Bernard Dahl > Thinking Out Loud

La pression de devenir un leader, tu connais? Spécifiquement, cette pression qui te demande de faire preuve d’initiative, d’assumer ton leadership? On nous parle de changer le monde, de mener, d’inspirer… Je parie que oui, tu la connais, cette pression. Moi, en tout cas, je la sens.

Soyons clairs; ce n’est pas une mauvaise chose en soi. Nous avons besoin de leadership et nous avons besoin de gens qui veulent faire avancer les choses et oui, changer le monde. Mais, alors que ça fait des années que je me force à mener, j’ai allumé récemment; une réalisation; une épiphanie.

Alors que j’apprenais à être un leader, je n’ai jamais appris à être dirigé.

Pas facile, d’être un « follower ». J’aimerais bien te dire le contraire, te dire que je prends facilement la direction, que j’accepte un rôle de soutien avec humilité, mais ça serait faux. Ça arrive, mais pas assez souvent.

J’ai de la difficulté à laisser quelqu’un d’autre être le chef. J’aime être le capitaine, le quart-arrière. C’est égoïste, sûrement, peut-être même immature, mais néanmoins vrai. Et ça ne fait pas du tout mon affaire. Pourquoi ai-je tant de mal à être le numéro 2?

Je pense que les grands leaders sont ceux qui acceptent qu’ils ne puissent pas toujours être le capitaine, le chef.

Un peu comme Russell Crowe dans Gladiator – tu te souviens, au début du film? Il a mené ses troupes au combat et à la victoire, rendant immédiatement c ette victoire à César avec noblesse et humilité. 100% à l’aise dans son rôle de serviteur de l’empire et du patron. J’aimerais pouvoir faire ça, être comme ça.

J’ai l’intention de développer cette capacité; d’être un meilleur soldat. De distinguer les moments où je serai à mon meilleur en acceptant un rôle de service et de soutien, ainsi que ceux où je dois prendre les devants et assumer le leadership.

Je n’ai aucune idée de comment m’y prendre, mais je trouverai bien. As-tu des idées?

Here is what I have learned is required to be a good politician:

Pays his taxes on time, Wears a dark suit all the time, Never uses bad words. Ever. Has never been unsuccessful in business, Has never been TOO successful in business either, Never been near bankruptcy at any point, because only fools go bankrupt. Certainly shouldn’t be poor …should seem wealthy, sort of. Never smoked pot in High-School, Has never stolen anything, certainly doesn’t have a criminal record. That goes for illegal downloads, too. Should be well-traveled… but not first-class, you corrupt bastard. Doesn’t speed up to catch a yellow light. In fact, never got a speeding ticket, No tattoos. Doesn`t cheat on her spouse, or get cheated on, Should be married, because being unattached is wrong, Doesn’t watch porn. Never have, never will. Might be a virgin. At least, devoid of sexuality. No Mo-Jo. Mo-Jo is bad. Never got drunk and mooned a busy street, while waiting for a cab with his jackass buddies, Never grabbed some guy’s ass on camera (Facebook OMG!!), Has at least one university degree, 3 is better, and is probably a lawyer, etc….

Sound like anyone you know? Me neither. So who comes up with this crap?

Pourquoi travaillerait-on avec des clients qui font des trucs qu’on n’achèterait pas?

Here is a transcript from last month’s discussion with my mobile phone service provider, who shall remain nameless. Me: “So… you just stopped sending me invoices by mail?” Them: Exactly, your invoice is available on the Internet, which you chose. Me: Really? -When did I choose this? Them: This was a note on your invoice [...]

In Quebec, welfare checks are issued on the first day of the month. That same week, virtually every grocery store has almost no important sales or specials, aside from a few loss-leaders. Regular items, which are used to measure the cost of living (basics/essentials, like milk, bread, meat and vegetables) and items regularly purchased by [...]

Here is the deal with free… it isn’t really free. Nothing is free. It’s just that we haven’t been the ones paying for it until now -  Someone else is. And they are usually getting something in exchange. Google and Facebook, for example, get more information on you than you would ever share with the government. [...]

How do we define a Catalog? A catalog is essentially a thick, bi-annual publication that proposes goods to consumers, like the mail-order catalog, right? In that sense, catalog sales are down. WAY down, since civilization has adopted the internet. That is, of course, assuming that a catalog is hundreds of color pages printed on paper [...]

87% of Harvard Business Review readers agree that meeting face-to-face is essential for “sealing the deal”. That’s for those who wonder how “that other guy gets all the business”. Keyboards and touchpads are NOT always the best way to communicate in business. Here is the summary of the study by HBR (study sponsored by British [...]

Take a look at yours, it is probably doing exactly that. Seriously. It is easier to approve or stamp or modifiy and sterilize everything before you send it out, than it is to do a proper follow-up, analysis and objective review. Which is why most PR, Communications and Marketing is sterile and flavourless. Don’t be [...]

The adventures of Johnny Bunko is a 20 minute read, mostly because it is a manga-style comic book kind of book. I know, I know… But I strongly recommend it; it embodies everything I believe communication should be: short, accurate, useful, good. And original. Go out and buy the book. Or borrow it. I guarantee [...]