People really like having something to root for. Anger and rooting against something works too, but only to a degree. What we really love is an underdog we can get behind. Sylvester Stallone wasn’t getting any major roles before he wrote and acted in Rocky. His idea for the movie centered around how all of … Continue reading Stallone On Making “Rocky”
Tag: quotes
How To Change Their Mind
“You can’t copy and paste your reasoning into another person. You have to hold space with the other person to engage in a reasoning process…” - David McCraney If you want somebody to see something from your perspective, don’t think you can just insert your logic into their head. Instead, start with their perspective. Ask … Continue reading How To Change Their Mind
Mark Cuban Says Don’t Follow Your Passion, Follow This Instead
Mark Cuban told Adam Grant he doesn’t believe in “following your passion.” His beef with “passion” is he thinks people should follow their effort instead. There’s a difference between the thing you care about and the thing you care to do. I’m a longstanding fan of the Seth Godin idea about how a hobby is … Continue reading Mark Cuban Says Don’t Follow Your Passion, Follow This Instead
Mark Cuban On Why A Team Can Have One Knucklehead (But Not Two)
Mark Cuban says any team, group, or organization can afford to have one knucklehead. That’s because one knucklehead will blend in, follow, and figure out how to not muck things up. However, if you have two knuckleheads - then you have a problem. Culture and chemistry are critical to success. A team can have one … Continue reading Mark Cuban On Why A Team Can Have One Knucklehead (But Not Two)
When Volunteers Beat Pros
If you don’t have buy-in, what have you really got? Barbara Bush, dropping bars: The Titanic was built by professionals. The Ark was built by volunteers. It’s all about the mission. It’s all about who wants to do the work - doing the work that needs to be done. Ps. another example - the second … Continue reading When Volunteers Beat Pros
Seth Godin’s Definition Of A Tribe
I’m doing a lot of thinking about teamwork lately. With my peers, with our clients, and beyond. For the 13th or maybe 50th time, I picked Seth Godin’s classic Tribes up to help my brain out. Godin says, "A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected … Continue reading Seth Godin’s Definition Of A Tribe
What Leaders Do (And Managers Don’t) In Unstable Times
A little wisdom from Seth Godin on how to lead during tough times (you know, like during global pandemics, hot wars, cold wars, and recessions for example): In unstable times, growth comes from leaders who create change and engage their organizations, instead of from managers who push their employees to do more for less. Let’s … Continue reading What Leaders Do (And Managers Don’t) In Unstable Times
Ego At Work – Public And Private
As the poet-philosopher Sturgill Simpson once said, “Woke up today and decided to kill my ego.” Leadership is a funny thing. Especially as an organization scales. It takes a healthy amount of ego to think you can do what others deem unthinkable. But if your only speed is full speed ahead, you can run into… … Continue reading Ego At Work – Public And Private
Practice Is Like Eating
Dan Coyle compares practice to eating. Saying, “I’m going to practice” is like saying, “I’m going to eat some food.” Practice what = eat what How good are you at typing? When is the last time you improved? Do you feel - kind of plateaued for a while? Life is full of things like typing. … Continue reading Practice Is Like Eating
Steinbeck On The Way It Always Is
During the dry years, the people forgot about the rich years, and when the wet years returned, they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way.” John Steinbeck, “East of Eden” Life moves in cycles. That’s why it’s helpful to remember where you were, and where you might be headed next. … Continue reading Steinbeck On The Way It Always Is