Radish Sprouts

Times Are A-Changin'

Change is here, whether or not we notice, are prepared for, or want it. Is your business or life where you want it to be? If not, what can you do about it? The answer is to make your own change.

Think of Bob Dylan's classic folk song written in 1964, which is just as relevant today, The Times They Are A-Changin'. As he sings, "start swimmin' or sink like a stone."

Practical Pointers for Handling Changing Times

1.	Realize that we are constantly in a state of change.
2.	Set up a regular time to consider this situation with yourself and team.
3.	Use the STOP, START, CONTINUE framework. Seek answers in various areas of your work and life, and record them in a list: What should we STOP doing? What should we START doing? What should we CONTINUE doing?
4.	Reflect on this list. Prioritize the responses. Choose the top answers —not more than three per question.
5.	Act on the top answer for each question as your way to proactively handle the changin' times.

My Story

After building and selling my first entrepreneurial venture, Radish Systems 1.0, I began to use my experience via consulting and coaching to help organizations and leaders thrive.

To further help me help others, I became a certified Gazelles Business Coach, now known as Scaling Up, and I learned from Verne Harnish. That's where I first came across the STOP, START, CONTINUE framework.

One of my clients was a non-profit organization, the Colorado Women's Education Foundation, now known as CWEF. Its goal was to help women attain economic self-sufficiency through education. In guiding the strategic planning with its Board of Trustees, we asked and answered these key questions:

	What to STOP doing? Answer: Stop giving out loans. We had been setting these women and the Foundation up for failure. Many of the women did not pay back the loans which resulted in a bad credit rating for them and wasted energy at the Foundation.
	What to START doing? Answer: Start an endowment campaign to raise funds which would be protected into perpetuity. This would allow us to triple our giving and help many more women.
	What to CONTINUE doing? Answer: Give aid to the students, in the form of scholarships to accredited Colorado higher education institutions, thereby helping these non-traditionally-aged students complete their education and earn higher wages.

We changed with the times and took action. The result was a successful endowment campaign that was able to help a larger number of women and their families.

Summary

The times are a-changin'. You must recognize and change so you can swim, rather than sink like a stone. Ask what to STOP, START, and CONTINUE doing.  Contact me and let's brainstorm other ways.  Then take action.You will get results.

 

copyright 2025 Theresa Szczurek.  All rights reserved.  

Innovate or die

Peter Drucker famously declared the phrase, "Innovate or Die," and many others have shared it. How do organizations successfully implement innovations? Why is this important? What is the role of the Board of Directors?

Innovation is a new method, idea, product, or service. innovation is change to create better results. Innovation is important because it provides the means to gain a competitive advantage. It can help reduce costs, improve efficiencies, and increase revenues. It can open new business units and revenue streams. It can help you better meet your customers' needs and stand out in a crowded market.

Many players in a firm should be involved in championing its innovation strategy. Our focus here is on technical innovation through the Board of Directors working with leadership.

How Boards Can Drive Innovation

1. STRATEGIC OVERSIGHT. Boards are responsible for ensuring that technology initiatives align with the organization's overall business goals and objectives. A Board of Directors plays a vital role in driving innovation by setting a strategic vision that encourages creativity and growth while maintaining strong oversight on risk management.

2. RISK MANAGEMENT. Boards assess and monitor technology-related risks, including cybersecurity threats and implementation challenges.

3. INVESTMENT APPROVAL. Boards review and approve significant technology investments, ensuring that such investments provide value to the organization.

4. PERFORMANCE MONITORING. Boards establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs)

5. TECHNOLOGY ENGAGEMENT. Boards engage in technology matters in various ways, such as regular full-Board discussions, formal standing committees, or temporary advisory committees.

Practical Pointers for a Board's Role in Innovation

CLARIFY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. A CEO manages the business day-to-day, allocates resources, and ensures the firm's strategic execution is aligned with the Board's direction.

DEFINE AUTHORITY FOR DECISION MAKING. The Board and the CEO need to define who makes what decisions and when.

