Keys to the Kingdom

I have a confession: 

Among the mix of hardcore business books, and Harvard Business Review Podcasts I so ravenously devour, I sometimes pick up a podcast from Oprah (stop laughing please).  I feel she’s a thought leader in spirituality and becoming ones true self.  Since I’m all about self actualization, and self improvement – you can see the tie-in.

Last night I listed to her podcast when she interviewed Daniel Pink, author of a book called  A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. Apparently Oprah liked the book so much, she decided to share this book with the entire graduating class at Stanford this Spring when giving their commencement address. I haven’t read the book yet, but I felt like I needed to offer a post for

2 reasons:

1. I’m certainly going to read it (or listen to the audio book)

2. It seems to be the perfect marriage of spirituality or self actualization and business converging.  Nice.

Some key elements:

The new world we’re living in is being taken over by right brained individuals. Over the past few decades the world has been run by a certain type of person (mostly left brained) Doctors, Lawyers, Accountants.   Pink uses words to describe these people like have the ability of “symphony”  – aggregating disparate ideas and being able to articulate them in a manner that’s comprehensible to lay-men.  He also mentions the ability to tell stories that evoke emotion, play, and experience empathy. Right brained, right brained, right brained.  You get the idea.

He argues that while logical and linear brained thinking is great, and effective, it’s not enough.  The world is coming around to the right brain.  Pink comes to this conclusion by evaluating the facts (he’s a self assessed left brainer himself).

Years ago we were in the agricultural age, then industrial, information, and now conceptual. Left brain activity is activity that can be replicated by computers (anyone can look up the capital of Yemen on Google).  Right brained activity cannot (at least not yet). 

The paradox of prosperity contributes to this phenomenon as well.  The more prosperous we are, the more laborious things are automated, and the more time we have to sit around and ponder – why am I here? (cool, right?).  So as the world becomes more prosperous (baby boomers in particular), the more evolved the world is becoming.  Right brained people are no longer being viewed as new-agey  individuals because the efficacy of spirituality/meditation etc is being measured by science. 

I’ll talk more about the book after I’ve read it of course, but I felt it was worth sharing.  Let me know what you think?

Right brainer’s UNITE! Here’s a link: A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

The First 100 Days

We all understand that the first days on a new job are critical, but how many have taken it a step further, and articulated what goals and objectives you have for yourself and your organization throughout those 100 days.  I’ve already started the ball rolling, and will spend the next week and 1/2 doing the following:

1. Absorbing information

• Currently I’m reviewing and learning about MIVA, and Alot.com

2. Defining challenges ahead

• My direct manager Mark Ribaudo, Vice President Sales & Marketing and I will review all challenges, and attempt to define anything throughout that process that may creep up later.  I’m looking for the support of the MIVA team to feel comfortable offering as candid feedback as possible.  Sharing what may need to be changed, and what has worked in the past.  Feedback, and open lines of communication are key.

3. Assessing management 

• We’re setting up meetings that will happen throughout my first weeks on the job for management to meet and assess my skills, and to see how well I fit into the corporate culture, as well as give me an opportunity to answer any questions they may have about me, my past, or my agenda for the future of MIVA and Alot.com.

4. Preparing emotionally and physically

• I am a spiritual and physically active person.  I practice Yoga, Meditate, Run competitively, and lift weights.  I believe that these activities help to keep me focused, grounded and at my peak performance at all times.   It will be imperative that I continue my workout regime, continue to attend mass (which I just recently started to do again after my daughter’s christening), and  stay as healthy as possible throughout this sprint of my first 100 days.

A solid foundation throughout this time, will help to propel MIVA into 2009.  I have so much to learn, and so many smart, dynamic people to meet in the coming weeks.  I really cannot wait to get started!