Do Not Feed the Gators

"Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble."

--George Washington

It's our practice to offer out-of-town guests a menu of non-Disney things to do. Not just because of ever-increasing costs at the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT but to give people an opportunity to experience natural Florida. 

Walt Disney World is not Florida. 

One of the options is an airboat tour of Lake Jesup.* This 16,000-acre lake (65 km), one of the largest lakes in Central Florida, with varying depths of four to nine feet, is the Sunshine State up close. It's a body of murky water home to various species, including Great Blue Heron and Snowy Egrets. 

And it has a reputation as the most alligator-infested lake in the U.S., with 13,000 gators (1.3 million statewide), according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. (FFWCC biologists conduct gator census at night using spotlights and counting eyes.)

Lake Jesup, Florida (C) Trip Advisor

How dangerous are alligators?

For the most part, alligators like to be left alone. They're carnivores, but humans aren't one of their preferred meals. As a result, Florida averages six bite victims annually, and the Florida Wildlife Commission says gators killed just 26 people between 1948 and 2020. 

One tragic loss of life was that of 2-year-old Lane Graves at Disney's Seven Seas Lagoon near the Grand Floridian Resort on 14 June 2016, where his family was vacationing. 

Leaving trouble alone

Sometimes trouble comes looking for us even if we did nothing to egg it on. We're innocent. Such was the case of the toddler at Disney.

Florida state law makes it a crime (up to a $500 fine/or 60 days in jail) to harass or feed an alligator. One expert put it this way--"By providing food for these wild animals, which are naturally afraid of humans, we make them bolder and encourage them to seek out people."  

As if there isn't enough to do to stay on course with post-pandemic responsibilities, we tempt fate by going where we don't belong and hanging with people known for giving bad advice. And not taking time to learn from our experiences.     

We risk losing a veil of personal and corporate protection by unnecessarily feeding particular appetites.

Running a principled business.

In "Inside Money," the story of Brown Brothers Harriman, the merchant banking firm, author Zachary Karabell recounts the advice Alexander Brown gave his associates as the House of Brown got underway.

(C) BBH

What would distinguish one firm from another, Brown insisted, was reputation and trust. "Anyone could buy and sell stuff, but not just anyone could develop a trusted reputation," the founder instructed.

What were Brown Brothers Harriman's guidelines to keep from tempting fate?

• Refrain from dealing with people about whose character there is a question. It keeps your mind uneasy. It is far better to lose the business. 
• Where the risks are too significant, one loss may wipe out a hundred safe arrivals. 
• "Shoemaker, stick to thy last." Better to cleave to what you know and be known as someone others can trust. 

The author notes that not all decisions went perfectly, and mistakes were made. "But the template established by Alexander Brown--stick to your last, stay focused, guard your reputation zealously as your most precious asset, be always prepared for hard times, and avoid unnecessary risk--formed the lasting core of the firm," Karabell concludes.

Getting out front

Alexander Brown's principles for the House of Brown began with his values and experience. 

Here are ways to inform your distinctiveness: 

1. Self-awareness is the ability to see ourselves and the enterprise clearly and objectively. We invite the perspective of others, practice self-control, and work creatively and productively in this frame of mind. (positivepsychology.com)

2. Make it a practice to tell the truth. Being truthful means we can grow and mature. Truthfulness makes social bonds, and lying breaks them. To quote Oscar Wilde, "The truth is rarely pure and never simple." (skillsyouneed.com)

3. Surround yourself with individuals of strong moral character from all walks of life. Find people who are more intelligent than you, who have experience, and who can be trusted. Sometimes ordinary people are the most profound. (forbes.com) 

4. Treat people with dignity and respect. That means accepting someone for who they are, even if different from you.

5. Don't jeopardize relationships before their time. While being clear on your point of view, there's no need to intentionally antagonize others. As Mafusa says in The Lion King: "Being brave doesn't mean you go looking for trouble."

*Airboat tours launch from Black Hammack Wilderness Area, Oviedo, Florida.  

