Dogs are designed to act in specific ways. If you can’t choose the people on your team, ask how they can thrive.
Huskies pull.
Saint Bernards rescue.
Pugs love attention.
Golden Retrievers guide.
Greyhounds race.
People are like dogs. Greyhounds won’t thrive guiding. Don’t expect pugs to rescue.
How to thrive with the team you have?
Sense-making is map-making.
You don’t respond to events. You respond to what events mean.
Sense-making runs on questions.
You usually don’t notice your sense-making questions.
You feel the conclusions.
Learn the “Three Actions of Sense-Making for Leaders
The leader’s high horse is a donkey.
You have a unique set of abilities, but not everyone is remarkable.
Very few managers are remarkably gifted. Assume you aren’t one. About one in 10 people possess the talent to manage. Companies get talent decisions wrong 82% of the time. (Gallup)
How to get on a donkey…
Don’t lie to yourself. Grounded confidence begins with truth-telling.
Confidence Killers
Inaction.
Constant reassurance.
Thinking without action.
Avoiding discomfort.
Comparing yourself with others.
Hiding mistakes.
Grounded confidence requires courage to act and humility to learn.
“When I stepped on the court, I wasn’t out there hoping I could win.” Larry Bird
Success is more about freedom than control.
You’re a bottleneck until others can act without permission. Provide direction. Establish boundaries. Release competent people to tell themselves how to act.
Success comes to leaders who multiply leaders.
Skillful fools dig their own graves.
“I finally decided I was going to give the best hour of the day to improving my own mind.” Charlie Munger
Don’t pound your chest because of what you do. Brag about what you’re learning.
Here are 4 Ways to Not be Stupid.
