New Globond Team Structure

Globond International is pleased to announce a new Management Team structure to operate the organization in order to raise the bar on how we connect and serve our Members, making them even more successful and fulfilled. About the new structure:

First, the main innovative feature of the new team structure is that all the principals are CEOs. Look at the list of titles below and see that the C and O mean what you think, namely Chief and Officer. It is the E that differs for each manager – to convey a sense of her/his primary job focus and orientation.

• Kirstin Myers, Chief Expansion Officer and Founder, Gloucester, MA, kirstin@globond.com
• Chris Lawson, Chief Exit-Strategy Officer, Gloucester, MA, chris@globond.com
• Elyce Monet, Chief Energy Officer, Los Angeles, CA, elyce@globond.com
• Genoveva Tavera, Chief Engagement Officer, Waltham, MA, genoveva@globond.com
• Kitty Ragin, Chief Elevation Officer, Atlanta, GA, kitty@globond.com
• Larry Rosenberg, Ph.D., Chief Empowerment Officer, Sedona, AZ, larry@globond.com
• Luiz Sakuda, Chief Effectiveness Officer, Sao Paulo, Brazil, luiz@globond.com
• Mike Ragin, Chief Enrichment Officer, Atlanta, GA, mike@globond.com

Secondly, the designation of all managers as CEOs points to their commitment to taking the 100% responsibility that goes with the conventional CEO (Chief Executive Officer) position. Each player on the team is ready to do what she/he has to do to advance the organization and thus help our Members to improve and prosper.

Third, the multiple CEO arrangement dramatically marks Globond as a horizontally aligned organization, with a real management team approach. The conventional hierarchical/vertical structure – too often with one hard-pressed, overburdened and out-of-touch CEO at the top – is showing signs of faltering and even fading. More and more, the future of organizations belongs to flatter structures, thus closer to the customers/members and more agile for responding to changes in the world. And that is where Globond wants to be!

A View from a Pakistani Woman Futurist and Globonder about Intent and Responsibility in the Obama Era

"In Pakistan, Making Coffee, Not War" -- Guest Commentary by Ramla Akhtar. For "Newsmax" APR09 issue

Publish at Scribd or explore others: Magazines & Newspape world obama

Can you be over-charged and still reset? Yes if you are a Tectonic Leader™

You have probably seen or read about the recent meeting between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her counterpart Sergei Lavrov. Clinton began by taking out a pretty little yellow box which contained a red button, and she beamed at him, saying "I would like to present you with a little gift that represents what President Obama and Vice President Biden and I have been saying and that is: 'We want to reset our relationship and so we will do it together". Then she continued by saying to Lavrov, "We worked hard to get the right Russian word. Do you think we got it?" Well, Secretary of State Clinton did not get it, as the Russian Foreign Minister readily pointed out: "You got it wrong!" It turns out that the chosen word, "Peregruzka" s – mistakenly substituted for Perezagruzka - is actually the Russian word for "overcharged" Such a not so subtle mistake, in an “overcharged” political climate, could have embarrassed the most skilled of diplomats; yet the incident did not seem to frazzle the US Secretary of State, who decided to stay on course with the “Intent” of the gift; she instead took Lavrov by the arm and said “"We won't let you do that to us. Let’s go have dinner Sergei”. Dinner we were told was relaxed and joyful. Minister Sergei Lavrov hailed as wonderful his relationship with her; Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised the visit as a new start in U.S.-Russian ties after their first one-on-one meeting.

What took place in this encounter is an expression of leadership, Tectonic Leadership™, a term coined by Globonder Samia Bahsoun that describes the type of leadership needed in “overcharged” political situations, challenging financial crisis, daunting environmental threat.

The Tectonic Leadership™ process begins with a clear definition of the problem at hand, ironically an “overcharged” political climate in this case. Secretary of State Clinton walked into the meeting the “Right Intent”, the second step in the process. As Etsko Schuitema, another Globonder, will affirm through his experience dealing with leadership matters and organizational dynamics (as described in his book “Intent”), it is the benevolence of that Intent that determines outcome.

In spite of the words on the button, written in Roman letters instead of Cyrillic, it is the willingness of the leader to step into the fault, transparently and with the right intent, that describes the “function of the Tectonic Leader™, the “tekton”, mason of the new relational architecture.”

“Tectonic Leadership™ is not about having all the answers. It not about knowledge nor is it about common sense.” Condoleezza Rice, fluent in Russian and an expert on Russia, had all the “common” knowledge but failed to deliver; in fact the gap widened during her tenure. The Tectonic Leader™ will assume and accept that the boundaries of conflict do shift and are paradoxical, sometimes as confusing and fuzzy as PEREGRUZKA and PEREZAGRUZKA ; yet by choice and with the Right Intent, they can be “Overcharged” or “Reset”. Secretary of State Clinton and Minister Lavrov seemed to have made that choice last week. So can we!

