Category: impact

leadership dot #3908: pivotal

April 20, 2023April 19, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

One of my mentors, now age 80, is on a mission to document some of his life’s stories for his grandchildren. He bought a laptop for this explicit purpose and is committed to capturing some history and insights that he can share with others.

One of his stories is about “how I found my career.” I love that phrasing because it reflects reality — that a career often finds you, rather than you finding it through assessments, aptitude tests, or well-meaning advice. It also implies that landing on a career is a journey — not something that you magically know upon graduation from college, or heaven forbid, high school.

His story has also inspired me to reflect on how I found my career. I am not an elementary teacher as was my initial thought; I’m not an accountant like the tests recommended I should be, and my career wasn’t even in journalism as my college major suggested. There have been many twists and turns along my path but I think it all began with the “Usherettes” organization in high school — a group reserved for freshmen and sophomore girls who wore long polyester skirts and ushered at the annual school musical. Because of that “experience,” I joined the “Host and Hospitality” committee of the Union Board in college (ushering at events) — and my Union Board involvement led to an eventual graduate assistantship and then a professional position in student activities which kicked off my career in higher education.

Two takeaways from today’s dot: 1) reflect on how you found your career — not just your first job, but the pivotal experience that kickstarted your eventual professional journey; and 2) consider how minor or serendipitous that initial experience really was. For many, it started with a tap on the shoulder and someone suggesting you get involved in something. It wasn’t positioned as the starting point of your career, but rather someone seeing a fit between you and an opportunity. Be that someone for someone else. You may be the catalyst that helps another find their eventual life’s work.

leadership dot #3870: improve

March 2, 2023March 1, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

“Participating in the world as it is does not disqualify you from trying to improve it.”

I read this quote on Twitter and it has really stuck with me. The tweet pointed out that the inventor of the engine used a horse every day, the inventor of the light bulb worked by candlelight, and the inventor of steel only had iron. People used what was available to them to make things better.

The same opportunity is available to you.

Maybe you won’t become the inventor of a world-altering tool but you can apply the principle to improve your situation (and beyond). Work around a bad boss. Create a new policy that revolutionizes an aspect of how your organization operates. Start an affinity group to help ignite a movement. Advocate for a change in your industry. Adopt a new practice that others can emulate. Mentor one person and encourage them to do great things.

I hear all the time that people are overworked and under-resourced. It may be true. There are always conditions that are less than ideal. Improve the world anyway.

Tweet by The Other 98% (@other98)

leadership dot #3835: hustle

January 26, 2023January 25, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

When I lived in St. Louis, I was a huge Cardinals fan and my favorite player was Scott Rolen. This week, the unassuming third baseman was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. In a moment of shared pride, I dug out my Rolen jersey, bobblehead, and baseball card, and I reminisced over the autographed photo that captured me illicitly wearing his actual helmet for a nanosecond.

Rolen impressed me (and others) because of his excellence in the fundamentals. He won 8 Golden Glove Awards in addition to being a solid hitter. He was low-key and in the background behind the huge shadow that Albert Pujols cast, but Rolen’s contributions to the team were integral in winning the World Series and contributing to many other successes.

A St. Louis Post Dispatch article best described why I admired him: “Not content to cruise on his abundant talent, Rolen displays the scrappiness of a utility man. When is the last time you saw Rolen give less than 100 percent? When is the last time you failed to see him hustle? When’s the last time you saw him strut? Answer: Never.”

For years, I had a picture of Rolen and the above quote hanging by my desk at work. I wanted to play my game like Rolen played his. You, too, can become a Hall of Famer in your field by emulating his humble nature and continual dedication to the basics.

Welcome to the Hall of Fame #27!

leadership dot #3822: catalyst

January 13, 2023January 12, 2023by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I recently wrote an article about our region’s Community Foundation and the work it has been doing for the past twenty years. During its two-decade history, the Foundation has served as a “catalyst and convener” to tackle some of the area’s toughest challenges: access to health care, brain health, literacy, small-town vitality, energy, access to college or training, resources for immigrants, and equity, just to name the more recent subjects.

My takeaway from the conversation was that you don’t have to have the answers in the beginning. The Foundation utilizes community conversations, convenes diverse leadership panels, leverages challenge grants, brings together a wide range of partners, conducts assessments and audits, showcases data, and starts the process of determining solutions to vexing issues.