HAVE CLEAR COMMUNICATIONS. Ensure that there are regular discussions between Board members and top management about innovation. The Board Chair and/or Lead Director must get the right topics about innovation on the Board agenda and carefully allocate discussion time.

ASK GOOD QUESTIONS. Here's a sample of Board questions relating to Artificial Intelligence innovation.

• How can AI disrupt traditional business models for our industry?
• How are we using AI to drive growth and efficiency? What is our stage of AI implementation (planning, piloting, full implementation)? Do we have proven case studies with ROI?
• How does AI align with our strategic goals and risk appetite? Are we investing in it? How much?
• What are the legal and ethical implications in our current operations?
• What risks does AI bring to us compared to our projected return?
• Are we conducting third-party AI audits and assessments? If not, what providers can or should we seek to help us successfully implement AI?

My Story

Radish Communications Systems (aka, Radish 1.0), was funded by venture capital. The Board of Directors consisted of two VCs, the CEO, and the two founders (one of whom was me). Good things were happening at Radish, including signing a sales contract with a major financial services firm. Yet when we did an honest assessment, we could see that our business model was too complex and not sustainable.

As with many start-ups, we were not meeting our revenue targets, cash was burning quickly, and the VCs were hesitant to provide additional funding. Radish was in pain. At that point, the Board made two difficult — but ultimately correct business decisions.

The first was to stop building our proprietary VoiceView™ modems and displays. Instead, we wanted to license our patent-protected voice/data protocol to modem and PC manufacturers. Before that could happen, we needed the help of Microsoft. Fortunately, they supported our approach. They teamed with us to convince the modem manufacturers to embed VoiceView capabilities in their products, and they built VoiceView software into the Windows platform. That solved the hardware problem for us and vastly increased software distribution.

Of course, those changes did not happen overnight. To reduce costs in the short term, the Board had to make another difficult decision. Almost all costs were related to employee salaries. Our employees were like family. They were smart, dedicated, and hardworking. We didn't want to reduce staff. Instead, the Board decided to institute a 10% across-the-board salary cut, except for executives, who each took a 25% cut. Fortunately, our employees understood the situation and they all stuck with us.

These changes were gut-wrenching at the time, but they were needed. The Radish Board guided us through and got us back on track. Several years later we had a successful exit through acquisition by a public company.

Summary

Innovation is important to the survival, growth, and success of organizations. Establish the Board's role. Board and leadership need to clarify roles, define decision-making authority, clearly communicate, and ask the right questions. The result will be a solid competitive edge.

copyright 2025 Theresa M. Szczurek. All rights reserved.

In gathering inputs for this newsletter, I want to thank Arlen Meyers, President and CEO of the Society of Physician Entrepreneurs. I also acknowledge use of some AI tools.

Navigate Uncertainty: Strategies for Resilience and Success

Uncertainty is the state of being uncertain. It's defined as not known or definite, not able to be relied on, not completely confident or sure of something. Uncertainty in business arises from various sources, including market volatility, regulatory changes, geopolitical tensions, and even unexpected crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and wildfires. These uncertainties can create significant challenges, but they also present opportunities for those who can adapt quickly and strategically. Read below how I dealt with the pandemic as State CIO.

In today's fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape, uncertainty has become the norm rather than the exception. Leaders must navigate an unpredictable environment while maintaining stability and growth. The ability to effectively manage uncertainty is now a critical skill for businesses seeking long-term success.

