The Pieces of a Masterpiece

This week, let’s look for treasures hiding in plain sight, and learn how leaders add unexpected value. How do they make even ordinary interactions extraordinary? We might find a clue in a street full of snow.

Table of Contents

• THE ULLMEN INSIGHT: Leadership thrives on this discipline: Uncover unexpected value and deliver it.

• THE ULLMEN TRIO: Guests Harry Blackstone Sr. and Estée Lauder

• THE TRIO TAKEAWAYS: Leadership techniques from the full Trio conversation

• THE TRIPLE PLAY: Great leaders grow their understanding of people by exploring similarities, differences, and possibilities.

THE ULLMEN INSIGHT

Henry David Thoreau wrote: “To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts.” 

Notice, he says: “…the highest of arts.” 

It’s an art? The highest art? What a bold claim! 

It’s also a leadership challenge to embrace: Life is art, and we can make it more beautiful every day.

Make your next interaction better than it would have been, with curiosity, contribution, humor, or compassion. Do it for others, and do it for yourself. Improve the quality of the day, come what may.

If how to do it isn’t immediately clear, keep looking, because opportunities await.

Leadership thrives on this discipline: Uncover unexpected value and deliver it.

Proactively seek out ways to add value, and craft more moments that matter.

Look more inventively, act more boldly.

See better, do better. 

Thoreau would like how legendary UCLA Coach John Wooden also invoked art & beauty in his one-sentence secret to success: “Make each day your masterpiece.” 

Life becomes art when we embrace the mindset of an artist, committed to bring more beauty into being. 

As a kid, my winter chore was to shovel the driveway -- snow, ice, slush, cold, I hated it. Morning misery. 

Years later my friend showed me a better way. When it snows in their neighborhood, he and his young kids suit up like it’s game day for their favorite sport. They high-five each other, then head out to homes of older folks on their street, to shovel & clear their driveways & sidewalks. 

They laugh, compete, throw snowballs, get exercise. They’re a terrific team. They win every time.

Snow piled up beside clear driveways. 

Works of art that line the road. 

A morning masterpiece. 

What a gift my friend gives his neighbors, and what a gift to his kids, too. 

It seems to me life at work can be more like that, leaders creating moments of lasting beauty and meaning…

Leaders elevating moments one by one…

Piecing moments together into a Masterpiece.  

The best leaders find opportunities in obligations.

Leaders turn what can be done, or should be done, or must be done, into purposeful play. 

That’s the Insight: Don’t just shovel the snow, Thoreau it!

THE ULLMEN TRIO

John holds an imagined conversation on our theme with this week’s guests, Harry Blackstone Sr. and Estée Lauder.

John Ullmen:

Thank you both for being here. I’ve asked you there because you’re both known for turning ordinary interactions into extraordinary moments. How important is it to you, as leaders, to create unexpected value?

Harry Blackstone Sr.: 

A great question! And the answer is to get personal. If you are going to lead people, it’s important to remember that adding value isn't always about complex strategies; sometimes it's about simple, human gestures that resonate deeply. In a world that’s increasingly mechanized and impersonal, the ability to create a tailored, individual experience becomes even more powerful.

Think about a magic show. In a large theatre, with hundreds or even thousands of people, it’s easy for the audience to feel like just a collective, a mass of faces. Average performers deliver the same tricks, the same patter, night after night  But the truly great performers find ways to personalize the experience, to make each audience member feel seen and connected.

That’s why I developed a technique I called "The Personal Touch." Here’s how it works: before each show, I would spend time in the lobby, mingling with the audience, listening to snippets of conversations, observing details about individuals. Then, during the performance, I would weave in these personal observations into my act. Perhaps I’d mention a detail about someone's hat, or refer to a conversation I overheard or even seemingly "randomly" pick someone from the audience who fit a particular description I’d noted earlier.

It seemed like mind-reading to them, like genuine magic!  But it was simply heightened observation and personalization. The audience was astounded, not just by the tricks, but by the feeling that the performance was for them, individually. 

By doing this, I transformed a generic show into a unique, memorable experience. In leadership, the same principle applies. Don’t treat people as a generic audience, a faceless team, or just another customer. Take the time to understand individuals, their unique needs, preferences, and aspirations. Personalize your interactions, your communication, your recognition. Write a handwritten note instead of a form letter, create a tailored solution instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, give recognition that acknowledges individual contributions – these personalized touches create a feeling of being valued, understood, and truly seen. And that feeling, John, is unexpected value at its most powerful.

Estée Lauder: 

Harry, "The Personal Touch" – I love that! I could turn that name into a perfume! It’s so true, personalization moves people emotionally and helps build lasting relationships. And it’s not just about grand gestures, it's often the subtle, nuanced understanding of individual needs that makes tout la difference! 

Another way to add unexpected value lies in exceeding expectations in moments of challenge or difficulty. Sure, it’s easy to be gracious and generous when things are going smoothly. But true leadership shines when things go wrong, when problems arise, when customers or employees are unhappy.

So consider customer service. The expected response when a customer complains is to apologize, perhaps offer a standard refund or exchange, and move on.  All by the book. But you can turn a negative experience into a positive one, by creating a "wow" moment in the face of adversity.

Here’s an example: I remember, a very important customer, a prominent socialite from New York, called to complain about a broken compact mirror she’d received. Now, a broken mirror is a small thing, easily replaced. The expected response would be to send a new compact, perhaps with a standard apology note. But I saw an opportunity to create an extraordinary moment. Instead of just sending a replacement, I personally hand-delivered a brand new, beautifully engraved compact mirror to her apartment on Park Avenue. Along with it, I included a handwritten note expressing my sincere apologies and a small bouquet of her favorite flowers, which I’d discreetly learned from her previous orders.

