The Thankful Leader

We're embarking on list season - best that, most this, least that, hated, loved, etc. Today is Thanksgiving in the US so let's add in items to be thankful for while we're at it.

• Thanks for helping me succeed and grow
• Thanks for the freedom to share our ideas
• Thanks for the chance to speak my mind
• Thanks for the ability to decide our own path
• Thanks for helping me learn and grow
• Thanks for the chance to collaborate and share
• Thanks for making me better each day

Thanks dude, thanks a lot, much appreciated, thanks for that - it takes literally two seconds to look someone in the eye and sincerely thank them.

Let's do it today. Let's do it often.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

istock

Thanks Dads!

The family unit is something we seem to redefine all the time. The days of mom and dad and two kids and a dog and the white picket fence are not as common as they used to be and things have changed over the last half century or so. Divorce, second and third marriages, step kids, half siblings, extended family units, same sex marriages, adoption, etc., all shift our definition of family.

So when we look at long standing traditions like Mother’s Day last month (thanks mom, you rock!) and in many countries around the world, Father’s Day today, we can think of the people not the situation and give pause to the relationship we have or had with him. And thanks to Sonora Smart Dodd who founded Father's Day at the YMCA in Spokane, Washington in 1910.

A few words as we raise a mug to dads today...

Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad.

We never know the love of a parent till we become parents ourselves.
Henry Ward Beecher

When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. Mark Twain

Never raise your hand to kids. It leaves your groin unprotected. Red Buttons

It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons. Johann Schiller

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person,
he believed in me. Jim Valvano

The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get. Tim Russert

Thanks dad!
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Kneale Mann | Leadership and Culture strategist, writer, speaker, executive coach engaging leaders, collaborative teams, and strong business results.

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The Media of Our Culture

The news this week is filled with updates on the Boston bombings, explosion in Texas, and the killing of police officer Sean Collier at MIT. It’s been a horrible week.

We live in a time when a person can film an event on their mobile device, send to local authorities, and within a week suspects are found. That’s amazing. But that same technology gives us the ability to share or send misinformation.

The Human Network

As updates fly at incalculable speed, I guess it’s not surprising to see global news agencies getting it wrong in their quest to stay ahead of the Twitterverse.

Let's always remember Krystle Campbell, Martin Richard, Lingzi Lu, Sean Collier, and the hundreds affected by the explosion in Texas. As well, thank-you to the law enforcement, medical community, and local heroes.

Hug your kids, call a friend, say thank-you, help a colleague, keep perspective, and stay strong.

Kneale Mann

James Wilkinson

Thanks Dad

Thanks to all our dads for all your hard work doing the most honourable job there is and thanks to my dad and step dad for reminding me to go with my heart, do great work, respect others, enjoy life, and not spend a moment worrying about comparing myself to others.

Biology doesn't create fatherhood. Money won’t make you a great dad. Proximity can’t ensure a strong bond. Like any relationship, our actions cause richness and meaning.

I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection.
Sigmund Freud

My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived and let me watch him do it.
Clarence Budington Kelland

I started businesses, I made a lot of money, I lost a lot of money, I made it back.
But no job is as demanding and rewarding as being a father.
John Harrison

Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance.
Ruth Renkel

To become a father is not hard; to be a father is, however.
Wilhelm Busch

When I was a boy of 14 , my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. At 21, I was astonished by how much he'd learned in 7 years.
Mark Twain

Bono pays tribute to his father Brendan Robert Hewson who passed away in 2001 but it also serves as a tribute to those who we have lost and miss.


Kneale Mann

U2

From Boston to Botswana

Who Is Your Target?
If you have a web presence, you should measure who is visiting your space from time to time.

Much to my surprise, this space has grown over three thousand percent since this time last year.

It will be difficult to replicate again but blew me away.


There are readers in 95 countries, all but one Canadian province, every state in the U.S. and over 750 cities worldwide.

We reach places like Kota Kinabalu and Groningen. We have regular visitors from Bucharest and Perth.

A shout out to the person from Tianjin who dropped by and hi to our visitor in Gaborone.


There are readers from San Francisco to Slovenia, Indonesia to Illinois and Edmonton to Estonia.

But that means nothing to you. What does matter is how you may be able to use this type of information for your business.

If you are running a company and thinking about expanding your online presence - good for you. But what's important is your ability to understand why you are doing it and whether you are prepared to stick with it.

Focus on what you offer your customers and ask for feedback. But it's important to note the obvious, no one will find you by osmosis. That's not a digital thing, that's a business thing.

There are millions of sites you could have visited, thanks very much for stopping by here. I hope you found it valuable. If you have suggestions or feedback, fire away.

Happy Holidays :-)

@knealemann
marketing and social media strategy

image credits: worldbank.org | google analytics

Thank-You!

“It’s often said that life is strange, but compared to what?”
Steve Forbert

That line always struck me as a great equalizer. Perhaps even more poignant right now?

I was always a big fan of Steve. He is a storyteller and I have a lot of time for storytellers. But not those who simply tell stories, but those who share experiences and offer a fresh point of view. And in a sense, perhaps that's our collective responsibility?

I received some interesting emails from my previous post about sharing verses complaining. Some feel social media is the ME medium and not the THEM media.

I disagree, it's about US. But everyone's entitled to their opinion - which is the point.

It’s customary around this time of year to thank our friends who have helped us. I’d like to think we thank them all year. And none of us can possibly thank everyone who help us. It may take a village to raise a child, but it takes everyone we meet to enhance our lives.

Thanks for reading my blatherings. I hope you get something out of them. Thanks for all the cool comments and feedback – please continue! And don’t be shy; please share your blog links and stories too. And thanks to “The Geeks”!

It’s been an interesting year, but aren’t they all? All the best to you and those you love. And most of all, here’s to a positive 2009!

The need for integration, friendship, communication and cooperation is requisite.

Happy Holidays and thanks!

km