It's Election Night

If 2020 couldn't get any more surreal, consider this:

- Today is Election Day and by all reports, the turnout of in-person voting coupled with mail-in, early voting and absentee voting will set a modern-day record. All in an environment where we're COVID-19 restricted and coping with social distancing, staying at home and quarantining.

- The presidential candidates are an incumbent that has called into question any ballots not counted today and a former Vice President whose home state is considered the key to this race.

- State races in places like Montana and Kansas are commanding national attention.

- Texas might actually flip into blue state territory.

- Retail establishments and businesses are proactively boarding up windows in major cities in preparation for the possibility of civil unrest.

- And, media outlets of all types are acknowledging their planned caution in prematurely calling state-by-state winners in the presidential race. 

I've heard more than one colleague today say "this is my Super Bowl." While I understand the sentiment, this actually feels more like the Super Bowl and the former military draft lottery day all rolled into one. This Election Day has the visibility and interest of the Super Bowl with the anxiety created by whether your number would be called for military duty...and a four-year commitment. (Yeah, I know--one has to be of my vintage to remember draft lottery days. But, hopefully, you get the idea.)

What are your plans for the evening? I'm on cocktail number one and a fat Cohiba cigar in anticipation for a very long night and morning of channel surfing with my primary outlet being CBS. 

If tuning in isn't in your plans, may I suggest curling up with a good political book of campaigns past or perhaps a movie about our democratic process?

- The Making of the President 1968, Theodore White

- The Boys on the Bus, Timothy Crouse (1972 campaign)

- Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 1972 (Hunter Thompson)

- The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)

- The Best Man (Henry Fonda; screenplay by Gore Vidal)

- The Candidate (Robert Redford)

- Shampoo (a cop-out given that the movie is set on the day of the '68 election; stars Warren Beatty)

- All the President's Men (Redford, Dustin Hoffman and the late, great Jason Robards)

- The American President (Michael Douglas)

- Primary Colors (John Travolta)

- The Campaign (Will Ferrell)

However this election ends, my hope is that we applaud the democratic process and use this as a turning point toward a more united democracy. 

Gale Sayers

Gale Sayers. The Kansas Comet. Gallopin' Gale. Magic (as his late teammate, Brian Piccolo, described him.) I Am Third. Brian's Song.

Given Sayers' death today, the tributes are justifiably rolling in via news coverage and social media posts. It's been a bit hard to process because, yet again, one of my heroes has past.

Sayers was the most exciting running back that I've ever seen play. I was a kid who attended Kansas games with my parents and watched 48 leave tacklers in his wake given his fluid and elusive running style. It was amazing that a guy wearing high top leather football cleats could be that slippery.

He then went to the Chicago Bears where I remember watching the six touchdown game against San Francisco. And, I remember my heartbreak at his knee injuries, which cut his career short way too early.

I Am Third, Sayers' book, was the first book that I remember reading by a black author. The book was about being third behind God and family. I still have it in my library.

And, Brian's Song. I'm sure I cried at some movie growing up but this movie was the one that caused grown men everywhere to do it. The story, of Sayers' friendship with Piccolo, who is dying of cancer, is as meaningful today as it was in 1971.

I had the good fortune of meeting Sayers at a University of Kansas event many years ago. It was very brief but I remember the grace and elegance of the man. As I look back at the YouTube clips of him at Kansas and Chicago, that grace and elegance is displayed on the field as well.

2020 has claimed another victim. RIP Gale Sayers.

10 Albums: Kind of Blue

The final installment in my "10 Albums" is Kind of Blue by Miles Davis. It is, without question, the greatest jazz album of all time and one of the greatest albums, of any kind, ever.

I rekindled my love affair with vinyl records about four years ago and it was in that shift that I realized I'd never truly investigated jazz. I was in a record store, collecting my first few vinyls, and happened to be in an outlet that has a huge jazz section. I knew Davis, of course, and had heard about Kind of Blue. It was there, I bought it, and the rest is why this album is the last record in my list of 10 albums.

Kind of Blue is, truly, a religious experience. There is a haunting element to the sounds that come from the  sextet of Davis, the amazing John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb. (This assemblage of talent is akin to some weird, time-altered combination of Michael Jordan, Lebron James, Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson.)

