The Professor of On-Purpose
I found this presentation on TED that breaks down some of the key qualities of being on-purpose. RIchard St. John was asked a simple question by a teenager. His pursuit of the answer lead to 500 interviews over 7 years with successful people. In 3 minutes Richard provides great insight in an entertaining manner. Enjoy!
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Lunch today was fun! 
Thanks to a mutual friend, Kevin McCarthy met Kevin McCarthy. For the first time in my life, I signed a book to another Kevin McCarthy.
Kevin O. McCarthy (on the left) gets my vote for being one smart, straight talking, principled, entrepreneurial, and strategic thinker. Wow!
Kevin is a second term US Congressman from Bakersfield, CA, an agricultural and oil area. His roots run deep in terms of integrity and leadership. I was profoundly encouraged to see a man of high character and practical business experience serving our nation.
We need more business persons being about the people's business. Government is big business but it is overrun with lawyers. No lawyer jokes here. I have tremendous respect for their training, profession, and role; but legal minds are contentious minds. Business minds are trained to manage and lead with an eye toward creating value.
One day I hope to have the opportunity to vote for Kevin McCarthy for President or Vice President of the United States. Kevin McCarthy is a winner… and not just in name only!
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The Darden School at the University of Virginia provides a business education that I rate as second to none. The faculty are amazing, the facilities are stunningly beautiful, and, yet, that isn't what makes it so exceptional. It is the culture of Darden that makes it special. Being a part of Mr. Jefferson's University offers a rare grounding in the exceptional vision and intelligence of this founding father. While President's name are often attached to building and schools, Mr. Jefferson truly created to core strategy, designed the buildings, and oversaw physical construction. He was the architect and truly laid the foundation for generations and created a culture of engaged learning and excellence.
I consider myself truly blessed to have earned my MBA from the Darden School. Have you considered getting an MBA while still working? Here is your chance!
The MBA for Executives Program at Darden allows seasoned managers to
earn the Darden MBA from the University of Virginia while continuing to
work full time. Students have an average of 12 years professional
experience (7 minimum).
If you’d like to learn more, you can attend the MBA for Executives
Open House at Darden on Saturday February 13. The day (10 am- 3pm)
includes the opportunity to participate in a classroom discussion and
meet current students, faculty, and staff.
Sign up / more info at:
www.darden.virginia.edu/mbaexec
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Time Machine Image via Wikipedia
I thought I was backed up, but I wasn’t. By the way, I’m talking computers here, not colons! You’ll notice there is a production gap with the On-Purpose® Minute and On-Purpose Business Minute as a result. On January 20, my hard drive crashed and I soon discovered that my Time Machine back-up hadn’t backed up since Nov. 11, 2009. It was my fault because I must have changed the schedule.
What appeared at first to be a true loss is being transformed into a real win. Watch and let me know your thoughts.
On the practical side of backing up your data, here are links to virtual back-up services for your hard drive back-up needs. I can’t make a recommendation yet, but I’m sharing some of the services I’m researching.
www.Carbonite.com www.Mozy.com www.IDrive.com www.sosonlinebackup.com www.backupmyinfo.com
Be On-Purpose!
Kevin
Want to send me present? How about a 2TB Time Capsule! The 1TB will work too! 😉
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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:
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."
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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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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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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Kevin W. McCarthy is the author of The On-Purpose Person and The On-Purpose Business. He is one of the world’s leading authorities on the meaningful integration of life and work. More than just an author, Kevin is a natural leader in business and civic endeavors. Kevin’s goal with audiences is to stir their hearts, advance their thinking, and inspire them to action.
He is a professional member of the National Speakers Association, the CEO of On-Purpose Partners, and a highly respected business advisor for middle market organizations and a personal coach to CEOs, Executive Directors, and Company Presidents. Authentic, original, good humored, and engaging are the qualities most often attributed to this thought leader by his peers, clients, and audiences. He has traveled from Hungary to Hawaii since 1992 inspiring audiences as he carries the message of being on-purpose into the hearts, minds, and lives of people.
Kevin’s intelligent and easy speaking style mixes light and spontaneous humor with a life-changing message and stories. His uplifting keynote addresses and programs appeal to those with true aspirations and more responsibilities than time. These people long to make a difference through ethically building a business, career, and life of significance. There’s an authentic spirit to his words and way that captivates audiences.
Kevin shows up at the event to work. He invests himself in your event and people. Every engagement is tailored to the audience, company, and industry at hand. Not one to “show and go,” Kevin considers it a privilege to reasonably meet and greet your participants, to sign books, and to answer questions. He wants to bring value to your event.
To learn more, please call our office at 407.657.6000.
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