The Benefits of Failure

A friend of mine was telling me the story of being in a Chinese restaurant and upon receiving his fortune cookie and opening it, he was taken back by the wisdom written in so few words on a tiny bit of white paper. It said: “It is better to pursue a great vision and fail then have no expectations and succeed.”

If certain people hadn’t experienced failure in their lives, we today may not be enjoying the benefits of their failures. There are great stories of those whose lives were stamped with the mark of failure only to have become some the world’s foremost leaders in various elements of life. 

Tom Hendry from Cutting Edge Innovations is quoted as saying: 

“Well, I believe that every human being was born to achieve. Yet many times I have met people who believed that they were talentless, unintelligent or that their lives were ruined by adversity and ultimately failure."

"Failure is inevitable to every one of us, whether it be personal, in relationships or in business. Everyone fails at something. No one is perfect. It is also failure that will drag us kicking and screaming out of our comfort zones. It will take us on a journey deep within ourselves and that is where we will find our strengths. This is where we find the Benefits of Failure. It is also where we will find our greatness."

A good example of the above is the life of famed Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling. 

Rowling’s life is defined from being on government benefit with a young baby to amassing £500 million in 2009 (not that money is the ultimate definition of success but rather simply one measure). All because she didn’t give up when publishers initially rejected her book “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone”. Consider the following about her life.

• Her parents were impoverished.
• She left a bad marriage with a young baby in the mid nineties.
• She lived in a small flat in Edinburgh, Scotland.
• She was living on government benefit £78 per week.
• The benefits of her 'failure' gave her the ‘freedom and drive’ to achieve through her writing.
• She wrote first book “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone,” but it was rejected by most publishers.
• Determination, resilience and persistence kept her going. Her book(s) were eventually published by Bloomsbury Publishing.
• She gives back a great deal to charity, especially single parent charities.

In 2008 Rowling delivered an inspirational address to the graduates of Harvard. This is an edited excerpt of the first half of that address.

The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination

On this wonderful day when we are gathered together to celebrate your academic success, I have decided to talk to you about the benefits of failure. 

Looking back at the 21-year-old that I was at graduation is a slightly uncomfortable experience for the 42-year-old that she has become. What I feared most for myself at your age was failure.

The fact that you are graduating from Harvard suggests that you are not very well-acquainted with failure. You might be driven by a fear of failure quite as much as a desire for success. Indeed, your conception of failure might not be too far from the average person’s idea of success, so high have you already flown.

Ultimately, we all have to decide for ourselves what constitutes failure, but the world is quite eager to give you a set of criteria if you let it. So I think it fair to say that by any conventional measure, a mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless. 

So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential. I stopped pretending to myself that I was anything other than what I was, and began to direct all my energy into finishing the only work that mattered to me. Had I really succeeded at anything else, I might never have found the determination to succeed in the one arena I believed I truly belonged. I was set free, because my greatest fear had been realised, and I was still alive, and I still had a daughter whom I adored, and I had an old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.

You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.

Failure gave me an inner security that I had never attained by passing examinations. Failure taught me things about myself that I could have learned no other way. I discovered that I had a strong will, and more discipline than I had suspected; I also found out that I had friends whose value was truly above the price of rubies.

The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift, for all that it is painfully won, and it has been worth more than any qualification I ever earned.

So given a Time Turner, I would tell my 21-year-old self that personal happiness lies in knowing that life is not a check-list of acquisition or achievement. Your qualifications, your CV, are not your life, though you will meet many people of my age and older who confuse the two. Life is difficult, and complicated, and beyond anyone’s total control, and the humility to know that will enable you to survive its vicissitudes.

Mantras of Success

“To gain the world but lose our family in the process is not success at all.”

If you visit any book store and go to the life section, you will find numerous books providing the 7 or 10 steps to success. If you just follow these simple rules you will enjoy a life of success and prosperity. People must buy the books because book stores continue to display and stock them. I’m not one to really put much faith though in what they have to say. I’d rather hear from people who have had the experience and learning to provide the advice and counsel instead.

I just returned from a trip to India. I was there to meet with the Indian Institute of Management-Ahmadabad and the India School of Business-Hyderabad to discuss implementing a joint MBA/CMA program like we have with so many Canadian universities. My predecessor David Hipgrave sowed the seed at these leading academic institutions and after three years of watering that seed I was pleased to finally confirm that we have a pilot group of IIM-Ahmadabad students enrolled in the CMA program (we will call them the fruit of our labour!!). In addition, the ISB is seriously considering the same program for their students. We were also able to develop relationships so that we share our research products, which will eventually be provided to all the CMA Ontario members through our PDI website. I must admit, I was pleased with the success after so much effort.

Once back at my hotel, I sat and read the local newspaper. Inside was a special feature honouring business leaders for the success they enjoyed. Each leader was asked to reveal their “mantra of success.” I found their expressions very interesting. Here are a few of the quotations:

It’s all because.... “My success which has been recognized by The Time Group, is all because of my family, my sons, and also my highly dedicated staff without whose hard work I would not have been here to receive this honour.” BS Sandu, WWICS Group, Mohali

We need a global sight… “The most challenging thing an Indian entrepreneur has to face is integrating family with the business. That is an exception, which is not found anywhere else in the world. We need to think globally and have a global sight. We also need to have more training programmes to generate good people to work for us.” Neerja Saluja, SEL

Honouring commitments…“I believe that my success lies in the values imbibed in us as children. We owe our knowledge and skill to our father and are grateful to have learnt early in life how to take our venture to greater heights. Having higher aspirations and honouring commitments to achieve them.” Sanjeev Kalra, Deepak Fasteners, Ludhiana

Strong will and positive thought…“To be successful I think that one needs very basic qualities. Strong will, positive thought, determination to succeed through hard work and support of family are the main factors that help an individual explore his/her skills. There are no shortcuts to success.” Pawan Goyal, Chemical Resources, Panchkula