From the opening bass line of "So What," the album pulls you in and takes you to a place of rapt attention. This isn't an album that I listen to as background--it absorbs you and commands you to listen. And, every time I listen, I feel something new.

Kind of Blue is Davis' greatest work and his most acclaimed achievement. It is a must have on anyone's "10 Albums." 

Thanks for indulging me on this journey with my "10 Albums." Kind of Blue--one of the best albums, ever, in any genre.

"We've lost the traditions"

 I settled in yesterday to watch a very different College Game Day on ESPN given the all-too-known issues that you're aware of as relates to live sports, social distancing, on-air personalities and the constantly altered landscape of sports programming.

The Game Day crew cut away during the program to Chapel Hill, NC and interviewed Mack Brown, head football coach of the North Carolina Tarheels, before his squad took the field to play Syracuse. Brown talked of the challenge of leading and coaching his team in these odd times and made the prescient comment, "we've lost the traditions" associated with college football.  

Brown's comment was spot on. In 2012-13, I was part of a team that helped launch the College Football Playoff. This cross-functional group (Premier Sports Management, marketing representatives from various college conferences, and ESPN) was tasked with naming, positioning, branding and launching the playoff, which had been announced in April 2012 and was set to begin in 2014.

I led the effort to implement focus group research to interview college football fans (avid and moderate) to ensure that we had directional insights from that important audience. I attended the research in Kansas City, Dallas and Atlanta and watched groups of 10-12 people arrive adorned in their team's colors and all-too-ready to talk football and why they loved the game. In the Dallas session, a middle-age man wearing an Oklahoma sweatshirt sat next to a female recent Texas graduate who was wearing the burnt orange of the Longhorns. What enmity they shared as rivals was overshadowed by the passion they felt for college football.

To a person, each fan talked of the importance of the traditions of the sport--the cheerleaders, mascots, marching bands, tailgating, campus environments and other school-specific rituals, whether touching Howard's Rock at Clemson or planting the spear at Doak Walker Stadium at Florida State.

Football is back. But, let's be real--college football as a game is back. College football as a sport, pastime and passion point for thousands across the U.S. is not. Our traditions--the things that make us love college football--are, at least for this year, lost as we deal with the ongoing impact of the pandemic.

Traditions are why I love college sports. And, the loss of those traditions is just one more reminder that life is very, very sad right now. 

I miss the sport of college football. 

10 Albums: The Joshua Tree

 I have a confession to make--it took me too long to discover (yes, I said "discover") U2 and, specifically, this album. 

The Joshua Tree (released March 1987) was the album that moved U2 from being a band to being rock superstars. The album was critically acclaimed and became the fastest-selling album in British history. Three singles were released from the album; "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" became the group's only number one singles in the U.S.

I was lucky to see the band perform the album, in its entirety, on their Joshua Tree tour of 2017 in Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, MO. While the sound was muddy that evening, the craftsmanship of this iconic album was on full display. 

The Joshua Tree. The best album by the best band of the past 35 years.

10 Albums: Rumors

In February 1977, Fleetwood Mac released Rumours--arguably the best album ever to deal with love, loss, strife and relationships gone awry. The album would go on to reach #1 on both the U.S. and U.K. album charts and win a Grammy for Album of the Year. It remains one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Mac's lineup for Rumours was Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks, Christine McVie, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood. Four cuts from the album were released as singles and all made their way into the top 10 of the song charts.

The album followed Fleetwood Mac, released in 1975, with "Rhiannon" providing the band with major radio exposure in the mid-70's. Between the release of Fleetwood Mac and Rumours, the band endured:

- The divorce of the McVies.

- The on again/off again relationship of Buckingham and Nicks

- Fleetwood's discovery that his wife, Jenny, had an affair with his best friend

In all cases, the five only seemed able to co-exist when writing, producing and performing music together.

The songs "Dreams," "Don't Stop," "You Make Loving Fun" and "Go Your Own Way" were the singles but the best song appeared on the 2004 re-release of Rumours, that being "Silver Springs." ("Springs" was not part of the original release given tension in the band, which is understandable if you watch Nicks sing this song on the band's video concert release, The Dance. It's an amazing performance of an amazing song.)

