Bucky frequently used the phrase as a metaphor for leadership and personal empowerment. In a 1972 article Bucky said, “Something hit me very hard once, thinking about what one little man could do. Think of the Queen Mary — the whole ship goes by and then comes the rudder. And there’s a tiny thing at the edge of the rudder called a trimtab. It’s a miniature rudder. Just moving the little trim tab builds a low pressure that pulls the rudder around. Takes almost no effort at all. So I said that the little individual can be a trim tab. Society thinks it’s going right by you, that it’s left you altogether. But if you’re doing dynamic things mentally, the fact is that you can just put your foot out like that and the whole big ship of state is going to go.”

Bucky’s life long accomplishments speak for themselves – he wrote over 20 books, held 28 US Patents, and began a movement that is alive and well today.  When ever I start to feel like stuck and I’m not making a difference, I remind myself of this phrase and the man who changed the world.

I recently read an interesting article about the effect that feeling helpless has on our emotional state and sense of control.

“Even the most laid back among us crave a sense of control, and when we feel helpless we scour our surroundings for anything that will restore predictability.  New research shows that when we lack control we don’t simply wait for order to return: we impose it, if only in our own minds, by imagining patterns and trends where none exist.

In six experiments, psychologist Jennifer Whitson of the University of Texas at Austin and Adam Galinsky of Northwestern University manipulated subjects’ sense of control. Results showed that not having control caused participants to mistakenly see an image in a field of static, to smell conspiracy in other people’s benign behavior, to embrace superstitious  beliefs and to perceive nonexistent stock-market trends.  Such illusory perceptions evaporated when participants were first denied control but then given an opportunity to write about their most deeply held values, an activity that bolsters psychological security and quells feelings of helplessness.”

So I now ask myself: is it therapeutic to write as much as I do, and about what I do?  It might be considered therapeutic.  But I also know that I have something to say.  I know that I have experiences to bring to the table in this current economy. As I write, and when I write, I find myself taking stock of my experiences in my 20 year career.  I ask myself — how can I wield those experiences and invest them, infuse them into this blog so that readers, and as a collective, we can all change the course, and apply what we know.  There’s a galaxy of collective wisdom among us.  The best and brightest in our Nation’s Capitol are at work on the issues of our day.

I’m not sure that my craving for control is real because after all, what is “real” anyway?  I do believe that it’s our nature to express our thoughts and beliefs and in the process we constantly shape and re-shape our own sense of reality and control — the sense of ourselves to ourselves.

Example #1 – Makin’ Bac’n

How do you take something as simple as bacon and turn it into a business? I’d like you to meet Scott Kventon – the biggest fan of bacon I’ve ever met.  This week, Scott shared his story of the fast track start to his first business that went from concept to revenue in less than two months.  It’s the epitome of what a small group of passionate entrepreneurs can accomplish.

Scott’s the founder and inspiration behind the coolest site about bacon I’ve ever seen… http://bacn.com/.  In fact, it’s the first website about bacon I’ve ever seen.  Scott’s passion for the pig, coupled with his knowledge and endless energy, have resulted in a sustainable business that started from his garage.

So, what did I learn?  First, I learned more than I could have hoped about bacon.  He had me at “hello,” as I’ve been a fan of the pig for quite some time now.  More importantly, what I learned was that if you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, you’d better watch out because there will be someone who is — and it’s likely they will kick your ass.

The next generation of entrepreneurs is a unique group of individuals.  They talk fast, they think fast, and they ACT fast!  On top of it all, they’re having fun.  If you can’t see this from BACN.COM, then you should unsubscribe from this blog and never come here again.  If it’s as clear as the nose on your face, then you get it.

Example #2 – Energizer Bunny

Take an empty office building, add a dose of brilliance — and you have NedSpace.  Josh Friedman and his partners are onto something big.

NedSpace is a new concept to me — providing rented desk space for young start-ups on the cheap.  The thing makes this such a value is not the $175/month desk but the ENERGY that you feel by being around other driven entrepreneurs.  By renting offices and desks to serial entrepreneurs, they provide an atmosphere that can’t be replicated by working from home.   NedSpace is a great concept which takes advantage of the glut of office space that’s out there, while creating a great environment for start-ups to work and collaborate.  My only question is — why don’t I have my office here?  Nicely done, Josh!

We are beings driven by our conscious and sub-conscious minds.  Our behaviors are directly linked to our thoughts.  We control more than we realize.

I’ve been a huge fan of R. Buckminster Fuller for many years.  In his first book “Nine Chains to the Moon” Fuller coined the term ephemeralization – which refers to the ability of people to use technology advances to continuously do more with less.  His vision was that ephemeralization will result in an ever-increasing standard of living for an ever-growing population despite finite resources.

Here’s a simple illustration of this idea.  In 1520 Magellan spent 2 years sailing in a wooden boat around the globe.  350 years later steam ships could navigate the earth in just 2 months time.  75 years later an airplane, made of alloys, took  2 weeks to fly around the world.  35 years later a space capsule, made from exotic alloys, needed one hour to circle the earth.  The rate of advancement is increasing at an exponential rate.  

How has ephemeralization affected what is possible?  Talking and thinking about what is possible starts with you, and it starts with me.  We define how and what we can do to make our world different.  Maybe it’s simply spending 1 hour a day thinking about what’s possible for your life, dreaming of what will make your life better for you, your family, and your fellow humans without any limitations.  I do know that we cannot turn back time and change the place we find ourselves living in today.  We’re being carried to the doorstep of “necessity” – as it becomes increasingly clear that our past and current ways of dealing with our crisis won’t yield the desired results.  Today we have the opportunity to elevate our culture, our society, and ourselves beyond our primal urges.  We can exchange greed and fear for collaboration and acceptance.   And, we do this simply by our actions right now.  Perhaps a starting place would be to think about one small thing you can do today – now — that will begin to make your dream a reality.   Inaction is our only means of failure.

