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When I set off on my first cross-country bike ride, I was on a mission to find people who love their job. Convinced they must be remarkable people, I wanted to track down these unicorns and interview them for a documentary I was producing.

But in my quest, I discovered that people aren’t remarkable because they love their job. They love their job because they are remarkable!

Being remarkable is the gateway – the secret – to love our work, whatever work we do.

So what does it mean to be remarkable?

• Showing up with a purpose (a battle cry!)
• Embracing the uncomfortable
• Contributing to the success of others
• Practicing resilience instead of resistance
• Being courageous
• Standing up when no one else does
• Clapping and cheering for ourselves and others
• Making a difference – in conversations, in moments, and with others

In a recent commencement speech, Bill Gates said, “Believing that the world’s serious problems can be solved is the core of my worldview. It sustains me in tough times and is the reason I love my work.”

When we are remarkable, the job is merely a conduit, allowing us to make a difference. Arguably, the job is not as important as who we are in that job.

When we focus on “is this the biggest difference I can make here?“ suddenly the onslaught of policies, procedures, protocols, and processes becomes irrelevant.

People aren’t remarkable because they love their job. They are remarkable because they are committed to making a difference with their work. And ultimately, that fuels their joblove.

I went to the Kentucky Derby with a colorful hat but no clue about horse racing.

I quickly discovered that betting on horses is like picking people for your team – knowing their backstory is essential to creating their front story.

On advice from a friend, I placed a $2 bet on every race just to be part of the excitement.

But how does a novice pick a race horse? Admittedly, I was initially seduced by their names: Irish War Cry, Patch, Classic Empire, Thunder Snow.

And then I was introduced to The Daily Racing Form, a publication of facts and statistics on past performances for race horses – this gave me the backstory for every horse in every race at the Derby:

• number of races won
• performance in distance races
• results on turf vs. dirt, wet vs. dry tracks
• trainer and jockey statistics

I also watched the horses parade from the paddock to the starting gate before the race. I noticed if they were skittish and panicked from the roar of the crowds, or and if they seemed edgy and eager to run.

I studied their backstory to determine how they would perform in the race – their front story.

And that’s exactly how horse trainer Todd Pletcher and horse jockey John Velazquez won the Kentucky Derby with the horse Always Dreaming. They knew the colt’s backstory, allowing them to adjust his exercises before the race and his pace during the race.

Similarly, people come to us with their own backstory. Unfortunately, we don’t have a Daily Racing Form to guide us.

So we need to ask more questions about their past experiences and pay attention to their current actions and behaviors in order to help people create their own front story.

A pause for self-reflection in the midst of chaos…

If we ponder for a moment before walking into a conversation, a meeting, or an altercation, to ask ourselves:
“Is this the biggest difference I can make?”
…could we reshape the outcome by adjusting our approach?

This specific adage interrupted my reaction to an offensive driver recently. It altered my attitude before schooling a barista on her job. It invariably shifts how I contribute to my team. And, when I employ it early, inspires me to purposefully create my day before it starts.

Is this the biggest difference I can make…

• with this person?
• in this conversation?
• with my time?
• with my thoughts?
• in this meeting?
• with my team?
• in my job?
• with my career?

If we answer “No” to the question, aren’t we just wasting our time and energy, shortchanging people of our best selves? Should we really be in that conversation, that meeting, or that job if we’re not going to make our biggest difference?

Of course, this notion challenges the hours we squander watching mindless television, surfing social media, reacting with emotional outbursts, or succumbing to other people’s drama.

With this question, a reality sets in… how are we choosing to show up, engage, contribute, influence, respond, serve, and lead?

Thus restoring our power to be victor not victim.

A mere burst of self-reflection not only makes us better leaders, it makes us better people.

When I spent a week in Bali recently, I was awestruck by the monkeys, elephants, temples, villages, hospitable people, and … homeless dogs.

It felt discordant with the extremely kind and caring Hindu culture. But according to our guide (and fast friend) Putri, Balinese dogs are irrelevant.

While the dogs are not mangy or abused, they are ignored, destined to scavenge through village streets for their own food.

According to Hindu beliefs, if you are a good person in your life (referred to as dharma), you will reincarnate as a human. If you live an immoral, sinful, or wicked life (referred to as adharma), you will reincarnate as a dog.

Being a dog lover, I was stunned. I regaled Putri with stories of our dog obsession in America: dog food, doggie day cares, dog walkers, and dog parks. She was aghast!

I later emailed Putri a picture of my dog in my bed and she responded, “My husband is in shock. He can’t decide who is mistaken – your people or Balinese.” Putri schooled him, “Different culture, baby!”

That’s right! Different culture, diverse perspectives, divergent convictions. No mistakes.

