By 2003, Britney Spears was the first artist in the history of Nielsen SoundScan to have four consecutive albums debut at number one, and she was one of the hottest celebrities in the world.
In 2004, Spears announced a career break in order to start a family. Because of this break and a variety of personal problems, her career was all but dead by 2006, and she was reduced from “super star” status to fodder for late night comics and tabloid magazines.
Americans love to give second chances. (We also love to destroy our heroes first, but that is a subject for another blog post.) So when the announcement was made that Spears would perform “Gimme More” at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, the anticipation was huge. This was to be her “come back” appearance when all was forgiven. She was [click to continue...]
Dr. Randy Pausch, a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, died yesterday. He was diagnosed in August 2006 with pancreatic cancer and became an Internet sensation for his “Last Lecture” and a best-selling book by the same name.
This talk was part an ongoing series of lectures at Carnegie Mellon where top academics were asked to give a hypothetical address about what wisdom they would share with the world if this was their last chance to do so. Dr. Pausch’s gave his speech entitled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” on September 18, 2007. It was his last lecture.
He was a Vision Caster. A Vision Caster must have a big idea. Dr. Pausch had one. He said obstacles serve a purpose and they “give us a chance to show how badly we want something.” So when confronted with incurable cancer, instead of retreating into self-pity and isolation, he became an advocate for achieving dreams and awareness of pancreatic cancer.
If you haven’t seen the “Last Lecture” yet, it is definitely worth watching. If you have seen it, you may want to watch it again. Either way, here it is:
Al Gore, the forty-fifth Vice-President of the United States and Democratic nominee for President in 2000, is one of the most divisive people in America today. People either love him or hate him. Liberals tend to love him, and conservatives tend to hate him.
An Inconvenient Truth
Whether you like or dislike him, you probably agree that he has a vision for helping the environment. In 2006 he authored “An Inconvenient Truth,” a white paper on global warming. That same year he starred in the Academy Award-winning documentary by the same name. For his work on trying to save the environment, Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007.
In a recent speech, he said that unless we change our energy policy, “The survival of the United States of America as we know it is at risk. And even more—if more should be required—the future of human civilization is at stake.” At the same time, he also said, “I challenge our nation to commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and clean carbon-free sources within 10 years.”
A Good Vision
Gore’s vision that America and the world need a good energy policy is correct. All but the most die-hard conservatives understand that we need to rid ourselves of dependence on foreign oil and that we need to develop renewable solar and nuclear power, along with other alternative forms of energy generation.
But Not A Vision Caster
Again, Al Gore has a great vision, but he is not a Vision Caster. A Vision Caster’s vision must be RIGHT: Real, Inspirational, Good, Helpful, and Timely. The claims he made in this speech aren’t Real: they aren’t realistic, achievable, or doable. Additionally, they are not Good: a Vision Caster has to be credible. These and other exaggerations he has made in the past, are so “over the top” and dramatic that neither he nor his claims are believable to any but those in his core group of Democratic supporters.
If you want to be a Vision Caster and spread your vision across increasingly bigger spheres of influence, you need to have a vision like Al Gore. But don’t be like Al Gore. He’s not a Vision Caster, and if you emulate him, you won’t be one either!
I am back from vacation today and awake after some morning coffee. Feeling has once again returned to my finger tips, and the calluses on my right iPhone thumb have disappeared. It was a great time and I need to do this more often, but it is also good to be home!
I’d like to thank Scott Schwertly and Mitch Canter for their guest posts in my absence. I’ve heard nothing but positive feedback on their blogging so I am guessing you enjoyed their contributions.
I’d also like to thank you for voting for “The Big Idea” in SlideShare’s 2008 “World’s Best Presentation Contest. We are currently #1 with over 10,000 views even after considerable web vandalism. There are 10 now 24 days left of voting, so if you haven’t voted already, it isn’t too late. Just click here.
I know I promised you new content today, but I’m running a bit behind schedule. My elderly father has to have emergency surgery later this morning, so I won’t have anything fresh for a day or two, but check back then.
Hello, my name is Mitch Canter, and I am an entrepreneur. I own and operate a small design studio, studionashvegas, in Nashville, TN. I’ve been doing this for nine months now on my own, and I know that it was the greatest decision of my life.
It is my pleasure to give you a preview of my upcoming book VISION CASTER in the form of a new slideshow entitled “The BIG Idea.”
If you like this, please vote for this presentation at SlideShare’s 2008 “World’s Best Presentation Contest.” I need YOUR vote to win! It will take only 5 minutes of your time, it won’t cost you anything, and I guarantee you’ll enjoy watching this.
Just click HERE and then press the green “thumbs up” button underneath the slideshow to cast your vote. It is that simple!
And if you really like this, tell your friends and ask them to vote. If you love it, please post the slideshow on your website or blog.
Britney Spears
