Travel log, while I have sort of stopped traveling with the birth of my son it sort of makes me chuckle to write a travel log now as I used to travel all the time.  So in reflecting outside it seems that my new condo in Edina is perpetually surrounded on all sides by lawnmowers. While I am sort of against lawns the whole thing I find sort of irritating that we waste fuel to cut grass, that we waste water on yet produces nothing mean while it the same land could grow food, be a prairie, or a forest. But noise level aside it is starting to get chilly out and one of my favorite parts of the year, I love the fall and the smell of leaves. Where have we traveled during this semester I usually think literally and I guess the first week was in NY and moved 5 miles out of house to a condo, and other then that most of my travel is between one computer to another. So we have read two books and had a ton of writing assignments, and other source material, blogs and stuff to digest in the always hurried rate these classes seem to take. It is nice to get a slow down week to reflect, while still having three assignments and reviewing such a large amount of data is somehow slowing down I am not sure.  

Sitting is nice but personally I find it sort of irritating, as when ever I turn off my cellphone it seems like there is just more work and responses needed which pile on afterward making the quiet time sort of just worry time. Not to mention the ever present feelings that I am missing something somewhere in a pop up or assignment hidden in the countless folders and files in Blackboard. While I do love the consistency of this course as the other course is so insane to schedule meetings in multi-time zones, different schedules. I guess now that I am done moving and finding more relaxed and thoughtful time to spend on the course I am finding it more interesting and useful then my initial response which was pretty much not happy to be taking another leadership course (taken many prior to this program) but find the readings and information to be geared in a way of how to improve the current archaic models and same old same old models of leadership which have gotten us to where us and our planet is today. While have been a couple references in the zippos examples and other companies mentioned, I sort of wish there was a element of how to motivate people thorough deeper meaning in peoples work while money is needed to live in society I think retention and a deeper motivational force keeps people in jobs they feel like they are growing in and can learn and improve as well as feel important, cared for and supported. I know I currently have one job because I have a biodynamic/organic/sustainable winebar I manage which is something I have always wanted to focus on and keeps me researching and engaged. 

In leadership as a result of the class and good examples of leaders mentioned, read about, and studied. I am starting to feel that I could make a bigger difference by running larger organizations with more business, buying power and perhaps after this program I will return to a higher level of food/wine and perhaps return to large hotel chains and fine dinning. As I feel I leave something on the table by not taking over the many underperforming properties in Minneapolis and working on turning one or some around (perhaps more consulting work, incorporating renewables, energy, supply chains and the many aspects we have also been learning about) or moving in to a corporate position which over sees multi-property operations. Anyway I am not sure I saw a word count and hate to get dinged for rambling. Happy travels. 

Provide a brief synopsis of each blog post you read 
I thought I would start with the innovation excellence blog this week.
Wow this is great and informative take on education, the Man being interviewed makes a great case for innovation in education as Steve Spinelli President of Philadelphia University he is both intelligent and innovative. He seems to take the same no non-sense approach to education that he did in innovating Jiffy Lube, with a ear to the customer or in this case the student. This seems a smart way to design a business or educational estiblishment. Who is your customer and what do they want? as a educator the customer is the student so listening to them only makes sense.  While he focuses on interdisciplinary approaches and team building teamwork, it seems like he has a good idea of what the sort of educational reform and innovation needed in our country. I really enjoyed his take and views. In looking him up 
"Previously, Dr. Spinelli was co-founder of Jiffy Lube International and Chairman and CEO of the American Oil Change Corporation, helping to pioneer the quick lube industry nationwide and turning Jiffy Lube into the nation’s dominant competitor with more than 1,000 service centers. Dr. Spinelli received his Ph.D. in Economics from The Management School, Imperial College, University of London, his M.B.A. from Babson College, and his B.A. in Economics from McDaniel College." He has a impressive achievements and is a thoughtful leader. http://www.innovationexcellence.com/blog/2013/09/29/innovating-college-education/

