Leading with PowerChippewa Falls, WIDecember 6, 2012

Richard A. Swenson, MD

Finding Balance and Margin in Stormy Seas

We Live in a Special Moment in History

We Live in a Special Moment in History

We Live in a Special Moment in History

We Live in a Special Moment in History

A Special Moment in History

GutenbergGutenberg ColumbusColumbus Wright brothersWright brothers Radio, television, computer, Radio, television, computer,

InternetInternet Cell phoneCell phone

GutenbergGutenberg ColumbusColumbus Wright brothersWright brothers Radio, television, computer, Radio, television, computer,

InternetInternet Cell phoneCell phone MathMath

Our Special Moment in History

First Era: First Era: 3100 BC to 1750 AD3100 BC to 1750 AD

Year 0 500 1000 1500 2000

Progress 1.0Progress 1.0slow, grinding, destitute

Second Era: Second Era: 1750-20001750-2000

Year 0 500 1000 1500 2000

Progress 2.0Progress 2.0ascendant, glorious, hopeful

Third Era: Third Era: Past 25 yearsPast 25 years

Year 0 500 1000 1500 2000

Progress 3.0Progress 3.0explosive, uncontrollable, volatile

Our Special Moment in Our Special Moment in HistoryHistory

The math is dramatically The math is dramatically different different The numbers are The numbers are

incomprehensibleincomprehensibleThe math is dysfunctionalThe math is dysfunctionalThe curves are increasingly The curves are increasingly

exponentialexponential

Our Special Moment in History

The Math Is Dysfunctional

>500 baccalaureate degrees>500 baccalaureate degrees 1,100 movies a month w/ satellite dish1,100 movies a month w/ satellite dish 40,000 different products in grocery store40,000 different products in grocery store 55,000 configurations of coffee at Starbucks55,000 configurations of coffee at Starbucks 10 hours of media exposure/day; TV 34 10 hours of media exposure/day; TV 34

hrs/weekhrs/week 400,000 books/yr published in US and GB400,000 books/yr published in US and GB More video uploaded to YouTube in 60 days More video uploaded to YouTube in 60 days

than all 3 networks created in 60 yearsthan all 3 networks created in 60 years 1 trillion URL (resources) on the Web1 trillion URL (resources) on the Web Twitter 350 million tweets/day; 2007, Twitter 350 million tweets/day; 2007,

5,000/day 5,000/day

Learn to operate 20,000 pieces of equipment Learn to operate 20,000 pieces of equipment Technology will ↑ a million times in this centuryTechnology will ↑ a million times in this century Change will increase 1,000 times in this centuryChange will increase 1,000 times in this century Knowledge workers check email 50x day, instant Knowledge workers check email 50x day, instant

messaging 77x and visit 40 websitesmessaging 77x and visit 40 websites Avg desk worker starts something new q 3 Avg desk worker starts something new q 3

minutesminutes Information overload costs businesses $650 Information overload costs businesses $650

bil/yr and stress costs $300 bil/yrbil/yr and stress costs $300 bil/yr Read 2 healthcare articles qd → 1,000 yrs behindRead 2 healthcare articles qd → 1,000 yrs behind PDR 2011 - 3,300 pages; 1948 – 300 pagesPDR 2011 - 3,300 pages; 1948 – 300 pages ““There are 35,000 publications a year in There are 35,000 publications a year in

neuroscience, and no single researcher knows neuroscience, and no single researcher knows even 1% of that.”even 1% of that.”

Curves Are Increasingly Exponential

J curves, S curves, Turning points

1900 1950 2000

$1 trillion

$2.6 trillion

The largest, most The largest, most complex domestic complex domestic

problem the US has problem the US has ever experiencedever experienced

Health Care Costs

Year 0 500 1000 1500 2000

Profusion Number vs. Years

UnderestimatedUnderestimated Fold paper 40xFold paper 40x MismatchMismatch

Day-to-day context → linearDay-to-day context → linear Global context → exponentialGlobal context → exponential

Curves Are Increasingly Exponential

What’s responsible?What’s responsible?

ProgressProgress

More and more of everything

faster and faster on a collision course with

Human limits

leads to

Overload & Imbalance

23

Fast Company, Balance is Bunk

The global economy is antibalance . . . The global economy is antibalance . . . Someday, all of us will have to become Someday, all of us will have to become workaholics, happy or not, just to get workaholics, happy or not, just to get by . . . Great leaders, serial innovators, by . . . Great leaders, serial innovators, even top sales reps may be driven by a even top sales reps may be driven by a kind of inner demon—the need to prove kind of inner demon—the need to prove themselves . . . anxiety is a central part of themselves . . . anxiety is a central part of our existence . . . Can any couple facing our existence . . . Can any couple facing two full-time jobs, kids, aging parents, two full-time jobs, kids, aging parents, groceries, the dog, the bills, and groceries, the dog, the bills, and telemarketers at dinnertime expect telemarketers at dinnertime expect anything but all stress, all the time? anything but all stress, all the time?

. . . successful professionals found ways . . . successful professionals found ways to switch the focus of their full attention to switch the focus of their full attention with lightning speed among activities and with lightning speed among activities and people in different realms . . . Consider people in different realms . . . Consider it an exercise in continuous redesign, in it an exercise in continuous redesign, in adapting to ever-changing circumstances adapting to ever-changing circumstances and priorities. For couples, this also and priorities. For couples, this also requires constant rebalancing of roles requires constant rebalancing of roles and responsibilities . . . Those who and responsibilities . . . Those who succeed are the people who learn to succeed are the people who learn to dance with change . . . They don’t make dance with change . . . They don’t make decisions once or twice, but all the time.decisions once or twice, but all the time.