Rumours--the album that produced songs saturating AM-FM radio in competition with The Eagles' Hotel California in the mid-to-late 70's.

10 Albums: Hotel California

"You can check out any time you like. But you can never leave."

So goes the lyrics to the title tune of Hotel California the lead in to perhaps the best dueling guitar back-and-forth of any rock song ever, featuring Don Felder and Joe Walsh of The Eagles. Hotel California is the band's magnum opus.

Hotel California was released in December 1976, just months before Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. Cuts from those two albums would saturate the AM-FM radio airwaves for 1977 and beyond, setting the stage for the back-and-forth commercial competition in the late '70s between these two groups.

I saw The Eagles at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, MO in November 1976 when they were touring to promote the upcoming release of the album. I then saw them in summer of 1978--the tour where they played stadiums and headlined a show with Dan Fogelberg and Linda Ronstadt. That shift in concert venue and size indicated the impact of the album on the band's success.

Hotel California is, undoubtedly, The Eagles' best work. It was the first album to feature Walsh and soared to number on on the Billboard album charts. It lost the Grammy for Best Album to Rumours but won for Best Record with "New Kid In Town." Two other singles from the album, "Life In the Fast Lane" and "Hotel California," made the Billboard top 100.

The album is associated with southern California but Don Henley stated, in an interview about Hotel California, that the LP is a "concept album...but it's not set in the old West. It's more urban this time..." and used California as the the microcosm for the United States, opining in the lyrics about themes of innocence, the perils of fame, of excess, idealism and the American Dream.

Randy Meisner, bassist, left the group during the making of Hotel California and was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit. This iteration of the group--Henley, Glenn Frey, Walsh, Felder and Schmit--would be the band's most successful fivesome and would release The Long Run in 1979. In 1980, the group disbanded before reuniting for Hell Freezes Over - the album and tour - in 1994.

Hotel California--truly an amazing piece of musical work.

Albums that didn't make the cut

Hey, readers, we're six albums in on my 10 most influential albums. Let's take a look at the ones who came close but didn't make the cut into the top 10.

Crosby Stills & Nash: One of the first supergroups, CSN included former members of The Byrds and Buffalo Springfield. "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" is a tremendous opening track.

Led Zeppelin IV: IV may be a better album, front-to-back, then Led Zeppelin II but II was the album that helped form my taste in rock music. "When the Levee Breaks" is the underrated song on this LP.

White Album: The Beatles ninth studio album is sadly remembered for "Helter Skelter," the song that cult leader Charles Manson used as a message predicting interracial war in the U.S.

Tommy: The Who's rock opera. And, one of the great movie scenes ever is when William (in Almost Famous) looks under his bed and finds albums left for him by his sister, Anita. He opens Tommy and sees a note, which reads "Listen to 'Tommy' with a candle burning and you'll see your entire future." He puts it on the turntable and "Sparks" comes to life. A great moment...

Let It Bleed: Second best Stones' album ever. Underrated cut: "Monkey Man."

Desperado: This is the one that'll be a head scratcher for many. But, I love this Eagles album, which features the title cut plus "Tequila Sunrise." Henry Diltz's album photography is great too.

Born To Run: Springsteen didn't crack the top 10 but this album came close. "Thunder Road," "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out," "Jungleland" and the title cut. Man...great music from The Boss.

Damn the Torpedoes: RIP Tom Petty. His and the Heartbreakers' masterpiece.

Sports: The best in '80s pop has to be this classic from Huey Lewis & the News. Listening to this album just makes me smile.

10 Albums: Sticky Fingers

Sticky Fingers. The name alone conjures up sexual overtones and then - the cover. Andy Warhol's cover photo/art shows tightly clad jeans with an obvious male bulge. The original album cover featured working zipper and underwear but that design was later scrapped given retailer warnings about damage to the vinyl record.

The model used for the cover photograph was never identified. While many assumed that the photo was of Mick Jagger, he was not photographed by Warhol for the album.

Cover photo intrigue aside, I think that Sticky Fingers is the best rock album of all time. Not only is this the best Rolling Stones album of their four album quartet of Beggars Banquet, Let It Bleed, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street (name another band with four albums back-to-back of that caliber) but it shines as the best album by "the greatest rock-and-roll band in the world" (opening to Get Your Ya Yas Out), thus cementing status as best rock LP ever.