I thought I needed a little zen as my yoga classses have been replaced with computer work. Probably why I annoy myself so much lately.  Anyway this is a nice little break/read or post that after a crazy week makes a lot of since to stop breathe and think. Stop rushing and be still, feel your breathing. I really like this little mental break from the analysis of everything and reading about relaxing and just being. This is not the normal post I follow but I may have to start as I really enjoyed the timeless wisdom and while te tone is not condensending just simply stating that we all rush around to get a bunch of junk done and we do not do important stuff, just allot of rushing around. While I could not agree more, this is totally where I am right now.  I generally try not to schedule places to rush to, but I am the bar manager at two restuarants, a realtor, a soccer coach and a million other things which all entail allot fo responses and rushing around. I am trying to eleminate deadlines, and the constant/aways on mentality which seems to control the planet. I will work on this this week and try to "unplug" more, and breathe more consciencely. 
http://zenhabits.net/be-still/

While Seth seems to have small entry's I had to read a few, the first was on having ten tops or table to seat ten people at rather then 5 tops being his favorite to speak to.  There is not really a clear reason why the groups he speaks to are at ten tops, but perhaps because he speaks at large event centers geared to retires getting a free meal, in which case it is easy to organize the drop of ten chicken diners at. While I am not even sure why this is a focus of a blog, the entry simply could have said in speaking engagements ask for 5 top tables that is the end or it the rest is about the social wierdness ten tops cause. The next blog when to deplane was interesting in that to often critiques do not come at the right time, before decisions, not after are made and a inability that exists to make the best out of them possible.  Well this blog is easy to move through and sort of interesting, but I may have to hop to a different one if he keeps the table references up, small audience of professional speakers would find this interesting or useful (and I speak to large groups all the time).
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/
iv. Reflect on what you have learned from Making Ideas Happen and how it relates to the blog posts you read

I would say this is a good second time read, and that the idea of matching different personality types for organizations is thoughtful and intelligent. I also find the business references engaging and useful as the ways successful companies are run is a good point of reference for someone to look to if they are interested in leading. I do really enjoy the concepts of restructuring the work place and learning environment to be more results and less time in required chair.  I really liked the idea that in Japanise business meeting the young inexperienced managers talked first and the more seasoned leaders spoke last, sort of a good way to get the brain storming going. Sort of funny compared to the example where the GM executive would walk in and tell everyone what he thought they should do and create few new ideas or suggestions.
Well as I get into this book again it is a intersting read, I think if my goals in life were to again manage large organizations (the exact opposite direction I am hoping to go) this would be a great read.

My thoughts on the readings, video and book this week are as follows. 
The video by John Claese was a bit long and rather a interesting take on the source and how to be creative. However, if the ongoing lightbulb jokes had been removed it may have only been 5 minutes and a little more engaging. While a good comic and he bring a interesting prospective coming from skit writing to the idea of what it takes to be creative. The idea that time and space and shutting our distraction are important. While also pressing farther and not giving into the easy answers could have easily been boiled down into a nice 15 minute speach. Wh ile his personality and delivery allowed for the length which with most would have been unbearable there were little gems of useful ideas scattered throughout. As the speecher he is charasmatic and a good speecher it seemed that the information on was personal experience and writting based but could carry over into most creative fields.  
While this book is good, I have read it before but it was good to revisit as I a rather scattered individual who usually forget the suggested improvements by the time I am done with action/selfhelp books like this, so rereading is good. I would say I do not fully feel I am one character or the other but can probably learn a little from each and perhaps learn a little more about organization and execution.  Of the three tools? I guess I am not sure what the three tools were, perhaps the three examples and perhaps Action, Prioritization, and Execution if these are said three tools I would say I am good at action and getting things done. Priorization to me usually boils done to what has the largest return on investment of my time, and when is the needed action due by for that return, while my Execution is usually a mess of taking on way to many things and finishing all of them at the last second with not a second to spare or ounce of energy left to proof, buff and correct. Then it is on to the next project, assignment, request and pop up, as calls can come at any hour of the day and from mulitple directions often at once dropping a hat and picking another up instantly can be result in a large financial gain or missed opportunity.
So while organization and time mamagement tricks my sound great pop up results on inspections, new menus, inventory, something with my son or the soccer team I coach could have a pop up need and everything else just has to wait. Anyway I am babbling and tired from moving, painting, but finally have internet at home and am back on the interweb.