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2/17/2009

New Web Site -New RSS feed

I have taken the big plunge and am moving off Blogger to a WordPress blog, that also incorporates my entire Internet presence.


The plan is to blog much more frequently and to provide regular updates and changes on the web site.

If you've been following the Fool'sBox you will find all the content at http://jimseybert.com/blog-foolsbox and there is a button you can click to get the RSS feed.

Please note - I will not be reading this blogger site, so if you leave a note here, I won't see it.

2/13/2009

Leadership Re:Vision - another nice review

I write because I have to. 


There are words and ideas that need to be granted their freedom from wherever they are inside. Most times they escape and find the outside a lonely place with no one to read them me. 

Occasionally the words find an audience, and that's a cool thing. 

Comments like these are gratifying and humbling because I know without equivocation that the words don't really belong to me.

2/11/2009

Leadership Re:Vision - reviews are starting

One of the coolest things about publishing a book is the ability a writer has to share with people without being in the same room. It's a good feeling to know that the words you wrote are making a difference.


The reviews are starting to come in on Leadership Re:Vision.

Yippee.

2/10/2009

New Blog/Website coming

I have been on a steep learning for the last week, working on a next level Internet presence for the web applications that support my consulting practice. I want a more cohesive web presence, everything in one place. I also wanted something I could update frequently without having to wait for a designer or code writer to fit me in to their schedule. 


Wordpress made the most sense. My web hosting service HawkHost includes Wordpress in their service and that cinched the deal. Just a few clicks and I was ready to start learning. My initial trial ended in dismal failure. Wordpress is easy to use ONCE you understand some basics. So, a visit to Barnes & Noble uncovered Scott McNulty's Building a WordPress Blog People Want to Read - and I was off to the race track.

I like WP because although the entire site is a blog, I can set some "permanent" pages that act like pages in a standard website. So my Internet presence is interactive (the blog) and informative (the pages) all in the same place. 


The site is almost ready for general public consumption, so I'm doing a bit of a soft launch to readers of this - soon to be moth-balled - Google blog. I would be grateful for any comments or ideas you'd want to pass along. And ask that you not spread the URL around because it's just a beta at the moment.

By the way - Leadership RE:Vision continues to stay active at Amazon. It has been on the Top 100 leadership list for more than a week and in the Top 30 for a couple of those days.


2/06/2009

Leadership Re:Vision - price reduction

Hmm - not sure how they decide, but the discount on Leadership Re:Vision at Amazon just went from 15% to 20%. 


It's been in the Top 100 since Monday and in the Top 30 a couple of time (Leadership titles). Friday was an off day, but I'm thinking the weekend should be pretty good.

I had another interview today, on WORDfm in Pittsburgh. I must be some sort of a jinx, because the regular host was again out with the flu. No worries the guest host pair of Sam & Susan were engaging and asked good questions.

Next week, we should start to see some action at retail as more stores receive product and demand begins to grow.

Someone suggested study questions, so they are being posted, as I have time, on my Facebook fan page.

Hello Pittsburgh - Leadership Re:Vision update

I am prepping for a radio interview this afternoon with John Hall on WORD in Pittsburgh. Tune in around 5:10 EST.


He'll probably ask me something about the Superbowl and any leadership lessons I might share based on my observations. My reply will be something about making sure everyone understands where you want the team to go. If folks in your organization are not crystal clear in the mission, you will have trouble taking them to the finish line.

Leadership Re:Vision has been in the TOP 100 all week for Amazon's leadership titles. Nice.

2/05/2009

Good News/Bad News - from my cat's perspective


My name is FROSTY -

I am the large, all white, neutered male cat who allows Jim and his family to sleep in my house.

This morning Jim put me in the travel carrier and we went on a car ride. "Jim, I don't care for car rides," I told him in my most pathetic voice, but all he did was stick his finger through the holes and tell me it was "going to be OK."

Does he think I'm an idiot? Riding in the travel carrier is NEVER a good thing.

Sure enough, within minutes we were at the place where dogs and birds and horses and all the other dumb animals come to watch us cats tell the doctor how to treat their patients. The place smells like, well, I don't know what it smells like - it just smells.

"Well, let's see what we have here," says the girl in a purple uniform. Doesn't she know a cat from a dog? "What do we have here?" We have a CAT, you twit.

She sticks a cold hard thing in my bottom and looks at my teeth then carries me into another room to see how much I weigh. All this time I am thinking Jim will come to his senses and take me home, but he just smiles and repeats that insipid, "It'll be OK" crap.

Finally, the doctor comes in and I know we're going to get somewhere. He's going to ask me for advice on how to treat some poor sick rabbit or - whoaaaaaaa - "what's that?"

