Archives: June 2011

New Audio Files: Tom Reads The Little BIG Things

We’ve been posting the audio files of Tom reading The Little BIG Things a section at a time. The most recent audio excerpts, posted 28 June, are from the Section titled “WOW”:

148. If No WOW, Then … No Go.

149. What Makes You So Special?—Or: “Only” Beats “Best.”

150. Is It “Gaspworthy”?

151. Extremism in the Defense of WOW Is No Vice.

Sample some here or find additional portions of the book on The Little BIG Things book page.

Gartner PPM & IT Governance Summit, 22 June

Tom is in San Diego (“slightly different since I first went there, in 1966, when I was in the Navy”) speaking to the Gartner Group at their “PPM & IT Governance Summit.” Gartner describes itself as “the world’s leading information technology research and advisory company.” Tom says, “As IS/IT increasingly becomes the (damn near) whole shebang for many/most firms of all sizes, summit participants are wrestling with the most complex issues there are, outside of war and peace—whoops, war and peace are increasingly driven by IS/IT as well!”

Gartner Group Summit

Gartner Group Long Version

Twitter Takes

Success in 140 characters: Attack EVERY project you do with Reckless ENTHUSIASM and a Passionate Commitment to EXCELLENCE!

Leadership in 140 characters: Energy. Enthusiasm. Passion. “People first” in her bone marrow. Curiosity. Integrity. “Ready. Fire. Aim.” Sense of humor. A good accountant.

Norwich University Lecture Series

Norwich University in Northfield, VT, has a long history as a higher-education innovator of the first order—among other things, it was home to the first ROTC program and was the model and impetus for the Morrill Land Grant colleges which transformed tertiary education in the United States. Norwich’s pioneering distance-learning master’s degree programs include an on-campus “Residency.” Tom is presenting the Todd Lecture Series address primarily to those in Residency 2011 of the School of Graduate and Continuing Studies.

Norwich University, Todd Lecture Series, 15 June

Meetings Am Me!

Don’t have a clue about what got me going on meetings. Maybe a book I saw on “Running Better Meetings”—or some such. Meetings, I argue in this Special Presentation, are not about efficiency/brevity-at-all-costs!

Meetings are “what bosses do.”

Hence … BY DEFINITION … meetings are Leadership Opportunity #1. (No kidding. Think about it. If “how you spend your time” is the clearest statement of what you stand for and how you develop your people and your message—then meetings are the heart of the matter.)

FYI: All meetings are … THEATER!

Hope this little presentation makes you ponder a bit …

Meetings

Tom Answers Your Questions

We’ll be sitting Tom down in front of a camera in a few days. If you’re a fan of The Little BIG Video Series, then perhaps you’d like to help us. Tom thought it would be fun to invite all of you to submit questions which he’ll then answer via video. Not all questions will be answered, but if you send us a particularly great question, we’ll capture Tom’s response on video and we’ll share it with the world. So put on your thinking caps and send your questions to tom@tompeters.com or tweet them to Tom (@tom_peters, #TPQA) before Wednesday, June 15.

Lecturing at Norwich University

Tom will be speaking at Norwich University as part of their Todd Lecture Series next week. It’s Wednesday, June 15 at 2pm. This is a rare occasion where you can see Tom speak free of charge.

Yes, this event is free and open to the public, you just need to reserve a ticket. If you’re in the area, please check it out. If not, the event will be livestreamed here. We’ve also heard that Vermont Public Radio will be recording the speech, and will let you know details about the broadcast when we’re informed.

Little BIG Video #64
Leadership:
Lead by Example

Here’s the latest video at YouTube, #64 in The Little BIG Things Video Series. Tom says “It’s always show time” (quoting David D’Alessandro) if you’re in a leadership position. You lead by example whether trying to or not.

You can find the video in the right column of the front page of tompeters.com or you can watch the video on YouTube. [Time: 2 minutes 30 seconds] You can also download a PDF transcript of the video’s content: Leadership: Lead by Example.

New Audio: Tom Reads The Little BIG Things

We’ve been posting Tom’s reading of his most recent book a section at a time. The most recent audio excerpts, posted 2 June, are from the Section titled “RE-IMAGINING”:

144. Create a “Cathedral”! (If Not, What?)

145. Enable Dreams. (If Not, What?)

146. Launch “Project Ray.”

147. Realism? Not on My Watch!

Sample some here or find additional portions of the book on The Little BIG Things book page.