January 2012: Health & Fitness Letter

January 24:  Blogger, the host of my This Side of Fifty blog, provides statistics on the number of hits by day, week, month, and all time.  It provides the top pages views in each of those categories.  I learned just there were over fifty hits to my few of my past Health and Fitness letters.  While this is not even close to being viral, I do not recall seeing the Annual Health and Fitness postings ever getting any hits.  It made me wonder why?  It made me wonder why now?  Being that we are nearing the end of January, this could be because people are struggling with keeping to their dietary resolutions and looking for inspiration and tips on how to stick to their regimen. 

No matter what the reason, seeing hits to these postings made me realize I have not written a Health and Fitness letter since July of 2010.  I basically skipped 2011.  There is a good reason for that.  I was not happy with either my health or fitness.  The back-slide that I reported in 2010 continued through 2011. In fact, it continued until just this month.  I was not happy that I had only logged 1,000 outdoor miles last year.  That was the lowest mileage I had logged since 2003.  I was not happy that I grew a pant size or two since the last Health and Fitness letter.  I was really down on myself.  As there was nothing good to report, I did not want to write a preaching but not practicing letter.  I did not particularly want to pen a whiny letter.  So, I just skipped it.

Yet, I am writing a Health and Fitness letter now.  Why?  What will I write about?  Stasis?  That would be equally boring. 

I decided to write a Health and Fitness letter because I am recommitting to the quest I began in 2006.  It was a resolution, a decision basically, I made late last year.  I am a month into it and I feel better for sticking to it for 24 days for two reasons.  First, I am just happy to have kept to it for 24 days and thus it was not a false start.  Most false starts last about a day.  Second, I physically feel better for eating right and exercising every day.  I knew this to be true, it was simply difficult to get out of my own way to, as Nike says, "Just Do It!"  This Health and Fitness letter is about getting started and launching the initiative. 

The words of Mark Twain always come to me when I think about false starts.  He said, "Quitting smoking is easy.  I've done it a thousand times."  There are a lot of people who suffer silently from the string of false starts.  When the string gets longer, we tend to beat ourselves up.  We see others that seem to be above these kinds of tribulations and we wonder what is wrong with us.  The longer the string becomes, the more likely we are to give up and accept that being overweight, addicted to smoking, and any other habit we are trying to break is simply our lot in life.

My belief is to never ever give up.  It is the mandate of Winston Churchill and was the motto of my late father in-law, Harold Mardoian.  Here are some quotes on why we should never give up on what we want:

• Never, never, never give up!  ~ Winston Churchill
• Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.
  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock. ~ Anonymous
• Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts. ~ Anonymous

 January 26:  There are many tips, tricks, methods, activities, and mindsets one could take to initiate and achieve a lifestyle change.  There is no right way.  The right way is the way that works.  The right way is the way that works for you.  Look at them all.  Try them all. Pick the ones that resonate best and ride it for as long as you can.  Maybe the "never give up" quotes listed above are all you need.  Perhaps it is the advice from Dr. Mehmet Oz .  He provides the following bits of advice:

• Don't beat yourself up
• Write it down
• Declare it publicly
• Arrange your environment to help
• Track your progress
• You are not planning to fail, you are failing to plan.  It is key to find an eating style that is both healthy and something you can follow. 
• Eating in reverse is key (see the triangle figures).  Eat your biggest meal for breakfast.  Lunch should be smaller than breakfast.  Dinner should be smaller than lunch.  
• Snacking is good if it is healthy and in controlled portions.
• Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts.

 I really believe in "eating in reverse comment."  I heard it once from a Colgate colleague from France that I met only once.  You need the fuel to work and get through the day, not to sleep.  Also, I am thoroughly convinced that the lighter your dinner and not eating after 8 pm makes for a much better night's sleep.  

I also believe in tracking progress.  I only do well when I am recording my weight every morning and evening.  The scale tells the truth.  I am real good at justifying veering off the dietary path with any number of inane rationalizations.  The scale demolishes those myths by reporting the reality of what happens when I take in many more calories than I expend.  For me the scale takes all the BS out of the equation.

I am not so hot on the good Doctor's advice to plan better.  But, this is just me.  It may be perfect advice for others.  There reason I say this because I am great at planning.  My problem is that I am a much better at planning than implementing and executing the plan.  I know what to do.  I have known what to do for a very long time that "Knowing never equals doing."  

January 27:  I clearly am making this too difficult.  It really does not have to be very complicated.  All you have to do is watch TV.  I just saw a commercial on TV.  It began with a simple question, "Where exactly is your road to happiness?"  It continued with "On a Beach?  On a mountain?  Or wherever you are."  It had my curiosity.  What were they selling?  A path to self-fulfillment?  I wanted to know.  I had to know.  Given I was working on this letter, it seemed to fit right in.  "The first step on that road may well be..."  Please tell me.  If have to know.  I have to incorporate it into my letter.  The answer?  "The first step on that road may well be... a bowl of soup."  Of course, what else did I expect in a television advertisement?  This was an advertisement for Campbell’s Soup.  The first step on that road may well have been... a bright yellow Camaro, a membership to Bally Fitness, or perhaps a new suit from Men's Warehouse ("you're going to like the way you look").   Actually, all you have to do is by a roll of Mentos and you can make yourself and everyone around you happy.