Start building a dream from scratch…“Family support is most important in life. When aiming to reach such heights and start from scratch, one has to be very careful and consider the whole family’s opinion. It is a privilege to have such an opportunity in India where family values and ties still hold key importance in any venture.” SK Punj, Sri Sai 
University, Palampur

Be passionate…“An achiever has to be persistent with his dream, along with the support from his/her family, it’s a good team that makes your venture successful.” Rajan Pratap Singh, Sunrise Immigration, Chandigarh

Success is not money… “Money is not the measure of success. I had at a point earned enough money for me and my family and later realized that greater success lies in using that money to make everyone around you grow along with you. It is my family who has supported me all throughout.” IS Brar, Zanders Engineers, Mohali

And there were more:
A vision for the future…
Do it differently…
The target should be very clear…
It’s about firm belief…
The ability to take risks…
Professionalism…
I took my failures as my stepping stones to success…
Strong will and positive thought…
No short cut to success…
Success means happiness…
Futuristic approach…
Drive the dream…
Spirituality is the key…
Faith in humanity and God…

I was challenged to stop and think about what I would write if were to be asked the same question. What would you write?

As I read the article again I noticed a common word in most of the quotations. It was “family”. Many of those quoted recognized the influence family had on their success and with great success it was important not to lose focus on family. That caused me to take my phone and call home just to let my family know that in the middle of some contained celebration, I had not forgotten about what is really the most important focus in my life and that is my family.

On February 21, 2011, let’s celebrate family. Whether they are near or far, alive or departed, let’s be forgiving and thankful and recognize that “to gain the world but lose our family in the process is not success at all.”

Happy New Year!

I recently visited a store where this quote was on the wall behind the sales counter: “Experience is a hard teacher for it gives you the test first and the lesson later!” 

As we begin another year, like most of you I find myself saying, “Where has the time gone?” It’s not only 2010 that has disappeared so fast but a whole decade! As I do look back, we began the 21st century paranoid about the disruption to our world from a possible computer breach brought on by what the techies called “Y2K”. But it never happened! Then we ended the decade paranoid about the disruption to our world from a possible economic collapse which was called the “great recession”. But that massive worldwide disruption never happened! In between those ten years, how many things were we worried about that never happened to the extent we thought they would? Or even if we look at the things that did happen that caused us fear and anxiety, how many of those things did we overcome and leave behind us? No doubt we all can quote so many examples. Why then do we worry so much about tomorrow? Why do we allow our fears to prevent us from having a full and abundant life?

I added a few extra vacation days to the holidays in order to relax after a busy schedule. I was really interested in seeing the movie “The King’s Speech” after hearing so many good reviews about it. The movie was a great lesson in how we allow our fears to paralyze us and rob us of the enormous opportunity to contribute to and receive from what life has to offer. But it was also a great lesson that with the support of family and friends, discipline and training, those fears can be replaced with drive and motivation to be the people we are capable of becoming regardless. How King George was able to overcome his fears and deliver the King’s Speech was itself very motivating but the actual content of the “King’s Speech” was equally as uplifting. You’ll have to see it yourself, if you haven’t already, to know what I mean.

I sometimes wonder why the New Year calendar begins with the first full month of winter, itself a cold and dreary time of year especially since it follows a month of excitement and celebration. The winter can be a tough season to endure. But then I realize I missed an important truth. If I can not only get through but turn January into a month of excitement rather than a time of resentment, how much more wonderful will spring and summer be!

Inspired by Jim Rohn’s The Art of Exceptional Living, just like there are four seasons, there are four lessons that are crucial to your life. By becoming aware of them, learning from them, and applying them, there is no doubt that you will craft a very fulfilling life (authored by Frederic Premji).

Handle the Winters
Every year, winter comes. It always comes. We deal with it by preparing for it. Whether it’s changing our clothing or changing our way of life, we always get ready for winter; because we know it’s coming. The same applies to your life. Rough times WILL come. No life goes smoothly without a problem from beginning to end. Thus, you have to be ready for it, for when it does come, you are not stuck in the cold without a coat. Be ready to handle the winters in your own life.

Take Advantage of the Spring
Every year, after a long winter, comes the spring. This is a time where opportunities arise. Flowers blossom and creatures come out of their hibernation. The same thing applies within your life. After a challenging time, you will be faced with a great opportunity. It is your duty to take full advantage of the spring when it pops up. This is your moment to plant the seeds of greatness to come. You will never see all the beauty that is in life and in nature on this planet if nature decided not to awaken one year in the spring! It does though because it is meant to do so. Hold your own existence to that same standard. Make your springs the springboard to getting where you want to go.

Protect Your Summer
After having planted your seeds in the spring, soon the summer will come. This is a time where you can reap the benefits of your crops. As well as being a time of joy and comfort, it is also a time to be careful. As Jim Rohn points out, “all good will be attacked”. If you are not careful, your crops will be either stolen, destroyed, or spoiled. Therefore you must do whatever it takes to protect your crops. Once you have achieved something in your life, you must defend it. You must stand up for it, and protect its value. Otherwise you may find yourself losing it.

Take Responsibility in the Fall
As the autumn comes, the trees change color, lose their leaves, and the weather gets cooler. As you gear up for another winter, it is the best time to take full responsibility of what happened in the previous seasons, both good and bad. This is the time where you can open yourself to learning the lessons that the previous seasons taught you and put everything into perspective. They say that the fall is the time of the year where there is more depression than any other time. This is due to people not taking such responsibilities and learning from previous successes and/or mistakes. Only by doing so can you be ready once more to handle another winter that is coming, and plan for the following spring and summer.

So what season of life are you in? Are you beginning to experience a winter of discouragement blowing like an icy wind through your life? Or do you still feel the exuberance of spring renewal, or the lazy warmth of summer rest? Perhaps the winds of change have brought an autumn of reflection in your life. 