Key Strategies for Managing Uncertainty

	EMBRACE AGILITY, FLEXIBILITY, AND ACCEPTANCE. Organizations that thrive in uncertain environments are those that embrace agility. They have flexible business models that allow them to pivot when necessary. In The Seven Laws of Spiritual Success, Deepak Chopra advises to "Put the Law of Detachment into effect. In my willingness to accept uncertainty, solutions will spontaneously emerge out of the problems, out of the confusion, disorder, and chaos."
	INVEST IN DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING. In times of uncertainty, data is a valuable asset. Leveraging analytics, AI, and real-time insights can help businesses make informed decisions rather than relying on gut instinct. Predictive analytics can identify potential risks and opportunities, allowing companies to proactively adjust their strategies.
	STRENGTHEN RESILIENCE THROUGH DIVERSIFICATION. Over-reliance on a single revenue stream, supplier, or customer base increases vulnerability. Diversifying products, services, and markets can mitigate risks.
	PRIORITIZE EMPLOYEE & CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT. Uncertainty can create anxiety among employees and customers alike. Transparent communications, strong leadership, and a customer-centric approach help build trust and loyalty. Organizations that prioritize employee well-being and customer relationships tend to emerge stronger from challenging times.
	FOSTER A CULTURE OF INNOVATION. Rather than fearing change, businesses can encourage innovation. Companies that empower teams to experiment with new ideas and solutions are more likely to uncover opportunities amid uncertainty. For instance, businesses that invested in e-commerce and automation technologies during economic downturns have gained a competitive edge.
	REFLECT ON PAST SUCCESSES. Somehow you survived past unknowns and stress. This knowledge can build confidence that you'll get through this time. What helped you then? What might you do differently this time? Make a list of what to 'Start, Stop, and Continue' doing and then take action.
	PURSUE YOUR PURPOSE WITH A PLAN. When you know your passionate purpose and direct your energies toward achieving it, you can more easily weather uncertainties. Develop a plan. Pivots will likely be needed along the way. Be creative and resilient. Keep going and persist. Take action. Don't give up. Get help from trusted advisors and third-party consultants to provide a fresh perspective.

My Story

The COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020 when I was CIO of the State of Colorado. It was a time of great uncertainty. My organization, the Governor's Office of Information Technology, had to be flexible and agile. While staying true to the OIT purpose, "Together, we enhance the lives of all Coloradans," we pivoted to address pandemic challenges.

Most of the state's 33,000-person workforce had to go remote. We launched a task force, made data-driven decisions, and quickly created a plan. We drafted remote work guidelines and deployed personal computers, VPN services, conferencing capabilities, and more. We modified the plan in real time as needs evolved.

We had to innovate. For example, to handle contact tracing and public health inquiries, we diversified our services and set up seven new cloud-based call centers in a matter of days. We worked to ensure that critical systems, such as unemployment compensation, could meet the huge new traffic loads and comply with ever-changing federal requirements. We knew from our past efforts that if we worked together as an engaged team with the other departments, we would help the state survive and thrive. We did!

Summary

While uncertainty in business is inevitable, companies that develop adaptive strategies and a resilient mindset will be best positioned for sustainable success. By staying agile, leveraging data, diversifying operations, engaging stakeholders, fostering innovation, reflecting on past successes, and pursuing their purpose, organizations can not only survive but thrive in an unpredictable world.

copyright Theresa Szczurek 2025.  All rights reserved.

Theresa Szczurek receives CERT Certificate in Cyber-Risk Oversight

I’m excited to share that I’ve obtained a new certification: NACD CERT Certificate in Cyber-Risk Oversight from NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors)! The certification program was run by the Software Engineering Institute | Carnegie Mellon University. My practical real-world experience of being responsible for #cybersecurity as Chief Information Officer of the State of Colorado is augmented by this extensive educational program.  What a pursuit of passionate purpose.  

Are you looking for a tech, cyber, AI expert board director who is also a NACD.DC (certified board director)? Let's talk. #TechExpert #CyberRisk #BoardDirector

https://www.credly.com/badges/26b789de-625a-49e1-827f-9126229308b2/public_url

Look Back Again

Another year has flown by. Was it all that you wanted? All that you needed? Before this year is over, take a precious moment to STOP and Look Back Again (see my Practical Pointers below). Then take a real break, whatever your schedule and budget permit. Whether it's for 5 minutes or a few days, a message about creating your future is waiting to come to you. In this in-between time, be open. When the message comes, write it down and reflect.

Slow down, look back, appreciate your blessings, and recharge so you can get all you want in your life and career.

