An update on purpose
A weekend of exercise, friends and fresh air always does the trick. A special thanks to everyone who has helped. Very much appreciated.
I’ve been trying to convey what we do in the fewest words possible. A headline for the business. And I think we’re there…
“TWELVE SCHOLARS helps leaders to create an environment that inspires Excellence.”
I believe this says exactly what we’re about. And always has always been about. We’ve just never been able to articulate it so clearly, or so succinctly.
We’re helping leaders. (Hint, everyone is a leader).
We’re creating an environment. (It’s all about culture).
And we’re inspiring Excellence. (Everything comes back to our EGSP® model—and wanting to do better).
So there we have it. A much sharper, and clearly defined purpose.
West Pennine Moors
Where do you go to clear your head?
I spend an inordinate amount of time in the hills and mountains. Hiking, running, cycling—snowboarding too when abroad. It’s one of my favourite places.
There’s something that draws me to the sights, smells and sounds. An escapism. A place to switch off. And be at one with your thoughts. And this weekend’s been no exception.
What about you? Where do you go to switch off?
Fabulous Feedback
Feedback is a gift. And fabulous feedback is an act of pure generosity.
We’ve just received this message from a previous scholar. We’re obviously delighted with his words. Thank you Marc.
“I’ve just spoke at a conference and a few of your lessons in my presentation. It helped everybody understand what was required. We used the ‘train set’ analogy and even drew a track. Out of all the leadership training I’ve had, Twelve Scholars has stuck the most. It works! ” — Marc Belbin
Inspire, be inspired!
Late night on purpose
A few major ‘minor tweaks’ to our marketing message tonight.
I’ve been searching for the right words to express what we do over the past few days. What’s our unique position and proposition. Explain it in more colourful, interesting words. And keep it simple.
It’s no easy task. But I think we’re getting closer.
Old version…
“TWELVE SCHOLARS helps forward-thinking leaders improve their performance.”
New version…
“TWELVE SCHOLARS helps forward-thinking leaders create change by cross-pollinating the most effective ideas.”
What do you think?
This latest version explains who we serve (forward-thinking leaders). And what we do best (cross-pollinate the most effective ideas).
Maybe another glass of Shiraz will do the trick!
Demo under construction
What’s the most exciting thing that’s happened to you this week?
Squarespace recently launched a new ‘courses’ function. And we’re really happy. All our content is now available via the Squarespace platform—yes, all 84 lessons and 12+hours of video content!
But what does it really look like?
Well, we’ve taken the decision to build a demo page. A kind go ‘try before you buy’. Showcase what we’re about.
(Hey, it works for many products and services.)
And so you’ll now see a DEMO tab on the menu structure. And inside you’ll discover a few lessons. Each with a video tutorial, short narrative and action step in yellow.
You’ll also see an example leadership guide, ‘Your first 12 days as a leader’. This short summary includes 12 of the most valuable lessons from the 84 available on the course. There’s a handy graphic and download you can access too.
We think this is exciting. It’s a big step forward. And can’t wait to share more soon.
Lessons in Modern Leadership
How do you explain what you do in fewest possible words?
This is something many entrepreneurs struggle with—especially when starting out. You try it out on friends, family, neighbours. Tbh, anyone who’ll listen to you.
And so what is Twelve Scholars about? Fundamentally, we provide ‘Lessons in Modern Leadership’.
I believe this says exactly what we’re about. In its most simplest form. It also plays on Twelve Scholars being a ‘scholarly-type’ organisation. And suggests a fresh new approach to Leadership Development.
Powerful Reminder on Simplicity
When things are simplified. They amplify—with ease.
This useful reminder from Gapingvoid really struck a chord with me (original blog post here).
When things are complicated, they’re hard to explain. Unless you can convey a simple message—one big idea—then you’ll struggle to communicate effectively.
Marketing 101 = “Simplify.”
The End of a Chapter
This week marks the end of a chapter. A time to draw a line under $3,600 of sunk costs. And start again.
Five years ago I was introduced to Discourse. It blew my mind. I had joined The Podcasting Fellowship (TPF) — a fabulous workshop delivered by Seth Godin and Alexandra di Palma. And they used Discourse to host lessons and create conversation. It got me thinking.
Discourse is a discussion platform. It works really well when there’s plenty of users and content to share. Plenty of organisations use it. Could this be the place to host Twelve Scholars?