Be determined that through each season of the year, you will learn from your experiences so that you are challenged and encouraged to discover what's truly important in your own life. When the test does come, and it eventually will, you (and I) will be able to pass with honours. That is the secret to abundant living!

Authority

Three years after joining CMA Ontario in August 2007, I’ve learned much about authority (“governance”) and how that impacts or influences one’s leadership.

As a kid I was the youngest of five brothers with a sister behind me. My parents were certainly not as attentive to me as they were with my oldest brother and my younger sister. I was pretty much left on my own to fend for myself and also to do my own thing. There were the occasional acts of discipline to let me know Dad was still in charge (“leadership”), but they were few and far between. As I grew older I became more independent.  This freedom became a significant factor in how I approached life. My parents had instilled in me a high value system, so (“major”) breaches in ethical and legal codes were never the case. But since I loved my independence, having to work in jobs that were so rules based (“accounting”) and with such strict reviews (“audits”) in addition to strict supervisory oversight, were always a challenge. I always wondered why so many had to check what I had done, was doing or was planning to do. 

Fortunately I landed in companies where my superiors gave me tremendous freedom and independence. Finally, once I became President the shareholders of the company simply said, “All we expect of you is to produce an ROI that meets our investment goals and we will leave you alone.  But if you don’t, we will get someone who can!” So this great status in having freedom of will and choice that I thought was the ultimate position in life had its price. At one point I wasn’t convinced I would be able to meet the ROI goal expected of me, so we sold the company. 

Moving in to the role of President & CEO of CMA Ontario was a huge paradigm shift for me and a huge risk for the Board of Directors (BOD). They hired someone from an entrepreneurial background to lead a regulated not-for profit accounting organization with a well established governance (“authority”) structure. My attitude coming into the job couldn’t be one of “I’ll do what I want” as I had been used to most of my life. I had to accept and respect the source of my authority that influenced my leadership. I quickly learned that the BOD receives its authority from the Members (while focused on the interests of the corporation). The President & CEO receives his/her authority from the BOD. Management receives its authority from the President & CEO and so on. It seems so simple, and it is, and it works, most of the time. I am given the freedom to carry out my role and responsibilities and exercise my leadership according to the authoritative code (“governance”) that is laid out for me. If I breach that authoritative code (“governance”), conflict arises and if not resolved, consequences are applied.

But it made me think. Why do some of those in our organizations have such problems with authority (“governance”)? Why do these people at times in their careers believe they are not subject to the ones that are in authority, that is those that have been put in a position of leadership? What causes leaders to be impotent, incapable of fulfilling their mandate?

An article written by Eric Klein of Dharma Consulting addresses this topic quite well. 

When it comes to leadership, most organizations (people) are the same way: we want and don’t want leadership.

We’re ambivalent about leadership.
We like it when people exercise leadership in ways that are inspiring and bring out our best qualities. We like leadership that generates breakthrough results without requiring us to break a sweat. But we don’t want leadership if it causes discomfort, confusion, or sore muscles (mentally and emotionally). We don’t want to have to go through a lot of messy transformation on our way to breakthrough results.

This ambivalence makes exercising leadership a real challenge.
Because the people you work with both want and don’t want you to exercise leadership. Essentially, they want you to resolve their struggles without any . . . well . . . struggle. And that is rarely possible. So, when you take leadership action – you’ll be met with an ambivalent response. In some ways, your leadership is longed for and welcomed. In other ways, it’s the last thing anyone really wants from you.

This ambivalence applies to your boss, your peers, and your direct reports.
And it makes the practice of leadership tricky. Marty Linsky, of Harvard’s Kennedy School, captures this trickiness perfectly in his phrase: “Leadership is disappointing people at a rate they can absorb.”

Facing this ambivalence can trigger your own doubts and hesitancy about exercising leadership.
Better, it seems, to rely on your authority – the power that comes with your job description. At least, when you wield your designated authority, no one can say you’re not doing your job. Because, that’s exactly what you will be doing when you act within those well-defined bounds.

It’s when you step over the line of your sanctioned authority that you enter into the ambivalent world of leadership.
That’s when people can say, with some justification:

• “Who does he/she think he is?”
• “That’s not her/his job!”
• “We don’t have to listen to him/her.”

When people sense that you’re acting outside the bounds of your sanctioned authority – they’re ambivalent.
A part of them is relieved and thankful that at last someone is speaking the truth. While another part of them is irritated and anxious about dealing with issues that have been unspoken, even taboo, for so long.

When people in your organization call out to you for leadership – be aware.
They do want leadership. And they don’t. For a lot of reasons: their plate is full; they’re busy and overwhelmed. And they’re comfortable in their current state – no matter how miserable that comfort may appear.

All this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t lead.
It just means that you need a strong sense of purpose to guide you. A purpose that can keep you company as you encounter the inevitable ups and downs that will occur as you experience the organization’s ambivalence to leadership.

This purpose is at once deeply personal and organizationally relevant.
It can’t simply be an idea that’s logical. Logical arguments rarely have the power to withstand organizational ambivalence. (This is not to say that you must abandon logic. No. You must simply augment the logic of your position with a deeply felt sense of values and purpose.)

The more intimately you can fuse your own sense of values with the idea you’re proposing – the more you will be able to weather the storm of ambivalence.

Are you ready to wade in? Here are some questions to get started:

• What is an issue that you believe needs attention and is currently being neglected?
• What is a conversation that you believe needs to happen but which is currently being avoided?
• What is an idea that you believe needs to be championed but is currently without powerful sponsorship?

Your answers to these questions are your invitation to exercise leadership.
But, don’t dive right in. Recognize that you will be welcomed and resisted. Embraced and argued with. It’s inevitable. So, take it slowly. Because while what you’re offering the organization may, from your perspective, look as tempting and tasty as wonderful dessert. But people can only absorb it a spoonful at a time.