I am flipped upside down with my legs in the air and my privates exposed to everyone, including the twit who doesn't know a cat from a teddy bear. The doctor is sticking a pokey thing in my tummy and drawing out some of me pee. "Yikes - that HURTS."

The embarrassment was worse than the discomfort, but it's over soon and I am alone with Jim in the room. He lets me just sit on his lap and I start to calm down. The doctor comes back and I hear him say, "Well it isn't an infection. So it might be . . ."

Bottom line - and this is the GOOD news - They are switching me to all soft food. A special diet that's supposed to clear out my bladder and urinary tract. Canned food every day !! It's like Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving TWENTY-FOUR-SEVEN.

If a cat has to ride in a travel carrier to the vet and have his privates exposed for a few minutes to get soft food every day I say it's worth it, don't you?

2/04/2009

The publishing process

I was recently asked why I had "used a publisher" for Leadership Re:Vision instead of self-publishing. The suggestion was that bringing a publisher into the mix actually reduced my potential income. And that's understandable. So here are some thoughts:

  • While there are some excellent books brought to market through the self-pub channel, I rather prefer the Stamp of Approval associated with the vetting process at Tyndale House and other publishers. I tend to love everything I write, but if my proposal successfully navigates the selection process, I know others feel the same.
  • The contract between me and the publisher forces me to stay focused, resulting in a far better product. Being undisciplined is one of my core competencies and facing a legally imposed deadline for completion keeps me moving ahead. I don't like giving money back.
  • Distribution and sales are something I have no taste for. Tyndale has warehouse people, ordering and delivery systems, sales people in the field and sales people meeting with larger retailers. There's no way I'd be able to do this. 
  • And the team work. I am really a hermit. Writing for me is a lonely profession. (The photo below is a self-portrait taken at a cabin near Yosemite). When I'm in writing mode, it's me and the book. Stephen King says the books already exist and it's our job to bring them to life. I'm not sure I'd go that far, but the book does become a jealous partner. So, when the writing is finished, it's great to have a whole team of folks ready to take the work and refine it into something people may actually want to exchange money for.
  • Relationships between authors and publishers are seldom described as love affairs, but I appreciate the value they bring to the table. 
Latest update -
  • Leadership Re:Vision has been a Top 30 Leadership title on Amazon for the past two days. Looking for a third - one day at a time. 
  • The guest host at WMUZ did a fine job with the interview today, despite having been handed the book as he walked into the studio.
  • Friday afternoon it's WORD-FM in Pittsburgh.

"I screwed up"

What an interesting thing to hear from a president.

After 16 years and two administrations that either couldn't or wouldn't tell the truth - here's one that steps up and admits mistakes.

We're all hoping we don't hear that phrase too often, but it does paint a different picture of accountability.

Chapter 9 of Leadership RE:Vision is titled Tell The Truth About Bad News and suggests that leaders often sugar-coat reports of bad news to spare people's feelings or to protect morale. The book asks leaders to examine and revise the way they approach truth-telling in their communication.

2/03/2009

Here's something you don't see everyday

Close friends know my favorite place in the universe is Yosemite National Park.

There's a webcam set up at the Tioga Road entrance to the park, which is closed from about November through June each year.

The camera is operated by the Scripps Institute and here is the view it captured around 11:00am Tuesday morning.

Thanks GOD, for such a cool place.

Book promotiom - the story unfolds

posted whilst driving on a teeny tiny key board

Just had a call that Leadership RE:Vision hit the #27 spot on Amazon's Leadership list.

2/02/2009

Top Five Superbowl commercials

Who won the game ?

Who cares ?

It's the commercials everyone tunes in to see.

My daughter Noelle posted her five favorites and I concur.

Enjoy.

They SAY they're Green, but are they?


EPM Communication's weekly Datafile had a factoid this morning from Travelocity reporting that 59% of travelers say "knowing a hotel's GREEN rating" would influence where they stay.

Not doubting the research, but my experience has been that hotel staff need to be made aware of the goals.

When given a choice in a hotel, I always re-hang my towel so it won't be replaced and I honestly cannot recall EVER coming back to anything other than a completely fresh supply. Even in the most socially aware hotel brands - Hard Rock, Westin, Hilton.

Good lesson here - in any organization - it is critical that leadership take the time to insure EVERYONE on the team understands the role they play in success. Communicating corporate objectives effectively is one of the topics covered in my new book Leadership Re:Vision.

2/01/2009

A long tail connection


My Google alert that tracks "Jim Seybert" led to a blog by Melissa Sutton, the author of Broken But Not Shattered.

Melissa is a pastor's wife and my One Year Mini for Leaders is one of four books on her blog's current reading list.

The OYML was published in 2007 so it's cool to see the long tail it carries. As a daily-dated devotional, I hope it continues to bless people year after year.