Light it up...

When I started working in the Biotech industry several years ago, I began signing all of my emails with the line, "Light it up..." It's been interesting to me to see how many people ask what this means; even more interesting is to hear what they think it means, which is usually pretty funny.

I started using this phrase initially for two reasons. First, I wanted a way to distinguish myself in a large corporate environment so that people could easily remember me and my contributions. It's fun when others write an email and say something like, "As Rob says, Light it up!" Second, I had just started working at Guidant Corporation (now part of Boston Scientific), and I thought that the phrase, "Light it up...", tied in nicely with the Guidant brand, with an allusion to the "guiding light" of Guidant.

Over time, I have come to attribute more significance to the phrase, "Light it up..." For me, "Light it up..." is about my desire to inspire others to be their best and to give their best. In my role as a manager, I enjoy helping each person on my team identify what's unique about themselves and what they do well, and I work to help align their responsibilities with their natural talents. As an individual contributor to the success of my company, I love to tackle complex problems with no apparent solution, think about where we want to be in the future, inspire others with this vision of the future, and align everyone behind creative solutions that will get us there. As a coworker, I always look for ways to encourage everyone in their personal growth and career development, and will take every opportunity I can to build others up.

The other thing that motivates me and really typifies what I think of when I say, "Light it up...", is the power of ideas. Many people comment on the number of books in my personal library at work; I love to read and learn and find ways to apply new ideas. I started this blog to be able to share these ideas, these borrowed thoughts, that inspire and motivate me, with the hope that they will inspire and motivate you as well.

Light it up....

Rob