Those in leadership may find themselves in a lonely place at times. It takes courage, perseverance and a strong sense of purpose to overcome those who resist you. Don’t give up because your leadership is required to move the organization forward. At the same time, don’t misuse your authority.

Temptation

Temptation is a powerful adversary! On a recent trip to India, temptation with its piercing eyes stared at me several times. One time I lost to its enticement, another time I didn’t. Here’s my story. 

Very seldom when I travel alone for business do I ever buy anything to bring back home. And when I do, the value never exceeds the allowable Canada Customs limit. Being away for more than a week, my limit on this trip was $750. Before I left home I was asked to bring back a few specially made Indian scarves called Pashminas. I was to buy three, one each for my mother, wife and daughter. The request was simple enough, one would think. But for a man, picking out scarves for women halfway across the world, in a busy market in New Delhi, was a formidable task. Not knowing if the pattern and colour would be acceptable, I purchased a fourth, just in case. “Just in case” was really my personal risk management strategy. The value of the four scarves was less than $400 (I still overspent, but then didn’t want to be found guilty of buying cheap products). So not only did I feel comfortable that these three women would like at least three out of the four scarves, I was happy that I was well below Custom’s limit for declaration. 

But then the first temptation occurred. I purchased the scarves at a store called “Royal Clothiers.” The sales staff sized me up pretty quickly and concluded I was a prime candidate to buy a “customized, tailor made suit”. So the sales pitch and bargaining began. Various materials were laid on the counter with prices that made the temptation to buy unbearable. But I threw out a response; a defensive tactic that I was sure would cause me to lessen temptation’s influence. It was 5:30pm and I was leaving later that night to return home. There certainly would not be enough time to measure, cut, fit and deliver a new suit to me. But I lost the battle. They would take the measurements now, be at my hotel by 9:30pm for a fitting (I was leaving at 11:00pm for the airport), and ship my suit to Canada prepaid. So for $410 I yielded to temptation’s forcible grip. They measured me, did show up at my hotel at 9:30pm for a fitting, and I must say I was wowed, since there were no adjustments to be made - a perfect fit. I was now the owner of a tailor made suit named “Cavali” (I believe it’s a variation of “Canali” at Harry Rosen). My only hope now is that the suit actually is shipped and when I do wear it no one knows how much I paid for it! 

Sitting in my seat on the Air Canada flight to Toronto from Frankfurt, after flying for eight hours from New Delhi and waiting in an airport for four hours for a connecting flight, it was time to complete the Canada Customs declaration card. The start of temptation’s second attempt began. During the flight from New Delhi, I hadn’t given this any thought. I dutifully provided all the personal information requested. But then the investigative questions were presented to me. The first few were easy: I wasn’t bringing back any food, or firearms; hadn’t visited a farm. But “Did I purchase goods that exceeded my travel limit? Did I purchase goods that were not accompanying me but would be shipped later? Yes or no?” 

Now how many of us have faced those questions before? And how many of us said yes or no, knowing the possible consequences to each answer. If I said yes, I’d not be able to exit the building quickly but they would send me to another room, search all my baggage, ask me a number of frustrating questions, make me complete more paperwork and then charge me extra duty on the amount over the allowable limit. After being in the air for 18 hours, sitting in airports for seven hours, I just wanted to get out of there, go home, have a shower and go to bed. The temptation to say no to each of these questions and record an amount lower than $750 was very strong. What would be the chances of Canada Customs knowing the difference? In addition, nobody records the real amount anyway. Everyone wants to beat the system. Everybody does it, don’t they? 

But if I said no, I might get caught. My transactions were on a credit card, so the purchases could easily be traced. Plus, these customs officers are trained to ask the right questions, observe body language and identify the wrongdoers. If I was caught, the headlines might read “President and CEO of CMA Ontario caught lying on his declarations at Customs!” How irresponsible it would be of me to place the reputation of CMA Ontario at risk by such a worthless temptation. 

What should I do? Really there is only one answer to that question. My professional position really had nothing to do with it. The answer was really governed by my personal values and responsibility. Was saving $60 worth the compromise? Was saving another 10 minutes at Customs worth the reputational risk? My personal behaviour cannot be separated though from my responsibility as a CMA. In everything I do, I must recognize my responsibility to myself and to others and the organization(s) I represent. 

At the end of our days on Earth, all we have to leave behind is a reputation. A reputation is used to positively or negatively influence the lives of family, friends and business colleagues. 

Reputational risk is both a corporate and personal matter. Is there anything we are doing that would place at risk the reputation of the firms we work for? Are we risking the value of our CMA designation with behaviours that not only might void the CMA Code of Conduct or Ethics, but professionally is unacceptable? Are we acting and behaving as true professional accountants in everything we do? 

In the end, I did answer yes to both of those probing questions at Customs. I wrote in the correct amount of the purchases I made. I was queried by the Customs officer, who was from India, and we had a good laugh at my story. She was obliged to report my purchases, but was hopeful the small variance would be ignored. I was directed to the inside room where I had to meet another Customs officer. He too was from India, and understood the background of my transactions. He did not search my luggage. He did not charge me extra duty. The whole matter didn’t cost me any extra money and not more than five extra minutes of my time was spent there. In fact, when I exited the airport, I stood on the curb waiting to be picked up for more than 10 minutes since my wife was late arriving! 

No matter what, whether the temptation is big or small, compromising our professional and personal values is simply not worth the reputational risk to our firms, our families, our friends and us! 

Did you know that of all the western industrialized countries, Canada has the highest rate of fraud! 

The temptation to compromise is great! But so is the price! Just don’t do it! You are worth more!

Don’t Wear Sandals!

Okay… summer is here again and that means it’s time to wear sandals! Or is it? 

