Remarkable!

Remarkable
Merriam-Webster Definition...
"worthy of being or likely to be noticed especially as being uncommon or extraordinary"

A good friend and a professional trainer from Russia spent part of the week-end with me. It's always a pleasure to spend time with this guy because of the great conversations we have about organizational strategy, life and eternal issues. He is a guy who is committed to excellence in all that he does. Inevitably he and I end up talking about managers and leaders. We know a lot of the same people, but most of all we know a lot about the same KIND of people.

Organizations, by in large, are made up of good people who work hard. Smart, loyal, good managers of their jobs or even a department. Some are loud, some are controlling, some are quiet, some are funny. Often you'll find in the ranks deep thinkers as well, shallow/simple thinkers. Some have great ambitions, many live only for the day. Some are status quo protectors. This is not a bad thing, and we all have our place. There are very few who are "remarkable."

The same can be said for business, non-profits, churches, NGO's and government groups. The world blends together and there is little appreciable differences. Rather than striving to be remarkable, groups and individuals are content with gaining market share, satisfying customers and protecting what they've got.

There are tons of managers and leaders who are delusional about their abilities, behaviors and contribution to the whole. Remarkable leaders are not those who intimidate, brag, are show-boats, or self promoters. People put emphasis on Charisma, which to me, is suspect. Leaders are not leaders because they have charisma, they have charisma because they are leaders. If you have to tell someone your a leader, you're probably not.

Remarkable leaders are men and women who:

* Have a clear sense of purpose.

* A constancy of purpose.

* Have an infectious optimistic attitude towards the goal and people.

* Are willing to take risk.

* Are ok with being criticized (and believe me, you will be criticized by
unremarkable people.)

* Are willing to "take it on" i.e. the hard work and resistance (from
a unremarkable population), without becoming discouraged.

Remarkable organizations are all of the above plus more. If you're going to avoid being "wall paper" in a world of commodity brokers, then you must think "remarkable!" Not just good, or even excellent, but...

"worthy of being or likely to be noticed especially as being uncommon or
extraordinary-"