Guys like Michael Jordan are the "Go-To" guys on their teams.
If there's a need for a result, a change of pace or a game change, then you would pass the ball to Mike and let him do his magic.
All in Aspirations
Set The Bar High And Bring Our People With Us
"We don't lower our standards. We raise the bar and bring our people with us."
We have a couple of choices when it comes to dealing with performance problems within our team, in those times when we lack capability alignment, a consensus of will, or moral cohesion.
Don’t Sit On The Sidelines
You're either in the game or you're not. You're either playing or you're not. There's no point otherwise.
You don't get to pretend there's a middle ground. You don't get to coast and just reap the rewards. You don't get to stare at the race through your tinted windows and then expect to show up for the medals.
The Price of Building Tribes
It seems to me that if you want to develop a support base or a following for the long term - a group of people who buy into your vision of the future, a tribe, if you will - then there's no better time to lay the groundwork than now.
Because building tribes is not an easy process.
The Definition Of Madness
There's a great quote that goes something like:
The definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result each time.
This was echoed in a recent cartoon put out by the consulting firm, McKinsey & Company:
I'm Not A Runner (AKA Our Constraints Are The Problem)
I’m not a runner. That’s what I’ve told myself time and time again.
I’ve always said that I dislike the idea of running. Oh, and the practice of it.
I don’t like it because I can’t run fast. Because I don’t want to run 5 miles.
The Thing About Finding Your Own Way
In the novel, Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse, Siddartha, a man beset by an inner restlessness and search for enlightenment, meets Gotama Buddha. He has heard Gotama's teachings, and despite being impressed by their clarity and perfection of thought, he informs him that he, Siddartha, cannot become one of his followers, but needs to choose his own path to enlightenment.
Why Are You Listening To Critics?
The Arctic Monkeys, an English rock band, recently released their sixth studio album, Tranquility Base Hotel and Casino. The album itself is a marked departure from their prior music, which was more straight-ahead rock. This one is more relaxed, more laid back, with each song an almost cinematic and (at times) introspective episode unto itself. It's the kind of album that reveals itself, little by little, upon successive plays.
If You Carry Impatience In Your Heart...
I'm not one for poetry. It doesn't usually move me in the way it does for some people. I'm not one for Bollywood movies, either. They're usually too long for my taste, filled with a bit too much song and dance, often a bit too predictable.
But, literally by chance, I caught one recently on a flight between Dubai and London that I thought was very good (despite the two song and dance numbers in it!).
What Is 'Enough'?
At what point is what we do ever enough?
I don’t mean this from the standpoint of others not being satisfied with what we’ve done or them questioning our ability to do things for them. I'm not asking it from the standpoint of exasperation we have with others in specific situations ("Gosh, when is it ever enough for him/her?").
Arsène Wenger: Legend
Last Friday, I woke up and flipped open my email to a thunderbolt of a message from my colleague and fellow Gooner, Gavin:
BREAKING NEWS: WENGER LEAVING AT END OF SEASON
Is Pure Growth The Right Metric?
There's certainly a value to be placed on growth. On the continual pursuit of expansion.
It drives us to look for development opportunities, to rethink how things are done, to change what we think is 'conventional' i.e. "the way it's always been".
Growth is a tremendous value creator.
"Don't Think You Are. Know You Are."
In the movie, "The Matrix", Neo's (Keanu Reeves' character) education - his understanding, acceptance of, as well as his ability to fulfill his true potential - is centered around belief. Belief that the world as he has known it has been defined by someone else's rules. Belief that these rules are there for a specific purpose, and that this purpose is not only serving someone else's goals, they are limiting his true potential.
Fear Isn't Good or Bad, It's Necessary
When I was 16, I decided to move from Hong Kong to Karachi to study for a business degree. It was a decision borne of economics more than anything else, but it seemed to make sense at the time, given the reputation of the school and my family ties there.
Tell Yourself A Story
"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." (Lao Tzu)
We love stories. We love telling them. We love listening to them. We love creating them. We love being part of them. Stories define our lives and our experiences. They remind us of who we have been and help make us who we are. They also shape who we want to be.
This is Freedom
This is freedom. This is love for what you do. This is where your work is your art.
Thom Yorke’s performance is open and honest. He’s immersed in his art, his work. He’s not afraid of being vulnerable.
The Thing About Midlife
My friend, Jane, shared a fantastic quote from Brené Brown on Facebook recently:
''I think midlife is when the universe gently places her hands upon your shoulders, pulls you close, and whispers in your ear: I’m not screwing around. It’s time...
The Thing About Confidence
So, as anyone who follows English football knows, my team, Arsenal, is going through a pretty bad patch right now. There are a host of contributing factors to this, which I won't get into, but they've all culminated in a lack of belief within the team when they're on the field.
"No Risk Baseball is Second Division Baseball"
In sport, as in life, the safe play won't make you a champion.
It might help you avoid a loss, maybe even get you the odd win here or there, but it won't propel you to the top of the league.
Protest Is About Making You Feel Uncomfortable
The point of protest is to make you uncomfortable. It's about upsetting the status quo. About changing the (perceived) complacency, inadequacy, inappropriateness of the current situation. It isn't meant to be pleasant. It isn't meant to be accommodating. It sure as fuck isn't meant to be polite.