Practical Pointers for Looking Back Again

Look back again on the year and assess your progress by asking, "How are things going?" Last year at this time, I asked myself and you a similar question. What did you find?

	Recognize that assessment is valuable and provides great benefits.
	Read Chapter 6, Assess Progress, in Pursuit of Passionate Purpose for useful suggestions on tools for personal and organizational assessment.
	Take the Progress Inventory™.
	Appreciate the progress you have made. Count your blessings. Be grateful.
	Reward yourself for any progress, big or small.
	Pause and recharge. A message about creating your future is waiting to come to you in some down time. What does your vision of the future include? Be open and when the message comes, write it down and reflect.
	Determine what you want to change. How can you fill the gap between where you are and where you want to go? This is the basis for establishing your new plan.

In the next edition, we will Look Ahead and help you create the plan to get where you want to go.

Summary

Look back and appreciate your progress. Pause, recharge, and visualize where you want to go next. Then get ready to look ahead and create the plan to get there. You don't have to go alone — get a coach or advisor to help you on the journey. Attend one of my sessions as a way to get started.

copyright 2024 Theresa Szczurek.  All rights reserved.  

 

Secrets to High Growth Business Success

How can your organization grow its income and/or produce extraordinary performance? Being innovative and creating an innovation culture is one way. Here's how.

1.	BE OPEN TO INSIGHTS. Where do these sudden and clear intuitive perceptions come from? The word insight is formed from the prefix in plus the word sight, so insight literally means seeing inward. Thus, perceptions may come from your inner wiser older self, especially during times of transition.
2.	TURN INSIGHTS INTO IDEAS. An insight is something new that can change how you think about a problem, while an idea is what you do with that insight. Carefully assess the idea. Is it feasible? Conduct market research to determine the size of the potential market and competition.
3.	TURN IDEAS INTO INNOVATION. An innovation can be a new method, idea, product, service, or business approach. The innovation process translates an idea into goods or services that can generate value. The process may include design, development, and testing to ensure that a minimum viable product exists. Protect any Intellectual Property that's involved.
4.	INTRODUCE THE INNOVATION. Through a go-to-market strategy, the new product or service is made available to potential users. Such users may be internal to your organization or friendly customers.
5.	IMPLEMENT. Successfully put the product to work. The best innovation in the world is worthless if it sits on the buyer's shelf unused or, worse yet, if it sits unsold collecting dust. To produce income and grow your business, your innovations must be successfully introduced and implemented in the marketplace.

Meg's Innovation Story

Margaret "Meg" Hansson was one of the first trailblazing, patent-holding inventors and serial entrepreneurs. She pioneered new technology businesses that addressed the needs of women, as well as the health of the planet itself. Among her many accomplishments, she held four patents that helped launch the baby carrier industry!

Hansson was characterized by an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit and a willingness to help others succeed. Beginning at age ten, when she sold soda pop on the street, she went on to found eight start-ups including Gerry Baby Products Company (formerly Gerico, Inc.), now a division of Evenflo with annual sales over $291 million USD.

As a mother of four in Boulder, CO, she knew that women with children needed a better way to carry their young so their hands would be free. This allowed the moms to be more productive and efficient, without worrying if the child would slip off their back or fall out of a sling. She had an insight that there was a safer way. Her idea was a baby backpack. She designed and then patented her innovative product approach. She found the right people to help her build the business and introduce the baby carrier successfully to market. In response to this real market need, sales took off.

Meg Hansson invented a new product, started a new business, created real income, and launched an industry. However, she didn't stop there. She kept innovating her entire life and helping others do the same. That's why she will soon be inducted into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame.

Practical Pointers to Create an Innovation Culture

An Innovation Culture is important in both the private and public sector. Here are examples from my role as Chief Information Officer for the State of Colorado.

