The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Challenge →
On leadership →
Conflicting opinions. Confusing data. Unexpected developments. Interpersonal conflict. We sometimes miss the bliss of the vision and despair. I’m not sure I can do this. You respond immediately, “It seems an impossible thing. Of course it’s hard, but we are going to do this together and I’ll explain how.”
~ Rands from, The Way I Heard It Was…
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There’s an array of skills that a leader has to master to be a good leader. Explaining things is one of those skills. Everyone who knows me even slightly, knows I’m great at explaining things. But as I try to lead more, I’m realizing that no, actually I’m a mediocre—possibly even a poor—explainer. I’ve recently realized that vastly too much of my explanations are about attempting to control other people’s reactions, (or their opinions,) to what I’m suggesting.
“Take this jacket. It’s lightweight, water proof and will keep you dry if we encounter rain. And rain is likely on the mountain we’re setting out to climb. I once went without such a jacket, and I wound up wet and miserable. The color also happens to be one you normally like, and it looks good. It’s got lots of pockets, which are all taped and the design of the flaps keeps water out.” (Alas, a decade ago, that explanation would have also unpacked what “taped” means, and why it’s a desirable feature.)
But that’s way too much information, all intended to convince the listener. It’s a sign of attempted consensus building. It’s all hedging. It’s all me sharing the reasons why you too would make the same decision—to bring this jacket—if you too had all the information and perspective that I have.
A real leader would say, “This is the correct jacket to take, considering the weather we are going to face when we climb that mountain.” Because then, if it turns out it is in fact not the correct jacket, then I’m on the hook for that error. Which is exactly where—on the hook that is—a true leader should be.
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Prudence →
All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it’s impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.
~ Niccolò Machiavelli
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I over-complicate things →
Hanlon’s Razor teaches us not to assume the worst intention in the actions of others. Understanding Hanlon’s Razor helps us see the world in a more positive light, stop negative assumptions, and improve relationships.
~ Shane Parrish from, Hanlon’s Razor: Not Everyone is Out to Get You
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And there’s a rather long, (by Internet blog standards,) article after that opening paragraph. I read it. It resonates with me. It has heuristics and suggestions, points and counterpoints. There are some memorable quotes, including some famous Army General’s way of using the razor to categorize officers based on their combinations of traits.
But, being well aware of my title, I could just take the entire article and train of thoughts and teaching and simplify it to a pithy two-sentence reminder:
Don’t assume the worst intention in the actions of others. Instead, see the world in a more positive light.
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Play with Brandi Heather →
How can integrating play into our personal and professional lives improve creativity, productivity, and well-being?
Discovering the connection between joy and resilience reshapes the way we approach work and life.
Play integrated in everything you do. So when you’re doing something at work, that you are so absorbed by— that you absolutely love about your work and you kind of lose track of time in that space. That’s the play I’m talking about.
~ Brandi Heather (13:55)
The conversation examines how play influences personal and professional development, emphasizing its role in creativity and joy. It explores how podcasting enabled one individual to discover and refine their voice, eventually translating this journey into a book. The discussion highlights the intersection of storytelling, science, and personal experience in effectively communicating complex ideas.
Further topics include societal misconceptions about play and how redefining it as a state of absorption and joy can benefit both individuals and organizations. The conversation also touches on the challenges of blending academic and experiential insights into accessible narratives while advocating for preserving playfulness in both childhood and adulthood.
(more…)Magic with Jey Jeyendran →
How does podcasting serve as a medium for creativity, self-expression, and transformation, and what challenges and insights arise from engaging in this art form?
Podcasting emerges as both a blank canvas and a stage for personal transformation.
It’s the tricky thing about podcasting, is that it’s got a really, super-low barrier to entry, but a super-high barrier to continuation.
~ Jey Jeyendran (7:23)
The discussion begins with an exploration of podcasting as a creative and transformative medium. It highlights the realization that podcasting is more than a simple extension of oneself; it involves curating and presenting a version of oneself that aligns with the needs of the audience. This performative aspect is juxtaposed with the authenticity often touted as essential in podcasting.
Another key topic is the unique challenges inherent in podcasting. While the barrier to entry is low, maintaining momentum and overcoming “pod fade” proves significantly harder. The conversation underscores the importance of feedback, both as a measure of growth and as a motivational tool. However, podcasting often lacks sufficient avenues for such feedback, which can leave creators feeling unmoored.
Jey and Craig also touch on the joy and playfulness that can be rediscovered in podcasting. Through low-stakes exercises like creating short recordings, participants can reconnect with the essence of creative expression without the pressure of perfection. This emphasis on enjoying the process rather than fixating solely on the end product is framed as critical for sustaining passion and avoiding burnout.
(more…)Concentrate →
Concentrate every minute … on doing what’s in front of you with precise and genuine seriousness, tenderly, willingly, with justice. And on freeing yourself from all other distractions. Yes, you can—if you do everything as if it were the last thing you were doing in your life, and stop being aimless, stop letting your emotions override what your mind tells you, stop being hypocritical, self-centered, irritable.
~ Marcus Aurelius
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Attitude adjustments →
Sometimes, definitely more often than I like to admit, I need to have my attitude adjusted. Like, a giant kick in the ass, adjustment.
Someone once explained to me their self-esteem box idea. Which is, by the way, a frickin’ brilliant idea. Ever since then the idea has rattled around the back of my head. Finally, this idea gelled into something I can use. It goes like this:
Sometimes I find experiences that eject me from Grumpy Land. They are rare, but they are glaringly obvious to me when it happens. POW! Well, that adjusted my attitude. The first part of my idea is to capture those into posts here on the ‘ol blog. (It’s easy to jot a simple note and write a blog post later as I do that a lot already.) This is classic “capture” in action.
The second part is that I’ve created an Attitude adjustments tag, and I’ll be tagging those posts as such. It’s easy for me to get to that tag. (I find it trivially easy to type, off the top of my head, the full URLs to specific tags.)
…and the magic part is a little plugin I found which will bounce me to a random post for a given tag. Depending when you are reading this, there might be 1 or 100 items in that tag, so this may or may not be random and interesting: Random attitude adjustment, please.
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Hate →
Like an unchecked cancer, hate corrodes the personality and eats away its vital unity. Hate destroys a man’s sense of values and his objectivity. It causes him to describe the beautiful as ugly and the ugly as beautiful, and to confuse the true with the false and the false with the true.
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Reflection. Imitation. Experience. →
By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; And third, by experience, which is bitterest.
~ Confucius
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