There were many wonderful presentations at TED 2009, but amidst the sea of brilliant thought I found Barry Schwartz to have a special resonance for me.  Ironic because he’s not the most dynamic and I am not sure the other TEDsters would pick out his narrative as one of their favorites.  That said in my own personal journey I have become focused and attentive on optimizing ‘wisdom, love and health’ (some days are better than others!) and his narrative struck a chord - especially when he spoke about our need to add ‘moral jazz’ into our every deliberation.

Imagine if…

Imagine the ability to create a cultural shift by simply allowing folks to see the possibility…

There exists a myriad of reasons why untapped potential remains untapped, but one in particular stands out for me.  It is the inability to capture the essence and verve of what you are trying to communicate in a way that connects.  In other words, it is a big design question…HOW DO YOU GET OTHERS TO SEE WHAT YOU SEE?  How can you best optimize the possibility for what you are trying to express?  My fervent belief is that a part of the answer lies in one simple principle…SEE-FEEL-CHANGE.

I commented the other day on Twitter that every brand in the sustainability movement should invest in a film and video posse to tell their story.  Why?  The premise is simple…cultures with great ideas need to bring their story to life in a way that folks can SEE their vision.  Let them FEEL the essence of your verve and watch the CHANGE that unfolds.  As John Kotter suggests in his book The Heart of Change, one of the fundamental principles for creating shifts is SEE-FEEL-CHANGE.  Folks will be more likely to shift their thinking when they can see and feel the intention.

Consider the following examples:

1.  PARTICIPANT MEDIA - The folks at Participant Media and Film get it.   Founder Jeff Skoll understands the power and role film have played in influencing legislation and highlighted An Inconvenient Truth as the best illustration of “the power of film to make a difference.”  Their next film, Food, Inc. coming out this summer looks to be another powerful movie can move a nation.  And be sure to put Jacques Perrin’s Ocean (not a Participant Media film) on your list of must see movies.  I saw a sneak peak at TED this past year and all I can say is that for many of us we will never look at ocean in the same way…breathtaking.

2.  TED - The brilliant thing called TED - founded on the notion of Ideas Worth Spreading.  How do these ideas spread? By sharing twenty minute videos of amazing thinkers, concepts and ideas. In the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee we can be transported in a way that let’s us SEE a new world of scintillating thought.

3.  TECHNOLOGY - Got a camera and a computer?  Then watch the magic happen.  Case in point - youtube sensations Free Hugs (43 million views) and Where The Hell is Matt.  Technology is your friend and there is an abundance of platforms and technologies to let folks SEE your story.

4.  THE GIRL EFFECT - Trying to systemically eliminate the lack of opportunity for young girls in impoverished countries?  Too darn daunting to even consider unless of course you watch The NIKE Foundation video called The Girl Effect and then you SEE a new world of inspiration and hope.

5.  SETH GODIN - What’s interesting is that Seth Godin generally does not use visual elements to tell his stories, but he is incredibly adept at synthesizing complex ideas into resonant and compelling thought.  He allows us to SEE the metaphysical through words.

6.  WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE - I never thought Where the Wild Things Are could be a movie.  Spike Jonze and the movie trailer let me SEE that what I thought was once impossible is indeed possible.

7.  SEVENTH GENERATION / BRAND CATALOG - When I was CMO at Seventh Generation we realized that we needed to continue to bring the brand to life by humanizing our intentions and product.  The team saw an opportunity to elevate our thinking by creating a simple catalog (the line was previously suggested on an excel spread sheet)…only it was not simply a catalog.  The team created a catalog inspired to be a coffee table book that shared the heartbeat of the brand and activity in a way many reps, accounts and others previously did not SEE.

8.  BIOMIMICRY - Have you ever been connected to biomimicry - nature as a mentor?  Read Janine Benyus’s book Biomimicry and you are attracted to the concept of nature.  Spend a day in the woods with Janine and you are not only attracted, but also engaged and captured by nature in a way that you SEE that nature is indeed our greatest mentor.

