The Thinking Bench
An essential idea for the 140 character world
Three Nuggets of Wisdom for the New Year
Jan 6th
Grandma as a young girl during the Great Depression
Happy New Year!
I hope you had a joyous and thankful holiday season. I always find this time of year great for reflection and optimism for the new year. I found that even more true this year as I approach my 40th birthday this month.
Approaching these milestones of learning, I took the opportunity of family time during the holidays to gain insight from my grandparents, all in their mid-late 80s, about what I needed to know for the next 40 years of the journey.
They shared three nuggets. That’s it. No big deal. Just three nuggets.
Eat right. It’s no coincidence this one is from my grandmother who looks as good and as smart today as she was 20 years ago.
Keep your mind active. Find activities that challenge your mind. What I took away from my grandmother, who battled back cancer, is always keep learning.
Believe you’re younger than you are. Playing is important. I liked this one the most partly because it’s something I love to do and partly because it was said by my oldest relative; my wonderful great aunt is 88.
Endings are important. They are the doorway to what’s next. As we bid farewell to 2011 and walk through the doorway into 2012, I felt those pieces of wisdom were something we could all use.
Wishing you and your family prosperity and good health in the new year,
glen.
Lost & Found: The Power of Community
Oct 10th
- Sunset the night of the burn during Burning Man 2012 )’(
It finally made it back to me.
Four weeks had passed since it was dropped into the alkaline dust of Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, aka the Playa.
Holding it in my hand once again, feelings of astonishment and belief mixed around in my head; then a grin, almost a smirk stuck on my face.
Community. Karma. The Universe. Whatever you call it, once again proved its existence as it has done over and over again at Burning Man during my seven trips home to that magical place. It is one of the most amazing parts of the annual gathering. Even with 54,000 this year, it held true. #beautiful
So when I lost my camera the final night, just a couple hours before the man burned, that’s what I told myself: It has to come back to you. I just needed to believe it would. Things literally manifest themselves there when you need them. It happens so frequently and so consistently; it’s impossible to deny its existence.
Though, one of the greatest lessons I’ve taken from the unforgiving elements of the Playa is to let things go. And at that moment when I realized I had dropped the camera, I had to come to peace that I’d lost all the photos I’d shot during the week and to now just have fun. Quite painful, since I had purchased a new camera specifically to take night shots of the spectacular, light show rollercoaster that is a night at Burning Man.
But they were all gone. Even as we made the trek back to San Francisco, I said how hard it was to let go. I just had to believe there was a chance someone in the community would find all these wonderful memories and try and get them back to the owner.
Of course.
Within a few days of returning, a kind soul from Washington DC had finally made it back to the default world and posted a photo on his camp’s Facebook page, Distrikt. Lost & Found 2011. Within hours someone had identified me and tagged the photo.
Lost & Found Facebook Post
It took another couple weeks until my camera made it back to SF and into my hands, until the kind soul returned for a visit to the city (just before leaving for his sixth tour in Iraq). #hero
Thank you Paul, Josh, Benjamin, Brian, Ferd, Derek and everyone who carries the community of Burning Man with them. You made this possible.
The man burns in 327 days )’(
- Inside Another Door Project. Looking Hopeful.
Dear Steve Jobs… Insanely Grateful.
Oct 6th
from candlelight vigil outside the sf apple store
Dear Steve Jobs,
I saw my first Apple II when I was a child visiting my friend who moved away to Philly. His dad programmed on it. I put a 5 1/4″ floppy in one drive that ran the OS and another in the one that ran the fun.
My first computer was a Commodore 64. I got my first Mac, an SE, at a computer store next to the mall the day of my High School graduation. I didn’t want to leave it to go to the ceremony that afternoon.
It still sits in my office with a 3.5″ disc hanging out. I tried to turn it on a few years ago after grabbing it out of my parent’s attic. It booted up but started smoking from the dust inside it.
I kept 8 of my old macs. I keep the first iPod on my bookshelf along with the first iPhone.
My friend who worked with you at Pixar would limit me to one ‘Steve Jobs’ story each time we hung out.
I started and run my company on a Mac.