It’s frequently the case that people agree that X is a problem, but don’t agree on a plan to resolve it. Too often the process gets stuck there and nothing gets over this hump to at least enact something toward a full solution. The Community Foundation serves in the role of the instigator — to use Collective Impact and strategic learning models, system approaches, and good old-fashioned listening to help people articulate the issues and commit to a starting point.

We spend so much time arguing about the problem and what doesn’t work. It would be far more productive for all if you served in a “community foundation” role for however you define your community and get the ball rolling on solutions.

leadership dot #3723: impact players

September 26, 2022September 25, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

As I read Impact Players by Liz Weisman, I thought of several wonderful staff members that I was lucky enough to supervise throughout my career — the ones who were indeed Impact Players. Weisman outlines five mindsets — that lead to different behaviors — of those who multiply their impact vs. those who are contributors. There are many contributors who do strong and valuable work, but Impact Players make a greater mark on the organization, by reframing their response in these five areas:

Messy Problems: Seeing the opportunity to solve them as a chance to be useful vs. a distraction
Unclear Roles: A chance to provide (often temporary) leadership to bring people together to clarify responsibilities — stepping up, then stepping back to let others own the situation once things have been made clear
Unforeseen Obstacles: Rather than escalating the problem or seeing it as a hassle, Impact Players work to resolve the issue
Moving Targets: Adjusting to changing goals allows Impact Players to build new capabilities and skills — they are seen as another opportunity rather than a detour from the “real work”
Unrelenting Demands: Impact Players attempt to “make work light” for those around them, providing a productive work environment for others

Impact Players “do the job that’s needed” vs. just doing their job. Sometimes that means going above and beyond to solve system problems or organizational issues that cross boundaries but they take the initiative to do so, spending their time working on what is most important for their manager and the organization as a whole. They tackle the thorny issues that others avoid — and as a result, contribute the most value.

Regardless of your position, everyone can adopt the mindset of an Impact Player. Wiseman’s book provides many examples and strategies — and is realistic enough to know that most players only exhibit three of the five practices. The key is to reframe how you think about your role and get started making a difference with your work.

Impact Players: How to take the lead, play bigger, and multiply your impact by Liz Wiseman, 2021

leadership dot #3722: 700

September 25, 2022September 25, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

On Friday night, Albert Pujols of the St. Louis Cardinals joined the 700 Club — men who have hit 700 home runs in their major league career. It is baseball’s most elite club — with only four members* in the history of the game. Three times as many men have walked on the moon as have accomplished the feat of 700 homers.

You would think that someone with such power and ability would have been a highly-coveted draft pick, but you would be wrong. Albert came via Maple Woods Community College and was the 402nd player chosen in the draft — a 13th-round pick in 1999. It reminded me of Tom Brady, a 199th pick, who has quarterbacked his teams to seven Super Bowl wins.

Both these men will head to their respective Hall of Fames based on talent, yes, but also hard work and dedication. Use them as a reminder not to let others determine your worth. It doesn’t matter if you’re picked first or 402nd, you can take charge of your destiny and forge a path to greatness.

*Other members: Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth

leadership dot #3706: steady

September 9, 2022September 8, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Queen Elizabeth has died. Of course, I did not know her, but I feel like I did. She has literally been the Monarch for my entire life.

While the Queen did not have a direct impact on me, her reign provided a steady presence in an otherwise tumultuous world. Our presidents come and go, Britain is in the European Union and then out, and wars have started and ended during her tenure. But the Queen was always there, clutching her mysterious purse and waving the Queen’s wave. It was comforting in a subliminal way.

It’s hard to imagine how Charles will alter the course of history as King or what the implications of the Queen’s passing are for anyone, especially with a brand new Prime Minister. But we now add the British royalty to the list of changing aspects in our world.

If there is a constant in your life, take a moment to acknowledge it. Whether that be a long-time employee, an elderly relative or neighbor, a legacy shop owner, or a multi-decade friend, don’t take their presence for granted. They may have always been there, but won’t always be there as yesterday has shown.

Condolences to all who knew the Queen privately but must now mourn her publicly. Rest in peace.

leadership dot #3704: legends

August 19, 2022August 18, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

I took my 14-year-old niece to the movie theater and there was a giant display advertising Top Gun Maverick. She inquired as to what “Top Gun” was and had never even heard of the movie, let alone seen it. Gasp! So, as part of the Camp Aunt beth educational series, we rectified that last night.