1.	DEFINE INNOVATION AS A CORE VALUE. As the State CIO, I helped the Office of Information Technology (OIT) prioritize Innovation as a core value. We defined it as, "Innovation: We foster new ideas. We challenge the status quo and continuously ask how we can do better. Then we take action and make a difference through novel processes and technology."
2.	BUILD INNOVATION INTO YOUR MISSION AND VISION. A vision statement describes what an organization desires to achieve in the long run. OIT's Vision was, "Be the best public service technology organization innovating today for tomorrow."
3.	ESTABLISH INNOVATION GOALS. At OIT we made customer delight our wildly important passionate purpose, or "WIPP". OIT customers were both internal state agencies as well as Coloradans. We agreed on annual wildly important goals, or "WIGs". As one strategy to achieve our goals, we set up an innovation incubator that delivered 10 technological solutions to address agency challenges, like a virtual call center for COVID-19 communications. I also set the goal that by the next year the State of Colorado would win at least one innovation award. OIT won two!
4.	HIRE INNOVATORS. Hire the right people to support the goal. As CIO, I retained, promoted from within, moved off, and hired new team members. We moved parts of the organization around under these leaders to improve processes and better serve our customers.
5.	PURSUE YOUR PASSIONATE PURPOSE. Now that you've set goals, pursue your purpose with all your heart and soul persistently with the right people until you make progress. At OIT, as one example of progress, we introduced the award-winning myColorado™ mobile app with Digital ID, which has been downloaded by over 1 million Coloradans.

Summary

You can deliver innovations that produce real income or extraordinary performance. How? Innovate. Become aware of insights and turn them into ideas. Apply ideas and transform them into innovations. Then introduce and implement the new product or service. Just as Meg Hansson did and as the State of Colorado Office of Information Technology did, build an organization with an innovation culture.

Copyright Theresa Szczurek 2024.  All Rights Reserved.

So, You Want to Get on a Board

 

Many leaders aspire to participate in the highest level of decision-making of an organization — the Board of Directors. How do you get on a Board and why would you want to serve?

What Exactly is a Board?

Board directors with a fiduciary role approve strategic plans, hire and manage the CEO, approve the budget, and set strategic direction.

As explained in Investopedia, "A board of directors, or board, is a group of people who oversee a company's management and operations to ensure the company's long-term success. They act independently of company management and day-to-day operations, and are responsible for making major decisions and providing strategic guidance."

Why Serve on a Board?

It is a means to make a meaningful difference in the world. It's an opportunity to meet and work with good people. You can utilize your talents and continue to learn. And it can be the next part of your career journey, providing credibility and pay.

Seven Tips for Starting a Board Journey

1.	START EARLY. Set a goal of 'getting on the right board' early in your career and then take action toward this end along the way. It's a process that can take time.
2.	BE THE BEST YOU CAN BE. Get clear on your values and live by them. Continue to do your job well. Build your level of experience and expertise. Step up to leadership roles. Do more than asked. Impress your peers, bosses, and competitors. Make connections with your co-workers and keep in touch over time. That engineer, sales rep, or project manager you worked with early on, may become the CEO of an organization that will need your talents and want to bring you on to her board.
3.	GET SUPPORT. Join an organization such as the Private Directors Association, which provides education, certifications, connections to others who serve on boards and to those who aspire to serve on a board. Meet others who have been successful on this journey.
4.	NETWORK and LEARN. Learn as much as you can from seasoned Board Directors. Who do you know that has been down this path? Ask for their advice. Look at their board materials. Board seats come from connections, more than online applications.
5.	PRESENT YOURSELF. Get clear on who you are and what you can offer to a Board of Directors. Boards look for certain skills and talents to fill a gap in their Board Skills Matrix. Draft a powerful biography as well as a board resume.
6.	SERVE AND CONTRIBUTE. Start by volunteering to serve on a local non-profit organization's board and expand from there to government, higher education, and for-profit corporate boards. Where is your passion? Where is your expertise? Learn how a board functions. Contribute. There are many board directors who found their first corporate board seat from a connection made on a non-profit board.
7.	GET CERTIFIED. There is a lot to learn to be a good board director. Take a course and earn a certification such as the Certificate for Private Company Governance from the Private Directors Association or the Directorship Certificate from the National Association of Corporate Directors.

