Courage over fear

We teach our brains how to respond to events. When we avoid or ignore difficult situations and emotions, we teach our brains to react to them with fear. When we accept and confront difficult situations and emotions, we teach our brains to respond to them with courage. Over time, each of these responses become a habit.

I will not waste your time

I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time I will not waste your time

You

I read a book that blew my mind. The main character goes crazy when he realizes no one really knows him.

A different version of you exist in the minds of everyone who knows you.

The gist is that the person you think of as “yourself” exist only for you, and even you don’t really know who that is.

Every person you meet, have a relationship with or make eye contact on the street with, creates a version of “you” in their heads.

You’re not the same person to your mom, your dad, your siblings, than you are to your coworkers, your neighbors or your friends.

There are a thousands different versions of yourself out there, in peoples minds. A “you” exists in each version, and yet your “you”, “yourself”, isn’t really “someone” at all.

Things to remember

All positivity in, all negativity out.

Opinions doesn’t define you.

Everyone’s journey is different.

Happiness is found within.

Overthinking leads to sadness.

Positive attitude creates positive outcomes.

Be grateful.

Credit: @samvitibhardwaj

Proficiency and Creativity

Every group skill can be sorted into one of two basic types: skills of proficiency and skills of creativity.

Skills of proficiency are about doing task the same way, every single time. They are about delivering machine-like reliability, and they tend to apply in domains in which the goal behaviors are clearly defined, such as service. Building purpose to perform these skills is like building a vivid map: You want to spotlight the goal and provide crystal-clear directions to the checkpoints along the way. Ways to do that include:

  • Fill the group’s windshield with clear, accessible models of excellence.
  • Provide high-repetition, high-feedback training.
  • Build vivid, memorable rules of thumb (if X, then Y).
  • Spotlight and honor the fundamentals of the skill.

Creative skills, on the other hand, are about empowering a group to do the hard work of building something that has never existed before. Generating purpose in these areas is like supplying an expedition: You need to provide support, fuel, and tools and to serve as a protective presence that empowers the team doing the work. Some ways to do that include:

  • Keenly attend to team composition and dynamics.
  • Define, reinforce, and relentlessly protect the team’s creative autonomy.
  • Make it safe to fail and to give feedback.
  • Celebrate hugely when the group takes initiative.

Most groups, of course, consist of a combination of these skill types, as they aim for proficiency in certain areas and creativity in others. They key is to clearly identify these ares and tailor leadership accordingly.

Ref: The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle

Name and rank your priorities

In order to move toward a target, you must first have a target. Listing your priorities, which means wrestling with the choices that define your identity, is the first step. Most successful groups end up with a small handful of priorities (five or fewer), and many, not coincidentally, end up placing their in-group relationships – how they treat one another – at the top of the list. This reflects the truth that many successful groups realize: their greatest project is building and sustaining the group itself. If they get their own relationships right, everything else will follow.

Ref: The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle

Ed-isms

Ed Catmull, President and cofounder of Pixar.

  • Hire people smarter than you.
  • Fail early, fail often.
  • Listen to everyone’s ideas.
  • Face toward the problems.
  • B-level work is bad for your soul.
  • It’s more important to invest in good people than in good ideas.

Ref: The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle

Winning

Winning is fantastic; in fact, it is addicting, but it’s not the most important thing. Learning from our victories is sometimes more important than the win itself. It will teach us to empower others and encourage them to get back on the saddle after a hard loss.

The next time you win, remember what it felt like. Take the time and energy today to pass the feeling along and make someone else a winner. Champion those around you, and in the end, everyone wins.

Ref: one37pm

Strength in weakness

Danny Meyer delivered the message to his staff – I was scared – with steadiness, confidence, and comfort that underlined the deeper message: It’s safe to tell the truth here. His vulnerability isn’t weakness; it’s his strength.

Laszlo Bock former head of People Analytics at Google, recommends that leaders ask their people three questions:

  • What is one thing that I currently do that you’d like me to continue to do?
  • What is one thing that I don’t currently do frequently enough that you think I should do more often?
  • What can I do to make you more effective?

“The key is to ask not for five or ten things but just one,” Bock says. “That way it’s easier for people to answer. And when a leader asks for feedback in this way, it makes it safe for the people who work with them to do the same. It can get contagious.”

Ref: The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle