Okay, it was only for a minute or so, but I was surprised I kept his attention that long. After all, he wasn’t even one (or at least that is what my “baby-dar” was telling me) and this was a pretty exciting aircraft.

Some freak out when a baby sits next to them on a flight. While I will admit I truly do detest 4 hours of a screaming child, I find those occasions are pretty rare, and more often than not–the baby can be pretty awesome.

So I watched this little guy and his parents held him and he checked out the world. A plane can be a fascinating place for kids. There are so many new people, so many new sounds, so many new things to see. The airplane window fascinates even the tiniest among us–or at least that is what my experience has shown.

I was glad this baby was near me as it gave me a quick pause in my crazy schedule to reflect. I’ve already been on 15 flights in less than ten days, and the repetition of it all often makes me just simply fall asleep. After about the seventh flight, I rarely even began conversations with those sitting around me, just trying to get in a few hours of sleep before I headed to the next plane.

But this kid was curious–he was fascinated, and it reminded me of my appreciation of this amazing thing I get to do in the fall–fly.

In a few more years, his curious glances will be replaced with curious questions. I could hear a toddler a few rows back bombard his mom with a rapid-fire investigation of such gems.

But then I looked at the businessmen around me. I reflected on my own habits.

Cell phones, laptops, a newspaper, and silence.

Curiosity wasn’t there.

Fascination wasn’t there.

It had been replaced with routine and boredom.

Rather than waiting to take off, the older people on the flight were already processing what we had to do when we get home.

The creativity was replaced with a to do list.

Our world needs more than this.

So today, add one more thing to your to-do list:

get curious

It struck me as odd.

I get that doors break. I get that caution signs and warnings are necessary.

I don’t understand why the airport had a professionally made sign describe the broken door.

Wouldn’t it have just been easier to fix the door? If the door is such a problem that a simple fix doesn’t work, doesn’t that speak more about the design of that space?

I could go on and on, but basically, the whole sign struck me as something pretty ridiculous.

Popular blogger and author, Seth Godin, did a great speech a few years ago which I’ve previously mentioned called “This is Broken.”

It’s time that we look at the broken things in our world and FIX them.

I’ve noticed that we’ve become a lot more like “dead Henry” as we complain about problems and our lack of tools, but do little to fix them.

I’m guilty of this as well, but being helpless is no way to lead.

Solutions are there.

Solutions that are better than slapping a sign on a door.

It’s time for us to implement them.

Don’t just complain about the bucket.

Don’t just put on a sign on the door.

“Fix it.”

“To infinity… and beyond!”- Buzz Lightyear

It seems to me to be the perfect quote to describe Steve Jobs. Without him, there would be no Buzz Lightyear. Without him, I wouldn’t be typing this blog up as easily on my MacBook Pro with iTunes playing in the background.

You may call it sentimental, but there is something truly remarkable about a man when his death is talked about and mourned by the company he founded, the founders of his rival companies, the heads of Disney, and the President of the United States.

I’ve been trying since his I first learned about his passing to put some thoughts down, and it’s been difficult. No, I did not personally know him–my closest interaction with him took place while I was visiting a friend of mine at Apple and saw Steve Jobs waiting in line in the cafeteria ultimately taking a seat a few tables away. But even that spoke volumes to me, to see such a successful person waiting in line.

So where do I begin to thank Steve Jobs for his impact on my life?

Is it the Apple IIe I first learned to type on in elementary school?
Is it the iPod providing the soundtrack for so many cross country trips?
Is it the Pixar movies that have made me laugh with friends?
Is it the iChat and FaceTime software that allows me to connect with others while I’m away?

It could be any one of these. I even attempted to do another one of those biography pieces that so many have written remembering this remarkable man. I agree that he was the Edison of our time.

But what I think is even remarkable about Steve Jobs is his failure and how it motivated him.

Here is a guy who bucks the rules for success and yet still totally achieved it.

Yes, he helped found Apple. Yes, he helped create the first Macintosh and launch the famous 1984 Super Bowl ad.

But he is also the guy who was fired by the company that he created. The people he brought it to help the company succeed moved him out.

Did he quite striving? No.

He went on to found another company which Apple would purchase years later. Yep, a decade later Apple would purchase his next creation and return him to the position of CEO. Oh yeah, and that technology would provide the building blocks for the Apple Store & iTunes software.

If that wasn’t enough, he also purchased another company. He invested a great deal of his own money into it, helping transition this hardware company into an animation company. We now know it at Pixar. For years, he lost millions of dollars in Pixar (a failure by most standards), but he was passionate about what they can do and this passion allowed the creative freedom Pixar needed to bring so beloved characters to life.

When he finally returned to Apple, he wasn’t bitter, he was driven. Soon we had the iMac and then years later the iPod.

And then he changed the game.

When I finally purchased my own MacBook in 2005, I remarked to my friends how easy it was to use and how much I wish that Apple would just make a cell phone.

My thought? A cell phone made by Apple. Same design as my Nokia–just made by Apple.

But Jobs never thought like that. He is always five steps ahead.

It wasn’t just a music player, it was the ease in purchasing that music. It was his ability to go to bat for the consumer experience.

He was a true innovator.

It allowed Apple to create the iPhone and the iPad.
It allowed Apple to set the pace.

And yet, he did this all with grace and humility.

Yes, there are stories about his temper, his standards, and his bluntness, but while he was tough, he was incredibly respected by his employees (at least those that I personally know).

He was known for his long sleeve t-shirt, his jeans, and his running shoes. He didn’t have an inflated CEO salary, just stock options. He would often still eat in the Apple cafeteria (where I saw him that one day). He used his money to invest in projects he believed in.

He would sit with old rivals and have incredible discussions (seriously, find any interview with him & Bill Gates–truly phenomenal conversations with the two of them).

And he looked to the future.

One of his last public presentations was to the Cupertino City Council about the new Apple Headquarters. It presented a whole new way of thinking about an office building and it remained in the town in which he grew up.

He was loyal.

There is much to say about Steve Jobs and I’m not doing the best here. I posted a link to this last night, and I want to post it again. I think he said it best during his Commencement Speech at Stanford University in 2005. I encourage you to take a few moments and watch it if you haven’t yet.

And here’s one more video. An earlier version of a 1997 ad where Steve Jobs actually does the voiceover that Richard Dreyfuss ultimately provided in the aired version.

Steve Jobs will be missed.

Special Note: I got the idea for the title of this from an illustration my friend and fellow speaker, Jason Kotecki, did on his blog. I encourage you to read it as well.

Still, I didn’t have to think much about it.

I picked up a prepackaged asparagus, onion, mushroom mix. It ended up being a really nice blend of flavors, but as we sat down to eat, I thought about how much I overpaid for this simple assortment. I would have actually put in a few more mushrooms if I had bought each ingredient individual, but I didn’t.

I didn’t think hard. I thought quickly.

I made a simple and tasty dinner.

But if I had spent just a little bit more time planning–just 5 or 10 minutes brainstorming, I probably could have come up with a better menu that would have cost less and tasted better–even if I used similar ingredients.

Do you ever do this? Do you ever worry so much about being quick that we don’t necessarily go deep?

Ever rush a project? a paper? an event?

Imagine what 5-10 minutes of thought could do for you.

“Why didn’t I think of that?”

The answer is simple: Because I didn’t spend the time needed to actually THINK.

Two toilets.
One stall.
A Double Toilet.

I was so surprised by it, I quickly took a photo of it with my iPhone, posting it on my facebook profile with a simple caption that said, “REALLY?!?!?!?”

The comments that followed from my friends were quite hilarious, and days later I still wonder, “why?”

I mean seriously, is there any purpose to this? The stall door closes. Do you find a friend and say, “let’s do this?”

I don’t think so.

I know women will go to the ladies room together, but I doubt that no one really intends to use the toilet together.

