Why Justin Bieber is More Successful Than You

This week I wanted to share something with you that is short, yet very powerful.

His name is Justin Bieber. Perhaps you've heard of him.

Friday night, I kidnapped my daughter (a.k.a. "Justin's Future Fiance") and took her to see Never Say Never, the documentary about this pop star's rocket ride to fame.

As my daughter sat forward in her seat, completely mesmerized by this boy wonder and his music, I sat back, fascinated by the amazing business and success lessons I was learning. Yeah, I know, I was quite surprised, too. I thought I was going to sneak in one of those luxurious dad naps.

Here are the highlights:

1. There's no such thing as an overnight success. True, he went from complete obscurity to selling out the legendary Madison Square Garden in just two short years, BUT the kid has been playing music and performing for a decade or more. Do a YouTube search if you don't believe me and see how young he is in some of his "pre-fame" performances. He's been working toward this for a long time.
2. Do what you love to do & get really good at it. It is so obvious that Justin loves singing, playing music, and performing. He's not pretending to be a rock star like many of those Mousketeer-turned-pop-star wannabes. He IS a rock star. He really can sing. He really can play. He really can dance. He's the real deal. No auto-tune crap. Just talent, passion, and hard work.
3. Surround yourself with extremely talented and passionate people who believe in you and care for you. Are Justin's manager, vocal coach, bodyguard, tutor, musical director, stylist, band, and backup singers/dancers getting a decent paycheck? Probably. But they all took a risk on this unknown kid because they truly like him and they want him to succeed. 
4. Be likeable. This may be Justin's most amazing talent. He's nice. He's polite. He's friendly. He treats people well. He says thank you. Do this one thing and you will instantly become more successful, I promise.
5. Put your fans (you might know them as customers) on a pedestal. I was a radio DJ for almost ten years. I went to a lot of concerts and took many radio contest winners backstage to meet pop stars and rock bands. None of them treated their fans like Justin does. He connects with them. He plays with them. He even brings one lucky girl on stage in each show and sings to her. They didn't show this in the movie, but they must have paramedics standing by just in case some poor girl's heart explodes.
6. Get the biggest and best mentor you can find. Justin has Usher to thank for much of his success (and he does thank him every chance he gets). Who better to mentor you than one of the absolute giants of your industry? Usher has not just opened a lot of doors for Justin, he's provided guidance, perspective, and an occasional slap on the side of the head. All good, clean mentor fun.
7. Keep your friends and family close. Justin has the world on a string and millions of people wanting his time. So who was he most excited to see show up at his big Madison Square Garden show? His grandparents and his best friends from back home. 
8. Look in the mirror every day. This is related to item #2, but worthy of it's own number. Practice, practice, practice. Justin doesn't just practice in front of his choreographer, vocal coach, and manager. He practices in front of the mirror. How often do you look in the mirror to see how close (or far away) you are to performing at your best?
9. Never underestimate the power of good hair. I'm not kidding. Appearances matter. Just ask my daughter. Justin's hair is a big deal. Your appearance matters. As does the appearance of your employees, your bathrooms, and your marketing materials. 
10. Never say never. Yeah, it's the name of the movie, and it's a little cliché, but the idea is solid anyway. Justin and his team believe in themselves 1000%. Do you believe you can be amazing? Do you believe your business, team, or product can sell out Madison Square Garden, metaphorically speaking? 

People are always asking me for creative teambuilding ideas. Here's one: take your team to see the Justin Bieber movie, then talk about what you can learn and apply. Yes, you may use this article as a guide. At the very least, pass this article along to your team or talk about it in your next staff meeting.

Yes, you will get funny looks when you tell your team you're going to take them to see Justin Bieber. One final lesson from the movie: Take a risk. Do something different. Defy the naysayers. Who knows? Maybe you and Justin will run into each other as you are both laughing all the way to the bank.

What Does Your "Next G" Look Like?

Have you heard the news? There's a new cell phone coming out. It's going to be better, faster, more powerful, and more amazing than every other phone on the planet. When this new phone hits the market, your current phone will be so obsolete it might as well have a rotary dial, or a cord.

So who makes this new phone phenom? Apple? Nokia? Sony? Motorola?

The answer? All of them.

Tomorrow they'll all come out with a phone that is better than the one they produce today. And the day after tomorrow they'll invent one that's even better than that.

As I write this, rumors are flying about the iPhone 5 (yes, it DOES seem like the iPhone 4 just came out), and we're quickly moving from 3G networks to 4G networks.

