The problem with the Zimmerman case in Florida is not about what actually happened. There could have been any number of ways the true scenario happened. That will all get sorted out as the two sides present their versions of the facts. This is a very sad situation. A young man is dead. A family is grieving. Another man has to live with having killed someone. The problem with the Zimmerman case is the law that says you can shoot first and ask questions later. On principle I agree that you should be able to do whatever it takes to defend yourself when you feel threatened. The question in this case will be whether Mr. Martin felt threatened and defended himself, or whether Mr. Zimmerman felt threatened and defended himself. The problem with the shoot first law is that the law may or may not be applied equally . If the local sheriff could produce a group of ethnically diverse people who could stand up and say, “I shot someone who I thought was threatening me and I was not charged”, then the big picture questions would not even come up. The only questions would be about the facts in the case. So who has actually gone free after killing someone in Florida under the shoot first laws?
The problem with the Zimmerman case in Florida.
June 2nd, 2012![[Post to Twitter]](http://www.tronjordheim.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png){kind=icon}
Why you need great ballet teachers
May 14th, 2012Kids need a lot of things growing up. They need physical training and posture development. They need to hear and feel music. They need experts to direct and discipline them. Kids need art. Kids love to put on a show and goof around in the dressing room before the show. They love the cast parties. Parents need to see their kids develop emotionally and physically into elegant and graceful creatures. So you are you going to call? Call the ballet teacher.
Debt crisis creates opportunities for companies of courage
August 7th, 2011While it is certainly unsettling to get downgraded, the resulting unsureness that some companies will feel creates opportunities for their competitors. Whether the crisis is caused by the debt, caused by irresponsible funding, caused by short-sighted politicians or whatever you perceive it to be, businesses will continue to innovate and people will continue to live their lives. Companies with sound fundamentals, a solid talent development strategy and a courageous sales and marketing plan will continue to grow and prosper. What is the situation with your company?
The hustle goes on in New Orleans
October 4th, 2010I was in New Orleans recently. It is a city I enjoy visiting for its warm people, rich culture, great architecture, excellent cuisine, varied musical offerings and its energetic hustlers.
Walking in the French Quarter allows you to see, hear and get involved in all kinds of hustles. As a keynote speaker, I love to see how other people address crowds. The callers who try to get you into their clubs, the shoe shine guys who try to shine your shoes for twenty bucks and the people who tell you long stories to beg for money. Hey that’s kind of what a keynote speaker does. We tell long stories, some more interesting and valuable than others, in order to beg for you to buy a book, schedule a follow-up seminar or order our service package. The thing I admire about the street hustlers is their sense of urgency. They are one shot sellers. If they can’t separate some money from you in the first five minutes, they are out of the picture. How do you create that kind of urgency in your business dealings without being obnoxious?
sometimes the less a keynote speaker says…the better
August 11th, 2010I found myself in an interesting situation today where my skills as a business speaker and keynote speaker were going to be very valuable. I had a small but powerful and influential audience. I needed to touch them emotionally. I needed to make several important points that they would agree with and take seriously. I needed to be respected by them and taken seriously. I needed them to alter their position on a major issue.
I attempted to listen and understand before I sought to be understood. Thank you Stephen Covey for that valuable and timeless lesson. I told them briefly what I was going to teach and show them. I attempted to teach and show. I told them what I thought I had just showed them and taught them.
I had some great help in this presentation, so that I was one of a group working on the issue at hand. I tried to use as little time and as few words as possible to make the points and effect the changes.
It is interesting to think about how much time, effort and preparation over many years a keynote speaker takes to create a “keynote speech” that takes only a minute and makes a substantial difference.
Sometimes the less said, the better.