The album starts with "Brown Sugar," the Stones' best single ever, and then moves right into "Sway," "Wild Horses," and "Can't You Hear Me Knocking." Side two features "Bitch," "Sister Morphine," and the underrated "Moonlight Mile."

Sticky Fingers is the Stones' at their raunchy best. Released in 1971, the album preceded a U.S. tour in 1972 that validated the band's status as the greatest live rock act, at the time, in the world.

Sticky Fingers--my favorite rock album ever and my pick for greatest rock album of all time.

10 Albums: Abbey Road

"Paul is dead."

One can't talk about The Beatles 11th studio album without acknowledging the furor surrounding the release given rumors of Paul McCartney's death. One of the reasons for the fan hubbub about McCartney was the album's cover photo, which is perhaps the most famous album cover shot in history. In the photo, McCartney is barefoot and out of step with the others.

The rumors about McCartney begin in 1967 but hit their peak in 1969, when Abbey Road was released. The oddities of the album's cover photo were a primary cause for the ongoing debate about McCartney, who many believe had been replaced by a double.

Abbey Road is, I believe, The Beatles best album. And, while the White Album was on heavy rotation on my turntable, it was Abbey Road that I played over-and-over, especially side two, which is one long piece made up of several song fragments.

The album also contains the two best songs written by George Harrison--"Something" and "Here Comes the Sun." Those two songs rank among the band's best and deserve their place among the classics penned by McCartney and John Lennon.

Abbey Road was released in September 1969 and achieved immediate commercial success. Critical success was harder to come by as many critics cited the album's artificial sound. It wasn't until years later that Abbey Road achieved its place, critically, as the best album released by a band that is still the standard for pop music success.

Abbey Road--the best album from the most successful band in music history.

10 Albums: Poco

Say the words, "country rock," and most immediately think of The Eagles. (And, there will be an Eagles entry in this blog soon.) Yet, the group who first fused country and rock sounds with upbeat harmonies was Poco, a group closely linked with The Eagles given band members who started with the former and ended with the latter.

I played the heck out of the band's second album, Poco. It was so unique and, in some ways, polarizing (among my contemporaries), when it was released in May 1970. It was too country for rock fans; it was too rock for country fans.

Richie Furay, guitarist and vocalist, founded Poco along with Jim Messina, who would late go on to team with Kenny Loggins in Loggins & Messina. Furay previously helped form Buffalo Springfield, the group which birthed Crosby Stills Nash & Young.

Unlike Springfield and CSNY, Poco's notoriety and commercial success was uneven, at best. "You Better Think Twice" was the most successful cut off of Poco. And, while a bit harsh, noted music reviewer Robert Christgau (The Village Voice) perhaps said it best about Poco in explaining why they did not achieve the heights of bands they birthed or influenced. "The most overrated underrated group in America. All of CSNY's preciosity with none of the inspiration; all of bluegrass's ramifications with none of its roots. In short, the perfect commentary on the vacuity of competence," wrote Christgau.

I loved this album because it was so different for its time. And, it moved me as a listener away from rock, at least temporarily, to a fusion of country, rock and sweet harmonies. (A side note--those harmonies on Poco featured Timothy B. Schmit--the group's bassist who took over for Randy Meisner. Meisner quit Poco shortly after their first album was released in order to join The Eagles. Schmit would replace Meisner in The Eagles lineup in 1977, joining them for their Hotel California tour.)

Poco--the album that broadened my music consumption and tastes.

10 Albums: Chicago Transit Authority

My first concert was seeing Chicago play Memorial Hall in Kansas City, KS. The band, previously known as Chicago Transit Authority (only to have the real Chicago Transit Authority threaten legal action if the name wasn't changed), by that point had released three double albums and a multi-disc live album from their multi-night appearance at Carnegie Hall in New York.

This first album stands out as Chicago's best. The original lineup of Terry Kath, Robert Lamm, Danny Seraphine, Walt Parazaider, Lee Loughnane and James Pankow brought a sound to rock-and-roll that was similar to Blood, Sweat & Tears, but with more rock influence given Kath's guitar playing prowess. (Jimi Hendrix once famously told band members that "he (Kath) is better than me!" Kath died in 1978 of an accidental gunshot wound to the head.)