But it’s not our differences that should give us pause, it’s our insularity.

When we travel to new countries (even new cities and states!), we become cognizant of how isolated we are in our hermetically-sealed worlds.

And it’s this isolation that threatens our success as leaders.

If we don’t deliberately “travel” to different departments, engage with distinct job levels, and expose ourselves to unique issues on various teams, we too will operate with a limited view of the world.

And trying to lead while insular always results in adharma!

Each day we interact with countless people, exchanging pleasantries as we proceed. “How are you?” How was your weekend?” “What’s new?” “How was school today?”

And as we are asking, we anticipate their one-word responses: “Good” “Great” “Nothing” “Fine.”

1-inch questions yield 1-inch responses. And yet these quick interactions are vital to our survival, ensuring we connect with cordiality, but without getting stuck confabulating. 1-inch questions allow us to converse while moving, and transact while multi-tasking.

But to engage with others, we must evolve the 1-inch conversation using Yardstick questions:

• Really? What was that like?
• What did you learn?
• What was your experience?
• Anything surprise you?
• Interesting. Tell me more.

Yardstick questions force us to pause for a person, intentionally making the moment about the other person. Suddenly, we are listening as if our relationship depends on it. When we authentically ask Yardstick questions, we become curious, eager, and present – not knowing what we will discover.

Yardstick questions demonstrate our commitment, while Yardstick answers reveal volumes about the other person. The result is transformational, not just transactional.

• We care about them.
• So they trust us.
• And then they share.
• Which bolsters our connection.
• And fuels our trust.
• And then they care about us.

When we need to get by people, we ask 1-inch questions. When we need to get into people, we ask Yardstick questions.

1-inch questions create transactional connections. Yardstick questions create transformational engagement.

Leave it to 7-year-olds to reinvent a game that’s been around since the Chinese Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD): Rock Paper Scissors.

I was at a youth soccer practice when the coach initiated a game of Rock Paper Scissors to see who was going to be up next to practice kicking the ball to the goalie.

Suddenly, the boys were shouting, “Dynamite beats rock!” “Sword beats dynamite!” “Handgun beats sword” and “Lava beats handgun!”

Dynamite? Sword? Handgun? Lava? This isn’t the game I grew up playing! What happened to the rock, the paper, and the scissors?

I asked the boys, who quickly informed me that the game had been expanded. They delighted in teaching me about the weapons available.

I was being mentored by 7-year-olds.

And more than just introduce me to the reinvented game, they reminded me:

• to be more innovative with simple, everyday tasks, routines, and processes
• to be open to the adventure of change
• to experiment with fresh ideas and new games
• to play outside the 3-weapon box
• to pay attention to the new kids on the block

It never occurred to us that we could change the game… but it occurred to them.

It struck me: what other viewpoints, new approaches, or original concepts am I overlooking?

The older we get, the more wisdom we gather. But the more we gather, the more we get entrenched in referencing our own wisdom and ignoring the wisdom of others.

With fresh perspectives come fresh solutions to old, tired problems. We just need to remember to extend the invitation and give people permission to think differently and share their distinct experiences.

Pay attention to young people and young employees – they never need permission to think differently. And as they twist our kaleidoscope, get ready for our wisdom and our world to expand!

A battle cry is what we shout as we run onto the proverbial battle field in pursuit of victory!

• William Wallace in the movie Braveheart: They may take our land but they’ll never take our freedom!
• JFK: We shall pay any price to assure the survival and the success of liberty.
• Starbucks: We are inspiring and nurturing the human spirit one person, one cup, one neighborhood at a time.
• US Marines Corps: Semper Fidelis (Always Faithful or Always Loyal)
• Crawford, my Hertz Rental car driver at Orlando airport: I save marriages.

Wait! What? Crawford explained, “Dragging all of that luggage and children can test any relationship, especially in the rain. I am in charge of personally driving families who need help getting to the terminal after dropping off their cars. On the way, I talk to them, calm them down, and alleviate their frustrations. I’ve saved numerous marriages.”

We ask ourselves every day to come to work, to be all in, to give a piece of our lives to an organization. We need to show up because we believe …with our heart and soul.

But people don’t believe in to-do-lists, monthly goals, or quarterly quotas. We merely tolerate those. We believe in a purpose – the why behind our work – the reason for the lists, goals, and quotas.

Without a battle cry, setting goals and generating lists become rote exercises. But a battle cry guides our actions and reinforces the fight.

And it’s not about the money. Money becomes the focus when people lack purpose and passion.

To identify your own battle cry, ask yourself:

• what do you love about your job?
• what difference does your work make to others (on your team, in your organization, with your customers, in the community)?

As Crawford dropped me at the terminal, he reflected, “I love my job. I love Hertz.”

That’s the power of the battle cry!