Michael Jordan, Gene Kranz, and harnessing the power of optimism to create success

Last year at Chicago Ideas Week, I hosted a panel titled “Is this economy killing creativity or inspiring it?”  Five panelists discussed the challenges of staying fiercely creative in a less-than-encouraging economic climate.  They all agreed on one thing:

When life gives you lemons, creative people make limoncello.

It’s important to know that these weren’t all super-creative, off-the-charts right brainers.  Along with the owner of an amazing home and garden store (Sprout Home), a clothes designer, and an online entrpreneur, we also had the President of a superhot Chicago ad agency (commonground) and a senior marketing manager for a large packaged goods brand.

I was inspired by their optimism and conviction to take on the challenge of overcoming obstacles, regardless of the climate.  It reminded me of one of my favorite Michael Jordan quotes:

“If you run into a wall, don't turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”

I flashed back to that panel when I read an article in yesterday’s Sunday Chicago Tribune about young adults who have graduated college and instead of facing the promise of a great future as in previous generations, are facing enormous obstacles. 

It spoke of “…a historic recalibration among expectations of every generation of Americans” and  continued, “As Europeans are being gripped by dream-crushing austerity, hopes are also being downsized here in ways not seen since the Great Depression…”

Wow.

Wowzer wow wow.  A historic recalibration?  Dream-crushing austerity?

How would that make you feel if you were sending a child to college in the Fall?  Knowing you’re about to spend thousands and in some cases hundreds of thousands of dollars to prepare her for…shredded dreams and crushing austerity?

Well, that would be me, and since I’ve written a post about why I believe college is still worth every penny, I can think of no better person than Apollo 13’s Mission Control Director Gene Kranz to answer the question.  One of the most memorable moments in film.

I think Mr. Kranz would agree with our panelists, and with Michael Jordan, and with anyone in this country and in this world who would argue that there’s always a creative answer for any situation, challenge, or hardship. It starts with enthusiasm and belief.  And above all, a fervent, almost blindless optimism.

And when you get around that wall, a nice cold of limoncello will be waiting on the other side.

What Michael Jordan, Jeremy Lin, and Kim Kardashian can tell us about community building

As a responsible recorder of human progress and an authority in community building, I’d be remiss if I didn’t write about Jeremy Lin.

Tough to pen something new about him, but how about this: If he removed the second and third syllables from his first name, he’d sound like a country superstar, maybe the long lost Taiwanese stepchild of Loretta Lynn?

Even that wouldn’t approach the level of superstardom Lin has achieved in his three-week ascension. Sports Illustrated cover (the jinx hasn’t happened yet), ebay madness, even rumored dates with Kim Kardashian, a member of a family that apparently can’t get enough NBA players in their lives.

To me, the most amazing thing has been the community of love and support that has grown around him. Granted, his is an amazing Cinderella story, but without the power of social media—last week he hit 2.6 million times on Twitter, more than LeBron, Kobe and seven other NBA elite players combined--there might not have been any $40,000 jersey sales or potential Kardashian Koupling.

For the most part, the explosion of the Jeremy Lin community isn’t a very good lesson for marketers when it comes to building communities for their brands, because of the uniqueness of the situation. But one thing you can learn:

There’s nothing like the combination of success, humility, and a great smile.

Just ask today‘s birthday boy. You know who I'm talking about...