My Journey

I set my goal decades ago to contribute at the highest level of decision-making on corporate boards. Throughout my career journey, I let that goal be known and I stayed open to the possibilities. Non-profit organizations asked me to serve and I said yes. I contributed, learned, made contacts, and showed others the value I bring. Then I co-founded my first entrepreneurial telecommunications firm, Radish Communications Systems, Inc. (aka Radish 1.0). One way to get on a corporate board is to start the business! This venture-backed firm grew and we found an exit six years later.

With two other tech start-ups behind me now, the latest Radish Systems, LLC (aka Radish 2.0) having just been acquired by NLX.ai, I have served on three corporate boards. When the Governor of the State of Colorado asked me to be his first Chief Information Officer and serve on his cabinet, I took a 2-year break from Radish 2.0 and did a tour of duty in the public sector. This led to serving on a government board as the Chairperson of the Statewide Internet Portal Authority and serving as a member of the Governor's Blockchain Advisory Board. And then the Governor appointed me to a Higher Education board, Western Colorado University, on which I currently serve.

Times change and my journey continues as I seek new corporate board opportunities. Continual learned is key that is why I have the Directorship Certification with the National Association of Corporate Directors.  Along the way, I'm honored to have been selected as one of the '50 Women to Watch for Boards' from 50/50 Women on Boards. And I currently serve as a board member and co-chair of Membership for the Private Directors Association of Colorado.  And, I help others on their board journey through my coaching and speaking. 

Summary

What about you? Begin your journey to serve on boards now. Don't do it alone. Be the best you can be, get support, network, learn, present, serve, and get certified. Put in the time and effort. You will find the right Board of Directors on which to serve and make a meaningful difference.

Copyright Theresa Szczurek 2024.  All rights reserved.  

5 Ways To Create a Wow! Customer Experience

 

Thanks Authority Magazine (http://www.authoritymag.co) for publishing my words of wisdom: "5 Ways To Create a Wow! Customer Experience" The interview delves into my successful career journey, from a blue-collar upbringing to a leadership role in tech and public service. Emphasizing the importance of #integrity, continuous learning, and #customerdelight, it shares humorous anecdotes and lessons learned. The interview advocates for businesses to prioritize #customerexperience through #innovation and feedback, and champion the "Pursuit of Passionate Purpose"  to achieve extraordinary success in both professional and personal life. Authority Magazine article

To The Top (part 4): Further Leadership Lessons from My Climb Up Kilimanjaro

I was on my way to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak in Africa. What other lessons would I learn going to the top? My earlier "To the Top" blogs (part 1, 2, and 3)focsu set the stage and highlighted lessons to: Clarify Your PURPOSE, Establish a PLAN, PREPARE, and CONNECT with people.

Here's more of the story and leadership lessons learned from getting To The Top as well as serving as State Chief Information Officer and being a serial technology entrepreneur. Let's talk about using these lessons to help you and your organization climb to new heights.

Lesson 6. Pursue Purpose

For most people, including me, it's close to impossible to sleep at 15,000 ft. This elevation takes its toll. Many people, especially those who have not had enough water, are feeling elevation sickness.

At midnight, after very little sleep and eating just a few biscuits, we headed out for the final leg. It would be over six hours of climbing to the top. Sure, it was a walk-up and luckily not technical climbing, yet the elevation, wind, and cold would make it more challenging. Fortunately, it was a clear night with a full moon lighting our way step-by-step up the mountain. I used these strategies:

	Be Prepared. I carried my own day pack with extra gear for the cold, plus dried apples from home for energy along with two liters of water in hard, plastic bottles. Even with our constant movement, it was frigid.
	Use a Meditative Approach. I got into the zone — step by step. I used my spirit companion as a guide, meditating on body sensations including breath, mental images, and internal talk. Breathe in, step. Breathe out, step.
	Be Clear on Your Goal. I knew from the beginning that I was going to get to the top. I wondered who else in my group would make it. The weather in the mountains usually starts clear and gets cloudy as the day progresses. The rule of thumb is to be off the mountain by noon. It became obvious to me that certain people were going too slowly to make it to the top in time.

