Jack was a normal boy before he climbed the beanstalk. Alice was a normal girl before she went down the rabbit hole. Dorothy was an ordinary Kansas girl until she went to Oz.
Modern stories often feature extraordinary heroes. But ordinary heroes give us hope.
How to find extraordinary people?
Wanting approval is normal. Depending on it limits leadership.
Psychologist Harriet Braiker says the disease to please is compulsively saying “yes” when you want to say “no.”
Leaders do things others don’t like.
You can’t please all the people even some of the time.
How to overcome people-pleasing…
The hardest situation is the one you don’t see coming.
You prepare for trains you see coming. Scheduled meetings. Client appointments. Performance issues.
The Blindside Express turns a manageable issue into a crisis.
Determine how to show up when the inevitable happens.
Here’s how…
Ego rejects limits. Action requires them.
Focus intensifies when options shrink.
Narrow options to expand opportunities.
Weak leaders complain about limits. Wise leaders create them.
Learn how to thrive in a world of constraints.
“The chief danger in life is that you may take too many precautions.” Attributed to Alfred Adler
Caution weighs risks. Look both ways before crossing the street. Excessive caution never leaves the sidewalk.
Caution prepares. Excessive caution demands perfection.
Caution acts with incomplete information. Excessive caution demands certainty.
How to choose courage over self-protection…
A leader I coach mentioned that people seem disappointed when new problems keep showing up.
The reality is that yesterday’s success won’t answer today’s challenge.
The Navy SEALs say: “The only easy day was yesterday.”
Leadership isn’t for people seeking comfort. It’s for people determined to make a difference.
Learn the truth about problems and success.
