Push limits before setting limits.
Over-commitment is inevitable for aspirational leaders.
“…only those who will wish to go too far can possibly find out just how far one can go.” T.S. Eliot
Manage excess; don’t avoid it.
Over-commitment is a gift. Expect it. Use it. Don’t beat yourself down because of it.
If you want to teach people, give them a reason to need a lesson.
Learning is the engine of progress. Stagnation kills potential. When learning stops, growth stops. Talent without development leads to frustration, disengagement, and missed opportunity.
Build future-ready people by making development necessary.
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.
Jealousy shrinks your brain. Resentment chokes growth.
MORE…
Nietzsche believed in the transformative power of suffering. He wrote, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” But not everyone rises. Growing through hardship is possible but not guaranteed.
Adversity becomes a festering wound for about +/- 40%*. Their souls shrivel. Their lives circle suffering. They’ve been wronged. Life is unfair.
The secret of growing through hardship…
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.
More…
Dairy cows provide two products, milk and manure. Both nurture growth.
I was nose blind to the aroma of cow manure growing up on the farm. Now it stinks.
The stuff that stinks makes things grow.
Here is some wisdom from the barnyard.
Powerful ways seasoned leaders grow.