What is wrong with this picture?

Many of us are still basking in the glow of the recent Presidential election, while also now trying to step back now, and to be"objective" to see whether or not President Obama can back up his words with actions. We are all giving President Obama "the benefit of the doubt" but now want to see if he can actually perform the miracles we need for him to achieve in order to save us all from the disaster which looms over us. What is wrong with this picture? 

The answer is that the picture is distorted and we are setting up our new President to fail, unless we all make fundamental and profound changes in the way we think and act. The reality, as explained by South African thinker, philosopher and management consultant Etsko Schuitema, is that "what we are looking at now is the result of a turn we took 10 millenia ago, when we moved away from hunter-gatherer societies, which are fundamentally co-operative in nature to one of agriculture and with it the capacity to produce surplus. He says, “As a species we have pursued increasingly complex strategies for the pursuit of self interest since we started cultivating crops and producing surpluses that the select could control. It is as if the anthem of homo sapiens over the last 9000 years has been one of an increasingly complex and entrenched song called ‘I am here to get’. This fundamental intent rule has delivered us, as a species, to a place of globally catastrophic proportions; those who control the surplus control other people and the world, and as Etsko explains, "the burgeoning of greed and unbridled self-interest has produced a world on the brink of complete failure."

Etsko is not just theorizing or hypothesizing but has studied the issues of Leadership and Intent for more than 25 years, in a wide variety of cultures and sectors, as part of a larger quest to find out what causes the kind of commitment and unconditional loyalty necessary to create a profitable company, a winning team, a thriving country. He became astonished and then over time, convinced of his findings when he got the same answers to the questions he was posing no matter where or in what context he was doing the research. In fact it turned out that there was no company, no country, no team that could command the kind of loyalty needed to get a surplus or a winning score. Surplus or profit by definition means that the workers or team members are giving more than they receive. But paradoxically, Etsko found, people are not loyal to institutions; instead people commit to other people, more specifically, to those who lead them but with a Benevolent Intent, meaning that the leader is concerned with their well-being and development. Etsko refers to this as The Care and Growth model of Leadership.

It does not take a rocket scientist to look at our situation here in the United States to see then why our banks are broken and our entire system is bankrupt. John Thain, the former head of Merrill Lynch, spent over $1.2 million to decorate his office, and yesterday he tried to excuse himself by saying that the renovations were done "more than a year ago, in a different economic environment." Thain's complete lack of introspection should not be too much of a surprise, but if we don't change this way of thinking we are in fact doomed. What kind of a leader spends his resources in such a selfish way and how can he then ask those he leads to make the sacrifices necessary in any organization to create a profit? The economic environment in which Thain thrived last year was directly responsible for the mess he and the rest of us find ourselves now.

John Thain also made outrageous statements yesterday to defend the infamous $4 billion in bonuses that were paid out to Merrill Lynch employees right after they had lost $15 billion in 3 months and were going to the Government for a bailout. He said "if you don't pay your best people, you will destroy your franchise. Those best people can get jobs other places, they will leave. “One can argue that Thain's definition of "best people" is way off, given the fact that these are the same people who drove their bank to ruin. One could also point out that right now, jobs are hard to come by in any sector even for the so-called “best”, making those bonuses excessive at this time. But in fact, there is a deeper truth that we need to hear and to understand if we are to get out of this hole and not ever fall back in.
The truth, as discovered by Etsko, is that "whether or not you pay your workers the top rate for an industry or the bottom rate is immaterial and will have no bearing on the extent to which they trust you." Yes, loyalty is driven by things other than money and this makes sense if one just stops to think about it: Once you get paid a huge bonus from a bank for work already done, what is to keep you from moving to the bank that promises you a higher bonus the next year?  Especially when the culture you are in encourages self-interest and greed. Only one example illustrates the veracity of Etsko's finding: Google is a company often cited as a best place to work and they are famous for having pay below industry standards.

President Obama is in fact the kind of leader which can command the commitment and loyalty of his followers to give more than they receive and do the work necessary to solve these huge problems we are facing. However, that means we need to listen to him, to follow his lead, and to make the hard choices,putting the greater good ahead of our individual interests. Paradoxically, this is the only thing that will save each of us from the abyss. Instead of chanting “yes we can!” it is time to answer the question “Yes, we can what?”

Hello Globonders!!!!!!!!!