I was on cloud 9 the day I saw you deliver your keynote for the iMac. You gave us a preview copy of Time magazine with it on the cover as we left. I ran into Woz on the way out of the Moscone. He signed it.
Even though I never met you, I had a visceral feeling when I saw the tweet on my iPhone of your passing.
Insanely grateful,
glen.
My Seven Days to End AIDS #AIDS/Lifecycle
Jun 16th
California's Central Valley on Day 2 of the 545-mile AIDS/Lifecycle
It’s only days ago, but now back connected with all my devices and plugged into the goals running mojo it feels like a world away. Nothing quite disconnects you like a 7-day, 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
Talk about being present, focused on a goal, and tapping the best physical and mental you. #happiness
I’m thankful to everyone who volunteers and supports the AIDS/Lifecycle because you truly do create a life changing event.
Captured these Facebook thoughts from each day on the ride:
DAY ONE
AIDS/Lifecycle Superhero Rest Stop 2
Blog Addition: Beginning with a 4am alarm, opening ceremonies and 90 miles into Santa Cruz, this is a long, exhilarating day.
AIDS/Lifecycle Day One
DAY TWO
Amigo Ferd Garcia being interviewed on Action 8 news in Salinas about his 13 years doing the California AIDS Ride.
Ferd Garcia Salinas Interview
Done! 108 miles through California’s Central Valley (where they grow everything) on Day 2 of the 545-mile AIDS/Lifecycle … Smells of strawberries, artichokes, cabbage, and two fields of cactus (not sure how that’s used). Gorgeous day with awesome tailwinds pushing us to King City.
Rider through California's Central Valley
DAY THREE
67 miles today over the infamous Quad Buster!
Rode through the blazing sun into Bradley (population 120) where the school has a BBQ = hamburger instead of ham and swiss box lunch the AIDS/Lifecycle provides today … this is their biggest fundraiser by far and provides essential $$ for their sports and arts program. Money from last year went to a road trip to LA to visit the museums.
It’s hard to top a line of kids slapping your hands as you enter town.
As we rode into camp at Paso Robles we were each given a letter from one of the students. This is the letter I received ♥
From Bradley, California
DAY FOUR
Day 4: 98 miles including climbing the Evil Twins which tops out at 1,700 feet in elevation and marks the HALF WAY!! mark on of the AIDS/Lifecycle.
What was terrifying was dropping those 1,700 feet to sea level over 8 miles in the cold fog, hitting nearly 38 mph. I could feel my bike wobbling as the semis barreled past me. (everyone survived)
My back tire wasn’t so lucky after smacking into the giant pothole on the road leaving lunch from San Luis Obispo.
Bike repair
Angry Birds dropped some eggs on us at Rest Stop 4 yesterday as we closed out Day 4. Definitely my favorite themed rest stop so far.
Angry Birds at Rest Stop 4
DAY FIVE
Despite the fun around the relatively short 44-mile wear red day (aka red dress day), AIDS/Lifecycle Day 5 is climbing, climbing and more climbing; and I love to conquer each peak.
My upper hamstring, however, isn’t so eager and is beginning to really show signs of strain from all the saddle time.
Icing ever hour. Hoping it can hold two more days. Wish me luck!
Icing the hamstring
DAY SIX
Hamstring held up for 88 miles but kept reminding me to take it easy. No racing today 
Feels incredible riding to Ventura Beach knowing only one more day remains. Ended our night with a beachside candlelight vigil.
#thankful
Candlelight Vigil on Venture Beach
DAY SEVEN
Woke up for the last 65 miles on Day 7 and the clip that holds my shoe together had fallen off.
No way was I going to allow that to keep me from riding every one of the 545 miles of the AIDS/Lifecycle.
So happy to be done and to have slept in a bed last night.
Thanks to everyone who offered support and followed along during the last week. It really helped motivate me through the mental and physical exhaustion. Thanks again to all my donors who helped me raise $6k. This turned out to be the largest AIDS fundraiser of all time at over $14 million!