Well, you have try these things. And as of this month, I’ve spent $3,600 developing a prototype platform. Ouch!
It was great whilst it lasted. But sometimes you need to move on. Let’s call it another expensive lesson in the life of an entrepreneur.
So what’s changed? Two things. Firstly, early feedback suggested Discourse was hard to navigate. It wasn’t intuitive for a novice user. (Remember, I’ve been using Discourse for five years). And secondly, Squarespace, our website provider has recently launched a new feature—specifically designed to sell digital courses. And I’m super excited!
After a busy few weeks, you can now access all course content and tutorial videos from our website. And it “just works”—on your phone, tablet or desktop device.
But don’t take my word for it. I’ve created a demo page that showcases our leadership lessons. Let me know what you think!
Time to start a new chapter.
Bob xx
A State of Flow
What do you notice when you’re in a state of flow? Unless you’ve experienced it. It’s hard to explain.
Some people will experience a state of flow unconsciously. They get more things done. They are on a roll. They appear unstoppable.
Some people will experience a state of flow—consciously. When it happens. It’s magic. You realise what’s going on. It’s still hard to explain. But you lean in and enjoy it whilst it lasts.
And then there’s some people who never experience it. And that’s a shame. :-(
When it happens, it’s like the clouds parting for the sun. Clarity occurs. Real clarity. You can see where you’re going. Momentum builds. A determination grows inside. Things get easier and closer.
Can you force a state of flow?
I’m not sure, but here’s a few common themes that I’ve noticed recently.
I’ve had a period of funk. Where things have got complicated. And the fog has descended.
A deadline is looming. Perhaps not immediately, but a deadline is always present. It certainly focuses the mind.
Music helps. Typically I’m listening to electronic dance or something classical. And it’s on repeat.
Fitness helps. Getting out in the fresh air. Combined with deep relax at swimming pool and top shelf sauna.
I can think of many times when a state of flow has occurred. I’ve learned to embrace it. Take a photo. Write it down. Enjoy the moment.
What about you? What have you noticed about flow recently?
Avoiding the mud
What type of leader are you? What would you do in the above situation?
Interestingly, I was out walking the West Pennine Moors today (one of my favourite patches). I was listening to the fabulous Founders podcast hosted by David Senra. He was talking about ‘Bloomberg on Bloomberg’ the eponymous autobiography from Mike Bloomberg. And he started to talk about obstacles and setbacks. How apt!
Clear ‘Blue Sky’ Thinking
What would you do differently today, if you could start over?
This question really got me thinking. And exercise and fresh air always does the trick. Especially, when clear blue skies above. What’s the conclusion? I’ve decided to park our four leadership courses up, for now—and just focus on one.
(I know, FOUR, what was I thinking!)
Going forwards, The Essential Scholar will be the only Leadership Development Programme that we offer. It will include the online course, the offline playbook and the wooden block (aka leadership compass).
All other coaching and support services will be available to buy—separately, but not within the price of The Essential Scholar. This helps to keep the headline price lower, and enables people to ‘upgrade’ their development if they require—call it customised coaching and support. An a la carte menu for leadership.
This clarity of thinking will really help shape our marketing message and explain how best we serve our customers. As always, clarity is king.
A 5-Stage Process
A big step forward in the life of Twelve Scholars this week. Inspired by EOS, we’ve improved our thinking to enhance the course structure—and customer experience.
EOS stands for Entrepreneurial Operating System. It’s a methodology discussed in the Traction series of books by Gino Wickman.
Wickman recommends every business should have a ‘Proven Process’. A simple diagram that explains how they deliver value to their customer. It presents a clear picture of what the customer will experience when they work with you. Until now, this has been in my head and never truly written out.
And so here’s our five-step process for leadership development.
Onboarding
EGSP® resources
EGSP® principles
Business as usual
Personal project.
We will no doubt tweak the titles to better describe the process. But for now, and for the first time, there’s a proven path that we can properly explain.
Baby steps. Giant leaps.
Prioritising your priorities
“Don’t let today’s URGENT take priority over yesterday’s IMPORTANT.”
How often do you completely lose track of actions—from the previous day? You either ran out of time, got distracted or completely forgot.
Well, this prompt is a variation on the urgent/important model.
It’s worth keeping at the front of mind each morning.
Keep it close. Write it down.
Educate others to complete their work—before moving on.
You may have to lower your expectations. But at least you shipped. And that has to be the priority.
