I have been looking at my history of choices and decisions this weekend, in light of the economy, the mood of the world, and the lack of integrity and trust that seems to abound.  I have noticed in my own circle of friends and family, people having to deal with defending themselves against unscrupulous and duplicitous behavior.   I won’t mention names, and fortunately I have not had the experience personally.  However, Larry and I noticed a truck all dressed up with a sign about loan modifications — let us save you from yourselves with government money (our money).  That whole business that has sprung up, to get people out of trouble financially who got themselves in trouble, troubles me.  The government is also saving businesses that are failed business models, which is equally troubling.  Where are the natural consequences that come from making poor choices?

I would like for all of us — no, I’ll say that differently — each of us, to answer a couple of questions that I have been dwelling in (and you’ll hear more about in future blogs).

1.  Who do you trust today?  I believe that leaders who are really leaders foster trust, and even when difficult decisions need to be made, even when people need to be let go or hours decreased, those actions are done kindly and with compassion.

2.  How trustworthy are you?  Normally, when one finger is pointing at another, there are three pointing back at — guess who!

3.  How is your integrity?  By that I mean, do you have people to whom you have promised things who are hanging out there, waiting on you?  Is your laundry put away?  I really mean it.  Is your car clean?  Is your checkbook balanced?  Is your desk clean?  Those are the LITTLE integrity  issues, and if we aren’t doing those, how much can we expect the big things to be done with integrity?  Really, how much can we count on you?  How much can you count on me?

4.  What are you tolerating?  In times like these, there is a good chance you’re looking around at what hasn’t worked, but you haven’t done anything about that — and now I’ll bet you are looking around and realizing that you are at the effect of having tolerated them.    I am referring to things like having an assistant that isn’t easy to deal with, and doesn’t seem happy either.  Or processes that were klunky, but you didn’t have time to fix them (the fixing of which would have saved MANY hours, by the way).

That’s probably enough to think about going into the second half of the year, and ending Memorial Day — in honor of all those who died so that we could be free to screw up, and then get responsible and fix it.  We are definitely in this human condition — never more visibly than in these times!

I am inspired this morning to accomplish much more with my day, my week, my month, my year and to measure the impact my work has had.  I didn’t just wake up inspired, though.  I was in a network of conversations this weekend that inspires me.

Larry and I just spent the weekend at the 9th annual Conference for Global Transformation in San Francisco, and we left the weekend registered for the 10th one in May 2010.  Landmark Education’s Wisdom Division puts on these conferences, designed for people who are working on big dreams, goals, wishes, and plans for improving our planet, and many of these people are at work accomplishing these things and enrolling others to join them.

Larry and I each presented a poster on our respective dreams for the world.  Mine is  that leaders in the world — ALL leaders — lead with integrity and love and listen for people’s greatness.  When that happens, these leaders foster trust, people want to follow them, and then those followers have the experience of being a part of an organization/company/family/community project that is greater than themselves.  They experience themselves as contributors.  Assuming a person’s values are aligned with what the organization is up to and how they go about accomplishing it, there will be great satisfaction.

I assert — and I’m not alone — that we all want to contribute, we want to be part of something greater than ourselves.  George Bernard Shaw’s famous quote is one of my favorites on this topic, because he said it so well and I was reminded of it this weekend by one of the keynote speakers, Claudette C’Faison, the founder of the NY Youth at Risk program.  She reminded us by quoting Shaw: “This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap; the being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.”

That says it all, for me.  What about you?  If you want to know more about the conference, or how I got there, please email me.  pstambaugh@accountabilitypays.com.  I am clear that if my dream is to become a reality, it has to move from dream state to action state, and it is THIS that I am moved to do, through my existing work as an executive coach and strategic management facilitator, and through other means not yet completely planned.  Stay tuned!

My husband and I both drive Toyotas – mine is the Prius (you could guess it if you got my ecology bent by reading prior blog posts), and Larry’s is a Lexus. For me, the decision was a “duh.” Toyota is a company that puts its money where it’s intentions are, and here is an example.

The 10 hottest years in history have occurred since 1990. Cool Globes is an educational display intended to inform students and citizens how they might make a difference. It travels from city to city. The Cool Globes came to our neighborhood (the Embarcadero and Seaport Village).

Sponsored by Toyota, this traveling exhibit was created by national and international artists, as well as school children, who designed the globes using a variety of materials to transform a plain white sphere to create awareness and provoke discussion about a potential solution to global warming. Each globe is five feet in diameter, seven-and-one-half feet tall and weighs 2,300 pounds.

I am impressed with Toyota for stepping up to this amazing educational opportunity. A May 23, 2008 Press Release included this quote. “At Toyota, our commitment to the environment goes beyond our products and our plants,” said Pat Pineda, group vice president of Toyota Motor North America. “We also support organizations that promote environmental education and those that develop sustainable solutions to improve our communities. We’re proud to support Cool Globes and its efforts to raise awareness about the critical issue of climate change and what can be done to combat it.”

How cool is that! Wouldn’t you like more of THAT news on our newspaper’s front pages? I would. I can only imagine that Pat Pineda is a very proud and satisfied executive. Nice work, Pat! I noticed, and I thank you.

This picture is one of the Cool Globes with many of the others in the background, circling around the Embarcadero on a walk toward Seaport Village.