*Beginning in 2010, I started writing a bi-weekly column, “From Richard’s Oft Cluttered Desk” which appears every other Wednesday.

As I worked last week, my mind kept thinking about what I wanted to write for this column. There were so many options from the last week. Just look at the sports world. The US Soccer team made not one, but two dramatic comebacks in a matter of five days. Yes, I was sad to see them lose on Saturday, but in my opinion, they played better this time around than in 2006. I could easily write about the day when I lost more work time to television than ever before. Yeah, I am talking about Wednesday.

I was getting caught up on e-mail, listening to Radio Wimbledon (since I don’t have a television in my office) and I happened to glance at the scoreboard. John Isner and a guy I’d never heard of, Nicolas Mahut were around (I say around because who knows anymore after the tennis we saw between the two) 14-14. I knew I wanted to see the end, because any match that reaches that level deserves a sportsman’s support.

We got a bunch of people into our conference room to watch. The match kept going back and forth. Then I took control of the remote because I knew the US Soccer team was nearing the end of their game versus Algeria; and I knew we were down. Every chance I got, I went to soccer – then back to tennis – soccer – tennis.

But the match was in a tight spot… and the soccer game was going into extra time. Then Brad Gilbert, the tennis commentator, who was obviously watching the soccer instead of the match right in front of him screamed, “g … gggooooooaaaaalllllll!” We quickly changed over to the soccer game to see the celebration. There was immense pride in our team.

Then we went back to tennis. Then back to our office. Then we ordered pizza. Then back to our offices. Then back to the tennis. Then it was called at 59-59 in the fifth set. Of course, the rest is history, 70-68 in the fifth set. 11 hours and five minutes. But I feel I must comment on soccer.

I remember watching the US Women win the Cup in 1999. It was awesome and amazing! And I remember watching the men back in 2006. A co-worker and I talked soccer all the time during that month. She was a bigger fan than I, but I am a Patriot. I do remember watching us play and we were, in my opinion, terrible. We couldn’t get shots to save our lives.

But 2010 was different. Yes, the results are essentially the same, but here are the differences.

First, we made it out of the group stage. That is a pretty big feat in all honesty. You have to play well for three games against the top teams in the world. Not only that, we won the pool for the first time since 1930!

Second, we did score goals. Of the two goals we scored in 2006, only one was off our foot. The goal we scored against Italy was scored on themselves. In fact, in 2010, we had two goals that were incorrectly disallowed (but didn’t end up factoring into anything). This year, we scored five goals. Not bad in this writer’s opinion.

Third, the country was a part of it. I don’t remember any excitement four years ago. But it’s coming. 2014 could be a banner year for US Men’s Soccer. Dempsey and Donovan will probably be playing in their final World Cup and our younger guys will have four more years of experience.

Fourth, they are starting to believe. You could see it.

Just wait … amazing things are around the corner for this team.

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My life has certainly been a journey. This book is the first of a journey I hope to take into the world of authorship. I already have an idea for another non-fiction book and also an idea for a novel as well as a novel already in first draft form. Who knows where this journey will go or if this is the end of the road for this dream. All I know for certain is I’m not going to get in my way. I’ve done it! I had the idea and ran with it and I couldn’t be happier.

Yes, I did want to quit and scrap the whole project at various times. But I kept reminding myself why I got started writing this book in the first place. I wanted to create a product that would be a road-map for people to guide a journey. Each of our journeys is very personal, but all very similar. We all have dreams and it is what we do with our dreams that matters. It is that tiny difference that makes all the difference in our lives.

Three years ago I wasn’t doing anything to go after my dreams. Today it is what I live for.

Ultimately it is up to you. I’m not looking for the glory. It’s all yours. I did this for you. I see unlimited potential in people I meet and I want the best for you.

“What have you done today to achieve your dreams?” Not happy with your answer…? Remember: Anything is Possible.