Now, while you may think the G stands for "gullible" or "greedy" or "Gladys", the G is really shorthand for "generation." Apparently new versions of everything are coming out so fast, we can't even finish saying the word, Generation, so we just stop at G.

I sometimes think the G stands for "groan" because I've caught myself involuntarily groaning out loud upon discovering that if I had just waited another month, I could have purchased the hottest new technology AT THE SAME PRICE I just paid for the dinosaur that I now hold in my hand.

And, of course, we sometimes gather around the water cooler to complain about how fast technology changes (and to spread our conspiracy theories about how "they" plan to take more and more of our money through planned obsolescence).

Now stop for a second and think about that smart phone in your pocket or purse. It can do amazing things that weren't possible even two years ago. It can do things that weren't even dreamed of five years ago. And if you took a time machine back to 1985 and showed my current iPhone to a group of NASA engineers, they would likely dance around it, grunting and and marveling like the cavemen who first discovered fire. Or their heads would explode.

Transition with me, if you will, from thinking about the cell phone in your pocket to the owner of said cell phone (that's you).

Which "G" are you right now? Here's a quick map to help you decide:

1G - The child you (birth through middle school)
2G - The student you (high school, college)
3G - The working you (early work/career)
4G, 5G, 6G and beyond - The new & improved you (the rest of your life)

Sadly, most of the world stops at 3G. Most people get a job, start working, and - at best - make tiny, incremental improvements in their thinking, skills, and contribution to work and the world from that moment on.

It almost becomes laughable when a 3G person demands a raise or applies for a higher-level position. My brother, a very smart guy who has managed many people in his career, once told me his approach when 3G people come knocking on his door asking for a raise. He asks them a simple question: "Tell me how you've improved or how you're contributing more than you were a year ago." This, no doubt, sends most people back to their desk a bit deflated. The smart ones might feel slightly embarrassed, yet enlightened, and start planning immediately for the "next G" of themselves.

I know why most people stop at 3G. Because 4G and beyond requires work (beyond your work work), change, transition, and even a small bucket full of uncertainty. It's so much easier to sit on the couch and watch other people win American Idol, The Amazing Race, or Cupcake Wars. Ironically, most of the contestants on those shows are there because they're proactively pushing themselves beyond 3G.

What are you doing right now that wasn't even possible for you two years ago? Are you doing anything that you didn't even dream of five years ago? Would the 1985, or 1995, or 2005 version of you be blown away by how far you've come?

Now flip those questions around and start creating some momentum, no matter which "G" you are today. What could you be doing two years from now if you found a way to improve yourself today? Could you run a marathon? Could you apply for your dream job? Could you take your business to a whole new level?

My wish for you is that you won't stop at the 3G version of yourself. My wish for you is that as soon as you're done reading this, you'll take ten minutes to think about what the "next G" version of you will look like. Will it be smarter? More skilled? Healthier? Happier?

Actually, I take that back. My wish for you is that as soon as you're done reading this, you'll forward it to at least two friends. THEN, take that ten minutes to think about the next G version of yourself.

Here's some additional motivation: even though we may complain about how hard it is to keep up with technological advancement, very (and I mean VERY) rarely is a new version of a cell phone worse than the old version. Sure, my new iPhone may have a few glitches, but I'd never go back to the previous version. You're the same way, yes? When you push yourself to a new level, it is virtually impossible to go back to the old version. If you learn a new skill, can you unlearn it? Only if you don't use it.

The first step is to decide what your next G will be. And to help you get started, I challenge you to share it with the world by leaving a comment after this article on our blog or by replying directly to me if you read this via email. Now, before you freak out, you may absolutely leave your comment anonymously. I'll publish the responses in next week's newsletter.

So, what does your next G look like?



FYI: I had to write and publish this article quickly because by the time you read this, most of the technology references will be several minutes old, and very likely already out of date. I hope you still get the point. :)

Step Back from the Baggage Claim

This week's article is by guest writer, Jason Barger - Author/Speaker/Consultant and Creator of the Step Back From The Baggage Claim Movement. Jason will be presenting a short, powerful workshop at sparkspace on Feb. 26th. More info >>


-------------------

Anybody who has been to a chaotic, jam-packed baggage claim knows the scene. It’s comical, yet frustrating.

Hundreds (although it feels like thousands) of people scurry off the arriving airplane and begin their mad dash toward the baggage claim. Though everyone rushes, I can’t remember the bags ever arriving at the baggage claim ahead of me. The sound of suit pants rubbing quickly back and forth and the whistling of fast-rolling wheels of carry-on luggage fill the air as the herd stampedes down the long terminal, hits the bottleneck at the escalator, and finally spills out into the baggage claim area.