Ultimately it is about discovering the acupuncture point that best ignites the human spirit and allows us to SEE.  It can be done thru words, sound or visual design. That said there is an abundance of great ideas and great individuals striving to create positive systemic change.   The beauty is that creating a shift need not be expensive and complex.  The key is to discover the power of storytelling in a way that we can SEE the possibility…

What happens when you create the nexus between Burning Man, TED and Where the Wild Things Are?  Not sure, but I will find out soon.  I just confirmed that I will be speaking at The DO Lectures 2009 in Cardigan, Wales.  Incredibly stoked.  Should be a cool and enlightening adventure.  Thanks to The DO Lecture posse for the invite!

See you in September!

The Do Lectures 2008 from The DO Lectures on Vimeo.

Have you ever pondered why untapped potential is…untapped?

Perhaps you should meet Sir Ken Robinson. Every now and then you read something that simply speaks to you in a way that moves your soul.  Sir Ken Robinson’s new book THE ELEMENT is a rush of amen’s and hell yeahs coupled with incessant murmurs of brilliant. More than anything it is a gift.  A gift that can ignite one’s soul to think anew.  To live life the way it was meant to be lived - in an extraordinary fashion.  Ultimately, it’s about optimizing the possibility for what could be.

THE ELEMENT represents the nexus between one’s natural aptitude and personal passion.  It breaks the rules that bind and in doing so liberates us to rethink, reframe and redesign how we hold life’s next chapter.  It’s great for you, your family (if you have kids PLEASE read the book) and your friends. It truly is a gift. I recommend you watch Sir Robinson’s TED talk first and then read the book.  The talk will awaken you to a whole new world of creativity and imagination.  Not to mention his tremendous wit!

How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.
– Arthur C. Clarke, from Nature

Could you imagine discovering something in your youth that just spoke to you in a way that said that it would be your life’s ambition?   I originally thought that EVERY Millenial/Generation WE should watch this and then I asked myself why just them?  Why not have EVERYONE watch this video. What if we all had permission (which we do) to makes dreams a reality?  

Sylvia Earle is a gift.  She awakens us to the plight and beauty of our oceans in a way that shifts both our thinking and behavior.  Without question, one of my favorite TED talks at at the conference this year!

 1.  DATA IS MY NEW FRIEND   For years I rebelled against statistics.  Perhaps it was because I got a D+ in Stats 101 at college or the fact that I saw data as something that neutered intuition.  Regardless, after seeing Sean Gourley’s presentation on The Mathematics of War, I am a new convert for data and statistics.  I now see a new world of abundance where intuition and statistics converge and inform each other.  Powerful.

 2. INSPIRATION VERSUS DESPERATION  As one TEDster said over lunch, “we don’t have time to be pessimistic”.   I personally am an eternal optimist obsessed with what could be and thus I found the verve that permeated the conference to be both magnetic and nutritious.  Negative visioning is seldom sustainable, so why not focus on possibility?  

3.  WHAT WOULD BUCKY DO   As someone who holds Buckminster Fuller as a borderline deity, I kept thinking over and over how cool it would have been to see him on stage.  His teachings and principles have never been more relevant than they are today.  TED and Bucky would have gone together like sweet ocean swells and empty classrooms.  So how about adding D.W Jacobs’s play R. Buckminster Fuller:  The History (and Mystery) of the Universe to TED 2010 Long Beach?

4.  FRUSTRATION IS A FUNCTION OF EXPECTATION   The aura leading up to the event is surreal.  You begin to feel as if folks will be walking on water.  TED has certainly mastered the art of creating your own buzz.  That said I had to reconcile my expectations with reality.  In other words, TED was fantastic, but the hype leading up to the event created a false sense of brilliance at every step and that is simply not realistic nor fair. 

5.  MARGARET MEADE WOULD BE PROUD   At a time when we seem to be looking at big brother to bail us out of this colossal market collapse, you recognize @ TED that it is individuals who can make the biggest difference.  TED was a beautiful mosaic of individuals who are out to change the world.  

6.  FOLLOW YOUR HEART NOT YOUR HEAD   While watching Sylvia Earle’s presentation, I kept thinking what a gift.  What a gift to discover early in life something that moves and inspires you daily.  Something that might not be considered cool to others or full of richness financially, but something that feels oh so right.  Her life’s message is one that we need to share with each other and especially today’s youth. Follow your heart versus your head. 

