Officially, the first decade of the 21st century comes to a slightly louder close.
According to the Gregorian calendar, the official definition of a decade is a ten-year period beginning with the year 1. If a decade begins with 1, it would end with the year that ends in 0, for example 1921-1930. This means 2010 is the official end of the first decade of this century, although some celebrated it last year.
9/11 came at the close of the first year of the decade and some mantras were created that have taken on a life of their own:
“If you do this, the terrorists win”,
“If you don’t do this, the terrorists win”,
“_____ would result in the end of the free world as we know it.”
We have casually adopted these phrases into our everyday lexicon. Let’s look back at this final year of the decade and see if the terrorists won.
Leopard and Pink: The End of the Free World
A popular magazine required women recipients of a prestigious award to each wear a black suit for their photo shoot. Men are not given dress requirements from this magazine when they are photographed. When questioned, the publisher responded, “We can’t have someone show up in leopard print and another in pink.” That is true, it would be the end of the free world as we know it, and the terrorists would win!
Even as we near the end of the first decade of this new century, there are still two different business codes, dress codes, compensation codes, and you-name-it-codes. While the playing field may be more level, it is not an equal playing field for men and women. The TV show Mad Men shows women as third class citizens in the 1960′s. Perhaps today’s version should be called Mad Women. Fifty years after the TV time in Mad Men, while women’s bras may be less pointed and the promotions more frequent, a publisher worries that women would wear leopard and pink. If a woman did wear leopard and pink for a photo shoot, would it be the end of the free world, as we know it?
Prince Poppycock
Prince Poppycock was a contestant on America’s Got Talent. Exquisitely dressed, he looks as though Liberace swallowed both Cher and Lady GaGa. Without make-up John Quayle is a “mild-mannered” quiet, plain looking man who sings well. He claims he does not have the confidence to own the stage as John Quayle. When he puts on the façade of Poppycock, he has confidence, lots of confidence. He talks and walks with a swagger. While his case is extreme,what it teaches us is to be aware of what we need in order to communicate confidence.
Poppycock and his legions of fans deserve the stamp, Made in America. If the talent of a Poppycock was not allowed, encouraged, and nurtured, then indeed the terrorists would win.
The Tillman Story
The death of Pat Tillman, NFL star and overall cool guy, is the inspiration for the documentary, The Tillman Story. First, the government tried to hide his death by friendly fire. Then the government wanted to glamorize his sacrifice and make him the hero that he never wanted to be.
Without his enlistment, and thousands of quiet heroes like him, it may have been the end of the free world, as we know it. His story was just that, the story of one man, not a super human hero. So director Amir Bar-Lev set out to make a movie that would tell the true story of a man and what he valued. Here was a guy, a son, a husband, a brother, and a teammate who wanted to do his part. He wanted to do his part to make sure that the terrorists did not win, that it was not the end of the free world, as we know it, in this decade and in this century.
As a country and as individuals we have one goal each day. It is true every year of every decade. The start of 2011 gives us the opportunity to resurrect this goal and re-live it every day: identify our value, communicate our value, and protect our value.
A communication expert, Leslie ignites clients and audiences to believe in the singular conviction that they are their own best solution. She creates a personalized strategy to electrify the journey to performance potential through developing new communication patterns and implementing methods that make things happen and help executives, business owners, leaders, and sales teams prosper.
As President of Electric Impulse Communications, Inc., she helps individuals and corporations supercharge their leadership performance. She can help you identify your competitive edge to improve individual and company performance. Her clients see her as someone to “think with.” Her goal for you is to always, always, always speak with the clarity, confidence, and conviction to move your agenda forward.
“Nobody can do it better or makes YOU better than Leslie Ungar,” says Lynda Hirsch, nationally syndicated columnist and TV guest. Ungar hosts a monthly Time/Warner television show called Civic Forum. This show and her work within the corporate world provide access to executives and how they think. She writes a monthly column for the Florida based magazine Affluent, and is often interviewed and quoted frequently in regional and national media. Leslie always has an opinion on current events in the business, sports, and political worlds because she sees all issues through the lens of communication.
Now a member of the National Speaker’s Association, her interest in the role of communication began in the sixth grade. She wrote a play about the role that the lack of communication played in Custer’s Last Stand, and her best friend played the role of Custer’s horse! As you listen to and study with Leslie you will hear about how excelling in the horse show ring is similar to excelling in your own area of expertise: first place is always first place. She was a nationally ranked equestrian in the Top Three in her field.
Embedded with the belief that words can change your world, as a graduate student she wrote every Presidential hopeful about how they could improve their image as a candidate. Ungar serves as adjunct faculty at The University of Akron. Her undergraduate and Master’s Degree are both in Communication and Rhetoric. Her dad still wants to know what rhetoric is!
Our mission is to improve company performance, one leader at a time.
Leslie G. Ungar, president of Electric Impulse Communications, Inc., coach, speaker, and speechwriter.
blog http://leadersneedtospeak.com website www.ElectricImpulse.com
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