All kidding aside, there was not a first step on this particular version of my road to happiness.  There were, in fact, several steps or motivations.

First and foremost is health.  I want to live a quality life and be as self-sufficient as possible as long as possible.  I do not want to be a burden on others.  I do not want to ever have to live in any kind of assisted living or full care facility, if I can help it.  The only way to do that is to take care of myself right now.  This means eating right and exercising.  Eating right is following the Dr. Dean Ornish plan of eating whole grains, fruits, and vegetables until you are full.  Other foods like non-fat dairy should be consumed in moderation.  Sugars, alcohol, and meats should be avoided.   A very good synopsis of the Ornish diet is found on this Web-MD link. 

 Exercising is all about getting myself back on the bike.  I biked so little last year because I had a little knee issue from August to December of last year.  I was convinced that I would need surgery.  I was actually limping around and very tentative on stairs.   My sister Nancy said that if I did need to do surgery, the best thing I could was to prepare for a quicker recovery by losing weight and strengthening the muscles around the knee.  The best exercise for that is the same exercise that doctors prescribe post surgery:  bicycling.  

I was tentative to get back on the bike.  But, this month I figured I will try it.  The worst that could happen is my knee could hurt worse and that would hasten my trip to an orthopedic specialist.  Beginning January 1, I started up again on the stationary bicycle in the basement.  I began with a very light level of resistance.  Guess what?  My knee feels much better.  The creaks and aches are not entirely gone, but it is much better.  There is no discernable limp most days and I am not tentative on stairs.  Cool.  I am even back to the resistance levels I had been using before this injury.  I recently went for an annual check-up.  My physician, Dr. Mark Rudberg, said to continue the bicycling and does not recommend seeing an orthopedic specialist at this time.  Double cool.

The second step or motivation might sound vain (heck this whole letter probably sounds vain).  For me getting lean is matter of self-esteem.  I have been one unhappy SOB these past two years.  I have beaten myself up pretty good for this back-slide and the subsequent inability to get it back under control.  That unhappiness was impossible to keep inside.  It translated into a surliness that was not pleasant to be around.  My wife commented just this morning I am much happier because I am back on the right road to health and fitness.  Eating right and exercising has led to a ten pound weight reduction but the weight off of my mind is probably ten times that.   This is a very strong motivation to continue. 

Related to this self-esteem motivation is how others perceive me.  As a management consultant, I have to sell to get business.  I have to sell my capabilities and my personality.  I have to feel good about myself to put my most positive foot forward.  The better I like what I see in the mirror, the better I feel about myself.  Also, there is the reality of first impressions.  Do I really want my first impression to be old and fat?  That is hardly a first positive first step in a sales process.  I cannot do much about my age (don't even think of suggesting that I dye my hair).  In fact, I have no problem selling age and experience.  But, if I do not appear active and energetic, looking instead overweight and lethargic, I am no one anybody would want to hire.  I can certainly do something about the looking lean and energetic... get lean and be energetic.  That is my intention. 

I often refer to and even make fun of my good friend and fellow musician Ara Topouzian.  I have to give Ara some inspirational credit for this latest re-start of my quest for health, fitness, and longevity.  Ara shares some of the same challenges I do with regard to the battle of rotundity. 

In November, Ara was here for a gig.  We were to play a concert of Armenian folk and classical music for a 50^th birthday party in Chicago.  We had a singer with us with whom we had not worked playing a repertoire that was a bit outside our normal dance music.  We had a lot of practicing to do.  Ara came early and we spent some time.  I was impressed that he had started a healthier eating habit.  I was double impressed at how dedicated he was to it.  This also motivated me.

Ara and I share something else in this regard.  His two brothers and his father are lean and lead very healthy active lifestyles.  My Dad, my Uncle Buddy, Cousin David, and my son Aram are in that same boat.  I am always talking about, at least to myself, “letting my inner Gavoor out.”  By this I mean, emulating the health and fitness lifestyle of the other Gavoor men I know.  I am sure Ara feels he is letting his inner Topouzian out. 

January 29:  I just saw a quote via Twitter.  It was from Jim Rohn.  It is the perfect quote to finish this letter with.  It reminded me of a quote that I used in my January 2008 letter, so I am including that as well.

• Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment. ~ Jim Rohn
• Goals are dreams with deadlines.~ Barbara Scharf Hunt

 Yes, this is what anyone embarking on such a journey needs:  Dreams with deadlines and the discipline to make the dream happen.  I would love to get back to writing the Annual Health and Fitness letter again in either June or July.  I would love to have good things to report.

Wish me luck!

Hrant Dink: Five Years Later

There were marches in Turkey today. Thousands of people took to the streets to commemorate the five year anniversary of the assassination of the renowned Turkish Armenian journalist Hrant Dink. The turnout was impressively large for more than just the passing of five years. Just this past week or so, the verdicts were handed down in the trials on those accused of killing Dink. It was largely known, or strongly assumed, that the assassination of the Dink was a conspiracy of ultra nationalists. Turkey is the kind of country where the distinction between ultra-nationalists and government is fuzzy.

