Understanding Leadership

The unique thing about software – especially how quickly expectations of what software can be are shifting- is how flat your team needs to be. This is especially challenging for me coming from such an obviously opposite the structure is in college football. You live and die on a weekly basis and everyone reports up, knows their roll and works their tail off to be the best… or they’re gone.

Software is different in that your team is a lot flatter. Yes, everyone has rolls and it’s my job as a Product Manager to get the team excited and understanding the problems we’re solving – but nobody works for me. They don’t owe me anything. It’s my job to humble myself and serve the team that actually builds the stuff that solves the problems.

What is winning?

I’ve realized something, being a former collegiate coach is one of my greatest attributes.  I love coaching.  I love being able to see the impact of what I did.  Good, bad, immediate or delayed.  Coaching is about making yourself, your team and others better.  Winning is not just having a great start.  Winning is not just finishing strong.  Winning is not just having a great plan.  Winning is not winging it better than the competition.   Winning is putting a plan together and executing at a high level, start to finish, beginning to end.

You either win or lose because ending up in the same place you start is losing.

Detroit’s Class Act

Back in August this article was written Detroit’s Class Act as part of Fortune’s Assignment: Detroit series.  It cuts at the core of the issue for any future problem this country faces: Education.  Education is the base, the foundation, to build ANYTHING in this country (or anywhere for that matter) – in particular Opportunity.  America is the land of opportunity, but with failing school systems, what kind of opportunity is Detroit’s (or any poor community) youth really getting?  Or Detroit for that matter?

$300 million was turned down to fund Detroit charter schools because of in-fighting.  At least the money wasn’t taken and wasted, but if $300 million cannot help unite, what can?

Thus deeper issues of our blended economical and political structure in this country has also come to light.  When this country is founded on competition and constant innovation – how can a government controlled institution (Education) become better without competitive pressure? (Unless they really take to heart the product their producing – students- is competing in the global market…) The military uses outside corporations for weapon and defense development.

I work in the technology sector and we focus on the Education market (K – University) and we have found that teachers who use technology are the small percentage of all educators out there and that classrooms in 2010 look very familiar to the ones in the 1950′s.  What else looks like that in this country?

“Hand-it-over” Conversations

Re-thinking the value of the mobile phone.

http://blogs.hbr.org/schrage/2010/08/smartphone-transform-elevator-pitch.html

A Vision of Students Today

Have you seen this?  I think you should.

Name a business that has failed to adapt to technological change over the past century, 50 years, decade… where are they now?

Now… how about our education system…

By Dr. Welsch, Kansas State

ESPN’s My Wish: Dale Earnhart Jr.

ESPN does this right around this every year – they take a week out of the summer and spotlight athletes who work with Make a Wish Foundation and make kids dreams come true for a day.

These are always inspirational and are not only priceless for the athlete and the child’s family, but give all of a reality check on what’s TRULY important in this journey called life.

http://espn.go.com/blog/sportscenter/post/_/id/67548/espns-my-wish-dale-earnhardt-jr

Assignment Detroit: The Russell Industrial Center

Fortune (CNN) has been coming out every issue or so with ideas and progress that Detroit is making in its recovery.  They talked a few months ago about Urban Farming given the acres of the abandoned land in the city, more recently Forbes highlighted the progress of Grand Rapids and how Detroit could learn a few things.

The latest I have read is how empty industrial buildings are being leased out as office space – for the Creatives: Glass blowers, cabinetmakers, architects, seamstresses, a sneaker designer, and three women who teach pole dancing, among others — 160 small-business tenants in all… and that only occupies 25% of the building.

http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/30/smallbusiness/detroit_auto_factory.fortune/index.htm

Cheers to Gatorade

15 years later Gatorade is giving a high school grudge match that ended in a tie, on more chance.

Gatorade.  Is it in you?

The Great College Hoax: Financing It

The Great Hoax of College article by Forbes de-bunks the myth of the “$1 million” a college graduate earns over their life compared to those without a degree.

The article highlights a divorced-attorney couple.  While the article brings to light something almost all of my MBA colleagues are facing in the near future, it fails to talk about a more compelling reason to go to college and be saddled with all of that debt – enjoying what you do everyday.  (and yes, I realize that broad stroke of that statement)

March is indeed Madness

Low and behold the first sports post…  ESPN has a solid article about the tourney to date NCAA Tournament: Winners and Losers.  Moral of the story? 12 conferences represented in the Sweet 16,  strong showings by the Big 10 and the West Coast, no Bill Self / John Calipari rematch… oh, and facial hair…