Weekly Success Tips

2009-09-14 | Embrace Uncertainty

"The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next;
-- Ursula K. Le Guin (1929 - ) American science fiction novelist

Uncertainty is uncomfortable - sometimes painfully so. When you can't see the road ahead it's stressful for a lot of reasons. However, uncertainty also has an upside. It's the fertile ground that's needed to foster creativity, growth, and ultimately progress.

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2009-09-09 | Get Hell-Bent on Making it Work

"Optimism, pessimism, f**k that; we're going to make it happen. As God is my bloody witness, I'm hell-bent on making it work;
-- Elon Musk (1971 - ) CEO of SpaceX, after failure of the third launch of Falcon-1

From 2006-2008, after four years of design and development, Musk's company SpaceX tried and failed 3 times to launch the Falcon-1 rocket into orbit. Then in Sept 2008 it finally succeeded on the 4th try. In July 2009, on its 5th try, it became the first privately financed launch vehicle to boost a commercial payload (a Malaysian satellite) into orbit.

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2009-07-13 | How to Know if You're a Good Leader

"The signs of outstanding leadership appear primarily among the followers. Are the followers reaching their potential? Are they learning? Serving? Do they achieve the required results? Do they change with grace? Manage conflict?;
-- Max De Pree (1924 - ) Former Chairman, Herman Miller Furniture

Ask anyone to define good leadership and it's likely you'll get a list of traits. It usually includes things such as effective communicator, strategic thinker, visionary, smart, charismatic, and straightforward among many others. These characteristics are good at describing a leader, but they miss the mark on one important point.

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2009-06-29 | The Responsibility to Trust Your Head and Heart

"If you do not express your own original ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself. Also you will have betrayed our community in failing to make your contribution to the whole."
-- Rollo May (1909-1994), American psychologist, from The Courage to Create

Over dinner with colleagues last week, I found myself discussing the topic of spiritual energy - i.e. where/how people find meaning in life. Two familiar themes emerged. You find meaning when you (1) align your life to what inspires/motivates you & (2) serve/contribute to others.

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2009-06-22 | Have a Strong Opinion...But Be Willing to Change It

"Speak what you think today in hard words and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said today."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American author, minister, & activist

Your opinion today is based on what you see today. It's not all the information, but it's all that you've got. Trust your gut and take a strong stand. If you're wrong - so be it - you'll learn along the way. In fact, you'll learn more by taking a strong stand than by taking a weak one.

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