I’ve become a recent fan of Dr. Oz, or some may call him the “Wizard of Oz”. He has a daily TV show that features stories on how to improve our lives by making the right health choices. On one show he featured a podiatrist, a doctor who specializes in foot care. The audience was told “Don’t wear sandals”. That is, of course, unless you’re at the beach, which is the ONLY exception to the rule. Needless to say, this was shocking! How many of us long for the change in weather so we can throw off the boots, the shoes and the socks and get as close as we can to being barefoot. It is a great release, freedom and comfort. When I worked and travelled through the Middle East, I admired and envied those who had the freedom to wear sandals 24/7 for work and play. So, here in Canada when spring has sprung, sandals (or flip flops) become the norm. And for many, that norm is even brought into the workplace, since sandals have come in their own right a fashion statement and accessory. But again, the experts warn, “Don’t wear sandals unless you are at the beach”. It just seems to be such a heretical statement. But read the reasons why it isn’t:

“Wearing sandals/flip flops was once considered a fashion faux pas; it was a shoe reserved only for beach goers or a quick stroll to the mailbox on a hot summer day. However, in recent years, wearing sandals/flip flops has become considerably more fashion forward, if not perfectly acceptable footwear for lunch, a dinner date, or even a congressional meeting at the White House. In fact, wearing flip flops has become so popular that many major designers from J. Crew to Lands’ End are designing them for the masses. However, sports medicine and podiatry experts are warning that wearing sandals/flip flops could be bad for our bodies. There are many reasons why wearing sandals/flip flops could be harmful to our bodies and the scientific studies are there to back it up. As a rule, sandals/flip flops are not particularly supportive shoes even if they are comfortable and cool to wear. There is virtually no arch support to a sandal/flip flop shoe and wearing them excessively can in fact impact the feet, legs, and lower back.  Further, by sheer nature of design, wearing sandals/flip flops causes us to change our gait. A shoe that isn’t exactly designed to conform to the foot, the sandal/flip flop doesn’t stay on the foot well. In order to walk without losing a shoe, people subconsciously change the way they walk. Over a long period of time, excessive wearing of sandals/flip flops could lead to foot, leg and back pain. The long-term effect of wearing sandals/flip flops has been cautioned against, but some podiatrists also warn of short-term effects. Wearing sandals/flip flops instead of more appropriate footwear for certain activities, especially when excessive walking is involved, can lead to injured feet and ankles. The stability of sandals/flip flops is lacking, making it more likely to slip, trip, fall and subsequently twist an ankle.” 

But we chose to ignore the advice of experts and then complain when our selfish decision results in calamity!

That last point was made real to me when a few months ago during the regular spring cleanup at the cottage I began my chores wearing sandals. I was raking and blowing leaves off the property at the water’s edge which is quite steep. I lost my balance, my ankle twisted and I even ripped off the nail from my big toe (ouch!). I scolded myself for being so careless as to attempt such an activity without the proper footwear. What a difference the right work boots would have made to my health and performance!

But a more important message was made real to me. 

How many of us attempt to walk the journey of life without being properly prepared?

We fail to prepare ourselves financially, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Then, when a crook in the road attempts to throw us off our planned direction, a steep hill seems impossible to climb, the torrential rain tries to blind us or a pothole shakes our wellbeing, we lose control resulting in unnecessary harm and injury. In contrast, if we were well prepared and balanced in all aspects of our life, for the most part, life’s journey can be quite an enjoyable adventure in spite of its surprises along the way.

"On life's journey faith is nourishment, virtuous deeds are a shelter, wisdom is the light by day and right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him." - Buddha

I also discovered a second important message from this simple experience about the ongoing journey called “corporate life”. Are our companies prepared for gruelling and lengthy business battles? We wonder why the competition (i.e. “the enemy”) is doing better than us or how we are going to fight an economic storm. But when we examine what we are wearing on our corporate feet, it is no wonder our companies are weakened and hurting! We lack direction, we don’t have the proper technology, we failed to map out the right processes, we hire the wrong people, we won’t invest in training to develop our talent, and we ignore the importance of a winning culture.  Our companies simply have on the wrong footwear to win the battle! We choose to ignore the advice of business experts leading to our eventual regret!

"One defends when his strength is inadequate; he attacks when it is abundant!" - Sun Tau - The Art of War

For many of us whether personal or corporate, life isn’t a beach. So, don’t wear sandals!

A World of Contrasts

In December 2007, we heard the news of an earthquake (9.1-9.3 on the Richter scale) in the Southeast Asia region (Indian Ocean) causing a massive tsunami resulting in more than 250,000 deaths, half of them in Indonesia. More than US$ 7billion in aid was donated. And now in January 2010, just a few years later, another equally massive earthquake has hit Haiti where the estimated death toll will exceed 200,000 people. We have seen a constant display of scenes of sadness and despair. In both cases, while many lives were lost, many more lives were grossly affected by injury, disease, loss of home, job and future. Canadians have responded to Haiti’s plight with a resounding testament of sympathy. In both cases Canada, on a per capita basis, responded more generously than any other country with financial aid. This is something for us to be truly proud of, if there can be a thing as pride in the midst of such disaster. 

I found it interesting that while CNN, BBC, CNBC and other world news networks constantly reported on the Haiti situation, and as we read about it in Time, McLean’s, Economist or other major magazines and newspapers, or searched for information and pictures on Google, Yahoo and MSN, many of our own lives were unaffected. We were touched by what we saw and read, we generously supported those agencies calling for financial help, but really nothing changed for us. 

I struggle with how to personally deal with such calamity that is all around us. During the height of the Haiti news coverage, I imagined someone being buried alive, grasping for breath, hoping beyond measure to hear in the darkness the sound of another voice, or the clang of a shovel, or the rumbling of a jackhammer. And while they lie there in fear - a child’s mother, a father‘s only son, a helpless baby - life is quickly slipping away, in other parts of the world, we go about our daily business, unaffected and sometimes oblivious to it all. 