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Much was made before the book’s release about Agassi’s admission to using drugs while on tour. The funny thing is, as I read it, I knew it was coming and with the buildup of his personal destruction, I could see it coming. Ultimately, for all that was made of the admission, it was a tiny log in a mountain-pile of Agassi logs.

In Open, we see a man. A true man. He’s a guy I can completely relate to. He says countless times throughout the book that, “I hate tennis.” At first I didn’t believe it. I figured throughout the book Agassi would realize he was just a kid and just hated living and breathing tennis everyday. I was wrong.

He completely and with every bone in his body, hated the game. As a fan, it is hard to hear that one of your sports idols hated the game you love and the only game you played growing up. Tennis is a game I make sure to watch any time it is on television. To hear this guy hates it, made me sad. I was sad for Agassi. I was sad for the game. ‘What else could he have become if not for tennis?’ I wondered.

The great part of Agassi’s story is that he found his place in the world and in tennis. That’s where he and I are similar. He didn’t find his way until he was about 28 years ago. I found myself when I was 21.

“What people see now, for better or worse, is my first formation, my first incarnation. I didn’t alter my image, I discovered it.” –Andre Agassi

Agassi is a testament to hard work and perseverance. From the drug use, the divorce from Brooke Shields and the ever present realization that he hates tennis, Agassi became an American champion.

Despite just a bit too much play-by-play tennis action, even if you aren’t a tennis fan, there are plenty of life lessons in this work. You feel for Agassi. You pull for Agassi. You will sit in the stands and be in the locker room when Brad Gilbert lays into him. You’ll be with him when he finally meets his dream girl in Stefanie Graf.

Towards the end of his career, once he finally realized his purpose in life, Agassi created a charter school to help students find the value in education, something he never did. (He never finished high school).

All told, this is a tremendous inside look at one of the best American tennis players and a true American hero.

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*Beginning in 2010, I began a bi-weekly column, “From Richard’s Oft Cluttered Desk” which appears every other Wednesday.

I was set to be mad. I was itching to rip into NBC Universal. I am angry and disappointed. But then came Friday night. Then along came Conan O’Brian’s farewell.

For two weeks I debated with friends and colleagues about how disappointed I was in NBC and Jay Leno. I must disclaim to all my readers that I grew up a Jay Leno fan. Between Leno and David Letterman, I would choose Leno without even thinking about it. I never really watched Conan much because I was young and in bed by the time he’d come on. However, every time I did watch Conan, I enjoyed him.

I found his comedy loose and free and non-network. It wasn’t scripted and I found that liberating. Years ago when Leno, Conan and NBC worked out their transition, I wasn’t sure it was the right move. I was concerned that Conan’s comedy wouldn’t work at the earlier time-slot.

I sat and watched Jay’s last show as well as Conan’s. I watched Conan’s first show and found he was embracing his new challenge. His dream.

It’s never easy to take a legend, The Tonight Show, and make it your own. But Conan did.

For seven months, he worked his ass off. He stayed true to himself. He stayed true to what he had worked for over his 20 years at NBC. It was his Tonight Show.

The last two weeks were a nightmare for NBC. Leno throwing lobs at Conan. Conan throwing lobs at Leno.

I was ready. The column was written in my head and then came Friday night. I made a point to watch Conan’s last show. Hardly evident that he had only hosted the show for seven months, he went out in style. Tom Hanks, Neil Young and Will Ferrell.

“Every comedian dreams of hosting The Tonight Show and, for seven months, I got to. I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not regret a second. I’ve had more good fortune than anyone I know and if our next gig is doing a show in a 7-11 parking lot, we’ll find a way to make it fun.”

He had every chance to degrade NBC, but instead, in his most difficult hour, he was the honorable one. He remained proud. It’s that pride that came through. He had his dream show for seven months.

“Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

I wanted to be mad at NBC – and I am. But I’m mostly sad that Conan is gone. He’s the better man and I can’t wait to see where he goes from here. Be kind. Be generous. Conan is proof: amazing things do happen. My hat is off t o you Conan.