This debut album was yet another great record from 1969. It was unique in that it was a double album--unheard of at the time for debut albums. The album netted a Grammy nomination for the band and stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for 171 weeks, beating the previous record of 155 weeks for a rock album's longevity.

Initial sales of Chicago Transit Authority were slow but FM radio helped push out songs that would be later released as singles--"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?," "Beginnings," and "Questions 67 and 68." All made it to the Billboard 100, eventually, with "Time" and "Beginnings" both reaching number 7 on the chart.

I loved this band's early work given the blend of horns, guitar, keyboard and drums. Their initial focus on politically-focused lyrics evolved into a softer, ballad-heavy sound that helped the band sell over 40 million units--one of the most successful U.S. rock bands ever. It's the early stuff, though, that is still listenable today for me.

Chicago Transit Authority--another album from my formative music-listening years.

10 Albums: Who's Next

I could make an argument that Who's Next is the greatest rock album of all time. The Who's 1971 album is the only vinyl that I literally wore out through repeated plays.

My love for The Who began through a high school friend who saw them play Memorial Hall in Kansas City, Kansas and came away a devotee. I initially fell in love with Tommy, the band's 1969 rock opera album that was hailed by critics and was the foundation for The Who's 1970 set at Woodstock. (The band, scheduled to appear prior to Jefferson Airplane at the festival on Saturday night, August 16, 1970, did not play until 5:00 a.m. on Sunday morning given the disorganization and chaos of the event. To this day, surviving band members Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey have only negative things to say about Woodstock and their performance there.)

The following year, Who's Next was released and became an immediate hit. The songs on the album were part of an aborted Townsend project called Lifehouse, which was another Townsend rock opera that was to be a follow-up to Tommy.

The bombast of The Who is on full display on Who's Next. A better band live than in studio, this album captured drummer Keith Moon's flailing attack on his drum kit, Daltrey's voice at the peak of its range, bassist John Entwistle's steady complement to Moon's tempest, and the genius of Townsend displayed through both song and guitar. Every song on this album stands the test of time. And, to the dismay of some fans, that's been proven out in how many songs from Who's Next have shown up as music tracks for television shows or commercials.

I finally got to see The Who perform in December 1975 at Kemper Arena as part of The Who By Numbers tour. The band was in its original format and did not disappoint given that they played a 23-song set that included Baba O'Riley, My Wife, Behind Blue Eyes and Won't Get Fooled Again.

Who's Next--album number two on the list of my 10 most influential albums.

10 Albums: Led Zeppelin II

Yes, I know you saw the headline and probably thought, "Wait--isn't that the Facebook thing where a friend challenges another friend to name 10 albums?" Yep, you're right, but this iteration of the game is to go into a bit more depth on each selection in my top 10.

These are the albums that influenced my taste in music--the ones that I play over and over and that are foundations for the various playlists on my Spotify account.

The first is Led Zeppelin II. And, in my history of love for music, my biggest regret is not seeing this band live.

Zep II was released on October 22, 1969--the year when my consumption of music moved from AM radio, and top single cuts, to vinyl albums. Zep II wasn't the first album I purchased (that distinction goes to Three Dog Night's first release) but was the first where I had this need to get to the local record outlet right now to check out the vinyl that included "Whole Lotta Love."

The album came on the heels of Led Zeppelin, the debut release, which was released in January of the same year. Rarely has a band had two initial albums with the punch and virtuosity of these two releases. The second album went to #1 on the U.S. charts and knocked The Beatles' Abbey Road off that perch, which in the late '60s was unprecedented given John, Paul, George and Ringo's hold on the album and singles charts.

Six of the nine cuts on II were written by Zeppelin; the other three ("Bring It On Home, "Whole Lotta Love," and "The Lemon Song") were Chicago bluesmen standards or inspired by the same.

For me, II was an opening into the world of hard rock--of Robert Plant's shriek and Jimmy Page's guitar licks. And, of course, there was John "Bonzo" Bonham. For this kid who aspired to be on stage playing drums, Bonham and Keith Moon were my standards--the guys who I wished I could be in order to experience the high of setting the foundation for a band of that magnitude.

