Vulnerability is the first thing I look for in you, but it's the last thing I want you to see in me. In you, it's courage. In me, it's inadequacy. —Brené Brown If you’re a Millennial or Gen X, you may not “get it” when it comes to vulnerability. Especially at work. There’s an expectation that work is for productivity, focus, and rationality. You do what’s expected of you. Work hard, stay focused, make steady progress. For ambitious high achievers, there’s no time to waste. Any minute not...
10 days ago • 1 min read
The most important conversations you’ll ever have are the ones you’ll have with yourself. —David Goggins I hiked to the top of Half Dome in Yosemite this past weekend. It’s not an easy hike. 17 miles round trip, 4500’ elevation gain from Yosemite valley to the top. That’s the easy part. The hard part is the final ascent to the top. The last 1/4 mile is up a sheer granite face. The park service installs cables as hand-holds because it’s too steep to do without. Even with them, someone falls to...
17 days ago • 1 min read
Trust is built on telling the truth, not telling people what they want to hear. —Simon Sinek Multiple clients often face similar challenges at the same time. That’s been true this past week, across both 1:1 clients and the teams I’m working with. The theme that’s bubbled up is trust. But there’s a common misconception about trust. Most people believe trust means the environment is safe, comfortable, and easy. Not necessarily. Trust is more about knowing that your long-term commitment is...
24 days ago • 1 min read
Better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. I was in LA this weekend for the Summit of Greatness. Seven speakers over two days — all speaking to the same core idea. How to overcome your biggest obstacle. We all face challenges. Most people become resigned to living with them. A bad boss. A culture that constrains you. Limited promotion opportunity. Diminished passion for your work. Most people simply accept these circumstances as a fact of life. Most people tolerate it. Because the...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Passion is one great force that unleashes creativity, because if you're passionate about something, then you're more willing to take risks. --Yo-Yo Ma Chris has what you might describe as a “cushy” job. His job demands less than 40 hours, he works with great people, and there’s opportunity for long-term growth. But he’s not sure it’s the right place for him. He has big financial goals, likes challenge and growth, and wants to move faster than the pace of the company. He could move back to big...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
Ordinary people think merely of spending time, great people think of using it. —Arthur Schopenhauer In conversation with a fellow Gen X leader not long ago, She commented how entitled Gen Z is. “They expect weeks of vacation and good work life balance,” she said. “We never expected those things!” she said with exasperation. “But don’t we want them,” I countered? High achievers expect to work hard. Staying at your desk 11pm (or later) is a badge of honor. Checking email while on vacation is...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
The way you like to learn is what makes you comfortable, but it isn’t necessarily how you learn best. —Adam Grant There’s an old story about a king buying a beautiful chess board. The skilled craftsman is also skilled at math, so Rather than ask to be paid in gold or silver, he asks for rice. He tells the king he will accept a single grain of rice on the first square, 2 on second square, 4 on the third, and so on - doubling the number of grains of rice on each square. The king readily agrees,...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read