.

Execute: When you execute, you can lead and influence others. Some are leaders because of their title, but to be a person of influence you must execute --- and do so consistently.
Our client John Smoltz was a leader in the Atlanta Braves clubhouse for years, because he did a lot of intangible things well --- he is involved in our community, he represented the organization well, he was available to the media.

But if he didn't do one of them well, if he didn't execute year after year on the mound, would he have been a leader in the clubhouse? I would argue not. It is his ability to execute consistently that has made him one of the best and a promising future Hall of Famer.

Can we utilize these ideas to enhance productivity and improve results?

Facebook and fan fervor

To see the transformational change in our world due to social media, look no further than the impact of tweets and such on athletics and the power of the fan.
In the past, the fan's interaction with an athlete was a one-way experience. The fan would visit the team website to view the latest news about the player, get to see the player at staged events or hear about favorite athletes from the perspective of a sportswriter. The relationship could be described as "at arms length" and non-transparent.
Now, due to social media, there is an instantaneous connection where the veil of secrecy has been lifted and the team, the locker room and the athlete's life are more "real" to the fan.
This is creating a new paradigm of fan/celebrity relationships that make the fan feel more connected to the celebrity as if they are actual "friends."
Athletes who have adopted this "transparent" relationship with their fan base through authentic posts make their brand more marketable to teams, sponsors, and potential endorsement opportunities.
This has shifted an immense amount of power directly to athletes as they become their own media property.
What can build a brand or damage it
Social media provide a powerful platform for connecting with fans, but reckless use can be damaging.
Every tweet, post, photo and video makes a statement of personal views --- which will be taken seriously if it jeopardizes the integrity of a team or sponsor.
Take Michael Phelps for instance.
Stream-of-consciousness postings on social networks can --- and often will --- get athletes in trouble.
So interactions have to contain some thought about consequences. Athletes not only have to think about what they say, they also have to think about where and when they say it.
Leagues such as the NFL, the NBA and even the SEC are demanding it. A simple misstep can mean a hefty fine --- anywhere from $7,500 to $25,000.
In the NFL, new rules prohibit tweeting 90 minutes before and after games by players, their representatives, coaches, team personnel, and officials.
It's a fear of losing control that is driving organizations to restrict what gets said in a social media space. Media outlets are also clamping down.
ESPN contracts analysts and athletes as its on-air broadcast talent and prohibits them from discussing sports stories in social media.
Celebrities need to remain disciplined and have a plan and a few guidelines in place for how to conduct their communications.
Integrated strategy for brand building
A fully integrated social media strategy for multiple platforms such as Facebook (official and unofficial fan pages), MySpace, Twitter, YouTube (where you have your own YouTube channel) is a rarity in the sports world, even if the benefits to that athlete's brand are so obvious.
However, this integrated message takes time, discipline and work by the athlete (really minutes a day if they are savvy), so most shy away from it or hand it over to a PR firm to "handle" their social media. The fans see right through this.
Let's use Lance Armstrong as an example.
He is one of the most dedicated social media users across multiple platforms. On any given day, he will post a tweet about his ride route, where fans show up and ride with him.
From that event fans will post videos of the ride on his YouTube channel and comments on his Facebook page. The connection his fans feel with him due to such relatively simple yet authentic gestures makes him one of the most popular on Web 2.0.
Some athletes may ask how posting a tweet or a message on Facebook matters. Tweet Lance Armstrong that question and he'll tell you it has landed him a number of new endorsements where he can pair hungry fans with hungry retailers. All due to social media. Savvy celebrities see socially connected fan bases as currency that pays dividends --- and will continue to do so long after they have left the playing field.