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The book’s title, Team of Rivals, says what the focus will be throughout the book. Once Lincoln was elected in the Election of 1860, Lincoln put every key rival of his into his administration. That’s the focus of the book.

The challenge for Goodwin was to remain focused on how all these differing personalities and political ambitions played out in the White House. In all honesty, this book could have been four separate works, but rolling all these stories into one gives, what I believe to be the most comprehensive look from inside the White House of this pivotal period in America’s history.

I have read Michael Shaara’s book, The Killer Angels, which is about the three days at Gettysburg. I have also read a few of Stephen Ambrose’s works, which I enjoy because not only does Ambrose discuss the historical nature of the battles, he talks about the personalities involved in making the history.

Whether is be true or not, I can say for one that I have no other [ambition] so great as that of being truly esteemed of my fellow men, by rendering myself worthy of their esteem. How far I shall succeed is gratifying this ambition, is yet to be developed.
-Abraham Lincoln

That is the only thing lacking in Goodwin’s book. She references various battles, some of which I have read about, some were new, but with little information on the war itself, it was hard to put both knowledge bases together. I enjoyed learning about the political side of the war, but somehow I need a way to connect the knowledge I have of the battles themselves to President Lincoln.

No matter what, for anyone interested in learning about this president and understanding why he was the most progressive president our nation has ever seen, this is the book for you. Lincoln’s name stands the test of time and this work by Goodwin shows why.

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Join & Donate to our Kiva Team!

Email me (OneStream@RichardDedor.com) and tell what you’ve done to help One Stream this month

We live in one world. Just one. Oftentimes it however it seems we live in many and can only affect the world nearest us. We live in our neighborhoods, then communities, then cities, then states, then nations, then our continent and then the world. But alas, it is one world we live in. What I do here in Kansas City affects what happens in San Fransisco and what happens in this country affects what happens in Bolivia and Turkey and Russia and Cuba and Pakistan… and on and on.

For one month, September 16 – October 16, 2009, we’re running a fundraising campaign. It’s up to you! There are tons of ways for you to change the world. After all, we are all part of One Stream. I’ve created a team on Kiva, a micro-lending organization. In a nutshell, this non-profit collaborates with lending companies all around the globe to loan money to entrepreneurs in any country in the world. You get updates on their business and their family. I hope you’ll consider a $25 loan. The money goes to their business and so far I’ve personally helped a carpenter, a farmer, a person in the clothing business and others! The best part is you can get the money back after it’s repaid! Even better, if you choose you can re-loan that money out again!

That’s what One Stream is about. It’s about you and your neighbor. Your human neighbor. It’s about the power you have as one person at this spot of the stream, taking a positive action today to change the life of someone down the stream who depends on the sustenance of the stream, just like you. We are one. What happens to you, happens to all.

People need to see that, far from being an obstacle, the world’s diversity of languages, religions and traditions is a great treasure, affording us precious opportunities to recognize ourselves in others.

-Youssou N’Dour

Now more than ever we have it within our capacity to change the world, one person at a time. You can change the world.

Ending extreme poverty is the great opportunity of our time. I disagree with that. I think there is more opportunity for us than just ending extreme poverty. It can be the great opportunity for us to bring quality education to every corner of the earth. It can be the great opportunity for us to bring healthy water to every unsafe stream in the world. It can be the great opportunity for us rebuild a new world. And it begins with us, right now.

If you can’t join our team on Kiva, take some time over the next 30 days to volunteer or donate a smaller amount of money to a cause you care about.

Whatever you do – it makes a difference! Also, I want to know about it. I want to share with everyone how much of an impact we make. If you volunteer for five minutes or five hours, or donate any money over these 30 days, please email me OneStream@RichardDedor.com (You’ll be kept private – promise!) and when the month is over, I’ll let everyone know how much of an impact we made on our world.

It starts with you my friends. Come with me! We are all at this One Stream. Let’s change the world.

Join & Donate to our Kiva Team!

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I’ve read dozens of articles and blog posts about bad airline service and also dozens of others about great service. I recently had such an experience.