The young man, Ogun Samast, who gunned down Dink on the streets outside of the offices of Dink's Agos newspaper was sentenced to 22 years in prison. The fellow who incited Samast to commit the crime got life in prison. Two other men each received sentences of 12 years. Sixteen others received light to no sentences. What has caused most of the outrage is that all 19 of accused were acquitted of being a part of a conspiracy.

“Issuing verdicts when the judicial investigation has established so little was already unacceptable but the court’s decisions are absolutely scandalous,” said Reporters Without Borders. “By portraying this murder as the work of a small group of fanatics, the judicial authorities have reflexively protected the state, whose role in this murder has nonetheless been demonstrated by all the independent investigations."

With this verdict, the Turkish state continues its policy of hatred against Armenians. They continue deny the Genocide of 1915, their discrimination of the few Armenians who have lived in Turkey since, and, of course, the murder of Hrant Dink and the trial of those accused of conspiring his assassination. They are a paranoid obstinate lot that believes the time is their only ally in settling "the Armenian question."

It is heartening, though, to see the number of Turks who are also outraged by this. The outrage shown in Istanbul today may be beyond my own outrage. It does my heart good to see this. All Turks do not hate Armenians. Many, like those who protested today look, as I do, to the similarities between Turks and Armenians not the difference. The government, their actions and policies regarding Armenians and other minorities, has been the problem since at least 1890.

There have always been Turks that feel as I do that we are more like cousins then enemies. The culture, the foods, the music, and even some of the language overlap. But, we cannot celebrate these things on a large scale until the Turkish Government just gets out its own way and acknowledges exactly what happened. In my one and only trip to Istanbul, half the people looked Armenian to me.

In 1915, a million and a half Armenians were killed in the Genocide. Yet, the killing of one more, Hrant Dink, has done as much to bring the topic to the forefront in Turkey than anything we may have done in the diaspora. A few days ago I referred to Hrant Dink as the Martin Luther King of Turkey in my previous blog posting. I was hesitant to do it because I was not sure if it was the right comparison.  I pondered and did it anyway. After today's demonstrations in Turkey, I believe I am absolutely correct.  I hope Hrant Dink's death brings about the transformation in Turkey he had so strongly advocated for in this life.

Reflections: Martin Luther King Day

It is the closing hour of Martin Luther King Day.  I have not had a chance to reflect on the life, work, message, and importance of Dr. King until now.  I thought I would listen to his most famous speech and reflect on the great man in my daily writing.

I like to listen to his "I Have a Dream"  speech on this day.  It is not long.  It is only about sixteen minutes long but one of the most significant speeches that I have ever heard.  It is something I encourage everyone to listen to on this day.  It helps us realize why we have a national holiday in this country to honor this man who never held public office.  In a time when we no longer honor Washington and Lincoln’s birthdays, but rather lump them all together in President’s Day, we have a national holiday to honor this man who made us realize the injustices and prejudices that were and to a degree still are an embarrassment to this great nation.

The speech was given on August 28, 1963.  It was the keynote speech of the March on Washington, DC.  I was only ten at the time.  It was almost three months before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  I do not remember the speech at all from that time but more after April 4, 1968 when Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis when, at fifteen, I could better understand the impact and meaning of the words.

In school, back in 1963, we learned that Lincoln freed the slaves.  In my early naivete, I assumed that they were free and that was it.  End of story.  Slavery was evil but with the Emancipation Proclamation, everything was then set right and everyone lived happily ever after.  I learned, however,  that history is rarely that simple.  It is way more complicated.  My views changed gradually as I learned about carpetbaggers, sharecropping, the Ku Klax Klan, and the Jim Crow laws.  At first, when I learned about “separate but equal,” I focused on the equal part more than the separate part.  I liked to believe in our country and the noble values extolled in The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence.  The glass was always half full for me back then.  As I grew older, I learned that the separate part was quite definitive.  The separate part was ruled with an iron fist.  I came to learn that the equal part was anything but.  

I remember a lot of the adults around me not thinking much of the civil rights movement and the leaders of this movement.  Regarding Dr. King, most did not care for him.  They believed what we now know is the propaganda clandestinely put forth by J. Edgar Hoover.  Most were sons and daughters of immigrants whose parents escaped hardships, discrimination, and worse to come to this country because of all the noble ideas that enamored me as a school boy.  By 1968, their views of Dr. King made no sense to me especially since no one else stated those noble and admirable American ideals as well as Martin Luther King did on that August day in Washington.  

I filter all of this through my Armenian soul as well.  I do it for a few reasons.  First, I cannot help it.  It is who I am.  Second, we are people who suffered in another country and can relate to the movement led by and the message of Martin Luther King.  My cousin Jason Ohanian sent me a tweet earlier today:  

Not sure about you, but today always makes me think about our Armenian ancestors' struggles.  

I do believe this is the second time in one week that cousin Jason provided a blog topic for me.  Thanks again cuz!

Third, Hrant Dink was assassinated on the streets of Istanbul on January 19, 2007.  He was gunned down because he was a beacon, leader, and voice as a citizen of Turkey who advocated that Turkey acknowledge their past injustices and embrace the Armenians still in Turkey and treat them as full equals.  Hrant Dink indeed had a dream.  He had the same dream as Martin Luther King.  Martin Luther King Day was January 15th in 2007.  When Hrant Dink was killed four days later, I remember thinking he is and should be viewed as a Martin Luther King of Turkey.  Maybe they will have a national holiday in Turkey one day in honor for Hrant Dink.  

