I watched an interview yesterday with Tony Abbott the newly elected leader of the major political party in Australia not in government. He said "our job is to oppose the government." He later in the interview tried to correct himself by saying "our job is to hold the government to account."

Mr. Abbott got elected after extraordinary scenes in his party where one minute they were supporting the governments climate change bill and then they weren't. These decisions and indecision followed 5 weeks of collaborating and the former leader Malcolm Turnbull telling the government our collaboration has been successful, lets pass the bill.

Australia now has egg on its face going into to the Copenhagen summit this weekend on climate change. Our Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, unless there is yet another change of mind by Mr Abbott's party, will go to Copenhagen a follower instead of a leader.

Seems to me that Mr Abbott, like most old school politicians, hasn't yet realised we live in an age of collaboration. My hope is that he and everyone who thinks and acts like him will soon come to their senses or we vote these kind folk out and replace them with people who will do what needs to be done for the good of people and our planet.

Be remarkable
Ian
Founder Differencemakers Community
Partnering passionate people to change what’s normal for the good of people, our planet, and for profit.

Labels: collaboration, Ian, role model

Good.is magazine is inspiring reading. Their good 100 is brilliant. I’ll bet you want to go and do something good as a result of reading about their best 100. And I hope you do.

My favourites are
Hilliary Clinton

Ideo and their social impact program

Bundanoon Australia

Bulldozing cities

Cash for grass

Women are the key to development

TED X

Cowpooling

Check out the full 100 here.

Be remarkable
Ian
Founder Differencemakers Community
Partnering passionate people to change what’s normal for the good of people, our planet, and for profit.

Labels: Ian, Innovation, role model

Heavy storm clouds stay hanging over business, religion, politics, sport and the media. Almost daily many so called icons are continuing to have their character questioned. These clouds always produce rain and wash away the stars like twigs in a river.

Like never before the world needs ordinary people of character to stand up and be counted because many of the people leading us don’t understand leadership, have sacrificed their characters in their quest for power, and in some cases their behaviour threatens our very lives.

Recently the father of a good friend passed on. He was a man of character and an inspiration to my friend. His passing caused me to reflect on my own father who passed 10 years ago.

Life my friends Father, my Dad never had his name up in lights too often but left a legacy to be proud of in his world nonetheless. I miss him. Dad was a man of character. We never always saw eye to eye. It was the words of the Mike and the Mechanics song ‘In the Living Years’ that urged me to settle my differences with Dad not long before he died.

“It’s too late when you die” the song says “to admit you don’t see eye to eye” Towards the end Dad came to hear me speak and said before I spoke “I probably won’t agree with everything the speaker says this morning but I am proud he is my son”

People of character lay it on the line like that.

People of character are unafraid to speak their minds.

People of character always tell the truth as they see it

People of character are trustworthy

People of character have integrity

People of character enjoy being popular but don’t seek popularity

People of character seek win / win but do not compromise their principles

People of character do what they believe is best for the common good regardless of the resistance they encounter

People of character praise in public and criticize in private

People of character put others first

People of character are givers not takers

People of character focus on building people’s self esteem and never engage in put downs or the blame and shame game

People of character are those we really look up to and admire

People of character are those we follow when it matters most.

Be a person of character. You are needed like never before.

Be remarkable
Ian
Founder Differencemakers Community
Partnering passionate people to change what’s normal for the good of people, our planet, and for profit.

Labels: Ian, making a difference, role model

The lost generation video on YouTube makes very compelling viewing.


I commend this 1 minute 44 seconds video to you. It renewed my trust that the future is in good hands. Watch it here

Be remarkable
Ian
Writer and International Business Speaker on how doing good is great for business

Labels: Ian, leadership, role model

Find out where the business world is headed, check out Fast Company’s top 50 most innovative companies The slideshare link makes interesting viewing.

What struck me was the number of companies who appear to be geniunely embracing doing good.

Contrast this Fast Company's list with Forbes latest top 100 so called best corporate citizens list here.

You may, like me, find the comments below the list more interesting than the list.

Be remarkable
Ian
Writer and International Business Speaker on how doing good is great for business

Labels: Ian, role model

I have read all of Sir Richard Branson’s books. I also regularly fly on his airlines and use his mobile phone services, so I am obviously a fan. His latest book ‘Business Stripped Bare’ is in my view his best yet. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Social Responsibility.

Branson writes “Several years ago, I realised that if Virgin really wanted to make a difference with some of the tougher issues facing humanity, we had to start pulling together everything we were doing.” The result was Virgin Unite. “Our fundamental belief is that doing good is great for business. It’s not about the ‘golden charitable cheque’ but, rather, it’s about making sure that we leverage everything we have across our businesses ... There is such a thing as enlightened self interest, and we should encourage it. It is possible to turn a profit while making the world a better place.”