Taped up my shoe for the last few miles
MOJO CONGRATS
From Mojo Interactive’s Facebook page: Congrats Glen Lubbert for completing your 3rd AIDS/LifeCycle ride. They raised an amazing $13 MILLION. Mojo Orlando couldn’t be more proud of you!
Blog Addition: Mojo helped sponsor six riders on this year’s lifecycle including these awesome jerseys. Watch my twitter feed or mojo’s youtube feed for videos from each of the riders.
Mojo helps Sponsor AIDS/Lifecycle Riders
Ready for the AIDS / Lifecycle
May 31st
Marshall Wall - Marin, CA
Saturday I took Marshall Wall for the first time in the middle of the final training ride of the season before the 545-mile trek from San Francisco to Los Angeles for the AIDS/Lifecycle. Marshall Wall is a rigorous 360 foot climb over a single mile that took us to a beautiful vista (above) during the second half of our 70 mile ride.
Never climbing this before, I was eager to conquer it, especially after making it to the top of Morgan Territory at Mt. Diablo a few weeks early, roughly 1,500 feet, give or take a few hundred feet ; )
Marshall Wall was my final test, and it didn’t disappoint. I had to laugh as I made the turn to see the entire climb ahead of us and the tiny dots of riders far up the ascent. The accomplishment was quite a milestone for my short training season.
I can now say, I’m as ready as I’m going to be for this year’s AIDS/Lifecycle.
Where I’m falling a bit short is my goal to raise $5k. I sent some checks in from the fundraiser I had at Swirl that haven’t processed putting me a few hundred short.
Thanks again to Jerry and everyone at Swirl as well as those who came out to support during the fundraiser. Also thank you to everyone who has donated online.
Every donation helps. Josh Lopez, age 12, gave up $10 from his longboard skateboard savings. Very much appreciated.
Please support my efforts to end AIDS: http://bit.ly/fklGUt
Plan to follow along at home during the ride next week via the Lifecycle website, and I’m sure I’ll post a few Tweets and FB status updates.
Wish me luck!
glen.
Finding the Secret Ingredient: Inspiration
Apr 19th
I'm not delusional by @hugh @sxsw
Last week, I proudly announced to the @mojointeractive team that we were included on the 2011 list of most democratic workplaces. It was just two or three years ago when it all felt different. The recession was beating on us at every angle. At that moment in front of the team though, that pressure felt like a million years ago.
Managing through this recession, I learned to ask for more help from our team. The challenge was too difficult to tackle with just a few key management people, even extremely talented management people ; )
We needed everyone’s help. Everyone would be a part of the solution. Co-creating our future.
We became Imaginauts… kick-ass Imaginauts building some incredibly great new products.
We’re doing it together. Inspiring each other.
Inspiration comes in different packages, and I’d like to highlight some of mine over the past few years:
- Bob Kodzis – Thanks for all our talks and your coaching. You recharge my batteries.
- Orbiting the Giant Hairball – must read for anyone looking to get untangled and revitalized.
- Nilofer Merchant – Appreciate the hikes, the encouragement, the interest, and, of course, the @WorldBlu introduction. #thankful #Vistage
- The New How – my business language is literally built from this book (murderboarding™). guidebook to building a collaborative learning culture of innovation.
- Krupali Tejura – Thanks for inspiring me with the work you do and how you share and express it with the rest of us. #TEDActive
- Krupali’s Blog – humbling, heartwarming and funny. a beautiful read.
- Team Mojo – Thank you for being a great group of collaborators. You drive me to be better every day as we hold each other accountable and bring solutions that inspire each other.
- Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us – the title says it all. powerful knowledge from neuroscience and behavioral science.
Thank you for helping get to the great place of today.
Secret ingredient.
glen.
ps – Over the next several months, I’m so looking forward to showcase our best work ever in 13 years of our crazy Internet adventure. We’re starting with the re-launch of home base – http://mojointeractive.com
pps – Excited and honored to speak about Mojo’s efforts to build transparent accountability into a democratic workplace next month with fellow leaders attending WorldBlu Live.
Exploring Authenticity @TEDActive … Jeffersonian Style
Mar 7th
“What does it mean to be a leader and be authentic?”
