Your heart opens to learning when you celebrate the success of others.
Suppose you resent a colleague’s promotion. You complain they’re a brown-noser. Playing politics won them advancement. The thought of learning from their promotion offends you.
Ask yourself: “What skills helped them earn that promotion?”
So what if they play politics. I know you don’t want to manipulate people. But maybe upping your social game would help you.
Action step: Identify one area of workplace influence you can improve this month.
You feel jealous of another leader. She earns more money but you’re more qualified. Her team grabs the spotlight. Yours grinds in the shadows. You can’t stomach asking her to mentor you.
Ask yourself: “What’s one strength she models that I could learn from?”
Maybe she has skills you don’t have. Open your heart and build your own skills.
Smallness doesn’t advance your career.
Action step: Compliment someone’s strength this week, especially if you don’t like them.
Jealousy shrinks your brain. Resentment chokes growth.
Unexpected Learning
Honoring someone’s skills comes before learning. Your feelings keep you stupid when they cause you to close your mind to lessons from excellence.
Your colleague goes home on time, but you work late. But when promotions come around, he gets it. Admiration opens your heart to learning.
Checklist:
- Could envy be an uncomfortable form of admiration?
- Have you complimented someone you don’t fully understand?
- What’s one thing a successful peer does better than you?
- Who could teach you something, if you let them?
Learning is hard because of who we are, not because of others.
What makes learning hard for some people?
Keep going:
Why Smart Leaders Do Stupid Things
The 10 Best Ways to Spot a Close-Minded Leader
The Signs of Closed-Mindedness and Open-Mindedness