She was absolutely stunned! Not just by the replacement, but by the personal delivery, the engraving, the flowers, the genuine care. She had expected a standard corporate response, but she received a deeply personal, unexpected gesture of consideration. She became an even more loyal customer, and, more importantly, a powerful advocate for our brand. She told everyone she knew about the incident, about how Estée Lauder herself had personally resolved her issue with such grace and generosity.

We turned a potential negative into a powerful positive, and it reinforced the important message that we truly valued our customers, even – and especially – when things went wrong. 

John Ullmen: 

I love this theme - this “unexpected” theme about creating unexpected value – the relationship between personalization and creating “magic” or “wonder.” So much leadership training is about the head, but what you are both telling me is that it’s as much about the heart.

Harry Blackstone Sr.: 

Yes! Think about it – people come to a magic show, they expect tricks, illusions. But what they remember, what stays with them, is the feeling of wonder, the moment their jaws drop. As a leader….

THE TRIO TAKEAWAYS

Every week, I pull leadership techniques from the full Trio conversation.  I have included several of them here and list many more of them.  I’ll be making them both available in full separately.  Stay tuned!

• Leaders Turn Crutches into Catapaults of Spirit Lift others up by making them the hero of the moment! Harry went on to tell a story about how he spotted a boy with a crutch in the front row at a packed show. During a scarf trick, he “lost” a dove that flew to the boy’s lap, then invited him onstage, pulling coins from his ears and scarves from his sleeves as the crowd cheered the kid’s grin. You can apply this, for example, by giving your quiet intern a chance to demonstrate their idea in a meeting and help the team rally around them.

• Weave the "Lobby Mingling" Spell Transform everyday chats into magic by personalizing with keen observation! Harry Blackstone Sr. mastered this with his “Personal Touch.” Before each show at venues like the Blackstone Theatre, he’d roam the lobby in his signature tuxedo, overhearing a woman gush about her new feathered hat or a man mention a Chicago landmark like the Loop. Onstage, he’d call out, “I see a lady with a splendid hat, watch this vanish!” or tie a trick to the landmark, leaving audiences gasping at the “mind-reading.” Try this: mingle at a team lunch, note a colleague’s love for sci-fi, then drop a Star Wars quip in your next praise. It’s a personal touch that sticks.

• Deliver the "Park Avenue Surprise" Package Flip complaints into raves with over-the-top, crisis-busting generosity! Estée Lauder turned a broken compact mirror into a triumph when a New York socialite griped. Instead of mailing a replacement, Estée drove to her Park Avenue apartment herself, handing over a new compact engraved with the woman’s initials, a handwritten apology on embossed stationery, and a bouquet of her favorite lilies (learned from past orders). The socialite bragged to her elite circle, cementing Estée’s reputation. Next time a client’s mad, don’t just fix it. Add a custom twist like a handwritten card or a small gift to wow them.

• Roll In the "Melville Ice Cream" Truck In our Trio conversation, Estée  went on to tell a story about how she broke tension with playful, human surprises! During a holiday crunch at her Long Island factory, she drove up in a pastel-painted ice cream truck, serving free vanilla and chocolate cones to sweaty line workers and packers amid whirring machines, sparking laughter and chatter. Next deadline rush, order pizza or blast a silly playlist. Small fun fuels big grit.

• Guide the "Light Bulb Girl" Dance Hand over the magic wand to spark collective awe! Harry went on in our Trio conversation to tell about a time he saw a girl rapt at his floating light bulb trick, stepped down, and let her “steer” the glowing bulb with her finger. Her mom whispered her magic obsession, and the crowd stood clapping as she beamed. Let a teammate demo a tool or a kid at a talk ask a question. Sharing the stage multiplies the thrill.

Other lessons:

• Boost the "Petrov Pick-Me-Up" Vibe

• Ignite the "Fresh Show" Flame

• Spin the "Snagged Silk" Save

• Hand Out the "Salon Sample" Shockers

• Tune In to the "Country Mist" Whisper

• Mentor with the "London Supper" Boost

• Snoop with the "Counter Eavesdrop" Edge

• Sharpen the "Central Park" Gaze

• Unleash the "Lipstick Spatula" Spark

• Borrow the "Vaudeville Glow" Trick

• Rebound with the "Store Chase" Grit

• Ride the "Birdcage Blunder" Wave

• Jolt with the "Town Joke" Twist

Final Thought

THE TRIPLE PLAY

Great leaders grow their understanding of people by exploring similarities, differences, and possibilities. Let’s practice this skill each week, with inspiration from our Trio guests.

1. COMPARE: Something they share.

2. CONTRAST: Something they see differently.

3. CREATE: Something they might innovate.

Last week our guests were Scotty Bowman and Beatrix Potter, and this could be one of theirs:

"Beatrix Potter's Coaching Cards": A deck of beautifully illustrated cards, each featuring one of Potter's animal characters and a key leadership principle inspired by Bowman's coaching philosophy. For example, "The Jemima Puddle-Duck Card: Know Your Blind Spots" or "The Tom Kitten Card: Embrace Constructive Criticism."

Our mission is to make things better one leader at a time. 

If you find enjoyable value in this week's newsletter, please send it to a friend or colleague who might like it too. 

Thanks for helping other growing leaders grow too!

Apply some takeaways this week!

And let me know:

• In what ways did you find this week’s newsletter helpful or informative?

• Do you have any personal stories that illustrate the takeaways?

• Let's keep learning together - ask any leadership questions for future newsletters!

Send your emails directly to me at [email protected], or simply reply to this email.

Until next week…

Let’s make things better,

John