I hope that you all had as relaxing, enjoyable and productive (yes it is possible to work and play at the same time!) a holiday as I did. Mine was spent in warm and sunny Florida where Chris' parents and my dad and his wife live, within a 2 1/2 hour drive of one another. In between games of pinochle, family gatherings and longer sleeps than usual, I took the time to reflect on 2008 and plan for 2009. Each of you will be getting an email in your box today with a list of things that you can do in order to get the most out of your membership and enable Globond to leverage you and your talents, experience and contacts to their maximum potential. Please take time to open and read that email and let me know if you have any questions. Otherwise I am going to expect you to just "get it done"!

Ok now before I end today's blog with Globond's resolutions and predictions for 2009, I would like to introduce you to a new member of the Globond team. Lisa Reed has agreed to join us as my Executive Admin. Lisa will also be in charge of day to day customer support and will be the go-to woman for help getting you on the website, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and for helping us make sure we are taking proper care of you. You can reach Lisa at lisa@globond.com or call her anytime at +1 321 422 9256. Ok now for my Resolutions and Predictions for 2009.

Globond's 2009 New Year Resolutions

1. Keep Our Priorities Straight...God, family and then Globonders!

2. Do a video for Globonders and post a blog once each day to give Globonders a reason to visit the website
3. Know who the Globonders are and what you want, striving continually to help you get where you want to go with less time and effort, more fun on the way!

4. Celebrate our Globonders and your accomplishtments to each other and the outside world

5. Find and maximize opportunities for Globonders in a way which stretches you individually and grows Globond as an organization and community

6. Always tell the Globonders what we really think and what we believe you need to hear as opposed to what you want to hear

7. Maintain privacy and trust with our members, giving you a place where you feel safe to be yourselves.

8. Engage in the world around us, participating and impacting the global transformation taking place in a measurable and meaningful way.

9. Count our blessings and treasure every moment of every day.

10. Go to the gym 6 days a week (ok this one is personal and my own resolution but if Barack Obama can fit it in, so can I and making it public here will ensure my follow-through)

Globond predictions for 2009 (The predictions below are very bold but based on firm conviction and supported by our knowledge of the capacity and track record of the Globonders mentioned)

1. James Peck's algorithm will be proven to work and will start to revolutionize transportation in various sectors

2. Etsko Schuitema and his work on Intent and Leadership will get the attention and credit he deserves in the US media, academia and even by the new US Presidential Administration. Business Leaders will study and apply his insights.

3. Leong Ying will get media attention and start to have successful debate events over his Proof of God (Universal Laws of Thermodynamics)

4. Jacqueline Wales' latest book "The Fearless Factor: Thriving Beyond the Jungles of Life" will be a best-seller, as will Al Secunda's next book (do not know the title yet)

5. Julie Dennis will sing the soundtrack for a motion picture, possibly for a James Bond movie!

6. Ravi Srinivasan's new company ProCompare will get the funding it needs

7. Dr. Dan will get a new major professional athlete as a client and be able to talk about it :-)

8. Yusuf Ole Petenya's Maasai women will make sandals and bags that will be worn by Michelle, Malia and Sasha Obama.

9. Marjorie Rothstein will get Boomer Babes launched to great fanfare

10.Tashka Yawanawa will get his fashion line relaunched with the endorsement of a major fashion celebrity.

11. Philip Berry will end 2009 with his brand-new company on the verge of profitability and with a nice portfolio of blue-chip clients

12. Samia Bahsoun and her Tectonic Leadership will start to become a household name and be recognized by thought leaders and in the media. She will finish a book.

13. Tung Bui will get his break as a martial arts actor in a major film, though the part may be a small one to start

14. Dahn World will enter Brazil officially and with lots of media and other attention!

15. Globond's Tectonic Leadership Summit will be a HUGE success

16. At least one Globonder will appear on Oprah

17. The dysfunctions in our world systems of finance and government will complete their process of total collapse. Out of the ruins we will help to create a new world order and a strong foundation laid for the new systems which will take place of the old.

18. We will continue to see the glass as half full

19. Continue our work with Etsko Schuitema to mature and develop our Benevolent Intent and the Care and Growth Model of Leadership. This means to give everyone and everything their due and to get in order to give.

Globonders' To-Do List

We request each Globonder to:

1. Go to the Globond website at least once a day

2. Maintain close and frequent communication with Globond regarding your goals, accomplishments, disappointments, etc. so we can help you continually progress

3. Read the email you will receive today, January 5 and do what we ask of you to the best of your ability.

4. When in doubt get in touch with us!

5. Think big and give your dreams the benefit of your doubts, dismissing the doubts as saboteurs and sending them away.

6. Treat all Globonders as trusted friends because they are. If you have any experience that causes you to think otherwise, call Kirstin.

7. Have fun!