Inspiration is something that’s difficult to describe, yet we all know what it feels like.  This is because inspiration comes from the part of the mind that words have a difficult time describing.  A good analogy is this: how would you describe the color red to someone who’s been blind their entire life?  

What’s so special to me about inspiration is the effect it has on people and their actions.  It’s inspiration that drives people to imagine unthinkable ideas, and it’s inspiration that keeps them moving toward their vision.  It’s the same feeling that drove Thomas Edison to endure thousands of failures before he found the one filament that worked for his incandescent light bulb.

I belive it’s this same source of human energy that motivates entrepreneurs to pursue their dreams.  It’s the same source of energy that motivates employees and customers to follow a leader – even through the face of adversity.  Last Thursday, I was able to look around the room as Simon spoke.  I saw something very special.  There were over 100 people – most of them highly charged, busy entrepreneurs, and each of them were on the edge of their seat for two hours.  It takes something very special to do that.  It takes someone who lives a purposeful life and is not satisfied until he has inspired every human being on the planet.  I wonder how much energy Simon created last Thursday?  It would be interesting to know.  I know he inspired me – thank you, Simon. Thank you very much.

Yet, there was one car maker who reported an increase in sales for January.  Let me say that again.  There was a car maker who reported an increase in car sales for January.   Hyundai posted an impressive 14% increase over last year’s sales.  How did they do it?  It’s simple.  They listened to the customer and were willing to step up and deliver value to their customers.  

In a bold move, Hyundai announced their Assurance Program for new car buyers.  They are the first automaker in the U.S. to offer a return program that allows you to walk away from your loan or lease without having to worry about negative equity.  It lets you return your vehicle in case of certain life-altering circumstances.  In other words — they are simply saying “we’ve got your back, customer.”

This is an excellent example of a win-win strategy.  Gone are the days where it’s me or them.  Now, welcome the days where success will be measured differently – success will be measured by the ability of companies to develop innovative strategies that will garner market share and loyalty.  I wonder how much impact this program had on their customers’ psyches and the long-term loyalty they earned.

Of course the remaining automakers will play follow the leader — you can count on that.  But,  Hyundai gets the credit for being the one who first stepped up and delivered for the customer. 

For all entrepreneurs, this is an important lesson.  There is growth for companies who find ways to add value, and address the concerns of your customers.  Innovative thinking does get rewarded!

I was first exposed to the concept of “core values” when I attended The Birthing of Giants program hosted by the MIT Enterprise Forum.  The facilitator, Verne Harnish, was instrumental in my entrepreneurial growth, and is someone I consider to be one of my top 5 influences.  It was Verne who first introduced me to the concept of core values and ideologies — what they mean and why they’re important.   Suffice it to say, I started to drink the Kool Aid by the gallon. 

Over the last eight years, I’ve worked tirelessly to define my own set of core ideologies, and incorporate them into each of my businesses.  Throughout this process, I’ve found it equally difficult to accurately portray a statement of core ideologies, as well as  effectively communicate that to all stakeholders.  If I had to give myself a grade, it would be a solid C+.  This isn’t because I’ve not given it time and energy, but because it’s difficult to find the exact words that tie to the concepts and the ideas that exist in our minds.  I believe this is because our ideologies are closely related to our purpose in life.  Not only is it hard to find the words, there is also the inability, for many of us, to articulate what our purpose is. 

My experience shows that any organization that grows and does not have a clear definition of their core ideology is putting their people and their future at significant risk.  As the organization grows, employee and partners are forced to “translate” the information they have to  make choices and decisions.  Sometimes the choices they make are not well aligned with what’s in the mind of the organization’s CEO.  Anyone who’s grown a business understands this dynamic.  The more you grow, and the faster you grow, the more you rely on your people to make the right choices and decisions – the ones that would be most consistent with your own ideologies.

Today I found the best example of someone who has brought their core ideology to life.  This is a picture of the core ideologies GotVMail.  David Hauser and his team have been able to bring to life – through a picture – the essence of their ideology.  I can only imagine the impact this will have over time.  If they’re able to effectively communicate this picture to as many people as possible, their success will be unlimited.  I am going to do the same for my new business because a picture is worth a thousand words.  Thank you for the inspiration, David!

a) what I’m uniquely gifted at

b) what I’m passionate about

c) what my definite purpose is

This formula comes from a book I recently read - Finding the Sweet Spot by Dave Pollard.  I recommend the book to anyone who finds themselves struggling with their job or who feels uninspired with their work.  This is the perfect step-by-step guide for discovering responsible, sustainable, joyful work.

For the millions of Americans who find themselves unexpectedly unemployed, you are now in a unique position - you are now able to make choices about what you do next, and about what you put your time and energy towards.  I understand that it’s easy to think of this as something awful, but you can also just as easily consider your recent misfortune as an opportunity to make changes in your life that will lead you to satisfaction and happiness.   If anything else, think about what it is you would do if you could do anything.  Think about what your gifts are, what you’re passionate about, and what your purpose is in this world.

This is the location of the “sweet spot.”

Here is what I learned:

1.    Setting and Selling Your Vision
Organizations who have effectively developed a clear core vision or purpose, and, who effectively communicate it to employees, customers and partners, are more likely to experience higher levels of success. These organizations also tie their “vision