If you didn’t see last week’s NFC playoff game between the Niners and the Saints, you missed one of the most exciting final four minutes in pro football history, capped by a heartfelt, deeply emotional moment between a very large, strong football stud and his coach.

Davis cries on his boss's shoulder

Tight end Vernon Davis caught a touchdown bullet from QB Alex Smith with nine seconds remaining in the game and within seconds burst into full-on alligator tears. I’ll spare you all the details of Davis’ road to get his perennially lousy team to this point. Suffice to say he had dealt with a LOT and to have his number called by his new coach (Harbaugh is quoted as telling Smith “Let’s go with Vernon on this play. It’s Vernon or nobody.”) with so much on the line and IT WORKED–was enough to open Vernon’s flood gates.

He pulled off his helmet and started bawling. He went to the sideline and straight into the arms of his coach, who had taken over one of the worst teams in the league and in one season, with no major player trades, turned them into a 13-3 team with a shot at the Super Bowl…and hugged him and cried. Harbaugh hugged back, told him “you did it” and repeated to him again and again what a “great football player” he is.

One of the TV announcers said, “That’s why these players love him (Harbaugh). That’s why they’ll do anything for him.”

This is “Levity” to me. It’s not being funny or telling jokes or non-stop partying–though all of those things certainly could be defined as levity. In my book, it’s about lightening up enough to care, to treat others with respect and yes, love, even at work.

Look what it does for a group of ‘losers’ like the San Francisco 49ers. Could it do the same for your organization?

There was a time when the easiest ‘A’ in school was gym class. Show up, wear the required uniform, play ‘Smear the Queer’ for 40 minutes, shower with an entire class of naked boys, turn in your wet towel to prove you showered–maybe show the coach your wet hair–and BOOM, full credit. An easy A.

Now, two of my sons (NOT pictured above, but do you remember ‘wall sitting?’) go to the junior high where they actually struggle with good grades in gym and they’re both quite athletic. I asked them, “A C+? How is this possible? Do you not shower, is that it?”

“Dad, nobody showers. IT’S NOT ALLOWED.” Say wha–?

So, not only is it not required to clean yourself up from all the stinking and sweating, they absolutely FORBID it. So, my sons get poor grades for a lack of participation.

“Dad, if I run the laps or play dodgeball, I get all sweaty and I still have four more classes! So, I don’t do anything.”

Ok. Ok. Kids these days are ’sensitive’ about their bodies and horrible things can and have happened in gym showers these days (Penn State comes hideously to mind), but for the kids who actually WANT to shower, let them. It doesn’t need to be a requirement for a good grade, just an option for kids who are sensitive about their body ODORS and their ability to be in a social situation in which other students don’t wrinkle their noses in disgust and gulp in fresh air from a cracked window.

With the worldwide saturation of digital media and television programs ad nauseum, it is inevitable that every living organism on the planet will eventually have an interview segment on the Today Show.

Enter me. And Adrian Gostick, a man who actually DESERVES to be interviewed. We were invited to come on the show and talk about our book, The Levity Effect. Here’s 10 seconds of me explaining a simple concept about senses of humor and how it goes awry.

Click on these words: Today Show flirt

She is kinda cute I guess.

Thanksgiving eve. Las Vegas, Nevada. The seven of us (wife and five sons) have made the 5.5 hour drive down from SLC to be with family on T-day. My youngest son (9) John REALLY wanted to see ‘Hugo,’ the new Martin Scorsese film taken from the latest kid’s book about, presumably, fantasy, sci-fi, wizards, spells, enchantment and senseless entertaining action and CGI sequences that steal your breath, right?

Imagine the obnoxious sound the Family Feud ’strike’ buzzer makes now.

Let’s just say that Hugo, though a fine film, is NOT what you want to take your whole family to when you’re in the mood for Harry Narnia Rings of Wizardry and Sorcery Teen Thor Pegasus Thanksgiving Action Blockbuster movie.

The real tipoff should have been the “Oscar buzz” in the totally misleading trailer. Anything that talks Oscar is going to be a pile, basically, of crap. Oh sure it has great actors and wonderfully nuanced performances and bla bla bla, but who wants to actually go and SEE those movies?

So, if you know what you’re in for you’ll probably like it. Here’s what you’re in for: a cute little movie about people and the film industry and relationships and being nice and love and such.

Yeayy.

A quick shoutout to all my new friends from the Arkansas SHRM state chapter and the annual conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas!