Inspiring Greatness in Other People
I stumbled upon this message and drawing today. It’s taken from a blog post written by Hugh Macleod (Gapingvoid) posted in April 2018.
(Note to reader—I’ll regularly redraw or rewrite inspiring blog posts and quotes in my bullet journal. This is just one example.)
The message is simple—the best leaders align people to the right mindset and inspire greatness in others. Rather than telling people what to do (keepers of the old guard), they’ll work hard to create a culture that becomes a real competitive advantage.
Packaging expectations
What happens when you fail to meet expectations?
Call it attention to detail. Call it an obsessive behaviour. But when a tube is sold as 330mm in length, I don’t want 334mm.
It causes our Leadership Compass to rattle—and that would be poor.
It upsets me. Especially when we’ve spent so much time (and money) developing ‘the perfect product fit’.
We spent weeks (truth be told—months) developing a packaging insert with our supplier.
The insert was designed specifically to slip inside a standard A3 poster tube—330mm long x 76mm diameter. I lost count of the number of prototypes.
I was excited when a new delivery arrived today. But then deeply disappointed when every tube measured 4mm longer than expected. Gutted.
Return to sender.
Book of the month
If only those responsible for HS2 had read this brilliant book.
(Or at least the opening few pages—there’s an unforgettable story of incompetence and poor leadership.)
In 2008, work started on the California High-Speed Rail. It was scheduled to go from downtown Los Angeles to downtown San Francisco. It was to cost $33 billion and be ready by 2020.
But 14 years later, much about the project remains uncertain. Plans were changed repeatedly. Cost estimates soared. The current estimate is £100 billion.
In 2019, it was announced that only part of the route would get built: the 171-mile section between Merced and Bakersfield—two small towns in California’s Central Valley.
Sound familiar?
How Big Things Get Done, by Bent Flyvberjerg and Dan Gardner is a remarkable book. And highly recommended.
Full of vivid examples, ranging from the building of the Sydney Opera House to the teamwork behind Pixar blockbusters, this book reveals how to get any ambitious project done—on time, and on budget.
Goals Shape the Present
What’s the purpose of a goal?
I’ve just reread Hell Yeah or No by Derek Sivers, for the third time—this year.
(Highly recommended).
One of the best bits of advice is to judge a goal by how well it changes your actions in the present moment.
A bad goal makes you say, “I want to do that someday.” A great goal makes you take action immediately.
A bad goal is foggy, vague and distant. A great goal is so clear, specific, and close you can almost touch it.
A bad goal makes you say, “I’m not sure how to start.” With a great goal, you know exactly what needs to be done next.
A bad goal makes you say, “That’d be nice.” A great goal makes you say, “Oh my god! Yes! That would be amazing! I can’t wait!”
A bad goal makes you say, “I’ll do it as soon as I do this other stuff.” A great goal is so interesting and important that you can’t be distracted.
Unless it changes your actions, right now, it’s not a great goal. Instead, find another variation that excites you.
Clearer communication is a Superpower
What’s podcasts have you listened to recently? And what did you learn?
Recently, I’ve become hooked on Working It by the Financial Times. It’s a brilliant podcast (and newsletter) that talks about trends in workplaces worldwide. Highly recommended.
In the latest episode, Isabel Berwick speaks to BBC News analysis editor Ros Atkins, best known for his viral explainer videos, about how we can learn to get to the point.
Together, they discuss how clear communication can be the difference between getting what you want at work, and missing out. But some of us are better at it than others.
I was hooked.
So much so, I ordered Ros Atkins’ latest book, The Art of Explanation for next day delivery.
Book number = 1,236
Add to Playlist
What’s on your playlist?
In another moment of clarity, we’ve decided to rename PERIODICALS to PLAYLISTS. We think this better describes our content and is more on brand.
Just like our YouTube channel, the playlist is an area for all our video content—and podcasts too. As a reminder, you’ll discover the following:
Tuesday Tutorial — bite-sized lessons in personal and professional development.
Thick Red Line — a weekly podcast that deals with poor performance.
Bob’s Book Club — a monthly must at our leadership library.
Featured Scholar — a podcast that complements our graduate programme.
Sunday Scholar — our weekly newsletter—reimagined as a podcast.
We’re really happy how this is shaping up. Inspire, be inspired!
On a good day
On a good day, everything goes to plan.
You may overcome hurdles and have difficult conversations.
But you push yourself, teach yourself, reward yourself.
And you get to go again—tomorrow!