Kevin W. McCarthy

The Professor of On-Purpose

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And the Winner of the Contest Is… Me!

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Jeevan Sivasubramaniam of Berrett-Koehler Publishers produces the weekly BK Communique.  An occasional feature is a puzzler.  His final contest of 2009 caught my eye.  Here it is:

Tn
Drum roll please, I won the contest.  Here is Jeevan's most recent posting:

"I issued this challenge. Some people came close, but no one answered correctly.  The answer? You should definitely not take my bet — here's why.

"Kevin McCarthy submitted a response that was just so, um, creative that I had to give him a free book. (And he kindly sent me a copy of his book.) You can read Kevin's response to the challenge here.

Dear Jeevan,

No, I will not accept your bet in A Game of Cards.   Here's why:

After reading the challenge, I easily recognized it as a probability and statistics question.   Upon the thought of engaging in the calculation of the odds of winning versus the payoff, I felt this knot in my stomach – the same one I used to feel in undergraduate and graduate school when I had to take probability and statistics classes.   My mind swirled with permutations, methods, and calculations as to how to attack and solve your challenge.  My competitive juices began to kick in because I had to be the first to solve it in order to win a book and have a shrine in the lobby.  Fortunately, I'm on the East Coast so I have an advantage over those later risers in the Central and Western time zones. 

Recognizing this strange mix of competitiveness and cards, I immediately converted from worshiping in an Episcopal church to an ultra conservative Baptist church with Pentecostal and Charismatic leanings.   This means I can neither play card games nor gamble.  Because I don't smoke, drink, or dance (lack of any sense of rhythm per my wife) anyway, my transition ten minutes ago to my new Thursday morning church is going along fundamentally well.   Never doubt the power and practicality of my conversion and the values of my new denomination.  The knot in my stomach is gone – healed in an instant!  Here is proof of the peace that passes all understanding as it washed through me.  PTL! 

Sure, you were likely expecting some brainiac to give an answer to the challenge using math.  I, however, have claimed the high moral ground in a triumph of faith over math to come to the answer.  Finally, should this be the winning and timely response, then I will accept a book but must decline the shrine in the lobby.  I can have no part in false idols.

Be On-Purpose!

Kevin

Kevin W. McCarthy
CEO, On-Purpose Partners, LLC

Here was Jeevan's notice to me of being the book winner:

"Never has an answer been so blatantly wrong and yet seemed so right.  So, what the hell, for sheer audacity and creativity, you win a book."

Cover of "The New Organizational Wealth: ...Cover via Amazon

Jeevan was true to his word and sent me The New Organizational Wealth, the book of my choice.  He was a good sport so I sent him The On-Purpose Person.

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How Will You Grow Your Business In 2010?

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View of Wall Street, Manhattan.Image via Wikipedia

If you are in business, then you’re looking for ways to grow your business.  Business growth means many things to many people.  Depending upon your position and responsibility, you may measure business growth differently.  Some may look at financially measured items such as: sales units, revenues, commissions, gross or net profit.   Others may look at differently measured items such as added capacity, increasing relationships, processing more widgets, hiring more people, or such.  

Like beauty, business growth is in the eye of the beholder.  Decide what it means to you, then make very simple plans to grow your business in 2010 using the three essentials recommended in today’s On-Purpose® Business Minute.

Use this link for information about The On-Purpose Leader workshop I’ll be facilitating on Feb 5, 2010 in Orlando, FL.

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On-Purpose Profile: Shakira Sings For Education

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ShakiraShakira via last.fm

One's education and life trajectory are highly correlated.  For some reason, however, many segments of our US population (children and parents) view schooling as a prison sentence instead of an opportunity of a lifetime.

Let me assume you don't know of Shakira, a international pop sensation from Colombia, South America, not South Carolina.  This young woman's remarkable voice, talent, and moves (She Wolf song video) have catapulted her to the top of the song charts. 

Shakira, gets it, however, when it comes to education – she is pouring much of her earnings into education by founding a school in her hometown of Barranquilla.  The multiple Grammy winner has gifted $6 million through her foundation, Pies Descalzos, which means "barefoot" in
Spanish, to create a school to help 150 kids get ahead in life.

And if you're tempted to think Shakira is simply an empty-headed, manufactured public relations image, let me encourage you to watch the short video (below) of a speech she gave in the United Kingdom at Oxford Union about the importance of education.

Shakira, you are an on-purpose person!  Thank you for converting your pop
culture fortunes into dollars dedicated to improving the culture of your country.  Your legacy will live in the lives of those children and the
generations to follow.

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There You Go Again, Congress!

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My prediction is that the Health Care Reform Bill about to negotiated between the US House and Senate to put before President Obama will be to health care what the Community Reinvestment Act was to the housing and financial markets – a disaster filled with unintended consequences.  Rather than people losing their homes and facing financial ruin, this time it will be people’s lives and health at stake.  The sub-prime crisis will pale in comparison.