Social media sites win

The use of social media, especially social broadcasting, represents the largest shift in leverage in today's media world.
And, certainly, this is affecting the business of sports.
In the sports arena, the power is shifting into the hands of celebrity athletes, who now have an opportunity to build their own personal media properties, where viewers and profits shift from content aggregators such as ESPN directly to the individual.
How will this happen?
It's all about the younger generation of fans and how they view content.
Younger sports fans aren't your traditional content consumers. More than 80 percent own smart phones; they are watching less and less TV; rarely listen to traditional radio; and enjoy getting most of their content off mobile video or Web video sites such as YouTube or Facebook.
They want to view what they want, when they want to, and they are choosing their viewing platform.
Younger consumers are just as likely to watch a video posted by Shaquille O'Neal on Facebook about his 60-point night than go to ESPN.com to read a commentator's take.
These younger viewers represent eyeballs, and eyeballs represent profits that were once monopolized by the traditional content aggregators.
Those days are changing. Local social media consulting firm Vitrue recently valued Facebook fans at $3.60 per fan per year. Take an athlete such as LeBron James, who has close to 5 million Facebook fans, and the revenue potential this provides is staggering.
But while James does a good job managing his social media with multiple personal posts each day, it seems a number of those posts are being managed by staff or social media consultants.
Savvy fans can see right through that filter. It's best if athletes keep it real and personal, or else they risk alienating their followers.
When athletes and celebrities embrace building, or enhancing, their personal media property, they understand that it is a once-in-a-lifetime platform to:
Connect directly to fans;
Better understand their fan demographics;
Funnel endorsement deals their way;
Build revenue for their philanthropic endeavors;
Connect advertisers with targeted demographics;
Provide special offers to their fans and their advertisers;
Generate a revenue stream that will outlast their professional career.
Social media is forcing the sports business to reinvent itself at some levels.
It's exciting and time to embrace it. My college tennis coach used to say, "Just win the last point of the match, Molly."
Well, we all know, you have to win a lot of points and games to position yourself for that ever-important last point. Are the games the athletes' existing platform? Or is the ever-important last point for athletes today how effectively they optimize their personal media property?

In negotiations, party with the most choices is in control

The National Football League lockout is no different from any negotiation, whether two parties or several parties negotiate: The goal isn't a good deal, but a great outcome. In a perfect world, it's a formulation of a great outcome vs. a negotiation of a good deal. But it isn't a perfect world. In fact, the sand is flying in this sandbox.
Lets take a peek at the NFL lockout from a bird's-eye view --- a player agent perspective.
Player agents like to be able to provide their clients with answers and solutions to challenges. During a lockout, most of an agent's information comes from their players or a trusted media source. During the lockout, agents spend their time anticipating for (and with) their clients, their clients' financial advisers and, believe it or not, attempting to help players see both sides.
Agents are often business owners as well. So empathy with the owners exists by some agents. Agents are out of control right now, but let's be honest, agents are used to being out of control. Their livelihood primarily exists based on someone else's performance and decisions; and an agent's business model is made up of multiple bell curves and requires constant reinvention and retention.
The NFL has been one of the best sports products in the market. In my opinion, one of the many reasons the NFL has flourished is due to the fact that the players are modern-day gladiators. Yes, they have a unique platform, but they pay a price for it and only have a limited window of time to play in their lives.
The owners also take significant risks, most notably financial, by providing the infrastructure and platforms. Both look at each other as a resource to support their unique professional objectives.
Like anything in life, it takes two to tango. Negotiations typically boil down to greed, money and control; a belief that one party can't live without the other. This negotiation, at its core, is transactional for both parties, making transparency and authenticity difficult to surface.
Many people reading this might think, "but it is just a game --- don't forget that." I agree. No question, jumping out of the sandbox and realizing it isn't a solution to world hunger would support perspective.
Although transactional, results will flourish if discussions are anchored against honoring the game of football. Honoring the game that allows so many people to make a living doing something they love. It's about honoring the people who paved the way and honoring the people forthcoming.
Do I sound too altruistic? Stay with me. It's about honoring the people for which the game impacts. It's about remembering the reality, that it is a game. But the fact is, it is a business and a livelihood for many. And a good one --- let's not forget it.
From my experience and judgment relative to negotiations, the party with the most choices is in control --- and more likely to "win." Who has more choices in this lockout?