But there is this stall in this theatre that is oddly being wasted right now. I don’t know if they had to expand it for ADA purposes or if someone actually thought this was a good idea.

In my opinion, it’s just strange.
It makes no sense.
It’s a waste.

Do you have any “double toilets” in your life or organization right now? Things that just don’t make sense, but we let them exist anyways. Maybe quick patchwork jobs (like making two stalls into one for ADA purposes), that now really need a long-term fix? Is there anything that someone would really question as an outsider that you could now do differently (and better)?

Seriously think about it.

Maybe chat with a friend or colleague about it.

But have that conversation in a normal location like a Starbucks, and not in some strange Double Toilet stall.

A common refrain I hear this time of year is the “outsider” who one and “wasn’t part of the group” last year. Often times that outsider was an upset over a student who serve on a board or council the previous year. There can be a tendency to dismiss that outsider or not welcome him in with open arms.

I’d like to propose a different idea.

In 2000, Brad Bird joined Pixar. In 2004, Pixar released The Incredibles.

Okay, maybe we should backtrack.

• In 1995, Pixar released Toy Story. Directed by John Lasseter. Story by John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Andrew Stanton, and Joe Ranft.
• In 1998, Pixar released A Bug’s Life. Directed by John Lasseter. Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, and Joe Ranft.
• In 1999, Pixar released Toy Story 2. Directed by John Lasster. Story by John Lasseter, Pete Docter, Ash Brannon (who worked on Toy Story & A Bug’s Life), and Andrew Stanton.
• In 2002, Pixar released Monters, Inc. Directed by Pete Docter.
• In 2003, Pixar released Finding Nemo. Directed by Andrew Stanton.

Do you see a pattern? The first five Pixar hits were all created and directed by people within Pixar. Pete Docter and Andrew Stanton had the first chance to step up into the director’s chair. They excelled. Each Pixar film was a huge success.

Some would argue, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

But Pixar wanted to prevent itself from just becoming a pattern. So in 2000, while Monsters, Inc and Finding Nemo were in production (it takes several years for an animated film), Pixar brought in Brad Bird to direct and helm a new film. He pitched a movie focusing on a human family (a first for Pixar), brought in some non-Pixar illustrators (a first for Pixar), and even earned the film a PG rating (a first for Pixar). He messed with the whole pattern and brought a fresh viewpoint into Pixar, which helped stretch an already successful company.

Pixar was open to this idea. After achieving huge success from the “blooper reel” at the end of Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, Toy Story 2, and Monsters, Inc, the company decided not to include it at the end of Finding Nemo–again, to disrupt a pattern.

The Pixar company culture is a huge reason behind its success. It’s welcoming reception to Bird, opened up new opportunities. He was even able to assist in a stalled Ratatouille a few years later.

So if your council or board just elected an “outsider,” be open to the possibility. Maybe your newest member could be the Brad Bird that your organization needs.

But the prices are great.

I love the other grocery stores in my area. If I lived closer to a Whole Foods, I would probably spend a great deal of my time driving there, but fresh & easy is perfect for me now.

By having a smaller selection, a smaller store, and more uniformed packaging, the store saves money and passes it on to the customers. It also does a nice job of having several promotions for school (currently $1 from every $20+ receipt can be donated to a local school of your choice). It’s incredibly effective.

Today, I picked up some chicken soup costing less than canned soup and was actually fresher.

Can we do the same in our organizations? Instead of always looking for MORE can we do the same things BETTER and with less cost? Can we find the ways to take our existing programs and give back to our local communities in the process?

I think the answer is yes.

So let’s do it.

At the same time, I really do agree with many of the blogs I read last night about this being more of a stunt than anything real. I don’t believe the bands instruments were stolen. I don’t think that part was necessary to put in the video.

But it’s undeniable Atomic Tom created something pretty cool. Last night, I checked out the video and it had about 300,000 hits on YouTube. Now, about 14 hours later, it has almost a million more hits. It’s now a viral video and this band is getting a lot of recognition.