7.  PASSION / THE POWER OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT   I once watched my wife race in Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 116 mile bike, 26.2 run) after only having run a 10K.  For a year of training she had an obsessive devotion to making her dream come true.  I felt that same passion @ TED.  In a world of cynics and naysayers, the passion around creating a new world of possibility was palpable.   No better example @ TED than Ben Zander simply showing us all how to REALLY sing Happy Birthday.  Absolutely loved it.

8.  HUMANIZE THE BRAND   Tom Rielly, TED Community Director was a delight.  Loved his passion, compassion and zeal for living the extraordinary.  Funny dude who has done a magnificent job of creating something special with the TED FELLOW Program.  He also adds a great sense of humility to a program that sometimes borders on arrogance. 

9.  HUMANITY   TED was an affirmation that what really plagues our world is not the credit crisis or environmental issues, but rather our lack of humanity in our every deliberation.  I specifically loved when Barry Schwartz suggested we start to add a little moral jazz into our lives. 

10.  SYSTEMS THINKING  Have you ever noticed how there is this insatiable urge on behalf of all us to dictate what to do whenever there is an issue?  Asking questions has become a lost art. Why did this happen?  What is the systemic cause?  How can we reframe the issue to consider the whole?  It was therefore refreshing to attend a conference that shared HOW TO THINK versus WHAT TO THINK.  Nice.

NOTE:  This post first appeared on triplepundit

PHOTO: flickr.com/photos/wa-j

Last week I was inspired @ TED.  Today I am inspired by an amazing woman who is indeed creating positive systemic change.  Today’s youth is a breadth of fresh air that breaks the rules that bind and creates the change they wish to see. Kudos to Maggie and her Blinknow Foundation and big props to her parents for giving her a world without fences. Absolutely brilliant….

During my first all company meeting at Seventh Generation,  I stood up as the new Chief Marketing Officer and mentioned that I had no clue about marketing (yes - a lot of folks looked in disbelief at each other saying ‘who the heck hired this guy?’), but that I did believe in building resonance, relevance and bonfires.* 

What rings louder and more true?  Saying you are going to create a marketing plan, or saying that you are going to build a plan that optimizes the resonance and relevance  between your brand and those you serve?  Initiatives informed by the latter consider the whole - you, your culture, those you serve and the greater good.  It’s a simple framework for decision-making.  Does the initiative optimize resonance and relevance?  If yes, proceed.  If not, drop it.

Now consider the following.  What ignites a greater sense of possibility and emotion - building a brand, or building a bonfire brand?  A bonfire brand is something that galvanizes and mobilizes your evangelists.  So ask yourself the following:  Are folks gathering to talk about your brand?  Do they defend your brand? Does your brand have evangelists that tell your story for you?   Ardent critics that want to see you thrive?  If no, ask yourself and those you serve why not?  What can you do to ignite the fire?  What are the keys to unlocking the possibility?  If your brand is not a bonfire brand, then you need to be concerned, incredibly concerned.  You are in essence replaceable. Conversely, bonfire brands have an effortless loyalty from those they serve.  A few examples - Apple, TED, Seventh Generation, Nau, Whole Foods, Buckminster Fuller Institute, Kiva, New Belgium Brewery, Patagonia, Tesla, Burning Man (literally and figuratively), Parelli Horsemanship , Guy Kawasaki and the Boston Red Sox.  It is important to note that what matters most is not the quantity of voices at the bonfire, but the quality and depth.  

One last thought.  If you are as good as you say you are then people will be drawn to you.  They will in essence bring the wood for the bonfire and stoke the flames.  You will become a beacon and folks will engage in the bonfire.  So for Christ’s sake stop watering down your story to make it mainstream.  Let them come to you versus chasing them.  You’ll stay true to your core and chances are, you’ll be stronger because of it.

*  While I would love to have been the one with the creative capacity to conjure up the term ‘bonfire brand’, I first heard the term several years ago from John Olson @ OLSON & Company in MN.  It has resonated with me ever since.  FYI - he’s a fascinating, fun-loving and brilliant guy!