Don Straits - Dragon Slayer

When I was a college professor, I used to conduct  creativity exercises with students, focus groups, and corporate leadership teams. The exercise was simple. I held up a paperclip to the group. I asked the participants to write down as many uses for the paperclip that they could possibly think of in a period of two minutes. Two rules: 

1. quantity was more important then quality, and
2. don’t judge the merit of your idea.

The results were always consistent and fascinating. Elementary school students and teenagers always scored the highest. They had the highest number of uses and the most creative (or unusual). As the participant groups grew older (i.e. college students then business executives), the average number of uses dropped and the uses became mundane.

Let’s look at that phenomenon. The younger groups were not bound by peer pressure and conformity. They were open-minded. They listened to the directions. They wrote as fast as they could and didn’t judge.  Example: fly to the moon on a paper clip. Good idea. They followed the rule. They didn’t judge.  

Older groups NEVER came up with ideas like that. They were trapped in a comfort zone. Don’t rock the boat.  Judge the merit of every idea. But those weren’t the rules. It made no difference though. No matter what I told them, they were trapped in the box of conformity. Don’t offend. Don’t appear ridiculous. You must be logical. You must be mature. They failed the test.

The kids beat them every time.

So it is in the corporate world.

I speak with executives every day on issues of leadership, organizational development, and career growth.  Just like the exercise, my observations are very consistent and fascinating—and profound in this era or warp speed changes in our business environment. So many senior executives face issues in growing an organization or in driving their own career forward. They are trapped in the tradition of  doing it the way it has always been done. Don’t rock the boat. Don’t make waves.

For example, finding a job is no longer just a matter of using your network and sending a resume out to a bunch of companies or recruiters. In the last 12 to 18 months, business and career paradigms have gone through profound changes. Today, if you are not digitally business savvy, you face enormous challenges for making a business successful or driving your career. (Quick quiz: Do you know and understand the following acronyms and terms: SEO, SEM, SERPS, Organic growth. If not, you are out of touch).

Executives tell me every week that they face “age discrimination,” or that they are not valued for their experience. The real issue is whether the executive is current and contemporary or if their experience is even relevant.

As an executive, you must build a powerful presence on the internet. You must demonstrate that you are state-of-the-art. You must be recognized for your expertise, creativity and visionary leadership. 

While our organization can help executives achieve those goals through our catapult program, I would rather point to examples set by teenagers who did it on their own.

I recently read an article on MSN about teenagers from 13 to 16 years old across the nation who blogged on fashion topics of interest to them. 

• One 13 year old blogger ended up on the cover of a major fashion magazine in Britain.
• A 16-year-old shoe-loving blogger from Texas landed an assignment to design a line of footwear for a popular store.
• One Oregon teenager’s DIF blog fashions inspired a line of designer clothing.
• Another 16-year-old fashion enthusiast has parlayed her blogging into internships and a stint as a personal shopper.

EXECUTIVES!  Learn from their example! Just like the exercise I did for my students and others, those kids are open minded, not trapped in a comfort zone, willing to express their creativity and vision. If executives would think and act like those kids, their businesses and careers can and would skyrocket. 

Start blogging. Start writing leadership articles. Start speaking every chance you get. Correction: Go out and find speaking opportunities. Let the appropriate media know you are available for interviews. Join groups on Linkedin relevant to your industry and functional area. Answer questions on Linkedin relevant to your expertise. I am just scratching the surface here. There is so much more for you to do.

And if you don’t do those things, don’t come to me and tell me about age discrimination or other perceived issues why you have not landed a new opportunity or why your business has not been successful.

So what are you waiting for? You can start writing tonight about your expertise and vision. If you don’t know what to do after you start writing, I can show you the way. But even if you don’t call upon me, go out there and make it happen. You will never regret it. It will secure your career and make you a master of your own destiny.