Last week, the Toronto Board of Trade held its 122nd annual dinner at the Toronto Convention Centre. It was a black tie and evening gown event and yes, it was great. Approximately 1,500 guests were seated at linen lined tables, adorned with china and crowned with candelabras, feasting on filet mignon. It was a celebration of “Toronto the Good”. At the beginning of the dinner, a moment of silence was held for the people of Haiti and we were made to feel proud of our charity. But as I stood for a brief moment in quiet contemplation, I could not help but think of the contrasts before us: 

A room decorated in splendour versus a city (Port au Prince) decorated in rubble. 
People covered in the most expensive suits and dresses versus people covered in dirt and blood. 
Tables presented with the finest foods versus broken hands stretched outwards for a small cup of rice. 
Faces wrinkled with laughter and delight versus faces wet and worn with tears of sorrow. 

The question before me was: What am I supposed to do as an individual, as a Canadian, as a CMA? 

As President and CEO of CMA Ontario, my responsibility is to ensure that we graduate CMAs with the skills and competencies to support organizations in optimizing enterprise performance. After their graduation, we believe our responsibility extends to providing the resources to support and enhance the career continuum of our members. All of us as CMAs have a responsibility to act professionally and be leaders in the community. We honour those CMAs whose contribution to the profession, to the organization and to the community is exceptional with an FCMA (“Fellow” CMA) . 

But is there more we should be doing as an organization, as a membership, or as a CMA? What is our corporate social responsibility as it relates to the greater need? 

There’s a poem that says, “There is: 

A time to live, a time to die 
A time for joy, a time to cry 
A time to build up, a time to tear down 
A time to smile, a time to frown 
A time to bandage, a time to bleed 
A time to go forward, a time to heed 
A time to choke, a time to breathe 
A time to rejoice, a time to grieve 
A time to speak, a time to hear 
A time to be brave, a time to fear 
A time to be numb, a time to feel 
A time to hurt, a time to heal 
A time to work, a time to rest 
A time to be worst, a time to be best 
A time to have all, a time to choose 
A time to love, a time to lose” 

In this crazy world of contrasts, maybe it’s time we re-evaluate. Maybe it’s time that we reach beyond ourselves, even beyond our own community and we extend our reach to those who need more than a great accountant, or much more than a financial donation. 

Much money will be spent in February on Valentine’s Day to declare how much we love our significant other. Maybe it’s time we reach out a hand to those less fortunate, those at home and abroad, and we try and make their life better. Maybe it’s time to do something more than just give money. February 15th is Family Day! Think about it.

‘Tis the Season

From 2002 until 2007, my career was in consulting. Half of my time was spent working in the Middle East and the other half in North America. My business partner at the time was Mansoor who originated from Pakistan but lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for 18 years. We owned and operated The Corporate LIFE Centre International Inc. My Middle East work was concentrated primary in Saudi Arabia (“KSA”) with some assignments in Kuwait, Bahrain, Dubai and Egypt. For five years while travelling back and forth to the KSA (i.e. Jeddah, Dahman and Riyadh), I worked with such firms as: ZFP (the largest architectural and engineering firm in the Middle East), the King Fahd University of Minerals and Petroleum, Sipchem (a billion dollar petrochemical business), and SBG, the largest construction company in KSA and one of the largest in the world with over 100,000 employees. I had the opportunity to learn a lot about this part of the world but most importantly I developed several new friendships with individuals I would never have thought of as ever being part of my life. I also was taught a few invaluable lessons. 

My first visit to KSA was not unlike any other international trip I have made. But upon entering the country I was surprised. It is interesting how the media can wrongly shape one’s perception about a country and its people. I was greeted at the customs desk by my sponsor Siraj. The process was straightforward and soon I was on my way through the streets of Jeddah to the Hilton Hotel. Jeddah is a port city of several million people. It is very modern, clean and has its own historical “old Jeddah” where I saw the actual former living quarters of “Lawrence of Arabia” and what some consider the tomb of “Eve”. The Hilton Hotel was located along a line of several western hotel chains overlooking the Red Sea. Peering out my room’s window, it was as if you were in the Caribbean… a very beautiful setting with palm trees lining the road and water’s edge. 

Once I was settled, Siraj, Mansoor and I met for dinner to discuss the assignment ahead of us. People were strolling along the boardwalk , sitting on the grass or lying on carpets laid out on the sand and enjoying the beautiful and peaceful surroundings. Siraj taught me my first lesson. He told me that is was their custom to ensure their guest’s needs were totally taken care of for the first three days of their visit. So, I, being the guest, was introduced to Saudi hospitality. It was an amazing experience. Our client, SBG, ensured that whatever was required to make me comfortable and relaxed during this first visit to Jeddah, would be done.

And their hospitality didn’t expire after three days but continued for the two weeks I was there. Everyone at SBG was advised of my coming. A parking spot was provided in the executive parking lot, a private office and meeting room was assigned, a butler was on duty from the time I arrived until I left to ensure anything I needed was afforded me, and the executives of the company set aside time to not only take me out for dinner but to challenge my 4x4-ing skills among the desert sand dunes. But the most amazing experience was one of several evening dinners, laid out on carpets underneath the starry sky in the desert while we all sat, talked and laughed about life itself. 

We discovered we all had the same wants and needs in life: health, family, security and happiness. But they did ask for one thing from me in return: while it is custom to ensure the guest’s plate is always filled with food, I was asked to oblige their hospitality by eating the brains from the lamb that was served for dinner. So with a spoon full of lamb’s brains in one hand and a can of Coca Cola (I demanded a Coke since I figured it would kill anything I ate) I met my guests’ demands and was then accepted completely into their circle of friends. I quickly realized they also had a great sense of humour and I fell for it. Upon leaving two weeks later, several members of this family-owned business honoured me with gifts to take back to Canada. When I did get back home, and after unpacking, I discovered they not only had a gift for me, but they also sought out the names of my children, Richard and Joanna, and my wife, Linda, and had special gifts for each of them as well. Inside our curio cabinet in the dining room is a beautiful crystal decanter set, that has been appraised in excess of $7,000, and is a tangible reminder of the value these newfound friends placed on my visit and acquaintance. To this day, I regard my acquaintances in Saudi Arabia as my friends and I theirs. 