I think I will listen to Dr. King’s speech one more time...

Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy

Yesterday, I set out to write a piece about it being mid-January and how unhappy I was with my progress against my various New Year’s resolutions.  I tend get quite ambitious when it comes to resolutions.  Let me rephrase that, I am quite ambitious and optimistic in the setting of the resolutions.  This year was no different.  I could sum up all my resolutions in one resolution:  Significantly improve in every aspect of my life.  Yes, this includes weight, health, music, writing, business, teaching, etc.

I do not know if most people are so naively ambitious.  My guess is not.  I think people pick one resolution.  As I have blogged on New Year's resolutions before, losing weight and quitting smoking is what most folks focus on.  We are quite excited to set and pronounce our resolutions.  Around this time in the New Year, we get frustrated as we realized “Dang, it is hard to keep true to these resolutions.”  Around this time is when people lose their initial exuberance, the temptations to behave habitually becomes quite strong, and the resolutions lose their resolve.

I was writing about this yesterday.  I fully intended to have posted on the subject.  I did not.  My frustration with not making enough progress was multiplied by my frustration with the whiny drivel I had written.  Yuck.  No one wants to read a pile of wimpy pathetic lamentations.  Heck, Ara Topouzian is amazed anyone ever reads my blogs.  If I had posted that pile of dung, he would have had a field day.   I dropped the topic figuring I just could not get the right perspective from which to write the piece.

Yesterday evening, I was doing some other work.  On a break, I checked my twitter and saw a post from my cousin Jason Ohanian:

Ever feel like you are your own worst enemy? I know I am, but try to work through it and stay positive anyway.

Jason’s words resonated.  Here was my angle!  Besides the angle, it was also a diagnosis of why I was unhappy and frustrated.  Everyone is their own worst enemy.  They are hardest on themselves.  I did not realize how pervasive this was until I managed people.  Most companies have a performance review process where people rate themselves against their objectives for the past year.  I found that most people, like 85% or more, were very tough in rating themselves.  The other 15% were simply delusional.  Until I saw this, I did not realize how tough I was on myself.  

I responded to Jason.  Here is the remainder of the twitter exchange.

me  Dang... it might be a cousin thing. I was feeling exactly this earlier today!
Jason:  Maybe its an Armenian thing? I also think most folks are their own worst enemies.
me: you are absolutely correct... most people are way too hard on themselves.  

The nature of resolutions is to change a habit that is well entrenched.  The habit or pattern of behaviors did not develop overnight or in the blink of an eye.  Yet, we believe that they can be overcome quickly and forthrightly.  I made a decision.  I flipped the switch.  I am resolved.  Problem solved.  Of course, we learn from experience that it is not that easy or we were not serious enough in making the decision.  This causes frustration. Frustration makes you waiver and backslide.  You become even harder on yourself and voila... you are your own worst enemy.

New Year’s resolutions, at least the way I make them, are big and broad.  They are to rid ourselves of longstanding habits and patterns of behavior.  These patterns are well trenched.  While making a firm resolution is good, that is the easiest part.    How many times did I flick away a cigarette and say “That is my last cigarette” until I finally was able to quit.  In my earlier posting on this subject, I quoted Mark Twain who said “Quitting smoking is easy. I've done it a thousand times.”  They say is easy.  The doing is the harder longer haul part of this.

We are a society of instant gratification.  We want everything and we want it quickly.  We want our resolutions to happen in the span of time it takes a CSI team to solve a crime.  It is why people are looking for the miracle weight loss or quite smoking method, pill, or magic wand.  There are no magic wands.

I was in a Barnes and Noble today and downloaded a freebee that they called “Advice to Go.”  It was a short essay by Allyson Lewis, a time management and productivity guru and author.  The download was to entice me to buy her latest book:  The 7 Minute Solution.  I read her little essay.  It was good but I did not buy the book.  She offered seven (she likes that prime number) things one could do to better manage their time.  Two of them applied to the topic at hand here and are worth mentioning:

Good Habits are formed like cow paths:  The habits we are trying to break are, a mentioned above, well worn and well entrenched.  They are like cow paths which are made by the consistent behavior of cows.  If we want to change such a habit, we have to create a new cow path for ourselves.  This means we have to learn a new behavior and consistently repeat that behavior until we have ourselves a new cow path and grass has grown over and hidden the old one.

Micro-actions:  The way we make a new cow path is by the hundreds, maybe thousands, of decisions we make each day.   Take the stairs or the elevator?  Eat a candy bar or an orange?  Smoke a cigarette or chew a piece of gum?  These are the micro-actions Lewis speaks of.  Each one is either a step on the new cow path or the old cow path.

Happy Up:  To quote Allyson Lewis. “Life is better when you are happy.”  This is so obvious that most of us do not get it.  Life is a journey.  Why not be happy and enjoy it while striving and stretching ourselves to improve.  Are we going happily toward a goal of improved health, improved quality of life, and longevity?  Or, are we fighting all the way lamenting and feeling low that we are denying ourselves the cigarettes or high calorie low nutrition foods?  If we choose the latter, we are bound to fail.  

