The Friday Five - Leadership Edition

The Friday Five - Issue 29
Challenging leaders to maximize their potential
Terry Wetzel ~ Summit Leadership Development
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Shane Parrish, one of my favorite writers, recently wrote about habits matching ambitions. “When someone's habits don't match their ambitions, trust the habits.” A powerful question for self reflection…do your habits match your ambitions?

I used to scoff at the idea of an accountability partner. Now, I have come to see the benefit in a trusted and honest “someone” that can help you bridge the gap between what you say you will do and what you actually do; someone that can give you a metaphorical slap in the face or kick in the rear when needed. Likewise, they can offer encouragement and validation when we do reach our goals. Do you have someone like this in your personal and professional life? Can you be this person for someone?

A quote you have probably heard 100 times and applied to different professions and scenarios is, “people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." I encourage you to revisit this concept. Do you show people you care in a variety of ways? Do your team members and colleagues know you care about them? Be sure to spend time focusing on the person, not just the project.

Ever hear of wishcasting? It is when you interpret data, trends, or other facts through a lens of what you want to happen, rather than what is likely to happen. For example, predicting you will be ready for a new role in six months because you want the title while ignoring a lack of skills or emotional intelligence required. Agreeing to three major projects at once thinking you can find the time despite a calendar that is 100% full. Believing that a low-performing employee will eventually figure it out because you like the person rather than having the difficult conversation. Ground yourself in reality, not wishes.

Nothing moves until you stop thinking and start doing. Entrepreneur Brian Armstrong said, “Action produces information. If you're unsure of what to do, just do anything, even if it's the wrong thing. This will give you information about what you should actually be doing. Sounds simple on the surface – the hard part is making it part of your every day working process.”

“Build a culture that rewards, not punishes, people for getting problems into the open where they can be solved.” ― Ben Horowitz

The Power of Less is a book that helps us see that it is in removing the unnecessary in life and work that we actually gain the most. This philosophy has been reiterated many times before, but how it is communicated here is where the book adds value.

Be epic, not average. The world has enough average.
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The photo in today’s web edition was taken, as you might guess, in Seattle.
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