The last month or two of my life has felt like I have been climbing out of hell. I won’t go into all the gritty details, but needless to say there were many hard days, sleepless nights, and stressful moments. We all have those times in our life. They are times I think that prepare us to move into a new future.
The Hell
For those that are regular readers of my site, you will notice that the site has changed. My “hell” had a small part to do with this big change. I had two web design companies completely drop the ball over the last 4 months. I was beyond frustrated.
I had a discussion with my performance partner about a month ago, and he was relating to me a problem that he had, that he kept putting off, and scheduling , and rescheduling, and thinking about, etc… Finally when he did the task, he realized that he spent massively more time worrying about the task and rescheduling it over and over, than the few minutes it took to actually do the task.
At that moment I knew, what I had to do, but I really was not looking forward to it. I just finally accepted the fact that if I wanted this done fast, I was going to need to do it myself. Many years ago I created websites, so I knew how to build a website, but I did not know the ins-and-outs of programming and customizing a wordpress theme. So for a week and half all I did was work on customizing the website. It was painful to complete amidst the other struggles I had, but I got it done.
I hope you like it and will explore the pages, as just about every page has changed from the old site.
The Fire
As the website work and some of my other problems passed, I was/am faced with a firestorm in the near future. On my desk are two publishing agreements that are awaiting my signature. The books:
- It’s All About Execution: Transform Your Organization by Creating a Culture of ‘Getting Things Done.’
- #Execution: 140 Ways to Transform Your Organization by Creating a Culture of Execution.
As you can clearly see, these books are about execution, and more specifically about creating a culture of “getting things done.” The first book takes the reader through the journey of a struggling outdoor equipment manufacturer, that uses the power of execution to revitalize their organization and get off the “ledges” that are holding them back from greater success. I have implemented this methodology at companies and have seen huge miracles happen as a result of it.
The second book is a collection of 140 bite-sized pieces of wisdom on execution that are each – 140 characters or less. This is an easy to read book that will help reinforce the concepts that I teach on execution.
Kevin Eikenberry, a leadership expert, speaker, and author of several leadership books, said this about my book, “There are many good books about organizational vision, goal setting and execution. None are any better than this one. It is the most clear, practical, and immediately useful book on this subject. If you want to revitalize yourself, your team, or your company, read this book.”
Mark Miller, the author of three leadership books says, “Todd has created what so many businesses need – a blueprint to build a strong and vibrant organization.”
I am super excited. Everyone who has ever launched a book or participated in a book launch knows that launches are crazy and chaotic. But there is more, because I want to help you and a lot of other people too. I have organized what I am calling the Uber-Magnificent 2.5 Book Launch, which is going to be an epic book launch for both books. In the launch I will be recruiting people like you, who I am calling “Uber-Masters” and “Uber-Apprentices” to help spread the word of the book launch; and in return for the help, I will be giving away HUGE rewards. I am truly turning the book launch world outward, instead of inward.
Here are a few things you should know and do:
- Read more about the Uber-Magnificent 2.5 Book Launch, and sign-up to be an Uber-Master, or an Uber-Apprentice, or choose an A-La-Cart option (You’ve Gotta Read the Rewards before you say no). Also if you want to receive a free speech or workshop on execution at your organization; you can see how on the Uber-Magnificent 2.5 Book Launch pages.
- Share the Uber-Magnificent 2.5 Book Launch with others that might be interested in helping. This is great for speakers, authors, bloggers, business owners, event planners, and other social media savvy persons that want to get great exposure during the book launch and earn some valuable rewards.
Lastly, remember always, that your hell might just preparing you for a future that is bigger and brighter. Tweet This!
About Todd Nielsen
I like the fact that you refer to your business partners as performance partners and the irony here is that sometimes performance partners might not get the importance of execution. I think most people can relate to how easy it is to get caught up in the detail and lose focus on how to finish well, if we stand back we can see how easy it is for any of us to get lost in the mind maze in the middle.
The hell you describe is far more than finishing what someone else should have finished, I think there is a more fundamental aspect here, which is that as a person who stands for a sound belief in execution, the word “hell” in this instance goes beyond execution and towards the realm of integrity.
The integrity here is through nook or cranny is how one upholds this integrity, which is the integrity of execution. The net result is for me, a greater story of the importance of execution, one that can define the P in Performance Partner. The win for a performance partner is to not only witness to the necessity of execution but knowing how and why it defines the “P”.
If your performance partners see this as an opportunity to really appreciate the nitty-gritty of execution, then in the course of this “hell”, being the end-to-end of this particular situation, also becomes a great gift for them, a gift that may help their future business and outcomes in ways that perhaps they would not have fathomed before.
Clearly, execution should not be about heroics, and sometimes what we refer to as heroics is really the integrity of execution. This integrity is a part of due process but the storyline here is that no matter how caught up we get in the middle of any project, the prize is how our minds orientate to finishing – and that is where we bring our whole body into the game. If this becomes a shared experience, then it becomes a win-win.
The question of course is whether this story of execution deeply resonates or whether anyone so inspired by this outcome walks away with the actual keynote – EXECUTION.
If any of us do, this is all for the greater good, and there is so much silver lining in that “hell”. So for me “hell with a “P” spells HellP. We all need help with execution and the way I see it, when we view it as help, there is nothing but good news when hell transforms to HellP and this help is a shared success in the importance of execution.
Who wins when we learn to execute, is all of us – sometimes we forget that there is a relationship between the words execute and executive – so this is as much about leadership, as it is as a fundamental of success.
Regards
Manjit
Thanks for the great comment Manjit. My performance partner is actually the CEO of another company. We help each other out and meet weekly via phone to share our goals, struggles, etc… We help keep each other accountable. You made a lot of great points that I will expand on in a future article.
Thanks,
Todd
Todd, your positivity is inspiring and contagious. I love the book launch idea – and the website is awesome. Way to go!
Thanks Kimberly, I secretly went to your site a lot to get ideas the last month, your traffic might be spiked because of me, lol. Stay in touch!
Best,
Todd
Todd – as always I love the passion and the energy, despite the challenges … and the winning through in the end! I also love it that, within all of this, you are challenging the status quo on book launches … so more power to your elbow, you have my vote, never mind Barack Obama!
LOL, thanks John. Crossing my fingers and hoping you will join me on the journey!
Best,
Todd
Todd,
I know exactly what you are talking about here. Today, I had lunch with a friend. As I was sharing with him the ‘hell’ I’ve been going through, he said this…”When you do something big – when you are at your lowest, the stickiness factor is at its highest.” I believe this is your time. I am very excited for you…
Kimunya
Kimunya, its not my time, it’s our time!!! Stay strong.
Warmly,
Todd