This March, I wrote about OK Go’s great video for “This Too Shall Pass” and how OK Go adapted to the changing music video scene in the wake of MTV becoming just a reality show network. I think Atomic Tom is doing the same thing. They’ve successfully promoted themselves in a very inexpensive way (well besides the initial sticker shock of an iPhone).

Can we do this? Can we work to create viral campaigns for our own events?

It’s time for us to get creative and reTHINK the way we present.

But I must admit I was also a bit disappointed.

Quite simply, it was the lack of garbage can management.

It’s not just with this group. I’ve seen it at tons of leadership conferences all across North America.

The problem? A garbage can is full, there are other empty garbage cans nearby, but rather than walk the 10 feet, students stack up precarious piles of trash until they ultimately fall too the ground. There might be a bin for recycling, but students don’t use it, or they’ll toss garbage into the recycling can.

Several of the current students in my scholarship chapter fell into this trap. As they left for the next activity, I ended up helping out the coordinator of the program clean up some of their mess. Yes, we could have left it for them to do, but we didn’t want the weekend to be about trash cleanup.

I honestly don’t think the students noticed. I honestly don’t think most students who exhibit this behavior really think about what they are doing. I don’t believe they are bad people. I don’t believe this was done in spite. I don’t believe there was any ill intent.

I just don’t think they noticed.

And that’s where I have trouble with this…

I WANT leaders to notice. I NEED them to notice.

I think we need to live in this world and serve in this world as if we are stewards, caring for something entrusted in our care. I strongly believe we need to see how our actions or our lack of action impacts others.

Many would agree that the mess that BP caused in the gulf or the mess caused (at least in part) by Wall Street Executives are indeed “messes” linked in part to a lack of consideration for others or the impact of decisions on others.

We look at these big picture examples and we paint pictures of villains…

…but do we ever look at ourselves in the mirror to see how we’re doing?

Sure garbage cans aren’t life or death. In all honesty, I probably made the same mistakes when I was a student. I may even make the same mistakes today (after all this is a problem of people not noticing), but still, I think we can attempt to hold ourselves to a higher standard.

I think we can attempt to be more aware.

I think we can attempt to be more proactive.

I think we can attempt to hold our friends to a higher standard as well.

Every now and then, a student catches my eye as an incredible steward. They aren’t the loudest person during the cheer. They don’t always have the best spirit gear, but I see them, working quietly behind the scenes. They are the ones who take the initial and begin a recycling bin when one isn’t already present, or pull out recycling from garbage cans, or stay later in the gym to pick up after the mess made from a huge rally. They don’t get a lot of recognition, but there they are..

serving…

just like the Boy Scouts told us to…

leaving the world better than the way they found it.

Can you?

Seth Godin at Gel 2006 from Gel Conference on Vimeo.

The website mentioned in the talk has been changed to the Good Experience Blog. I visited the site today and already picked up some good ideas. It’s something to think about.

I’m blown away by when I see broken policies or procedures in our schools and organizations. I don’t understand when I’m at schools and students “boo” freshmen–it makes no sense to me especially when the answer is “that’s how we were treated as freshmen.” (btw, there is a great solution for this called LINK CREW–bring it to your campus).

I was at a campus last week. Everything about the experience was really incredible except that the lunch process took forever as someone in a district office came up with a policy to check names off a list, even though a detailed list of EVERYONE receiving lunch even updated with the day’s absences was provided to them. That’s broken.

I’m a huge fan of United Airlines (I’ll likely hit there 1K status with them this year after taking 100 flights since January), but there change fee on tickets makes no sense to me–especially when rival Southwest doesn’t penalize me. This is broken.

There is a mall near my parent’s house that spent millions and millions of dollars on rennovation, but then didn’t really consider the exits of the parking garages, both which don’t easily connect with the major freeway located two blocks away. The design causes major delays during the busy holiday season (I once sat in my car for 50 minutes as I tried to exit). This is broken.

What is broken in your campus? What thing are we still doing that doesn’t make sense? What can we do to make these things better?

Seth Godin raises some interesting points. Apply them to your school or organization today.