I did about a 60 minute keynote session with a very lively (and tolerant) group of HR pros. It never ceases to amaze me how receptive these good people are to the idea that the best work cultures don’t shy away from LEVITY, but they EMBRACE it.

Levity is more than just giggles, chuckles and outright humor…it encompasses Latitude, Attitude, and Gratitude.

For a good laugh, see the blog below about my wife and “LOL.” Classic.

My sweet wife is so cute. The other day while reading the paper she discovered that ‘LOL’ stands for ‘Laughing Out Loud’ and NOT ‘Lots Of Love,’ which she assumed it had meant for quite a while, evidently.

As her memory raced back through most of her recent Facebook responses, emails, and texts she quickly realized how inappropriate her ‘LOLs’ have been. In responding to some family members who had lost a loved one, she had written something like, “our prayers are with you. LOL, Liz.”
Or when a nephew wrote to her about the difficult relationship his divorced parents were attempting to mend and all of the pursuant emotional problems he was facing, her response “LOL; it’ll all work out,” in retrospect now seemed cruel and uncaring….and HILARIOUS!!

It’s just very funny. And cute. “our dog died.” “LOL, hope you’re doing ok.” Lots of Love. Classic.

After an hour of booksigning, photos, and handshakes....

Having just spoken to some 3,000 attendees at the MDRT Experience in Singapore, I was privileged to meet several hundred of them afterwards. My father passed away a few hours before my presentation, which made the speech somewhat poignant to me, given that I tell a story about him in it.
Many of the attendees were very kind in offering their condolences and sharing their own stories with me later. I was truly touched by one young man whose father had passed away just three days of the same fate: heart disease. He was still grieving himself, yet brought me a box of chocolates and a warm handshake and hug. That was very cool.

Fox is issuing an ‘apology’ for a few comments American Idol judge (and ROCK AND ROLL LEGEND!) Steven Tyler made to a couple of contestants in San Francisco recently.

If you saw last night’s episode you may recall Tyler asking a woman dressed as a cop if she had any handcuffs. He also made an slightly creepy comment about another rather young contestant, but come on. Is anybody REALLY offended or surprised? It’s Steven Tyler, for heaven’s sake, not Pat Boone.

In fact, if nothing else, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at some of the insights and comments he has shared with auditioners. He’s also shown a little rudeness–but not even in the same ballpark as Simon did, or even where Randy sometimes takes it.

At the end of the day, the dude is Sixty stinkin Two years old, but manages to look 40 and act 20…which is exactly what you expect from someone who’s spent 40+ years living a narcissistic, hedonistic, party-time-excellent life. In that light, he’s not all that far from being Pat Boone.

I’m confident Fox isn’t at all truly worried about Tyler going too far; they’re just working the hype machine. Not a bad idea, that.

Over the recent Christmas season (we call it Christmas in my neighborhood, not Holiday) I had the sweetest of opportunities to help a family in my neighborhood move.

Now, you may think “sweet” opportunity? Wouldn’t you rather be home watching some meaningless bowl game between Murray State and Florida Tech? I can think of doctor visits that excited me more than some of the games on during Christmas.

At any rate, somehow the word got out and there must have been 100 people there of all ages and sizes helping fill the Uhaul. All of us bundled up and smiling, a line of volunteer movers waiting from the garage, down the driveway, and up the metal ramp for our turn to pack in a box or bag or couch cushion.
It was nice. The warm spirit of Christmas helps thaw a heart hardened by a turbulent economy and a rough year.

Serving others and helping people is not an exclusive December event, however. A Levity attitude means reaching out unselfishly in March, August and October as well.

Give someone a hand soon; you’ll quickly find the one being served is you.

I had the pleasure of speaking to a fantastic group of leaders at D&H Distributing in Harrisburg, PA last week. I love this company–family owned, been around as long as hydrogen, customer oriented and 15 minutes from Hershey, PA.

I’d never been, so of course I carved out an hour or so to drive out there and check it out. They have an amusement park called Chocolate World and a little Pirates of The Carribean style ride through the “factory.”

Ok, so there were 11 whole people there (it is the dead of winter after all), but it was pretty cool to see streetlamps shaped like Hershey Kisses and see cows singing about the critical importance of milk in the chocolate.

The best part was getting the keepsake photo of my tour. I must have looked pretty creepy being the only dude sitting in the dark in my own roller coaster car checking out how cocoa beans are crushed into powder. But hey, you gotta take time out for fun, right? And as you can see by the expression on my face..I was delirious with joy.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee---ierd.