So began a two and a half hour round-table discussion with 12 business leaders immersed at TEDActive in Palm Springs, Calif. last week. Simulcasting the Long Beach, Calif. TED production for over 500 learners from all over the world, TEDActive is designed for in-depth conversation and stimulating projects.
Slipping away from the official TEDActive events for an evening, the 12 of us engaged for a night more unique and interesting than I think any of us had expected. It was a Jeffersonian Dinner.
Sharing my thoughts at Le Vallauris restaurant for our Jeffersonian Dinner at TEDActive 2011. February 28 - March 4, 2011 Palm Springs, CA. Photo by Michael Brands / TED.
You get 12-15 of the most interesting people with which you would like to have a conversation seated around a table with the goal of thoughtful discussion around a few big questions. Mix in some great food and an express desire to hear one person speaking with 12 minds focused on one discussion, and you have just what Thomas Jefferson intended with his famous Monticello dinners of transformative connections.
When John Miles, the Chief of What’s Next at a great values-driven organization, Integritive, pitched me the idea to help curate the group, of course I was all in.
The question posed was quite appropriate as we had heard that day both Bill Ford, Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, and Ingrid Nooyi, CEO of Pepsi, face the test of being authentic and leading a global public corporation begun in what seems like another age as their company’s products and the needs of the world struggle to align.
Whether it was MIT Media Lab cognitive scientist Deb Roy analyzing media and social network behavior to give us “a telescope into our own behavior,” or Al Jazeera’s Wadah Khanafar professing the power of social networks and universal values, or General Stanley McChrystal responding to the changing needs of leadership with more transparency with his troops, the TED conference illuminated the reality: the evolution toward authenticity is undeniable.
Our discussions didn’t end at dinner and were carried back to the TEDActive venue around the fire pits and bar. Over the next several days many attending that night commented on the elegance and engagement from the Jeffersonian Dinner format. TEDx organizers – the many amazing individuals that have contributed to put on local TED-style events all over the world – who were part of the dinner commented on including the format into their events or even doing it monthly salon style in their areas.
Posing for a picture to conclude the inaugural Jeffersonian Dinner @TEDActive 2011
So extremely thankful for a great week @TEDActive, especially for the thoughtful leaders who ventured to experiment with the Jeffersonian format, I showed up as a student with my pack full of what I know and added in the knowledge from each of you. Knowing that authenticity means you make mistakes and being proud to admit you’re wrong.
Still learning,
glen.
Also check out these great blogs, articles and sites:
- The Jeffersonian Dinner Format
- Thinking Bench: The Wisdom of Authenticity and Leadership amidst the Social Data Revolution
- Wired: TED 2011: This Week at the TED Industrial Complex
- Nilofer Merchant: Is TED Elite?
- Daily Beast: The Coolest Talks at This Year’s TED Conference
- WorldBlu: Bringing Authenticity to the Workplace
The Wisdom of Authenticity and Leadership amidst the Social Data Revolution
Feb 26th
Wisdom 2.0 Conference Tech Panel: Consciousness in a Constantly Connected Life (from left to right): Wisdom 2 founder and panel moderator Soren Gordhamer, Zen Teacher Roshi Joan Halifax, Digg Founder Kevin Rose, Zynga Co-Founder Eric Schiermeyer, Twitter Strategic Advisor Chris Sacca, and Google VP Bradley Horowitz
“Somebody’s an asshole in real life, and they’re going to be an asshole online.
You can’t fake it.”
Chris Sacca, investor and Strategic Advisor for Twitter began his final words on a tech panel on Consciousness in a Constantly Connected Life at the Wisdom 2.0 Conference yesterday pondering that first statement posed to the panel.
With the backdrop of 2,000 years of computing on display at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif, Sacca explained, “The more these platforms are built and the more transparency and authenticity emerges, the more people fact check you and security check you and truth check you, either you’re so good at faking it, and you become that thing, or you’re just exposed.”
This evolution toward authenticity was echoed at SFNewTech’s Social Data Revolution panel two nights earlier in San Francisco.