ImbalanceImbalance

Everything in the universe Everything in the universe displays sophisticated balancedisplays sophisticated balance

Human body – Human body – HomeostasisHomeostasis 123123

1010

1010

The Universe Is Pro-Balance

Restoring BalanceRestoring BalanceRestoring BalanceRestoring Balance

Priorities from death bedPriorities from death bedDying teaches us about living Dying teaches us about living World Trade TowersWorld Trade Towers

Place Life in Stable Orbit Around Priorities

Place Life in Stable Orbit Around Priorities

Restoring BalanceRestoring BalanceRestoring BalanceRestoring Balance

Priorities from death bedPriorities from death bedDying teaches us about living Dying teaches us about living World Trade TowersWorld Trade Towers

North tower hit 8:46 AMNorth tower hit 8:46 AM

Collapsed 10:28 AMCollapsed 10:28 AM

1 hour 42 minutes1 hour 42 minutes

Place Life in Stable Orbit Around Priorities

Place Life in Stable Orbit Around Priorities

Restoring BalanceRestoring BalanceRestoring BalanceRestoring Balance

Priorities from death bedPriorities from death bedDying teaches us about living Dying teaches us about living World Trade TowersWorld Trade TowersThings that matter most must Things that matter most must

never be at the mercy of things never be at the mercy of things that matter least. Goethethat matter least. Goethe

Place Life in Stable Orbit Around Priorities

Place Life in Stable Orbit Around Priorities

Restoring BalanceRestoring BalanceRestoring BalanceRestoring Balance

Priorities from death bedPriorities from death bedDying teaches us about living Dying teaches us about living World Trade TowersWorld Trade TowersThings that matter most must never Things that matter most must never

be at the mercy of things that matter be at the mercy of things that matter least. Goetheleast. Goethe

““I don’t want to spend my last I don’t want to spend my last week week

on earth apologizing for my life.”on earth apologizing for my life.”

Place Life in Stable Orbit Around Priorities

Place Life in Stable Orbit Around Priorities

Counter Escalation of the Norm

The rapid escalation of the norm The rapid escalation of the norm is followed by an normalization of is followed by an normalization of the escalation, which becomes the the escalation, which becomes the new normal.new normal.

Counter Escalation of the Norm

Everything escalates: sunglasses, Everything escalates: sunglasses, weddings, funerals, hospital weddings, funerals, hospital beds, cars, computer features, beds, cars, computer features, church programs, kindergarten church programs, kindergarten birthday parties, salaries for birthday parties, salaries for professional athletes, professional athletes, Christmas…Christmas…

Counter Escalation of the Norm

You can have escalation, You can have escalation,

or you can have balance, or you can have balance,

but you can’t have them both.but you can’t have them both.

Develop a Bias for Function over Escalation

Compare the Opportunity Costs

Whenever we spend time, money, Whenever we spend time, money, energy, or attention on one thing, energy, or attention on one thing, we pass up the opportunity to we pass up the opportunity to spend it on something else.spend it on something else.

International VPInternational VP Mayo Clinic cardiologistMayo Clinic cardiologist Dentist with a slow morningDentist with a slow morning

Compare the Opportunity Costs

Live from Inside OutLive from Inside Out

Learn how to say No to non-Learn how to say No to non-prioritiesprioritiesNoNo is a complete sentence; a is a complete sentence; a

mathematical necessitymathematical necessity

Do the Math on Yes vs. No

Restoring Margin in Restoring Margin in TimeTime

Learn how to say No to non-Learn how to say No to non-prioritiesprioritiesNoNo is a complete sentence; a is a complete sentence; a

mathematical necessitymathematical necessitySteve JobsSteve JobsA holy wordA holy word

This company needs

focusing. Focusing does not

mean saying yes. It means

saying no.

Do the Math on Yes vs. No

Do the Math on TV

Avg person watches 34 hrs/week Avg person watches 34 hrs/week More TVs than people in More TVs than people in

average homeaverage home20% of two-year olds have TVs 20% of two-year olds have TVs

in roomin roomLate night TV is very Late night TV is very

educationaleducationalWhat did we do before TV?What did we do before TV?

The Free Three The Free Three LaughterLaughter MusicMusic NatureNature

Use the Free Three

The Free Three The Free Three LaughterLaughter MusicMusic NatureNature

Use the Free Three

Periodically Disconnect

Closure on the end of day and Closure on the end of day and week?week?

Checking into hotel in home Checking into hotel in home towntown

Manitoba MDManitoba MD The Finnish MokkiThe Finnish Mokki

MokMokkiki

Stress

Pro

du

cti

vity

StressStress

Be Productive with Margin

Be Productive with Margin

Cherish Relationships

Health enhancingHealth enhancing

Cherish Relationships

Man who drove 90 milesMan who drove 90 miles Child psychologist forgot kid’s Child psychologist forgot kid’s

namename Half-hour at ClubMacHalf-hour at ClubMac Communication: Adam, Matt, Communication: Adam, Matt,

LindaLinda Balance: A cooperative effortBalance: A cooperative effort

Practice Simplicity

Everything we own owns us; ClutterEverything we own owns us; Clutter Jesus exampleJesus example Einstein’s suitsEinstein’s suits Anesthesiologist’s classic carAnesthesiologist’s classic car Quaker neighborQuaker neighbor A walk to Dairy QueenA walk to Dairy Queen Ophthalmologist: Ophthalmologist: I tried to simplify I tried to simplify

for six yearsfor six years

Hagar’s Two Rules for HappinessHagar’s Two Rules for Happiness John Kenneth GalbraithJohn Kenneth Galbraith Immanuel KantImmanuel Kant

Cultivate Contentment

Vision Vision GratitudeGratitude GraceGrace FaithFaith LoveLove

Among the Things that Matter Most