Strategist.com

© Bredholt & Co.

Making Vision a Reality

"Perhaps God made the world round so we couldn't see too far."  

--Isak Dinesen, Out of Africa

While navigating Washington, D.C. recently I was reminded that the layout of the “District” is the result of someone’s vision.   

In fact, it all began in 1790 when, upon the recommendation of then President George Washington, Congress authorized the creation of a 100-square-mile federal district along the Potomac River that is under the jurisdiction of the United States Congress.    

Washington identified the location and at some point, his name was placed on what was called the "District of Columbia."  However, the concept came from the mind of French architect Pierre Charles L'Enfant. 

L'Enfant is responsible for a framework that, in remarkable ways, remains close to the original plan sketched out over 200 years ago.  

Beauty in simplicity   

According to Smithsonian Magazine, his concept was based on European models translated to American ideals. "The entire city was built around the idea that every citizen was equally important," says L'Enfant's biographer, Scott Berg. "The Mall was designed as open to all comers, which would have been unheard of in France. It's a very sort of egalitarian idea."

The original design of a "grand capital of wide avenues, public squares, and inspiring buildings in what was then a district of hills, forests, marshes, and plantations" is what we behold more than two centuries later.  

The biggest obstacles in the early days were funding for the project and the District's wealthy landowners who didn't share L'Enfant's vision. 

Nevertheless, the contours of the original survey have outlasted nearly eight generations of Washingtonians--something to think about in a city of mostly disposable ideas.

Mining visionary lessons

George Washington and Pierre L'Enfant offer instruction on the important, but sometimes misunderstood, subject of "vision."   

Before "casting a vision" toward a desirable destination here are some insights to consider:

Early stages 

• People first.  Washington selected the land but needed help.  So he enlisted L’Enfant.  The right person improves the chances of getting the right plan. L'Enfant was a seasoned architect when Washington selected him for this monumental task.

• The ideal starting point.   L'Enfant was able to start from scratch which is always the first choice.  It's harder to inject visionary thinking into a body at rest--although that's when it’s needed most. 

• Try collaborating.   The development of a "realistic, credible, and attractive" vision is less a solo performance and more likely the result of interaction and experience with others. 

Ingredients

• Enduring qualities.  It’s important to introduce concepts that are deep, not just wide.  ("Every citizen equally important").  Sloganeering and platitudes don't have a long shelf life and they're promotional in nature.  Well-thought-out visions hold their original value even when updated by succeeding generations and circumstances.

• Need a centerpiece.  For L'Enfant, it was the "public walk" or what is now known as the National Mall.  The two-mile-long strip of grass has become the world's stage for demonstrations and public debate as a showcase of democracy.

• The role of character. The values of the visionary become the values of the design.  What comes out is what's already inside.  This helps explain why some visions are elevating and others are grandiose.     

Other stages

• A proper horizon.  Vision becomes reality over time, not overnight.  A century later the work was far from complete.  In 1901 the McMillan Commission updated the original plan based on L’Enfant’s drawings and moved things into the next phase of development.

• Getting credit, getting paid, or both.  It's possible to have a vision or idea and not get credit for it--or get paid.  L'Enfant quit in frustration and was never compensated for his Washington, D. C. assignment unless you count having a Metro station associated with your name (L'Enfant Plaza).

• Proceed with caution.  Visions need some vetting.  Unchecked dreams often become nightmares.   A huge waterfall cascading down Capitol Hill never went anywhere.  Washington and L'Enfant were tested in many ways yet the essentials of the design are still in place.  

Final thoughts

The good thing about principles is they are scalable.  A department or business unit is not Washington, D. C. but those you lead and manage still need a sense of purpose and direction.   Associates should understand the "goal" and be able to measure progress toward its achievement.    

A shared vision is an absolute necessity for getting something done through others.  Both face-to-face communication and social media can be enlisted for support.   

And the biggest myth about vision?  That vision makes it possible to do anything. (Burt Nanus)  

 

 

Strategist.com.

(C) Bredholt &  Co.