Maple Wood, Maple Leaves
What journey have you been on recently?
This little wooden block is sourced from the forests of Bavaria, Germany. It travels to the UK with post-Brexit passport and paperwork. It’s then precision-engineered in Macclesfield, Cheshire.
Before being shipped to your front door, it’s hand-sanded by Twelve Scholars. We use 80-grit then 120-grit sandpaper to ensure a silky smooth surface and edges.
The autumnal leaves are from a Japanese maple tree in Bob’s back garden.
Attention to Design
Excellence is a choice. If you’re going to do something well, then do it well.
In this instance, I’ve been working on how best to present one slide.
It’s all about communicating your expectations.
And repeating that message. Over and over again.
I think we’re there.
Just needed to offset a few letters, to make the overall design balance.
(Arghhhh, the perfectionism!)
A Better Visual for Setbacks
Always improving—here’s the latest slide to accompany Chapter 6 introduction.
A slight tweak on the previous version (which I thought was ‘good’). This slide better represents the key message.
Fail. Forward. Fast.
Setbacks are inevitable. Pick yourself up. Dust yourself down. You get the chance to do it again!
Setbacks are inevitable
Failure will advance your learning fast.
If you’re not failing, you’re not pushing yourself hard enough. You’re not acquiring the essential skills to overcome future obstacles.
You need to put yourself out there. Volunteer for things. Say “Yes” more often.
Setbacks are inevitable. It’s how we recover that counts.
ps delighted with this new slide—it may even appear on future merch!
A Theory of General Relativity
Very happy with this slide.
It’s taken from one of the intro slides to The Essential Scholar.
It’s taken a few days to get right.
(The typeface, the leading, the kerning, the tracking… arghhh—the perfection!)
But I’m always amazed at how a few design tweaks can make all the difference.
In this case, it was the greyscale and highlighting Satisfactory in black.
The key message?
Excellence is all relative—generally speaking.
In Search of Excellence
What does Excellence look like to you?
I’m putting the finishing touches to our Leadership Development Programme this week.
The bulk of the videos were recorded earlier this year. And they look great!
(Over 10½ hours of high-quality tutorial videos).
But I never got round to topping and tailing the course.
You know—the intro and outro.
A big picture overview to help with the onboarding.
And so I’m now polishing and perfecting for the final push.
Almost there!
(Note to self—Excellence is a never ending journey!)
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.