Led Zeppelin II--the first album in my set of 10 that impacted my lens into the role of music in my life. Led Zeppelin II is the first album in the soundtrack of my life.

My Dad

My father died five years ago today. He was 83.

I miss him every day. Yet, I am thankful that he's not here as I fear that he and I would have major disagreements on the state of our country.

My father was a conservative. He was unwavering in that conservatism. He believed that you either chose one side or the other and had little time for moderates who, in his mind, straddled the issues of the day.

For all of his conservatism and strength of opinion, my father was soft-hearted. His emotions would pour out when seeing his grandchildren or hearing of their exploits. He was fiercely devoted to his wife, and to me, and enjoyed when the broader family would gather. He loved to tease and no one was safe from his digs, be it wife, son, daughter-in-law, parents, parents-in-law, nieces and on and on.

I learned much from my father. But, what's striking to me is how much my children took away from their time with him and my mother.  While it takes a village to raise a child, it certainly helps when grandparents add to and complement the direction provided by parents.

My father's memory was waning fast in the days and weeks prior to his passing. His body had failed him long before. Seeing his mind falter was something that would have been hell to continue to observe.

I miss him. I am blessed to have had him as my Dad.

The View...via Zoom

Who knew that "zoom" would become not only the name of product but a verb, and a verb not in the sense of speed or movement?

It's been awhile, friends and followers, and I apologize for being AWOL. You see, there's been a lot going on in our little ol' world that's been a bit distracting.

So, in keeping with that general distraction and "new" normal, here are some random observations about life, both professional and personal, through staring at a computer screen all day and then shifting senses to what's coming through the telly, bluetooth speaker or on the turntable.

+ I read a blog post by Diageo's Andrew Geoghegan earlier this week, in which he wrote, "Hire for mindset: curious, culturally connected, provocative, bold, innovative, objective and collaborative." That's one of those lines that I wish that I had written as I agree completely--being around the curious is what spawns great insight, thinking and, ultimately, action.

- Is there anything more damning as to our state of affairs than the fact that the wearing of a mask is now a political issue and split by party lines? Please...please--listen to science and wear a mask. The spread of a virus only slows if all of us listen to science.

+ Is there a better song of lost love than Sinatra's rendition of "One For My Baby (And One More For the Road)?"

- Why did someone have to come up with the term "social distancing" when, in reality, being socially distant is the last thing that we need at this time? "Physically distancing" is more appropriate. Don't distance yourself socially--reach out, connect, reconnect, even if not physically in proximity to one another.

+ Billions on Showtime. Watch it.

- "Zoom fatigue." It's a thing, yet...

+ ...I have reconnected with friends and colleagues across the country because of the wonder of Zoom technology. It's been a conduit for connection in as personal a way as possible in these times.

- Mike Gundy. C'mon man, v1...

+ You don't have to be a country fan to respect the incomparable success of Garth Brooks, both in album sales but also in his uncanny ability to sell out venues across the world. I strongly recommend the two part documentary series on Brooks on Netflix titled "The Road I'm On."

- C'mon man, v2 = Major League Baseball.

+ And, finally, this bit of truly anecdotal "research." I have, through my work, consistently asked colleagues in other businesses how they and their teams are doing. To a person, the common theme is "productivity is higher than ever." Will that productivity continue as the stay-at-home situation continues for many? Who knows...but isn't this a testament to the reality that an office is not a necessity for achieving results?

Stay well, dear readers. Be safe.

Let's go move mountains

A friend and colleague of mine - Andy DiOrio - recently reached out and told me that he was using some of this work-at-home time to sharpen his professional development skills. His question to me was "What would be the three best practices or learnings you've found in leading your teams?"

He went on to say that his three are:

Be insightful. "Find out what motivates each team member as it will offer insight into what levers to pull or be sensitive to."

Be flexible. He said that early in his career, he thought all had to be managed a certain way. Over time, he's learned flexibility to accommodate life and work conditions, which positively impact engagement.

Be clear. "If the assignment isn't getting done, plainly lay out/re-emphasize the importance of he project and the consequences of not being done."