May there be more Richard Branson’s leading our businesses. For more on Virgin Unite click here

Be remarkable
Ian
strategic advisor to difference makers

Labels: Ian, role model

Lindsay Adams and myself have bought and given away a lot of copies of the book ‘The Go-Giver’ by Bob Burg and John David Mann and published by Penguin 2007. The key lessons of the book

"The law of value: your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment.
The law of compensation: your income is determined by how many people you serve and how well you serve them.
The law of influence: your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people's interest first.
The law of authenticity: the most valuable gift you have to offer is yourself.
The law of receptivity: the key to effective giving is to stay open to receiving."

These are all key laws that underpin the building of our new world.

Be remarkable.
Ian
strategic advisor to difference makers

Labels: Ian, leadership, role model, self-leadership

In an article for Harvard Business Review ‘Strategy as Revolution’ Volume 74, Issue 4, July-August 1996, page 69, Gary Hamel says each industry consists of three kinds of people; “Rule Makers (Industry leaders), Rule Takers (peasants who only keep what the Lord does not want), and Rule Breakers (revolutionaries who overturn the ‘curse of incrementalism’, rewrite industry rules, and overthrow industry boundaries).

Rule Breakers are the builders of our new world. Are you one of them?

Be remarkable
Ian
strategic advisor to difference makers

Labels: Ian, role model

In one of the great books written about the successful present and future of business in my view, ‘Firms of Endearment’, authors Raj Sisodia, David B Wolfe, and Jag Sheth, put forward 7 characteristics that differeniate the best companies from the rest as follows:

“freely challenge industry dogma
create value by aligning stakeholder interests
are willing to break traditional tradeoffs
operate with a long-term perspective
favor organic growth to growing by mergers and acquistions
blend work with play
reject traditional marketing models”

How would you rate your organisation against these?

I highly recommend this book. In my view it surpasses the work by Jim Collins in his best selling book ‘Good to Great’

Be remarkable
Ian
strategic advisor to difference makers

Labels: Ian, leadership, role model

I take my hat off to Belinda a barista at Gloria Jeans Coffee Shop in Border's Bookshop Brisbane. Belinda stunned me recently by saying to me "Good morning Ian would you like your usual."

Labels: Ian, leadership, role model

One of the most interesting and engaging people I have had the privilege to meet is Jonathan Austin founder of Best Companies and an expert in workplace engagement. Here are the eight key factors Best Companies research shows matter in becoming an employer of choice

“Leadership
How employees feel about the head of the organisation, senior managers, and the company’s values and principles

My Manager
How employees feel about and communicate with their direct manager

Personal Growth
What employees feel about training and their future prospects

Wellbeing
How employees feel about stress, pressure at work, and work life balance

My Team
Employees feelings towards their immediate colleagues and how well they work together

Giving Something Back
The extent to which employees feel their organisation has a positive impact on society

My Company
The level of engagement employees have for their job and organisation

Fair Deal
How happy employees are with their pay and benefits”

Would you rate your organisation as remarkable in each of these areas?

Be remarkable
Ian

Labels: Ian, leadership, role model

One of the most savvy and inspiring business leaders of our time is Sir Richard Branson. Watch a great interview with him here. (type Richard Branson in the search box) After you enjoy Richard, check out some of the other ‘ted talks’ that may catch your eye. This website features many of the world's best, sharing brilliant ideas into how to be remarkable.

Be remarkable
Ian

Labels: Ian, leadership, role model

I have been working in the United Kingdom for the past two weeks. While here one of my hero's Anita Roddick passed away. In honour of Anita's huge and positive impact on better business practice I went and drank a fair trade coffee at another iconic business Marks and Spencer. I reflected on the great strides business has made to be fairer and my own priviledge this year to work with another seller of fair trade coffee, the fine folk of Oxfam Trading in Australia. Community trade is one way of eliminating poverty. What is your business doing to be socially responsible?

Be remarkable
Ian

Labels: Ian, leadership, role model

When I work in Melbourne I stay at the Alto Hotel. It is designated as a four star however I give them a seven star rating because Ricardo and his team provide an experience beyond service. My wife and I first stayed at this hotel by chance and we were both pleasantly surprised by the little things that Lauren, one of the receptionists, did that made a big difference. Then due to circumstance we decided to eat in the restaurant where we were entertained by Francis Scanlon, waiter extraordinaire. Francis came to Australia from India three years ago and working at the Alto is one of three jobs he does to fulfill his dream of bringing his fiancée to Australia to live. Francis is a remarkable 26 year old. He makes dining out a memorable experience. I have no doubt that one day soon he will bring the love of his life to Australia and that he will fulfill his big dream of becoming a pilot.

Everyone time I go back to the Alto Hotel everyone who works there goes beyond serving me, rather they provide an experience that means I go back.

Are you providing an experience beyond service at your place? Doing so is a sign of remarkability.

Be remarkable
Ian

Labels: Ian, leadership, role model