While one may cite the above as a single experience, there were so many others. We were travelling from Riyadh to Jeddah with an appointment to see Ahmed, the President of Sipchem. Our flight was late and so we arrived at Sipchem’s office late. Upon meeting Ahmed we apologized for the delay, explained the situation, but then had to advise him our meeting had to be shortened in order for us to catch our next flight to Dubai. Now, we were meeting Ahmed to make a pitch for a piece of business that other very large consulting firms were also bidding on and our chances of securing would be low. Our flight situation was not helping our cause. But Ahmed didn’t reject or scold us, rather his first concern was our getting to the airport on time to catch our flight and to achieve that he ordered his personal driver to take us to the airport. This again was an amazing experience of Saudi hospitality that I experienced time after time during my several years of travel there. It helped shape my own attitude of hospitality.

“Tis the Season”

During the month of December, it is the season when there will be many lunches, dinners, parties and festivities. It will all be very enjoyable and we will be at times impressed by various forms of hospitality. But come the New Year, we will put it all behind us and we will cocoon ourselves into our winter caves only to come out when the ice thaws and the snow crystals turn to rain. And we will again look for another reason to celebrate. But I am reminded of what Siraj told me, how Sheik Abdulla welcomed me and how Ahmed supported me. They not only said it but demonstrated it: “it is our custom, our practice, our way of life”!

May we adopt “peace on earth and goodwill towards men” as our custom, as our practice, as our way of life so that in all things we say and do, our neighbor will experience not just in December, but all year long the true meaning of the season. 

For businesses, the word and practice of “hospitality” is defined as “customer service”. I appreciate the reminders from our members that CMA’s hospitality or customer service requires constant focus and attention. Recently, I attended an accounting conference in Phoenix, Arizona. On this particular occasion, Linda accompanied me. The hospitality of the hotel was what one would expect from J. W. Marriott. They have a reputation for good customer service. Upon departure and in a cab to the airport, Linda discovered she had left her sweater in the closet of the room we stayed. The sweater wasn’t expensive so leaving it behind wasn’t going to cost us much. But she really liked that sweater so she called the hotel to see if by chance it was still in the room. The hotel concierge wasn’t able to tell her what she wanted to hear, but did say they would check and if it was, would send it to her home address. We arrived back in Toronto Wednesday night. On Thursday afternoon, the day after our arrival, there was a knock on the door and standing there was a FedEx agent with a parcel for Linda sent prepaid by J. W. Marriott. Inside that parcel, neatly folded was Linda’s sweater. We are now J. W. Marriott fans (“friends”) for life. 

You can call it hospitality or customer service. You can speak of individuals or corporations. It doesn’t matter. The principles are all the same and they are absolute.

It is not “Tis the Season”. It is how life should be.

Let’s Not Forget

For those of us with kids, we remember those “firsts” when they started to grow up. Their first step, their first words, their first day of school, their first date, their first breakup, their first time taking the car, their first traffic ticket, their first car accident, their first trip alone, their first... you fill in the blank.

But I wonder who taught our kids or us that most famous of phrases “I forgot”. It seems at a very young age, these two words formed their first phrase which became their first excuse. 

Did you pick up your clothes? I forgot.

Did you do your homework? I forgot.

Did you brush your teeth? I forgot.

Did you turn out the lights? I forgot.

And even as they get older it doesn’t stop. Recently, I was away for the weekend. I asked my kids, who are now young adults, if they would put out the garbage for me. When I finally came back home, I opened the garage door and there it still was. I asked, “Why didn’t you guys put out the garbage for me?” For them the simple answer or excuse was “We forgot!” And I find myself caught in the same place when I might be asked “Merv, did you pick up milk?” and my easy answer back is, “I’m sorry, I forgot!”

It is interesting that right after Thanksgiving comes Remembrance Day. One reminds us to be thankful for what we have, and the other emphasizes the importance of remembering what we have from the sacrifice of others. Maybe Remembrance Day should come before Thanksgiving Day. If we remember first, it is then much easier to be thankful.

Remembrance Day is associated with those whose lives were sacrificed for our freedom and safety. This we should not forget and we should be very thankful for. But it is easy to forget since most of us, including myself, have not been close enough to these events or associated with the tragedy arising from these events to have impressed upon us the sacrifice that was made our behalf. It is said, “There is no greater love than one who would lay down their life for their friends.” Wow! So thanks to all those who not only gave their lives over the years for our sake, but also to all the friends and family who were tragically affected as well by such sacrifice. We do not forget their suffering for our sake. That point was made clear to me recently when my friend Howard posted on his Facebook page a request that we remember in our prayers his nephew who was travelling to Afghanistan, a war whose purpose causes much confusion and controversy because we do not understand the issues associated with it. So many lives lost and families in pain because of war. I couldn’t imagine how I would handle such tragedy if it was my son Richard or my daughter Joanna. 

I found this interesting poem which reflects on war and peace. Unfortunately, I do not know the author.

Man invents war. Man discovers peace.
He invents war from without.
He discovers peace from within.
War man throws. Peace man sows.
The smile of war is the flood of human blood.
The smile of peace is the love, below, above.  

Peace is the whole truth that wishes to enrapture humanity.
War is the whole falsehood that wants to capture humanity.
Peace begins in the soul and ends in the heart.
War begins in the mind and ends in the body.  

War forgets peace. Peace forgives war.
War is the death of the life human. Peace is the birth of the Life Divine.
Our vital passions want war.
Our psychic emotions desire peace.
War is clear futility in dire spear-stupidity.
Peace is flowing infinity in glowing eternity.  

Man seeks war when he thinks that the world is not his.
Man invites war when he feels that he can conquer the world.
Man proclaims war when he dreams
     that the world has already surrendered to him.  