The frustration I have been talking magnifies the unhappiness and together they drive us to fail.  It is about attitude and Jason said that he was trying to stay positive.  Sure we will have our little setbacks.  Let’s be determined and happy about the change we are trying to realize.  Stop being your own worst enemy.  Let’s create that new cow path one positive step at a time.

Thanks Jason!  Thanks Allyson!  I am feeling much less frustrated.

December 2011: On Leadership

One of the key things in making this world work better is leadership. 

Everyone knows a great leader when they see one in action.  Great leaders are inspiring and charismatic.

People all have an opinion of what it takes to be a great leader.  The prescription is neither universal nor foolproof.  There are countless books, articles, and seminars on leadership and improving ones leadership skills.  Everyone has an opinion about what it takes but far fewer ever become a memorable leader.  There are many of us in leadership positions in varying capacities.  Just being in a position is no guarantee that the person in that position will be a good and effective leader.  There are countless examples of people who believe they are great leaders but no one in their organizations would agree. 

What then makes a good leader?  Is it an innate trait?  Or, can the skill be developed and honed?  While there are countless other attempts to answer these questions, I will attempt to answer these questions from my own perspective.  I am sure the attempt will be incomplete.  I am pretty certain because of the incompleteness that I will address it again in the future.

The Republican Candidates:  This month’s letter was motivated from thinking about the slate of Republican candidates for President of these United States.  There have been a lot of twists and turns in who is in the lead of this race since the summer.  As in the past several elections, I found myself asking "Is this the best we can do?"  I actually thought about making this letter about the dearth of leadership in this country.  But the more I wrote, it became an essay on leadership in general.

Before I get too deeply into this question, allow me to provide some background. 

I am not an avid follower of current events and politics.  The internet affords keeping up with breaking news in real time, so I kind of know what is going on.  I read a bit of op-ed here and there.  That is about it.  I am not addicted to CNN or Fox News.  I do not read every issue of any newspaper, magazine, or political blogs. 

This being said, I am fascinated with the topsy-turvy state of the constantly changing front runner.  In early December, it was reported that Newt Gingrich had a double digit lead over the field.  Now, at the end of December, it is being reported that Mr. Gingrich’s lead is waning.  It seems just a short few months ago, before the reports of sexual harassment, that Herman Cain was the front runner and a shoe in for the nomination.  Before Herman Cain, there was a whole lot of buzz when Rick Perry, the Governor of Texas, entered the race until we found out he could not debate very well.  Michele Bachmann seemed to be the second coming of Sarah Palin for all the plusses and minuses that implies.  Ron Paul could also make a move as the primaries begin in January.

The odd thing about Gingrich is that he was one of the first to enter the race.  He had some early buzz and then his entire staff quite en masse in early June.  The sixteen in total that left claimed that the former Speaker of the House could not be convinced to run a focused, committed, and intense campaign.  At that point, Gingrich was left for dead and was more of joke than a serious candidate.  Look at him now.

Are the candidates fickle or is it the public?  I understand that the debates, the campaigning, and the primaries are for the public to get to know the candidates.  It is a time for the candidates to demonstrate that they can possibly function at the next level.

Mitt Romney perseveres.  He is the Steady Eddie in all of this.  He has been number one or number two to the revolving door of the other number ones for a day.  His fortunes rise and fall as the others cycle through this revolving door.  Perhaps he will be the nominee.  Perhaps, he will be the candidate because he will be the last man standing.  He certainly has poise and polish.  He is well spoken.  He is not an extremist candidate.  He is a centrist.  This can either help him or hurt him.  Perhaps, this is why the Tea Party Republicans are not enthusiastic supporters.  Mitt Romney is also Mormon.  While a man of faith, it is not the same as the "having accepted Jesus Christ as my personal savior" majority of the party.

Part of the problem is that the front runner is in the cross hairs of the media and opponent strategists.  They will scour the front runner’s background for any newsworthy item.  The more controversial their findings, the bigger the headlines will be.  This is part of the vetting process.  I heard a talking head on NPR when Cain's alleged improprieties first came to light.  This expert on political campaigns basically said that the worst day on the campaign trail is like the best day of being President.  It was good for the public to see how our potential next Presidents react to the pressure and heat.  It weeds out those who can take it from those who can't.  It also helps us see who has good character and who lack this trait.

What amazes me is that people think they can run for President and sincerely believe that anything and everything they have ever done or even simply been accused of will not come to light.  Such people are either ridiculously naive or incredible ego maniacs to be so deluded.  Either way, I would not vote for such people for President.

I kind of liked Cain's candidacy and sort of hoped he got the nomination.  He had a fresh, tell it like it is, candor.  His 9-9-9 plan was clever and well crafted from a marketing point of view.  Whether it was the magic bullet to solve the woes of this country is entirely another matter.  But, the  major reason I liked Herman Cain and was hoping he would be the nominee would be to see how America would react to two black candidates.  It would have been pretty good theater.  How would they have played or not played the race card?   Would the race card just be irrelevant?   Would there have been a third party white candidate?

