Trevor Harley, is a talented, smart guy.  And he is currently looking for a new job opportunity.  While I haven’t talked to him in depth about it, I know he is doing all of the normal, standard, smart things to look for a job.  But as the email I received yesterday shows, he is doing more.  Here is a part of the email (shared with his blessing).

So I have been told “Trevor you need to do things that make you stand out from the pack”…..”be remembered” they say……Now of course I have taken that to the extreme :).  Here is my version of “I would eat it on a boat…..I would eat it with a goat”.  Have a wonderful and abundant week!  I am currently still available for hire, but you better act fast there is no telling what this masterpiece will stir up.

 

Green Eggs and Turkey Ham
interpreted by Trevor Harley

 

I need a job Oh, yes I DO!

Some may ask “Well, what do you Do?”

 

I am great on a team

I am great with self-esteem

 

I am creative Yes, I am!

I can do lots of things…I AM YOUR MAN!

 

I am self-motivated, that’s for sure

I consider myself ethical and my motives are pure

 

I build trust quickly Oh, yes I do

Does this help you out; does this give you a clue?

 

I am great at relationships wouldn’t you say?

Wouldn’t it be terrific if that’s how I got paid!

 

I am definitely your man that entertains

It’s one of my ways to find client’s “pain”

 

My work experience is now 10 years

It’s been full of fun, but shed some tears

 

I promise not to let you down

It’s my hard work that will keep me around

 

I would not mind to go here or there

I would not mind to go anywhere

 

I would prefer to stay up North

That is my request for what it’s worth

 

So would you be willing to help me out?

Isn’t that what networking and friends are all about?

 

Thanks for reading about who I am

And yes it’s true, l love green eggs and turkey ham.

If you want to talk to Trevor, give him feedback, or talk to him about a job, email him (trevor@vodawater.com)

 

The life and leadership lessons are clear – to achieve new things we must be willing to try new approaches!

While the tried and true and the benchmarked approaches of others are instructive, and will help, the best results will come from the new and innovative.  Not every innovative approach will work – no one knows yet if Trevor’s poetry will land him a job – but until he tries, he’ll never know – and neither will we.

This balance of trying new and knowing we might fail, is an important balance for us as leaders to think about, and to discuss in supervisor training and leadership skill training of all sorts.

In my experience it isn’t being talked about – together.   Leadership development programs include a module on creativity and innovation (maybe) but don’t really talk about a tolerance for errors and mistakes.  In fact, in the same program there might also be a module on Six Sigma – which is all about increasing quality – and limiting errors.

I challenge you to think about where you fall on this balance – and where your organization falls as well.  In this reflection you may find keys to opportunities you hadn’t seen before.

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Kevin Eikenberry is a recognized world expert on leadership development and learning and is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. He has spent over 30 years helping organizations across North America, and leaders from around the world, on leadership, learning, teams and teamwork, communication and more.

Twice he has been named by Inc.com as one of the Top 100 Leadership and Management Experts in the World and 100 Great Leadership Speakers for Your Next Conference. The American Management Association named him a “Leaders to Watch” and he has been twice named as one of the World's Top 30 Leadership Professionals by Global Gurus. Top Sales World has named him a Top Sales & Marketing Influencer several times, and his blog has been named on many “best of” lists. LeadersHum has named him one of the 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership in 2023.

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