The very engines of wealth creation and free enterprise are being eroded by these proposed policies.  The Community Reinvestment Act fiddled with market economics to qualify previously unqualified borrowers by providing a government backing.  The Health Care Reform Bill is yet another round of government policy rigging the health care system, playing politics and power rather than reforming.  Look no further than the massive fraud in the Medicare and Medicaid systems to see what we have coming our way.  Now multiply this by tens of millions of new people who think insurance is a blank check entitlement to cover their poor choices and unhealthy lifestyle.  

Insurance is a business concept based on actuarial science of share risks. Insurance is not health care.  The very concept of risk-reward and personal responsibility has been lost in the health care reform debate.  We’ve also lost sight of the important role of community hospitals for indigent care.  The Hippocratic Oath remains a prevailing approach to caring for our fellow humans.   Government mandates to universal coverage are yet another falling domino in the Great Society that would undermine greatness and society.  When government steps in as a “brother’s keeper,” then society steps back from helping. 

Please review the track record of greater government direct involvement in non-defense services.  The Declaration and US Constitution speak to the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness, not as the reason for government to be the public option.  Government is to regulate, not run industry.  The current trend is alarmingly off-purpose.

I welcome your opinions.

PS – I found this clip on YouTube about Health Care in the 1980 Presidential Debates with Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.  Reagan’s comeback to Carter inspired the title of this posting.  Enjoy!

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How Would You React?

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My daughter, Anne, is a 16-year-old competitive soccer player.  She serves as a junior captain of her Trinity Prep high school soccer team as well as a player on the Football Club of America (Kumba Soccer) located here in Orlando.  Her Kumba team was having a car wash fund raiser in late September.  An accident occurred where one teammate's foot slipped off the brakes and the car pinned another teammate against a wall.  Bree McMahon's legs were crushed.  Anne was one of many who sprang into action.  She called 911 and provided a towel for Bree's head as she lay on the ground awaiting the arrival of paramedics. 

Initially, we anticipated broken legs and damage to Bree's knees.  The severity of the accident came to light a few hours later when Anne's text from the hospital said, "Bree's legs might have to be amputated because the blood vessels were crushed."  Judith and I immediately headed to the hospital to be and pray with the girls. 

Jenna Bush Hager (George and Laura Bush's daughter) of The Today Show did a feature on Bree.  The clip below tells the story.  You'll also get to see and hear a brief comment from Anne from behind Bree's hospital bed. 

Bree and Chelsea (the driver involved in the freak accident) are young Christian girls whose faith is serving them both well in terms of forgiveness given and received.  The character of both young ladies is remarkable.

If it were your legs crushed that day, how would you respond?  My hope would be that I would have grace and understanding like Bree.

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The Christmas Gift of Being On-Purpose!

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TOPP_3D_PrintedBookAre you looking for the ideal Christmas present – a gift of a life time?  Give The On-Purpose Person to those who need the gift of knowing their life can make a difference and matters profoundly even if their present circumstances may indicate otherwise.  

When you order the book online with us, be sure to use the comment section if you would like to have the book personalized and autographed.   This offer expires on Monday, Dec. 21 at noon. 

What Anchors Your Health?

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If you don't know your purpose for being then you are missing out on life… literally.  As you ponder your New Year's Resolutions consider not just what, but why for each of them.

In November, Florida Hospital launched a campaign called Healthy 100.  Their web site headline says,"Have
you ever thought that you could live to be 100 years old? How about
being 100 years old and still doing the things you love? It may sound
unbelievable, but at Florida Hospital, we are on a mission to help you
do just that. Through support and education, we want to help you
kick-start your journey to living a healthier, happier life."

Imagine living to be a healthy 100 year old!

Cover of Cover via Amazon

At the launch event (I attended), Dan Buettner, the author of The Blue Zones, engaged us with his case studies and keys to vitality and longevity which are: Right Outlook, Move Naturally, Eat Wisely, Right Tribe.  Afterward, I spoke with Dan about my work with purpose which falls into the Right Outlook category.  He said to me, "Purpose is the anchor to health, yet it remains the most under celebrated aspect.  Research shows that having a purpose in life adds six to seven years of longevity."

In an article Dan wrote in 2008 for AARP, Dan provides this source, “People who feel their life is part of a larger plan and are guided by
their spiritual values have stronger immune systems, lower blood
pressure, a lower risk of heart attack and cancer, and heal faster and
live longer,” says Harold G. Koenig, M.D., professor of psychiatry and
behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center, who has studied
the phenomenon broadly.

EXTRA: Watch Dan Buettner's interview with Martha Stewart in the first link.

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