It's tempting, when we've achieved some measure of success, to believe that we've arrived.
The Greek philosopher, Epictetus, counseled against this idea of "arrival" and believing we are important, as I discuss in today's episode.
All tagged Success
Today's episode is a reflection on Bono, U2's legendary frontman. It's based on a post I wrote shortly after watching them perform The Joshua Tree live in Chicago.
Bono represents the ideal when it comes to achievement. He does what he loves, has achieved tremendous success and uses this fame and success to do more for others. It's an ideal worth us pursuing in our own ways.
Today's episode focuses on a story from Live Aid back in the mid-Eighties and a moment that set the band U2 on the path to global stardom.
But on the day, it didn't seem like it to the band - and represents a lesson about risk-taking that we can all learn from.
Today's episode focuses on the age old debate of nature versus nurture. We love to argue whether talent is innate or developed, or whether entrepreneurs are born versus made.
In the show, I argue that it doesn't matter - our only choice is to move forward to strive to achieve what we want. The alternatives aren't worth considering.
Today's episode focuses on the one and only fundamental of success - doing the work.
Our role models from the sports to the business worlds understand this. The one commonality amongst all of them is that they've paid their dues. They put in the effort and did what was needed to lay the foundation for their success. If we aspire to that success, we need to do the same.
Do you expect a musician to be good at financial analysis? Do you expect a financial analyst to be good to creative work? Of course not. Then why do we define "good" in our teams in specific, narrow ways?
Today's episode speaks to focus on our colleague's strengths and not class people as good or otherwise based on preconceived notions.
Episode 94. Matters Of Culture
This month's podcasts deal with matters of culture.
In today's episode, I speak to the value of assessing cultural fit when we're bringing new people into our teams, and when we're evaluating the long term impact of existing team members. It's not easy and it's tempting to look at hard metrics, but these soft ones can be the most critical to our success.
This month, I'd like to speak to a few fundamental ideas about how we work and the implications of our behaviors when we work.
In today's episode, I talk about our tendency, as we get older, to focus less on what we do well and more on what we don't. It's a curious thing, because it's our strengths that will drive us forward and, therefore, what we need to build on.
This month, I'd like to speak to a few fundamental ideas about how we work and the implications of our behaviors when we work.
In today's episode, I talk about work ethics and this idea of balance. We shouldn't ever apologize for the former, and I argue, if we want to build something great, then we have to accept that a balanced life is not possible (at least in the short term).
This month's podcasts focus on people - the teams we work with, the people we surround ourselves with, and how we should think about them. People make all the difference.
In today's episode, I talk about something Warren Buffett said about the best thing about being rich. It isn't what you (or I) might have originally expected, and it has everything to do with people.
This month's podcasts delve into the seeds of entrepreneurship, where these crazy ideas come from and what they mean for us, as entrepreneurs.
In today's episode, I discuss the nature of ideas, and specifically great ideas. What is it about great ideas that makes them endure? What kind of environment allows such ideas to break through? What do we need to keep in mind to make sure these ideas break through?
This month, the podcast is focused on talent, specifically what we can and should expect of our people, as well as how we evaluate and manage them.
In today's episode, I focus on expectations - and why it's important that we expect excellence and commitment from our people. That excellence and commitment aren't nice-to-haves, they're must-haves.
This month's podcasts draw lessons from the world around us, specifically the sports and entertainment arenas. I focus on specific games or movies or entertainers and the lessons we can draw from what they've done or experienced or said.
Today's podcast discusses that day in 1965 when Bob Dylan went electric and changed the course of his career. But he also gave us a lesson in how we need to do what we believe in and be who we want to be, regardless of what anyone else thinks or says.
Today’s podcast is about the concept of "productive struggle", this idea that our success in life is based on our ability to work through difficult issues and problems without knowing or having the path handed to us.
It was inspired by a quote from my daughter’s math teacher at parent night a while back. He spoke about the need for us to engage in struggle to get to where we need to go, and that despite our search for easy answers, the struggle was entirely the point. The concept intrigued me and that’s what I’ll discuss in this episode.