The crowd gathers in anxious anticipation. Once that obnoxious buzzer goes off (Can’t we come up with a better sound?), without fail, everyone scampers into place. Like Pavlov’s dog, everyone reacts subconsciously to the buzzer and runs directly to the carousel. Within seconds, a “human wall of entitlement” is created, each person with their shins pressed against the cold metal carousel. Slowly, the bags begin emerging from the hidden baggage land, and the human wall shifts as each individual brick jockeys for “the best” position.


If you are one of the many who doesn’t get out of the blocks quickly when the buzzer goes off, your 0.42-second lag-time costs you a spot at the carousel and an opportunity to see the bags. So you begin to bob and weave back and forth, jumping up and down to see over the tops of shoulders, dodging in and out of cracks, doing whatever you can to catch sight of your bags.

The ambitious percentage who arrive first at the carousel stand strong, protecting their spots, taking not even a second to let their eyes wander from the belt. Their knees are bent in an athletic stance, ready to pounce on the first bag that dares to look even slightly similar to their own. They do not budge an inch until they get their bags from the spotthey earned.

For the frequent travelers, this scene is all too familiar. But, this isn’t just about the baggage claim. This is about how we choose to move throughout the world, live with those around us, and claim the things we are hunting for. The hectic baggage claim is just a metaphor for the busy organizations, families, teams, and communities that we move in and out of every day.

Whether you’re on your way to the airport right now, taking your kids to school or off to a business meeting, I invite you to Step Back for a moment and gain a new perspective. Take a moment to think about ‘Why’ you do what you do, ‘How’ you want to travel through life, and ‘What’ leadership actions you want to put out into the world.

I wonder what kind of footprints we all could leave during this trip we call life. I’m convinced that the more people who are committed to entering the hectic spaces in our world with a spirit of gratitude, service and leadership rather than entitlement, will indeed, change the world.

I’ll meet you at the baggage claim. The culture is changed one act at a time.

Learn more about Jason Barger and this growing movement atwww.StepBackFromTheBaggageClaim.com

2 Things Every Meeting Needs

Waiting for coffee at my local Starbucks, I noticed two cups of "sticks" on the counter. One contained "stir sticks" and the other contained "splash sticks." In coffee world, one is used to mix things up in your drink. The other is used to keep the drink from spilling out of the little hole in your cup lid.


I had just finished reading a great article posted by our friends at Boost! in Cincinnati (a great space for an off-site meeting by the way) entitled "How to Lead a Great Meeting." The article contains some solid suggestions for getting more out of your time together as a team.


So as I stood waiting for my grande java, my lifeblood, my nectar of the gods, I was thinking about the elements of an effective meeting when I noticed those two cups full o' sticks. It struck me that in addition to having an agenda, starting on time, ending on time, and all the other great advice I had just read, the absolute BEST meetings I've ever attended also contained two very important elements: Stir Sticks and Splash Sticks...and not just at the coffee station.


Stir Sticks are the people who like to mix things up. They throw in new ideas. They combine ideas together. They ask challenging questions. They connect dots nobody else even noticed. They thrive on creating a better blend and they're not afraid to stir up the meeting a little. 


Splash Sticks are the people who know how to manage the meeting and not let it spill outside the cup, so to speak. They know how to keep a meeting on track, on time, and how to politely and quickly wrangle in conversations that veer off the agenda. They are are also experts at making sure the Stir Sticks don't create a whirlpool that sucks everyone down into a creative abyss, no matter how creative and appealing that abyss may be.


Of course, taken to an extreme, both Stir Sticks and Splash Sticks can do more harm than good. Too much Stir Stick and you might as well throw the agenda out the door. Too much Splash Stick and you might as well throw all of the participants out the door (they'll probably volunteer to be thrown).


While there are likely some natural Stir Sticks and Splash Sticks in your organization, play around with this idea a little! Grab a couple of these sticks the next time you're in Starbucks and before your next meeting, give one of your participants the Stir Stick and tell them to mix it up a little. Give someone else the Splash Stick and ask them to help keep the meeting on track. Then give the sticks to two different people before your next meeting. No, you don't actually need the sticks to do this, but I think it makes the idea more fun, don't you?


Got any additional ideas to make meetings more amazing? Leave a comment on the blog after this article and share what works for you!