BUSINESS LESSON. At OIT when I started, I took the organization through a strategic planning process. We discerned our core values and determined that "Innovation" was key. This value had always been there, but had not explicitly been stated. We set the goal to innovate, and through the myColorado app and many other projects we passionately pursued that purpose.

Lesson 7: Assess Progress

I assessed the situation. Our group was going slowly, too slowly to make it to the summit before bad weather moved in. When I considered my goal in comparison to my guide's responsibility to stay back with the slowest group members, I knew I had to TAKE ACTION to MAKE MID-COURSE CORRECTIONS. I spoke to my guide and said, "I'm going to the top. I don't think everyone in our group will make it. Please get me connected to another guide with a faster group." Thankfully, without argument, he quickly did just that.

Now with a new group, we were making progress to the top. Slowly, slowly (pole, pole), but not too slowly, we made our way up the mountain. Many people got sick from the elevation. There was vomit along the trail, but I wasn't distracted by that. I stayed the course. My mantra was: FOCUS, FINISH, and FLY.

It was starting to get light at 4:00 AM. This provided an opportunity to RECOGNIZE PROGRESS. We were higher than any other mountains in the distance.

We made it to 18,651 ft, Gillman's Point, at 5:30 AM. Some people stopped there. Not me. I was clear on my goal to make it to the very top. There was significant elevation gain. I was higher than I had ever been in my life. I was breathing heavily, and it was frigidly cold with fierce winds. Glad I had PACKed appropriately. I put on my warmer down jacket.

Now the going was very, very slow. Using the 'divide and conquer' approach of the Persistence Strategy from Pursuit of Passionate Purpose, I took two breaths for every one step, continuing with focused determination. Breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out, step. The summit was in sight. Although it was less than 200 ft higher, it took over an hour to make it to Uhuru Peak at 19,340 ft.

My new group made it to the top, the first group to summit that day. We knew that we still needed to get safely back down. But first we stopped to enjoy the view, recognize our success, APPRECIATE everything it took to get here, and CELEBRATE this accomplishment in pursuing our passionate purpose.

Later, I learned that the slowest member of my original group also summitted later that morning. The lesson was, NEVER UNDERESTIMATE OTHERS who have their own passionate purpose.

The climb helped me know and nurture myself and, as a result, IGNITE my PASSIONS.

BUSINESS LESSON. How would we measure progress with Innovation at OIT? The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) had an annual innovation competition. My first year as CIO, we did not win an innovation award. I set the goal for OIT to win an innovation award the next year. We submitted the My Colorado app up against many strong contenders. There is nothing so motivating as having a clear goal and then working persistently toward it as a passionate purpose. This is a means to deliver extraordinary results. The State of Colorado won two innovation awards that year! We had reached a summit!

Applying this to you. What challenges keep you up at night and are hindering you from reaching new heights? My organization can help through coaching, speaking, consulting. and board service. Topics include strategic planning and marketing, growing sales and market share, spurring innovation, reducing risks and costs, and getting started with AI. Contact me for a complimentary exploratory discussion.

Summary

Remember, whether you're climbing a mountain or striving to perform in other aspects of your personal or business life, recognize that the journey is a pursuit of passionate purpose. The lessons learned in reaching the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro align with the proven 4-phase Szczurek Process from Pursuit of Passionate Purpose: (1) find your passion by knowing and nurturing yourself, (2) align it with a meaningful purpose, (3) pursue it persistently with a plan and the proper people, (4) until you assess progress, make midcourse corrections, and celebrate success. You will get top results!

To The Top (part 3): Further Leadership Lessons from My Climb Up Kilimanjaro

[My porter taking a break and surveying the Horombo camp.]

My journey was underway to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro, the tallest peak in Africa. My February and March newsletters set the stage and highlighted lessons to: (1) Clarify Your PURPOSE, (2) Establish a PLAN, (3) PREPARE, and (4) CONNECT with people.

