All in Leadership
Carl Jung said that the greatest tragedy for any child is the unlived life of his parents.
I don’t know if there are many of us who haven’t been impacted by those words, in one way or another. Whether it’s related to what we do for a living, to how we behave with others, to who we associate and spend time with.
Getting older is something all of us have to deal with. And, especially in today's hyper-competitive, social media driven environment, it comes with its own challenges.
But, as I discuss in today's episode, the reality isn't quiet so black and white, which is heartening, because life is full of nuances. As are each of us.
When we let FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) drive our behavior, it’s almost always a path to disaster.
Whether it’s to do with investments (crypto, anyone?), social interactions or work activities, the minute we decide on a course of action because we’re concerned about what might happen if we don’t participate, we’re bound for trouble.
When we’re deciding what’s important, we need to be thoughtful about the voices we’re listening to - specifically that they’re worth listening to.
Twitter is probably the most prominent example today. While there are about 450 million users on the platform, about 10% of that user base contributes 80% of the tweets.
There’s an excitement when we’re running at full tilt that’s hard to replicate. It’s as if every fiber of our being is alive and tingling, as we work towards a specific goal.
Certainly there’s a sense of risk (you might even call it fear) but it’s one that pushes us to stay on our toes, alert and focused. We’re geared to execute carefully, we’re mindful of staying agile as we do so, and we’re entirely focused on results.
Do you say “you” or do you say “we”?
I’m asking specifically from the context of starting at a new job. That is, how long does it take for you to start using “we” when referencing your company and its activities?
I was thinking about your services…when you talk to your clients…what’s the thinking behind your products…
The thing about deadlines is that, if we’re conscientious, we’ll actually work to them.
Which, in general, is a good thing because deadlines ensure that we prioritize our tasks, allocate the needed resources (usually) and get things done with intent.
At the same time, deadlines - if not correctly set - can give us a false sense of security.
Bill Gates said that he once believed that, if someone had a high IQ, they could be good at everything. He doesn't anymore, and that's a key idea to come to terms with if you want to build a great enterprise.
Because great teams and achievements are, as I discuss in today's episode, built on the back of diverse capabilities and people.
Character trumps content. Always.
If I have to choose between two individuals - one fully versed in their line of work but untrustworthy, and the other who is less than well versed but trustworthy, I’ll go with the latter person every single time.
Decades ago, in the early days of the PC, Steve Jobs observed that “most people didn’t want to learn how to use a computer; they just wanted to use it”.
That was his underlying philosophy with the Mac (and all (of his) subsequent Apple products): how do you make the product so simple, so intuitive, that the customer can simply use it without a learning curve? And you have to admit, it’s worked beautifully.
While I’m not a “gamer” in any real sense of the word, there is one that I downloaded on my phone years ago and play when I have some downtime. It’s called Wordscapes and involves rearranging a set of scrambled letters into words in a crossword-like fashion.
I’ve played it enough that I’m now at Level 2,744.
Creating something new is a challenging task - so much so that many of us don't actually take the step to create whatever is that's in our head.
The reason, as I discuss in today's episode, is that we get caught up in two specific issues that stop us from taking those essential steps forward.
It’s rare that our work appears in its full and complete form at the outset. It’s rare that we have all of our ideas, our concepts, all of our flourishes fully figured out at the start.
More often, it develops over time, through our continued work and effort. Each stage of development either reinforces our core idea and/or allows us to discard those elements that don’t fit.
It was Pablo Picasso who said, “Unless your work gives you trouble, it is no good.”
I know we like to believe that what we do should be effortless and fluid, that that is what makes us “professional”.
But that isn’t the reality of real success - the kind of success that leaves a mark.
Whenever I go to Karachi, I'm amazed by how the city functions and how people go about their daily lives, especially when so much we take for granted in the west, just doesn't exist in the same way over there.
But, as I discuss in today's episode, people get on with things. They live their lives. Because it isn't just about what's around us and the way things are, it's about our own will.
A short (and late) one today given other commitments - but I did want to share something I heard that really resonated with me.
I was watching the HBO show “Ballers” which stars Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) and in Season 5, he talks about how he thinks about living life, making decisions and moving forward.
Brands today are quite different from the brands I grew up with. Many of them are quite explicit about what the stand for and believe in, even if that narrows their target market.
These brands, I'd argue, achieve far greater loyalty and commitment than those that don't. Because, as I discuss in today's episode, consumers are sick of fitting in. And they expect brands to reflect that.
Seth Godin recently wrote about The Journal of Universal Rejection.
It’s a “journal” that allows you to submit any form of content (“…any and all types of manuscript: poetry, prose, visual art, and research articles”) which it then, without question (and, often, without any review) reject.
Like most folks, I was floored this week when I heard the news that Yvon Chouinard, the 83 year old founder of the outdoor apparel maker, Patagonia, was going to give away his company, instead of selling it or taking it public.
Specifically, ownership of the $3 Billion company (that generates $1 billion in revenues and $100 million in profits every year) would be transferred to a specially designed trust and nonprofit organization…
Our past has a tremendous bearing on where we are today. That's a fact. But if we are to have ambition, if we're to move forward, we need to let it go.
And that begins, as I discuss in today's episode, with us. We need to adjust our mindset to be one of self-control and empowerment. It's begins with us.