Man seeks peace because his earthly existence desperately needs it.
Man welcomes peace because he feels      
     that in peace alone is his life of achievement and fulfillment.
Man spreads peace because he wants to transcend death.  

The animal in man wars against peace in the outer world,
       in the world of conflicting ideas.
The divine in man wars against ignorance in the inner world, 
       in the world of mounting ideals.  

The animal in man wants war for the sake of war, 
       war to devour the snoring world.
The divine in man wants peace for the sake of peace,
       peace to feed the hungry world.

Do I, do we remember what we should remember? 

Let’s not forget our past.

Life is lived forward but understood backwards!

Let’s not forget to:

Be thankful for what we have and who we are.

Be kind and do good to one another.

Be hopeful for a better future.

Finding Your Centre

LIFE is a series of twist and turns... it's important to "find your centre". Don't allow people, events or circumstances to cause you to detour or fall. Stay focused!

In 2008, I received a new kayak from my wife Linda with all the supporting gear for Father’s Day. For most of the year it resided in the basement of the cottage, only touching the water three times. So, this summer I decided to reciprocate and I also bought Linda a kayak. This was a great decision because now every chance we get, our kayaks are in the water and we enjoy the peace and enjoyment they create. I purchased Linda’s kayak from the Paddle Shack on Highway 11, near Gravenhurst. The sales associate was showing us all the features and benefits when he made a statement that caught my attention.

He said “once you find your centre the rest becomes easy”!

That statement has resided with me all summer, causing me to think about my life from a new perspective.

As a kid growing up, I remember my mom always yelling at me, “Mervin, stay away from the water!” I am accident prone or as others may say, clumsy. I love the water and was known to climb the rocks, explore the shoreline and maybe go just a little bit too close to the water’s edge. Without exception, I would fall in but little did that detour me, even as an adult. Once at the cottage, I was at the water’s edge, which is very rocky, and as I was walking along, fully dressed, with wallet, Blackberry and money in my pockets, my foot slipped and I took an unplanned bath. Recently when I was in Portugal, I decided to walk the beach. The tide was out, so it was a sandy shoreline with no expectation of me being washed away. As I walked with my jeans rolled up, in bare feet, the ocean surprised me and a wave came in all the way up to the road with me caught in the middle, and I received an unexpected salt water bath. Needless to say, the wife and kids enjoy many laughs at my expense. So for me, balancing a kayak while paddling, upon entry and upon exit, is a major challenge. And yes, if you are wondering, just last weekend while entering the kayak, I lost my balance and enjoyed a fresh, cool and very wet morning soak. So when Mr. Paddle Shack said finding your centre is the most critical first step when learning to kayak, I knew from experience what he meant.

Last weekend, while Linda was participating in the 60km “Walk to End Breast Cancer”, my son Richard and I decided to go mountain biking. I really enjoy mountain biking and always prided myself on my ability to balance and control my bike in rough terrain. We choose the Halton Conservation mountain biking trails at the top of the Niagara Escarpment. Upon entering, a sign noted green (beginner), blue (intermediate), black (advanced) and double black (expert), just like the skiing trails. To be nice to his old man, Richard suggested we start on blue. I was fine with that. So off we went, excited, anxious and energized. 

That’s when the statement “finding your centre” was really brought home to me. 

While some of the trails were flat, making the ride easy, others were also very narrow from a groove being carved in the ground so that a mountain bike had very little room or ability to do anything creative. A rider was left simply following the path that others had defined. It made me think that staying in the same groove continually is safe but boring, certainly not very challenging and certainly does not promote risk taking or develop one’s ability. I was anxious to do more. That “more” arrived sooner than I expected. 

A list of trail names provided some understanding of the terrain we would face. These included:

-Cheater’s Alley
-Xtream Trail Bypass
-Rough Trade
-Rock Garden
-Rocky Road
-Quarry Trail
-Wizards Way
-Wide Open
-Farmer Peter’s Field

Each trail (some blue, some black and even double black) had its own surprise, whether it was a steep downhill run, protruding rocks, loose gravel, water, stumps, twists and turns, tree stumps and one-inch wide bridges!

Whatever the trail designers could think of they put in front of us to try and slow us down, deter us, create equipment failure or cause us to loose our balance, eventually throw us off our bike and stop or maybe give up. 

There were times when I wanted to stop and give up. I thought if I have to climb one more hill, face one more obstacle, go another mile, I just can’t. But my energized son kept me moving and after 16km and 3 hours of travelling on trails of varying difficulty, we made it home. Hurrah!

Life is like that, isn’t it? People, events and circumstances seemingly all have one objective in mind and that is to throw us off our centre, to cause us to lose our focus and our balance, to deviate from the centre and fall down and give up. 

But, once we find our centre, it doesn’t matter what is thrown at us, what surprises occur, what obstacles are put in our way, what people say or do, you and I ARE able to overcome.

Michael Lee-Chin, the former CEO of AIC, when interviewed by MacLean’s magazine recently said it this way: “It doesn’t matter what people say or what people do to you or what happens, as long as you know that you have done the right thing”. Knowing you have done the right thing is determined by “finding your centre”.

Once you find your centre, dealing with life is a lot easier and rewarding.

After I found my centre when kayaking a few times, each trip became easier and more rewarding. I was able to improve my balance and co-ordination, and venture into new unchartered territory with confidence.

Since they are constructed of people, organizations must also find their centre and not let events or circumstances cause them to lose focus. The upheaval of the last one to two years has caused many companies to misfire or fall to the onslaught of events and circumstance. These were once mighty powerhouses that were considered invincible and infallible, and have now fallen to the wayside. Because they deviated from their core or centre, they got caught in the upheaval, lost their focus and ultimately failed.

As CMAs we have a personal, professional and organizational responsibility to know our centre and be champions of personal and corporate sustainability.