I believe that all three of those are very important in order to be an effective leader.
- I'm a big believer in 360 evaluations or similar tools to help mine insights into what motivates each team member.
- So too do I work with each team member to understand their needs in order to find flexible solutions  that will boost efficiency, productivity and a positive culture.
- Finally, clarity goes directly to communications. The best leaders I know are the ones who are always crystal clear with their setting of a vision, defining an assignment, and outlining expectations.

How did I reply with my three? Here you go:

Be genuine. If you try to become someone or something that you are not, you'll be figured out immediately. Be yourself, which means knowing yourself - how you're wired, your strengths - and, yes, your tendencies, which can work against you.

Trust is an absolute. I need to trust my teammates and they need to trust me. Without that, greatness cannot and will not be achieved.

Simplify the challenge. It's hard to simplify - sometimes, really hard. It's the role of a leader to simplify the problem and prioritize the needed actions. It's why I love the following Steve Jobs quote: "Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains."

Let's go move some mountains. Be well. Be safe.

(Check out Andy at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adiorio/)

"How are you doing?"

"How are you doing?"

That question has been the opening for every meeting that I and my colleagues have had over the past three weeks. It's a mandatory as we have all agreed to care for each other, hear each other, and make our personal story one that others know so that we, in this time of #alonetogether, can truly help and care for one another.

Some of us are actually dealing with the disease. Others are one degree of separation from someone who has the disease. Others are dealing with the physical isolation of living alone.

Everyone - everyone - has a story as we collectively deal with COVID-19. And, those stories are now expanding every week--job loss, salary cuts, business impacts, canceled events, closing businesses.

We will come out of this. Yet, I also know that "normal" will not be life as we knew it. The impact has been too vast. The learnings will, I trust, be taken to heart by leaders in business, sports, the arts and politics. (Or, at least, I hope...)

And, while the need for "social distancing" may make its way into our future life. I'm warning you now that I plan to do a lot of hugging--of friends, colleagues and the unexpecting, once we come out of our respective homes. It's been too long since I've truly seen you all.

"How are you doing?"

How was your first week?

Hello, fellow stay-at-homers. How was your first full week of working from home? I thought I'd share some of my observations from this new workplace normal.

My highlights for the week were:

- Critiquing the various rooms and environs of those I interacted with via Zoom. It was interesting to see where others were setting up shop--makeshift desks, dining room tables, a space in a bedroom. It reinforced that the suggested "find your space" is being adapted by most.

- Assisting the rookies navigating the Zoom platform for the first time. I, for one, found Zoom to be an incredibly easy user experience. And, I wish I had a buck for every time someone referenced The Brady Bunch given the gallery view when multiple attendees are on the meeting platform.

- Smiling at the various interruptions on Zoom meetings, from the creative director with the toddler son showing off his bottle to the various pets sitting by their owners to - the best - the colleague whose 7-year old daughter was singing, loudly and oblivious, in the next room. (Think the scene of Julia Roberts in the bathtub in Pretty Woman...)

- Yelling downstairs to get someone to tell my 3-year old grandson to quit incessantly ringing the doorbell.

- Sitting on the deck, smoking a cigar, having a cocktail, all while conducting an end-of-day meeting. (And, yes--it was at the end of the day.)

What was very gratifying about the past week was seeing others consistently communicate with their co-workers and friends. There is recognition of the need for checking in, saying "hi," asking how you're doing, and being in tune with the needs of others. It felt like everyone had injected an extra dose of empathy into their being.

The stay-at-home ordinance is a leadership challenge unlike any that we have universally faced. If week one is any indication, I'm encouraged by our ability to lead and manage through, to have a heightened sense of connection, and to be empathetic to the needs of others.

Be well. Stay safe. #AloneTogether

Alone Together

The Ad Council has launched a public service campaign with the hashtag #AloneTogether.

How true. In this new normal of staying home and avoiding others, there is a growing feeling of boredom, anxiety and, for some, loneliness.

That's where all of us come in.

Reach out to family, friends and colleagues. Think about those who you know are more dramatically impacted by being homebound--the elderly, parents or a parent with kids who no longer have school, and even those you know who are social animals and are struggling with the lack of human contact. Over-communicate.