Here's more of the story about getting To The Top, plus leadership examples from my roles as State Chief Information Officer and serial technology entrepreneur. How will you apply these principles to your life?

Lesson 5. Persist

Persistence is the act of steadily pursuing purpose despite hindrances or obstacles. The Persistence Strategy, one of the six success strategies in the Pursuit of Passionate Purpose formula, states, "Mindfully persevere with focused determination toward the goals using a divide-and-conquer approach. This brings the real rewards — tangible results, positive feedback, and a stronger self with more confidence and passion, which fuels the next pursuit stage."

Once I committed to reaching the top via the Marangu Route, my climbing team and I divided the journey into parts and conquered the whole, piece by piece. Working with unremitting will toward a portion, we continued to made progress. This progress provided a positive feedback loop.

After an easy three-hour hike from the park gate through the forest, we arrived at the first huts at 8,860 ft. This was Mandara where we spent the first night. The next day, after five hours of hiking through moorland, we reached the next set of huts, Horombo, at 12,204 ft. Because I was committed to get to the very top, I did some gentle hiking around those huts the next day and spent another night here. The following day, after another five hours of hiking through alpine desert, we reached Kibo, a stone hut at 15,446 ft.

Along the way, we learned:

	Pole Pole. The first day I charged forward fast, just like I do every day in my business life. My guide stressed going "Pole Pole" during the hike. This is the Swahili term for slowly, slowly, pronounced "po-lay po-lay." Pole pole is often used to describe a relaxed lifestyle or a "what's-the-rush" outlook on life. Yes, I realized there are many things to learn from the African culture. How can we apply this to our rushed business and personal life? If we slow down we may actually get better results faster.
	Enjoy the Journey. On the second day, I noticed my hard-working porter had stopped for a break, sitting on a rock looking toward the Horombo camp. This made me realize the wisdom to pause, take a break, and enjoy the journey.
	Bring the Right Resources. After leaving Horombo and walking toward Kibo, we came to a small stream crossing the path. It was marked "The Last Waterpoint." My porter wanted to fill and carry only one liter of water. I insisted on a second liter knowing this point was at least eight hours from the summit. I carried it.
	Keep Your Eyes on the Goal. Along the way as we conquered each part of the route, we could see Mt. Kilimanjaro in the distance. It was getting bigger and bigger and we could see we were making progress. Yet, as you keep your eyes on the next part of the journey, don't be distracted. Say NO to many things in order to say YES to your goal.

BUSINESS LESSON. As the Chief Information Officer and Executive Director of the Governor's Office of Information Technology (OIT) for the State of Colorado, I set a wildly important goal for OIT to provide virtual access, anywhere anytime for people to connect to state services. We needed a platform for this digital transformation. The myColorado app became that platform.

Some big government projects are similar to climbing Kilimanjaro, challenging yet meaningful. We started part by part, with the most important capability. Digital ID, implemented first. Over time, other parts would be added to store vaccine records, insurance information, and hunting and fishing licenses. We started with Digital ID because every Coloradan could use it and it was sticky — people would keep the app on their smartphone.

We persisted. We conquered the big goal piece by piece.

Summary

Look for my next blog posting which will continue with more of the story and lessons learned on getting To The Top. (Or ask me to speak on that topic at your next meeting or conference.)

Maybe you are not finding difficulties climbing a mountain now, but what challenges keep you up at night? My organization can help through coaching and consulting. Topics include, strategic planning and marketing, growing sales and market share, spurring innovation, reducing costs, and getting started with AI. Contact me for a complimentary exploratory discussion.

Remember, whether you're climbing a mountain or striving to perform in other aspects of your personal or business life, the journey is a pursuit of passionate purpose. The lessons learned in reaching the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro align with the proven 4-phase Szczurek Process: (1) find your passion, (2) align it with a meaningful purpose, (3) pursue it persistently with a plan and the proper people, (4) until you assess progress, make midcourse corrections, and celebrate success. You will get top results.

Theresa M. Szczurek, copyright 2024.  All Rights Reserved.