The lessons I am learning from Jimmy Fallon

The lessons I am learning from Jimmy Fallon…

I loved this blog written by Patti Johnson for Success Magazine so much that I am going to place excerpts from it below. It is especially relevant for anyone taking on a new team, job or business with a legacy and traditions. I find myself in that situation with taking over the helm of the NNBA that has been around twenty-nine years. Fallon through example offers some wise lessons on respecting traditions and history and still bringing your own brand to the party. I plan on following these lessons with my brand Unconventional Nurse® and how it will become the coaching arm of NNBA. In 2011 I founded Unconventional Nurse ® as a Business Coaching and Training Company and authored the book Unconventional Nurse: Going from Burnout to Bliss!  While I am new to my role with the NNBA, I have been coaching and developing managers and executives in the corporate world from the early 90’s and then decided to turn my expertise towards helping nurses in 2011. Working with nurses and businesses and seeing them achieve their goals allows me to be completely satisfied that I am on purpose and fulfilling my dream. Helping people and making a difference each day which is why I became a nurse in the first place. So I am going to insert some comments in the six lessons that Patti cited below.

1. Not everything has to be new and different

Fallon brought his style from his prior show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and made a few adjustments. There was no big splash of what will be new and different. He incorporated his style and approach naturally. Unconventional Nurse® contains my style in communicating which I will bring over to the NNBA since it is a natural alignment.  www.UnconventionalNurse.com is where I have blogged since 2011.  Also my voice (how I come across) is more conversational. I wanted my blogs and my book to have the feeling of sitting down with me and us sharing a cup of coffee.

2. Respect tradition to a point

Fallon has kept some late night talk show traditions. He has a sidekick, Steve Higgins, and a band, The Roots, and sits at a familiar desk to interview his guests. While the format feels familiar, he has adapted it to fit himself. Roots band members and Steve Higgins are all part of the fun and Fallon uses music to involve his guests. If you want to remake something that has been around for a while or done before, find traditions you want to keep because they matter to you or to others. Learn what works and update it your way to feel fresh and new. Help your audience, customers or team members see that you are building on the past, but with your unique new twist. New doesn’t have to be scary. I don’t want new to be scary and I am very fortunate to have Pat Bemis there to answer questions and offer tips. All Pat’s valuable information is there in her blog history which is still intact on NNBA’s site. So many questions are answered in a variety of her blogs and articles. However in the future we are adding new features and using technology in a variety of ways to deliver that information. In addition to existing articles there will be training videos and webinars that we will be posting.  My Unconventional Nurse Newsletter archives will be placed in the members area.  I am changing the name to Unconventional Nurse Business Insights and will continue to publish these as tutorials exclusively for NNBA members.

3. Show up as you – not what you think others expect

It would have been easy for Fallon to feel he had to conform to how it has always been done. After all, there is over 60 years of history in his line of work. Rather than begin by asking, What does everyone expect me to do, or, How can I fit in here, approach it based on your strengths and talents and ask yourself, What special gifts can I bring to this situation? This mindset changes your frame of reference and brings your best chance of success. Fallon’s style is low key, funny and conversational. The audience gets to see what appears to be the real deal. I promise to show up and be authentic!

4. Involve others early and often

This is a noticeable difference in the new Tonight Show. Fallon involves his guests in the show every night. Guests are there to be part of it more than just be interviewed. Many of the guests have to spend more time upfront for their segment rather than sit down and answer questions. They are engaged and have built a rapport with the host as a result. Critical to NNBA’s success is you, our members! I am asking NNBA members for contributions to our newsletter, blogs and articles of interest to nurses in business. In the future I will be asking members for input on some of the new ideas for NNBA such as a cash business award to be given to a nurse at our annual conference. Voting on a charitable organization for NNBA to participate in and support. There are many ways we can grow our association and its outreach.

5. Demonstrate the abundance mentality

After David Letterman announced his plans to retire in 2015 last week, Fallon did a tip of the hat by creating his own Top 10 list of why Letterman decided to retire. He started by sharing what an influence Letterman had been on him and how much he admired him. He wasn’t afraid to acknowledge the talents and success of others – even his competitors. It shows confidence to share admiration for someone who does what you do. There is more than enough success to go around for all of us. This mindset also brings relationships, partnerships and trust. These are essential in not only starting a change, but in life. There are so many incredible nurses in business! I have been awestruck talking in the past few weeks to Authors, Speakers, Case Managers, Clinical Managers, Patient Advocates, Educators, Specialty and Niche Experts. NNBA truly has an abundance of nurses, leaders and mentors in business. 

6. Don’t take yourself too seriously

Fallon may be a great actor, but he comes off as relaxed and enjoying his guests. He laughs with his guests, involves them in the fun and let’s everyone in on the joke. For him, this has to be one of the most demanding and exciting times of his career. It feels like Fallon has decided he’s going to do it his way and enjoy realizing a goal I’m sure he has always wanted. I love to laugh and learned early on not to take things too seriously. In fact I often say there are no better joke tellers than ICU nurses and I miss the laughter with my co-workers. My Unconventional Nurse site always had a cartoon and my blogs tend to poke fun at myself and some situations I have found myself in. The new NNBA newsletter will have a Humor section.

I quoted Victor Borge in my book and devoted a section to laughter, “Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.” 

If you would like to read Patti Johnson’s complete blog you can link to it here.

All the best,

Michelle