SFNewTech - Social Data Revolution (from left to right): SimpleGeo's Joe Stump, Skout's Christian Wiklund, Presdo & LinkedIn Founder Eric Ly, Hummer Winblad's Lars Leckie, Wikinvest's Michael Sha, and former Amazon Chief Scientist Andreas Weigend
“You can no longer be a closet asshole and be a nice guy when you first meet people because if you are an asshole somebody’s going to take a picture of you spitting on the homeless guy,” Joe Stump Co-Founder of SimpleGEO and former Lead Architect at Digg said to the SFNewTech audience.
“I just read this last night: there was a txt from a student who said I held a professor’s hair back while she was puking, if she doesn’t give me an A on the exam, I’m going to be posting the pictures all over Facebook.
“We have to be our true selves. We can no longer have multiple versions of ourselves, and I think that’s going to be a drastic shift in human behavior over the next 5–10 years.
“You cannot hide who you really are, and I think that is scary for some people. You have to be who you are and accept that and move on.”
As a CEO, I’ve found it nearly impossible to have a separate business and personal persona. To effectively engage, motivate and collaborate with the team @mojointeractive, I believe connecting with them on Facebook, Yammer and Twitter all help us align our core values.
I’m a better leader, facilitator and collaborator when I understand what my colleagues value. When, for instance, someone posts about completing a half marathon on Facebook and then posts on Yammer of a milestone on a big company project that affects us all, there is a strengthening of empathy and trust, cornerstone emotions for accountability to each other.
A single persona of authenticity signals to those around me that my values are consistent across my life and if you like what you see, what can we collaborate on so we can build something great?
Between the balance of presence and mindfulness with the always now, instant feedback, data streaming social data revolution, the questions being asked at these two conferences are some of the most fascinating being discussed on our connection with technology.
A powerful moment is taken when reflection on your authenticity and your relationship with technology is considered.
NASA’s Vision on Final Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery
Feb 25th
The magic and power of Discovery as she lifts off one last time. Photo taken by mi amigo @ryloguy
Captivated by the launch of Discovery today and then by the post-launch press conference at NASA, I IM’d this to a friend about the conference:
—
me: really enjoyed the post-launch press conference
him: what’d they talk about?
me: that almost no-go issue
some of the things they’ve done toward the end of the program
team taking pictures as it rolled out and a time to reflect on the vehicle many people have spent their career working on
the scope of trying to understand spending your career on something like that was pretty awesome
him: wow.. nice
me: also, the international scope of the space station. all the various traffic heading there besides the shuttle and all the countries that coordinate and celebrate the launch. people up from china & japan space team watching and congratulating
“the ballet and dance of countries coming together”
him: definitely seems to be one of the few things we come together internationally for thats peaceful
me: what they are doing in PR to show public the benefits of experiments that go on with the program so we better understand the ROI to fund it more (we not meaning me, of course)
him: im curious what public perception is now days
me: challenges with researches not wanting to reveal experiments until it’s been proven and peer reviewed … which hurts getting that information out
but they are working on an international effort to communicate how humanity is benefiting
fascinating
—
As I write this, Discovery’s payload doors are open, and it’s set to dock with the International Space Station Saturday with two spacewalks planned for this mission. Remembering the Hubble 3D movie I saw last year and wrote about. That movie gave me a perspective on a space shuttle mission like nothing else. Highly recommended. Discovery launched Hubble and was the vehicle for the second and third service missions explored in the film.
The crew and the legendary space shuttle Discovery returns in 11 days.
TED Notebook: My Favorite Talks from 2010
Feb 22nd
The beauty and power of clean energy surrounds Palm Springs home of TEDActive
With less than a week away before the start of TED 2011: The Rediscovery of Wonder and after spending a few hours Sunday with several of the Bay Area TEDActivators including my co-host Leigh Rowan, my excitement for the week compelled me to share my favorite talks from TED 2010.
Just three topped my list which I wrote about last year:
1. Behavioral Economist Daniel Kahneman on Happiness
2. Jake Shimabukuro’s Ukulele Performance
3. Bill Gates’ Most Important Wish
Looking forward to seeing everyone Sunday in Palm Springs. Those unable to attend can follow along at home with the TEDActive Bay Area Twitter list.
glen.