Early on in this section I posed a question:  Is this the best we can do?   I ask this in this Republican primary and I have asked in many of the past presidential elections.  Is this really the best we can do?  Where is the intelligence, the charisma, the game plan, and the track record of success?  Barack Obama is often referred to as the smartest guy in the room.  He has charisma.  Yet, many people do not like him for a complicated variety of reasons.  Does he get credit for not allowing the Great Recession to have become the Greatest Depression?  Or, rather, is he a socialist goat for blocking our path to full recovery?

The Leadership Conundrum:  Reagan and Clinton are now looked back at as great presidents.  They were both intelligent and had charisma.  They both presided over periods of emerging and growing prosperity.  That may be the necessary criteria to be a great president:  govern during a period of economic growth and staying out of the way.  Gee... maybe I am a TEA party guy after all if not an outright Libertarian.

I have asked this question, "Is this the best we can do," in several recent Presidential elections.  Great effective leaders are not commodities.  They are not necessarily even the best and brightest even though being bright is certainly an asset.  There are countless books written on leadership, what makes a good leader, and how to become one. 

The main problem is that it is impossible to predict who will be a good and effective leader.  Consider one of the great business leaders of the past twenty years:  Jack Welch.  He was obviously effective enough to be named CEO of General Electric but no one expected him to be so dynamic and as effective as he was.   Akio Morita was a great leader of Sony.  Steve Jobs was a great leader of Apple.

It is hard to predict who will become a good leader.  The skills and determination that served one to progress up the ladder do not necessarily translate to success at the top.  Great number twos may or may not make fantastic number ones.  It does not matter if the people are voting for the number one or if the outgoing number one gets to choose his successor. 

Think of football quarterbacks.  It is the single hardest position in football to predict success at the pro-level.  Great success at the college level is neither a necessary nor sufficient to guarantee success at the pro-level.  Why is that?  Even though there are numerous measures such as 40 yard dash time, throwing accuracy, interceptions, fumbles, yards offense, and so on, it is very hard to predict who will become a great pro quarterback.  Think Ryan Leaf.  Think of Tom Brady.  Ryan Leaf was predicted to be a great quarterback in the pros and Brady... not so much.  Circa the same incoming class was Peyton Manning.  He was great in college and he was able to transition that greatness to the NFL.

I have read that the biggest unknown factor in moving from college to the pros is the pace of the game.  The pro game is just that much faster.  A quarterback has to be able to make decisions faster while keeping his calm.  He has to be able to read defenses, adapt, and release the ball faster than he ever had to in college. There is no way to measure this until the quarterback is confronted with it.  Will he be Ryan Leaf or Tom Brady?

The same thing applies to politics and business.  The loneliness at the top, the gravity of decision making, the pace of decision making, and the ability to hold it all together are traits a President of the US and the President of GE both need.  It is hard to predict who will succeed, who will fail, and who will be so-so when they are first elected or promoted.  Much like the quarterback example, the speed of the game changes dramatically and not everyone can make the transition.

Hidden Agendas, Consistency, Constancy of Purpose and Authenticity:  One of the key set of attributes of being a great leader, at least to me, is what W. Edwards Deming called Constancy of Purpose.  What is the agenda of the leader?  What are his or her goals?  Are the goals clearly and consistently communicated to every that wants to or needs to know?  These are the cornerstones on which great leadership is built.

Part of this is not having any hidden agendas.  Hidden agendas are rarely one-off errors in judgment.  The leaders who have hidden agendas do so habitually.  Organizations with a culture of hidden agendas reward those potential leaders who are best at executing their hidden agendas.  Hidden agendas usually create an atmosphere of angst, rumors, intrigue, suspiciousness, and paranoia.  People sense something but they do not know what or where this is all coming from.  It can fill the organization with a sense of foreboding.

Another part of this is the consistency with which the leader acts and reacts to the same kinds of situations.  This even applies to a bad leader.  In the negative case, the people working with or for the leader can reliably adapt their behavior and navigate around the leader if need be.  The worst possible scenario is inconsistency.  This tends to paralyze the organization with fear.

Both foreboding and fear are brought about by poor leadership.  They cripple the effectiveness and potential of an organization.  It all begins with the tone and example set by the leader and the lieutenants he places around him.  If the leader is inconsistent or operating with hidden agendas these become the behaviors that will rise up and flourish in the organization be it industry or government. 

A great leader has a consistency and forthright constancy of purpose that excites everyone and creates a positive organizational tension.  That organizational tension brings the alignment and sense of urgency that makes people do more than they ever thought they were capable of.  This is what great leadership can do.  These are the memorable leaders who make a mark in our lives.  These are the leaders for which people with go above and beyond to get execute the strategies and tactics set forth by the leader.

There is best summed up in a word I learned from Clyde Lowstuter the principal of Robertson Lowstuter.  He calls it authenticity.  Here is a definition from their website section on Core Beliefs:

Authenticity is the single most important determinant for individual and leadership success.

Leaders are authentic when they

1) have consistent alignment of their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors;

2) take complete responsibility for the unintended impact their behavior and words have on others;

3) have the confidence and boldness to ‘walk the talk’ and

4)  live their lives serving the greater organizational good.  

Constancy of Purpose and Consistency are both in this definition of Authenticity.  It is most definitely a necessary condition for great leadership.

