Striving for success. A worthy mission. But isn’t this just a nice spin on what we’re really trying to do — not achieving failure? Or at least avoiding mediocrity? Be honest — we’d simply rather talk about kicking ass than not having our ass kicked. It shows better form. Charlie Sheen says it’s about “winning” but I’ll bet his true ambition is far more modest: not self-destructing.

If we’re honest with ourselves, I think the true motivation for many of us is not falling short. It’s the reason most of us get out of bed in the morning. Sure, we say we’re ready to “face the day”, but isn’t it more about what we’ll face if we don’t? C’mon, be honest! Our need to “be positive” is so ingrained that it’s uncomfortable to consider that it could be anything else. It’s scary to think that fear of failure could be the true driving force.

We all know that our time here is limited, but we also know that having a deadline is a great motivator! We go to school, study, learn and work hard in our careers to make the most of the time we are given. When I stop to think about it, it’s why I try to make every design better than the last and why I played so hard during my tennis match this morning. It’s why I’m not just dashing off this post, but rewriting it several times to tighten it up and make sure it says what I want. I don’t want to suck! And I don’t want others to think I suck! That’s really what it’s about — I’m driven to do what it takes to ensure the opposite result of failure. Or just mediocrity, for that matter.

Aside from the things that are simply out of our control, we are the masters of our own destinies. Life is what you make of it. In life, in work, in business, this blog — you’re only as good as what you’ve done last.

In fact, I’m so afraid of sucking that I don’t suck. Or do I have this all ass-backwards?

I know when I’m spending too much time online. It’s when my eyes bug out and feel like they’re going to fall out of my head. Everything I see past three feet is blurry.

Intense work, nose to monitor, reviewing thousands of photographs looking for the perfect image, kerning the type for a perfect fit, aligning elements to the grid, creating color palettes, sliding a graphic element over so it “kisses” a hairline rule… the hours fly by. 

While this happens, and well aware of the dangers of multitasking, I check emails and respond promptly. I may look at the news and see what the market is doing. Now throw in some Facebook updates and a lively Twitter chat or two: those never-ending updates and flickering streams of information. Scanning multiple columns in HootSuite — reading from bottom to top, left to right, up down, right left — Grand Blurry Station! I’m sure many of you can relate.

The antidote? My chair

That’s right, my chair — that beautiful, big leather recliner out there in the family room. That’s where the really great things happen. 

It’s where my online self ends and my offline one begins. It’s where I think things through, without the “help” of Google. No alerts vie for my attention when I’m in my chair, telling me I’ve received another email or a new mention on Twitter or Facebook. No links are being pushed at me by well-meaning friends portending to have the answers for this or that (as long as I leave my iPhone behind, that is!). It’s when I get away from those things that the real answers come — the deeper answers to things I may be struggling with. 

My best concepts and design ideas always seem to come from the chair. Admittedly, there are distractions there too: someone may switch on the television, a magazine beckons, sometimes I doze off… I know I eat far too many meals there and the mini-fridge is within arm’s reach. But that’s fine — it’s all good. It’s still where great things happen.

Clout vs. Klout

There’s a social media metric called Klout that aims to measure our online influence. It can be a helpful gauge for one’s online activities, as long as it’s taken in context with all of one’s other endeavors. Although flawed at measuring true influence on many levels, it scores one’s online stature with a number. Being flawed beings ourselves, it plays to our weaknesses and egos — even those who acknowledge its various shortcomings get caught up in the gaming aspect and become obsessed with their Klout scores. Mine stands at a respectable 62 (just checked it this morning!).  

Now, as I sit in my chair (okay… lie in my chair), the ideas keep coming. The cat strolls by and meows. My youngest child jumps on my lap. I can practically hear my Klout score dropping… but so what? Everything is starting to make sense again. Clarity.

Klout be damned.

Businesses will need to stir up their creative juices if they’re going to succeed in the coming decades. Innovation. The word is everywhere and is the necessary ingredient for businesses to stay vibrant. The status quo just won’t do it anymore, and actually hasn’t been working for quite some time now. 

In order to ensure innovation, the best leaders will be creative thinkers who know how to inspire teams to produce the best new ideas. A new mindset will be required, where people are encouraged to take risks and aren’t afraid to fail in pursuit of something special. This will be the only hope for busting the doors open to capitalize on new opportunities in an increasingly competitive world. 

For far too long, companies have played it safe, enabling a culture of mediocrity. Annual reviews, the way they’ve been done, have proven nothing. New leaders will take calculated risks, because playing it safe won’t cut it. That’s not the way the game is played anymore. 

Increasingly, 21st Century leaders will be those who can build teams of diverse people that brainstorm and grow ideas together, recognizing which ideas to capture and which to discard. Then, they will make the best ideas happen. 

Companies must now foster creativity up and down the entire organization. Nothing great, I mean truly great, has ever been produced without risk. It’s time to either put up or shut up.

Throughout history and now again, even with the most amazing technologies readily available at our fingertips, one thing remains consistent: the best ideas still start on a napkin.

Only after building your network can you use the podium to its fullest potential. When it comes to getting your message out, there’s no sense shouting from the rooftops if no one is listening.

This is what social media can do and is where its power lies. It is where new relationships begin and existing ones are strengthened, creating a receptive audience that listens. And it doesn’t stop there because engaged audiences generously rebroadcast these same messages throughout other networks, amplifying them and expanding their reach even further!

My business, strategic design/branding/advertising/communications, has traditionally been mostly about making the podium higher and louder. It is about making messages that are informative, compelling, on target and that stand out from the crowd. Now, with social media, it’s still about this and more. An exciting new addition has been added, but it still takes well-executed branding to blaze a path and make sure you are both seen and heard.

Surround your audience and connect the brand

Social media is a powerful tactic that does a lot of upfront legwork, smoothing the foundation for businesses and brands as they engage, build networks and create buzz. But the key to remember is integration. This goes beyond just social media because a smart strategy will surround your audience, utilizing all the various tactics in all the various media. Good branding and a cohesive design strategy will connect the brand as you connect your network. It ensures that your brand will speak with one voice through all the media touch points: social, web, video, print, experiential, etc. 

When it comes to making sure your message is noticed, no tactic should be left unturned. Go ahead — build your network and speak from the podium. But don’t leave the branding strategy at the door.