Don't buy green bananas!

You might say I am bananas for bananas, I just love them!  The taste, the texture, the nutrients, all good stuff.  I eat a banana every day, and have done so for years, it is just a part of who I am and my daily routine for health.  I am, however, very picky about my banana, I do not like them brown, and I certainly do not want them green, I want the banana that is best for today.

When I was young I remember how so I looked forward to the times I would get to see or speak to one of the greatest men I have ever known, my grandfather.  He was nearly 60 years older than I, and so wise, so each day with him was a treat.  When I would ask him "how are you doing", he would almost certainly respond with "well son, I'm not buying green bananas!"  Of course, with I was just a child, it was funny, yet I didn't quite know want this meant.  As time passed and I was now in my twenties and he in his eighties, this interaction would still take place, and I knew his words held multiple meanings. 

The obvious, this was a funny way for an aging man to know he was old.  Next, he recognized that each day was a blessing, a gift, and he didn't know if tomorrow would come, so there wasn't time to let green bananas ripen.  Yet bigger than that, I believe behind that humor was a real life lesson in how to lead my life, and ultimately others.  Sure, tomorrow would be great and we could pick/buy more bananas, but what would I do with today? 

As I recall those times and realize that nearly 15 years has passed since, that is 5,475 bananas, wow, lots of potassium for sure!  Even more eye opening, that is 5,475 days that I have been given to live a life of maximum impact.  Each day a gift, each day a change to make the most, to give my best, to be the yellow banana in someone's life.  Simple question, what will you do with today?

Faith to sit, faith to act

There is an old saying that is a favorite of mine, it is commonly known as the serenity prayer. 

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change

The courage to change the things I can

And the wisdom to know the difference

Let's take a look at what this means to you, and how the three words in italics are the words to empower you to true fulfillment as you lead your life, and others.

Serenity is peace.  To be completely serene you know that what is or has occurred is not something you can change, and therefore, you have made peace with it.  Imagine sitting in a beautiful park in the upper midwest, on a crisp autumn day.  You are alone on a wooden bench under a shade tree, and your view is marvelous.  You are overlooking a lake, with birds flying against a perfect blue sky.  The backdrop is colorful, from red to orange to yellow, you see the splendor of fall.  As you sit in the quiet of the moment, a sudden rain storm swells up.  The clouds roll in, the wind howls, the rain pours, your perfect moment is ruined, right, well, wrong.  At least wrong attitude.  See, without the rain, the beauty you were viewing would not exist.  You cannot stop the rain, or control the wind, so being upset only changes you, not the circumstance.  Be still, be serene, accept the moment you cannot change.

The cowardly lion wanted courage.  He wanted to stand up and fight and not be afraid.  He knew that to get anywhere of value, he was going to have to do the work, he was going to need to fight, and so must you.  Each day you are faced with challenges and opportunities to lead, to grow, to build upon the vision and make an impact for others.  Will you have the courage to make that difference.  If you do, great things will happen.  If you don't, they won't.  There are many things in your life you can change, like your attitude.  Do you smile and greet people with enthusiasm?  Do you choose to accept the rain storm with peace?  Do you look at challenges as an opportunity to make a difference?  Let's go back to the lion, if you remember, he stands up for Dorothy, he decides to take action and go along for the journey to Oz.  In actuality, as the story shows, his ability to act is courage.  Always expecting the results you want is lacking wisdom.

And that brings us to the all important wisdom, knowledge that is beyond ourselves.  Wisdom is more than just intelligence, more than reading books or knowing the right thing to do.  Wisdom is understanding, it is seeing a bigger picture.  Wisdom in the best form is recognition that something is worth the fight, it is something you will try, and something that make a noble impact to others.  If you meet the goal or not is irrelevant to the fight.  Have the courage to go for it when you need to, to sit when you must, and the faith so that you can be shown the difference between the two.

Make a daily, and lasting impact

Most people, when truthfully speaking, will not place money as their number one reason for working at a place or business.  Studies show that other factors rise much higher, including:

• Being challenged as an individual
• Bringing value to others
• Opportunities to be promoted, ie, grow, expand responsibility or take on new things

I will summarize that this by saying people like to make an impact.  You, and me, want to know that what we do matters.  That our time, our efforts, our success is in seeing that others are helped, the organization moves forward and the mission is being accomplished.

So, then, why do so many people leave their jobs, or remain in jobs they are unhappy?  Why is our divorce rate at 50%?  Why is it that we tend to not feel appreciated or valued, and we constantly look for something else?  I am going to answer these questions by stating it is in YOUR hands, not someone else.  Stop looking for others to fix the problem and recognize that you have a path to fulfill, and it is in your power to do so.

There have been many discussions on levels of leaders, and those speak more to organizational qualities, or development qualities. I want to speak to your ultimate fulfillment in what you do, where you are in your life, and the constant building required from one stage to the next.  The key is to recognize that everyone is at different stages in their lives, so the amount of time to build from one stage to the next is unique.  Leadership, and living life, is in an individual process, and your pace will be specific to you. This entire book is dedicated to making a maximum impact and sustaining maximum growth.

I have broken down the path to daily and long term leadership into the following stages:

Stage 1:  Accept that you are a leader (everyone influences someone)
Stage 2:  Do the work for the benefit of others (you don't lead yourself)
Stage 3:  Make a positive impact, today, and every day (do the work)
Stage 4:  Measure the fruit produced and prepare for the next harvest (evaluation)
Stage 5:  Invest in others (give back by mentoring)

As you move up, you aren't neglecting the previous stage, just building upon each stage to continue your growth and your impact.