During the movie, I pointed out that Goose’s wife was a young Meg Ryan and my niece replied with “who?” She had never heard of Ryan, Sleepless in Seattle, When Harry Met Sally, You’ve Got Mail or any of the other classic rom-coms. I am going to need her to come for two weeks next year just so we can have a film class!

Think about your organization and its equivalent to Top Gun or Meg Ryan. What have you done to help the next generation of employees, members, or donors learn about some of the greats in your past? You may assume that “everyone” knows about the legends and legacies but what is obvious to those who have lived it may be a mystery to those who must keep it living.

leadership dot #3697: dream

August 12, 2022August 10, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

For the second time in as many years, Major League Baseball played a game on the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa (population 4,561). While working as temporary staff at the game, I continually marveled at the logistical feats required to make this event — in a literal cornfield — happen (see dot #3351). But mostly, I thought about Denise Stillman.

Denise visited the Field of Dreams while on vacation in 2010 — then not much more than the preserved baseball field and original house from the movie. But like Kevin Costner’s character in the film, she saw a vision for what baseball meant and what the field could be. A big vision.

I heard her describe that vision and she was a commanding presence. After she spoke, I could see her dream of a youth sports complex that hosted traveling teams from throughout the Midwest. I believed her when she said the site could become a “mecca for traveling baseball” and that it could rival Cooperstown as a host site for Little League tournaments. Her energy and passion were contagious — except to the land’s neighbors.

The surrounding land owners partnered to form a collaborative to oppose Stillman and her plans — wanting to keep all that traffic and outsiders away from ruining the small-town Iowa feel. They sued her for improper zoning — repeatedly. She sued them for interference and defamation. Finally, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled and allowed her to play ball, five years after she acquired the site.

But during that time, Denise was diagnosed with cancer. Instead of seeing her dream come to fruition, she spent her final working years with lawyers — but still acting as if she would prevail. It was her vision and persuasive lobbying efforts during this time that convinced Major League Baseball to do the unthinkable — build a temporary stadium in a cornfield and play a game there. They signed the contract four months after her passing.

After the success of the first MLB game, everyone sees the vision that Denise was the only one to see for years. Today, investors have an $80 million plan to develop the site with fields, a hotel, a team dormitory, and an outdoor amphitheater — and multiple entities are jumping on board with million-dollar grants for infrastructure and even a permanent stadium.

Denise Stillman is a role model to all of us — reminding us to dream big, and to keep dreaming, even when there are two outs in the ninth and the wind is blowing in. Persistence does pay off. People did come, Denise. People most definitely did come.

leadership dot #3660: game changer

June 23, 2022June 21, 2022by leadership dots by dr. beth triplettLeave a comment

Fifty years ago today, women made great gains in accessing the developmental pipeline of organized activities with the signing of Title IX of the Federal Education Amendments. The essence of Title IX reads: “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

The landmark legislation’s definition doesn’t use the words female or athletics, but that is where the law has had the most visible impact. When the law went into effect, approximately 300,000 girls were high school athletes. Now, close to 3.5 million females participate in high school sports, to say nothing of the increase in collegiate athletics, the Olympics, and professional teams.

Title IX did far more for women than promote co-curricular involvement — it shaped their habits and mindset for generations to come, and in turn, changed the country. When the law went into effect, there were 2 female senators and 13 female congresswomen. Now, there are 24 female senators and 122 female congresswomen, an increase of 873%. In 1972, Katharine Graham was the only female CEO of a Fortune 500 company; now there are 44 women. Today, just in professional sports, we have a female general manager of a Major League Baseball team, executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, NBA owner, NFL referee, NFL agent, and many more women in other roles. While many factors contributed to the slow evolution, Title IX is certainly one of them.

When crafting policies or laws, it’s hard to know the long-term impact of the change you are making. While there is still a long road ahead to achieve full gender equality and acceptance beyond just male/female, today celebrate the gains that have been made thanks to the foresight to codify Title IX.

[And if you want a personal account of the impact of the legislation, may I recommend Christine Hawkinson’s book 50 Years in the Bleachers: What modern sports parents can learn from a Title IX pioneer.]