On Thursday, August 13, I was on an early morning flight from Kansas City to Oklahoma City. (I was on Southwest Airlines flight #668.) It is a ridiculously short flight, about 50 minutes. But those 50 minutes were the best I have ever spent in the air. Hands down.

For starters, we were on time! But more than that, right as I boarded the plane, you could tell the staff was into their jobs. I passed by the male flight attendant who we would soon find out, was celebrating his 51st birthday that day.

I took to my seat and began reading my book like I usually do; ignoring the safety information as I’ve flown enough to know the drill probably to the point where I could do it verbatim. Well, what happened next surprised me and created my perfect flight. The gentleman started singing over the loudspeaker. Not only was he entertaining, but he was enjoying it. The plane was more surprised by what was happening than allowing themselves to enjoy it.

Once he finished his serenade of the cabin, it was announced it was his birthday. (Sadly, we didn’t sing to him.) The flight was the flight and it was enjoyable, but nothing all too memorable.

But then it happened again. As we were taxiing to our gate, he started to sing again, this time welcoming us to Oklahoma City. This time, we gave him a round of applause. They’d earned it. They made the start of my four-day work weekend a celebration. I hope they do it again. More importantly, I hope Southwest keeps this up. Keep hiring great, energetic attendants who want to make a seemingly tedious task an enjoyable one others want to talk about. Here’s one guy who is in LUV.

(flickr photo via pixman_v20)

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For some of you, it is a moment in time you will never forget. It’s one of those moments where you’ll remember where you were and who you were with. My first moment like that is the first Gulf War, Somalia and the O.J. Simpson Bronco chase.

On July 20 this year, I found this clip on YouTube of President Kennedy’s speech where he said we were going to go to the moon in this decade. “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone [...]”

What would your speech sound like? What are you going to commit to doing because it is hard, but worth doing? Anything in life that you want, that is a dream, but is hard, is worth doing. I wish you luck on your journey!

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(photo via tonythemisfit from flikr)

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What this is about rather is what can be learned from a management and employee standpoint. These lessons don’t just work in football or professional sports. They work in the non-profits and the boardroom.

First from the side of the employee:
You Serve at the Pleasure of Your Employer:
You work for someone. In the NBC drama, West Wing, the staff of the president were heard in numerous episodes saying, “I serve at the pleasure of the president.” The same thing goes in any situation where you are the employee. Your work, your personality, your knowledge and your attitude are being paid for. When your services are deemed expendable, sometimes its simply because of money, other times its because an employer sees a chance to improve the team.

Be Open to Change:
The day Josh McDaniels was hired at the Broncos new coach, Jay Cutler was unhappy. But over time, he began to grow to be excited about the change and what McDaniels could bring. Its absolutely imperative for any employee to be open to change. Change is just that: a chance to try new things, learn new practices and grow as a person.

Don’t Play Hard to Get:
Unless you’re Michael Jordan (in his prime), or quite simply the world’s smartest person, you are expendable. Be willing to talk and figure out problems. This is obviously easier said than done because we all have pride and won’t want to come to the table with our rails between our legs. That said, if the employer wants to talk to you, talk!

Now from the management standpoint:
Don’t Lie:
If there is a chance the employee will keep working for you, don’t lie to them. Trust is hard to rebuild and sometimes impossible so why make it harder by lying. This is of course true to both sides, but for employers, if you like the employee, don’t lie to them.

Do What Best for the Team:
This not only means finding better talent, but also, if there is a chance you’re going to have an employee that is unhappy, you have to make the effort to fix that. You’re the boss. Moral is your job. One bad seed can ruin a team.

Don’t Play Hard to Get:
If you’re playing hard to get with someone you want, you’re going to get burned. If you want them, show them and it can go a long way to building up trust in the relationship. Trust is invaluable in the employer/employee relationship.

No matter what, it is vitally important that both sides have an understanding of the relationship and works every day to build it and make it stronger. This is done through communication, evaluation and constant growth.

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