Hey yall!

This one is a little long but well worth it.

Estimated read time: 5 minutes

In our last issue, we introduced the concept of the Rider, the analytical part of our minds that can help us chart a path towards change.

However, we also discussed its tendency to get bogged down in analysis, and how that can hinder our efforts to make progress. Today, we'll delve deeper into the three keys to overcoming this weakness:

• finding the bright spots

• scripting the critical moves

• creating a compelling destination.

By focusing on these elements, we can harness the power of the Rider and successfully navigate towards a better future. So let's dive in and discover how we can put these keys into action!

Jerry Sternin - Find the bright spots

So back in 1990, there was this guy Jerry Sternin who worked for Save the Children, the organization that helps kiddos in need. His job was to open a new office in Vietnam to fight malnutrition, but when he got there, he was met with a frostier reception than a snowman at the beach. The government invited Save the Children into the country, but not everyone was happy about it. Talk about a warm welcome, am I right?

Anyway, the foreign minister told Sternin he had six months to make a difference, which is basically like saying, "I dare you to make a change in six months with no money, no staff, and oh yeah, you don't speak the language either." Sternin was traveling with his wife and 10-year-old son, and they were like lost puppies at the airport when they arrived in Vietnam.

But Jerry wasn't one to back down from a challenge. With minimal staff and resources, he decided to take a different approach to the problem. Instead of focusing on the root causes of malnutrition, he went on a mission to find the bright spots, healthy kids (chubby babies👶🏼) despite their disadvantages.

Jerry traveled to rural villages to meet with local mothers. The mothers weighed and measured every child in their village and identified the bright spots, the kids who were bigger and healthier than the typical child. Jerry asked the mothers, "You mean it's possible today in this village for a very poor family to have a well-nourished child?" The mothers replied, "Có, có, có." (Yes, yes, yes.) Jerry's response? "Then let's go see what they're doing."

Jerry found that the bright-spot mothers fed their kids four meals a day, hand-feeding them if necessary, and encouraged them to eat when sick. These mothers were even collecting tiny shrimp and crabs from the rice paddies and mixing them in with their kids' rice, adding sorely needed protein and vitamins to their children's diet.

Jerry's approach was different from conventional wisdom, which focused on addressing the root causes of malnutrition. Instead, he focused on finding bright spots and learning from them. Jerry knew that knowledge alone wouldn't change behavior, so he organized cooking groups to help the mothers practice their new cooking habits. And it worked! Six months after Jerry arrived in the Vietnamese village, 65 percent of the kids were better nourished and stayed that way.

Jerry's success story is a reminder to all of us that sometimes the best solutions come from the least expected places. By focusing on the bright spots, Jerry was able to make a positive change in the lives of millions of Vietnamese people. So, next time you're faced with a problem, don't just focus on the root causes. Look for the bright spots, and you just might find a delicious solution to your problem.

In conclusion, Jerry Sternin's mission to reduce malnutrition in Vietnam was a success because he looked for the bright spots. He found that the key to well-nourished kids was a combination of feeding them four times a day, hand-feeding them if necessary, and adding some shrimp and crabs to their rice. Who knew that the secret to a healthy diet was seafood? Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to add some crab and shrimp to my lunch.

Script the critical moves… Privatizing Brazil's Railroads: A Tale of Chaos and Creativity

Ambiguity is the enemy. Any successful change requires a translation of ambiguous goals into concrete behaviors. In short, to make a switch, you need to script the critical moves.

In 1995, Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso made a decision to privatize Brazil's railroads. However, the rail system was in bad shape and needed significant repairs. After the auction, GP Investimentos Limited won the bid to run the southern line, which ran through Brazil's three southernmost states. Alexandre Behring, a 30-something business school graduate, was put in charge of the company, which was later renamed America Latina Logistica (ALL).

Behring faced a significant challenge. ALL had only 30 million Brazilian reals in cash on its balance sheet. Fixing everything that was broken would require hundreds of millions of reals, a task that seemed impossible. The railroad was in chaos, and the decision paralysis seemed inescapable. However, Behring and his team developed four rules to govern the company's investments, which led to creativity and success.

The first rule was to invest money only in projects that would allow ALL to earn more revenue in the short term. The second rule was to choose the best solution that would cost the least money up front, even if it would end up costing more in the long term, and even if it was a lower-quality solution. The third rule was to prefer options that would fix a problem quickly, and the fourth rule was to reuse or recycle existing materials instead of acquiring new ones.

Behring's four rules ensured that cash would not be consumed unless it was being used as bait for more cash. This approach meant that they could spend a little, make a little more, and focus on the critical moves. By staying focused on the critical moves, Behring made it easier for his people to change direction, and this approach was crucial to the success of the company.

In 1998, for instance, the company had to turn down business hauling grain because it didn't have enough locomotives. While its competitors were negotiating for new locomotives, ALL's engineers worked around the clock repairing old locomotives. This approach was in line with the rules set by Behring, which focused on financial triage. He needed his people to move immediately in a new direction, in hopes that they could buy ALL enough time to make a fuller transformation.

In conclusion, Behring's approach to leading ALL was creative and successful. His four rules focused on financial triage and helped to spark movement in a new direction. By staying focused on the critical moves, he made it easier for his people to change direction, and this approach was crucial to the success of the company. The story of Brazil's privatization of railroads is a tale of chaos and creativity that will inspire many.

Point to the destination

Have you ever heard of Dr. Laura Esserman? She's a breast cancer surgeon and associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and she's pretty much a superhero to her patients.

You see, breast cancer treatment can be a real nightmare for women. It usually involves bouncing around from doctor to doctor, appointment to appointment, and waiting weeks on end for test results. Not exactly a stress-free experience.

But Laura Esserman is different. She's warm, empathetic, and gives her personal cell phone number to her patients. She even sings them to sleep in the operating room sometimes! How cool is that?

But Laura didn't stop at just being an awesome surgeon. She had a vision for how breast cancer care could be different. She wanted a clinic where a woman could walk in with a concern and walk out with an answer or treatment plan all in one day. No bouncing around, no waiting weeks on end.

The problem was that the medical departments at UCSF were pretty bureaucratic and political, and Laura didn't have a lot of power to make changes. But she didn't let that stop her. She started small, with a four-hour-per-week Breast Care Center, and slowly but surely, she got more and more people on board with her vision.

Fast forward a few years, and the Breast Care Center is a huge success. Patients love it, it's generating revenue for UCSF, and it's a national leader in breast cancer care and research. And the best part? It's exactly what Laura had envisioned all those years ago - a place where the patient comes first.

So what can we learn from Laura Esserman? Well, for one thing, having a compelling destination in mind can be a powerful motivator for change. Instead of getting bogged down in data and analysis, we can focus on where we want to go and use our Rider and Elephant strengths to figure out how to get there.

And who knows - maybe someday we'll all be singing our patients to sleep in the operating room. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Until next time

Camillo