Can a President get us to Go Above and Beyond?:  This is an interesting question.  The only context I have for this is Franklin Delano Roosevelt.   He was President of the United States during the Great Depression and most of World War II.  It was a dark and gloomy time in this country from what I have read and what I have been told.  During his term of leadership, he got us to pull together in way that is mythic from my perspective.  People were in a bad way from the Great Depression when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.  The US was instantly in World War II and the country was in dire straits.  Roosevelt set a tone that the country followed.  He had us rationing.  He had us mobilized and volunteering to fight.

It might easily be argued that it is easy to lead in a time of crisis.  The Great Depression and World War II provided a crisis severe enough for the President to provide that Constancy of Purpose and generate the creative tension to pull us through, to persevere, and to win.  People were thirsting for leadership and he provided it.

We did not have the same unanimity during the recent Great Recession.  We needed and wanted leadership.  Either there was none or the leader we have was not able to convince of the sacrifices we collectively needed to make to right our ship.   We had that special unanimity after 9-11-01 but it did not last.  Crisis made George W. Bush a pretty good leader at that moment.  As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan stalled and the economy began to crumble, it did not last.  We have yet to see Barack Obama provide much in this regard.  I am not sure any of the Republicans running will be any better.

Answering the questions:  I posed a few questions at the beginning of this meandering piece:

1.       What then makes a good leader? 

2.       Is it an innate trait? 

3.       Or, can the skill be developed and honed? 

I kind of answered the first.  As for the second, I truly believe that leadership has a significant innate core.  We have seen people that are just born with a natural charisma and the ability to get others to listen to and follow them.   We have seen people that simply command authority.

This being said, I also believe that leadership skills can be learned and improved upon.  I know several men and women who have nurtured their skills.  Leadership is definitely part art form and style.  Like most endeavors it is honed through practice and a desire for continuous improvement. 

Some Great Leaders I have reported to:  In thinking about my career, there are maybe three impressive bosses I have had:  Bob Adams, Bob Martin, Dale Dvorak, Mike Corbo, and Howard Heckes.  I reported to Bob Adams at Rockwell International.  The other Bob, Dale, and Mike were all from Colgate-Palmolive.  Howard Heckes was our division President I reported to at Newell Rubbermaid.  I wanted to acknowledge them in this letter On Leadership.  

Christmas 2011

Good morning.  Good Christmas morning to you and yours.  

This is the second year I am writing this Christmas morning letter.  I used to email my work colleagues for several years, simply wishing them well.  Last year I began a more formal and extensive greeting to a larger base of friends, family, and colleagues.  

Christmas is a festive and family time.  In these northern climes, it is cold outside and warm in our homes and hearts.  It can be a solemn time which is why I choose pre-dawn on Christmas morning to write and share these reflections.  I like starting the holiday this way with a hot cup of coffee in front of my laptop.  Well, having a hot cup of coffee and sitting in front of my laptop is something I do most everyday, today is different.  Today is different because I have nothing else on my mind except writing this greeting to all of you.

Christmas can also be a stressful and hectic time.  That stress and pace is due to two factors.  First, in order to have the twinkling lights inside and out and the festive foods that define and fuel the familial warmth, there is a lot of preparation.  I once had a boss that said, “I am not exactly sure of what I am in charge of at work, but at home I am clearly not in command.”  That statement resonated.  At this time of year, I am a reluctant decorator, a dutiful taxi driver, and upon occasions a maid.  It has to be done and we are busy with our work lives at full blast until we seem to enter holiday mode at full blast.

This year, my niece and Goddaughter, Melanie Mardoian married Kevork Chavoush Mesrobian on Thanksgiving Weekend.  It was a great wedding and a truly wonderful time.  The bride and groom glowed and the families and guests were full of joy that emanated from the bride and groom.  It was one of those five days of celebration events that will standout in our memories.  We used to read about Armenian weddings in days of yore that lasted for several days, it is still the way we do it in our family.  

For all that fun, it put us behind in Christmas planning.  Immediately after, Judy had to focus on writing a major paper for a masters degree she is working on.  I had to prepare and grade exams, projects, and final exams for the three courses I was teaching.  Holiday planning took a back seat until, well, a week before the big day.  We are usually rolling in this regard by the first week of December.  This just was not the case this year.  Hence the hectic feeling.  We did get it all together and the house looked great for last night’s Christmas Eve gathering.

Second, in case you have not noticed, there is a distinct commercial aspect to this holiday season.  With each passing year, and this may be the part of the holiday that offends me the most, we are bombarded around these parts with Christmas or holiday decorations, muzak, sales, discounts, free shipping, extended store hours, black friday, cyber monday, this, that, and the other thing for a full two months.  It really can be irritating.  I cannot imagine working in a retail establishment that is pumping out Holiday jingles, carols, hymns, and pop songs sung by every imaginable artist in every imaginable style.  It would drive me crazy after a few days.

Sure, I understand the commercial aspects of the holidays.  I do not begrudge anyone a living or the need to turn a profit.  I just do not like the “scope” or “schedule” creep of the whole thing.  It dilutes the beauty and warmth of the season and holiday in particular.  