And please, people, can you be a bit more judicious about exactly how much toilet paper, ground beef and Doritos that you really need!? Leave some for the rest of us, okay?

Be safe. Be strong. Be #AloneTogether.

What happens next?

Eerie.

That's the word that I keep thinking of as I try to make sense of what's going in our world right now.

Empty parking lots.

A coffee shop without people, save for the two baristas.

A noticeable drop in traffic commuting to work.

A church sanctuary without a congregation.

Absolutely no live sports on television.

Movie theaters with screens that are dark.

Patients with names of "Hanks" and "Durant" who have contracted the virus.

A shift from the "paradox of choice" to "I need toilet paper and I'll take whatever scent and ply you've got"

The current end of "let's go grab lunch" or "how about meeting for coffee?"

Pick-up service at upscale restaurants.

"Social distancing" in the age of social media.

Brands trying to figure out what in the hell to do.

Workers coping with their new normal--virtual meetings, diminished in-person interaction and the challenge of business as usual.

Where do we go from here? What becomes our new normal when, hopefully, the curve has been sufficiently flattened and we actually can have coffee with a co-worker, in person, again?

None of us know what will happen next. What I do know is that now is the time when true leaders step up and lead. Now is the time when your team members want assurance, validation and a caring voice on the other end of the phone. Now is the time when listening is more important than ever before.

My advice is this--over-communicate, listen, check in regularly, and don't hunker down in your remote workplace such that you forget those who are depending upon you.

Let's get through this together. Stay safe.

My view of COVID-19...and it's not from Section 10

Like most of you, I'm hunkered down in my home, monitoring the news for the latest on the coronavirus pandemic...and am bored to tears. For the first time ever in my adult life, my day tomorrow will not be spent in anticipation of the NCAA Tournament Selection Show and the resulting hours of "analysis" as I fill out my tourney bracket.

No, my time is now spent with a wandering mind, thinking...

- Are public restrooms experiencing a rash of stolen toilet paper?
- Why were all of the frozen items sold out at Trader Joe's yesterday?
- Do I really want to take a stab at making my own hand sanitizer?
- Why is there even a run on toilet paper?
- Are Zoom and other remote/virtual meeting options one of the few sectors that will benefit from this pandemic?
- Why don't CBS and Turner show old NCAA Tournament games over the next three weeks?
- Which song do I really want to sing to ensure a 20-second hand-washing regimen?
- What brilliant mind suggested that Tito's vodka could be a component of homemade hand sanitizer?

What are you doing to survive your first pandemic? Section 10 wants to know--shoot me a note.

Be safe out there, peeps!

The Chiefs...and the Super Bowl!?

50 years.

Have you considered just how long 50 years is? The most telling context that I've read is that Kansas City's current airport - the one being torn down for a new version -  wasn't even open yet in 1970 as that was two more years down the road (or runway, if you'd prefer.)

I'm talking about, of course, the Kansas City Chiefs and their appearance in Super Bowl LIV, a full 50 years after their only Super Bowl championship. There are two generations of fans who have no idea the significance of 35 Toss Power Trap, matriculating the ball down the field, or "Dawson to Taylor...Taylor loose!"

The Chiefs are a franchise born out of the vision of a man initially scorned by the NFL. The Chiefs are a franchise that suffered through tragedy (Joe Delaney, Derrick Thomas, Jovan Belcher.) The Chiefs are a franchise that made one playoff appearance between 1972 and 1989. And now, the Chiefs are a franchise in the Super Bowl.

I remember - vividly - that day in 1970 when I watched Stram, Dawson, Taylor, Garrett, Stenerud, Bell, Lanier, Robinson, et al. bring the first professional championship back to Kansas City. Fifty years later, it's my hope that Reid, Mahomes, Kelce, the Honey Badger, Hill, Jones, and Clark can do the same.

Fifty years later. It would be a fitting tribute to a man who built a franchise as part of the vision he had for a new league that would compete with the NFL. It's fitting because that vision of Lamar Hunt is in keeping with the ethos of this great city of Kansas City--patience, hard work, humility...genuine.

Thank you, Lamar. Thank you, Kansas City Chiefs.

#ChiefsKingdom