Sun Tzu said, “For it is precisely when a force has fallen into harm’s way that is capable of striking a blow for victory.”
Desperate times are defining moments.
Ease defeats you. Hardship defines you.
Desperate times make things clear.
The brutal truth inspires people.
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Moderate levels of discomfort—stretch assignments—accelerate development.
Skills are learned best by doing, when tasks are meaningful and unfamiliar.
70% of learning comes from challenging job assignments. 20% from social learning like modeling, feedback, and coaching. 10% from formal training.
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The Longer you run from something the stronger it grips you.
Avoidance makes leaders small.
Avoidance promises relief but delivers distress.
Avoidance trades discomfort for disconnection.
“Avoidance will make you feel less vulnerable in the short run, but it will never make you less afraid.”
Strength to reject the temptations of avoidance…
A leprechaun has given us fits for years.
Recently the dirty trickster hid my wife’s coffee cup. Worse yet, when she puts a mini–Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup on the counter, he steals it when she looks away.
Blame is a beautiful thing.
Tough conversations increase misery when done poorly. Minimize misery by increasing mastery.
Feedback is future-shaping, not fault-finding.
Reject the practice of beginning with a positive, slipping in the negative, and ending with a positive. The feedback sandwich is full of baloney.
Growth-goals give tough conversations meaning.
Frantic busyness is expected in some organizations. In some, it’s a badge of honor.
Busy all the time is crazy.
Labor to enter rest. Schedule it. Plan it. Execute on a rest initiative.
The “fire fighter” leader misses the point.
The busier you are the less fulfilling your life becomes.