But, I write this Christmas morning not to complain about household chores and the commercialization of the season.  I get up early because it is a beautifully quiet time to reflect on friends and family I will not be seeing today.  I will think about all of you, who I will not be able to knock on your door or ring your door bell and come in and give you Christmas hug and share a cup of Christmas cheer.  It is as quiet as it gets around here.  There is a slight whir of the laptop fan, the noise the furnace makes kicking on and off, the chiming of the clocks every fifteen minutes, and that is it.  I do not even play any music.

It would be great if I could magically be in Wilton, CT, Buenos Aires, Yerevan, Detroit, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Montevideo, Istanbul, Cali, New York, Fresno, Caracas, Ocala, and many other places. It would be great to see you all.  It would be Santa Claus like magic if that were possible.  Yet, in this modern world, this Internet age, I am kind of doing just that but in a more figurative way.  I am knocking on all your doors, I am sending a card to all of you, simultaneously.  It feels good to do so.  It feels right.  

This year my daughter, Armené, and her husband Michael are with us in Lake Forest.  My son, Aram, and his wife Anoush are with her parents in New York.  We were all together a month ago at Melanie’s wedding.  This is as it should be when not everyone lives in the same city where we could have our entire clan with us.  That would be one heck of a gathering.  We would probably have to rent a space.

My sister, Ani, and her husband, Jeff, have hosted Thanksgiving for the past several years.  The host my Mother’s side of the family who live mostly in Michigan and Jeff’s entire family.  That comes to 40-50 people.  They have a nice sized house but, as built, there was no where for everyone to sit together.  Jeff is a “car guy” and has been his whole life.  He has a body shop business and is always buying and selling cars.  His passion is Ford Mustangs and specifically the Shelby version there of.  So, he added on to his existing garage and built another to house his cars. The addition is heated, dry walled, and has a lovely floor.  It is more showroom than garage.  At Thanksgiving, he empties it of vehicles and sets up tables.  All the food is put on a buffet and we all sit down together in one room.  It is very nice and a great holiday memory.  Everyone brings something and it is a great festive feast.

Years ago on one of our Christmas visits to Lake Forest, we went to visit family friends:  the Derderians.  George Derderian was a life long friend of my Father In-Law, Harold.  George was a self made man.  He started, built-up, and sold at least two local banks.  He was always buying, renovating, and selling houses.  Houses is not quite accurate, I would call them mansions.  The time we went to visit him, he owned one of the primo estates on Lake Avenue over looking Lake Michigan.  He gave us a tour of what I am guessing was an 8,000+ square foot home.   I do not remember much of the house except for the third floor.  The entire third floor of this home was a ballroom.  Wow.  For some reason, this impressed me.  I would love to have my own ballroom; to have the luxury of having a home where a third of it existed solely to entertain on a large scale.  I thought about and think about still not hosting large dinners but serious music parties in such a space.  What a Christmas party we could have in such a space!

Our gathering on Christmas Eve was quite nice.  It is the traditional gathering of my wife’s Father’s family: the Mardoians. With the passing years, the group changes.  There is ebb and flow as to who can come and last night was no different.  We missed Judy’s cousins John, Dawn, and Dawn’s husband Doug.  They were in their home in La Quinta, California.  We missed John because for years he gave his own unique read of the “The Night Before Christmas.”  While the kids are mostly adults now, they would still beg him to read this.  We would have missed that tradition this year.  So, I bought one of read it and record it books of “The Night Before Christmas” and John recorded it a few months ago.  Everyone applauded when it was done and we called John to thank him!

Our parish priest Der Zareh, his wife, son, and daughter in-law joined us.  We were at his son, Levon, and their daughter in-law, Tina’s, wedding this past October in New York City.  It was very nice.  The Armenian tradition is for the parish priest to bless one’s home on Christmas Eve or shortly thereafter.  It is a tradition, like many, that has waned in this modern era.  We keep it alive.  He did the short service last night before we sat down to eat.  It was very nice and thus I am writing you all this morning from a freshly blessed house.  .

Early in the evening, my friend Andres called from Colonia, Uruguay.  He is such a good fellow.  I really appreciate his reaching out.  I knew who it was when the phone rang.  I had called my family in Detroit as well as my son and daughter in-law in New York earlier.  We will be on the phone with family in Boston and Los Angeles later today.  

Der Zareh had served as the parish priest for several years in Buenos Aires before coming to Chicago.  He and his family loved it there.  We spent part of the evening reminiscing about about the warmth we felt with the most Latin Americans.  We decided it was because Armenians and Latin Americans, look at family and friends in the same way.  We are simpatico in this regard.  That is probably why I started emailing my friends and work colleagues when most of them were in the various countries of Latin America.  That is why when I write a broader letter these days, my Latin friends are at the core of it all.  They are also the gang I am least likely to see over the holiday season.

This is  a longer letter than I had intended to write.  I must have gotten up even earlier and the coffee must be even tastier than last year.  Perhaps, I miss you all a bit more.  I close this letter the same way I did last year.  The sentiment is exactly the same with only the year updated..  I am delighted to reach out this very quiet moment to friends and family all over the United States and all over the world to convey our warm Christmas wishes to you and yours.  Even more so, I hope that 2012 is a year of health, happiness, and prosperity for you and yours..