Epaminondas, a young rising star in ancient Greek politics, was seen as a threat to the established leaders. To discourage this shooting star, they “promoted” him to a job overseeing the city’s sewers and water.
These leaders intended to humiliate Epaminondas, by putting him in a dead-end job. Instead, he threw himself into the job and the people deeply appreciated his passion and efforts, especially considering this was “dirty work.”
With discipline and earnestness, Plutarch wrote, “he proceeded to transform that insignificant office into a great and respected honor; even though previously it had involved nothing more than overseeing the clearing of dung and the diverting of water from the streets.”
At some point, we are all asked to do a job that just does not feel right. We can do the work grudgingly, letting everyone know this is not our choice, or we can throw ourselves into it and do the best we can.
We cannot control every job option that we are presented with, but what is in our control is how we do the job. What is in our control is who we are while we do the job. Whether it is appreciated, whether it is an impressive or a lowly job, whether a project succeeds or fails–that is not up to us. What is up to us is that we do our best, what is up to us is that we are the best we are capable of being.
Whatever we do, if we do it well, it is a noble effort, says Ryan Holiday, the source for the wonderful story above. You can find out more about Ryan and his phenomenal writings on stoicism here.
Enjoy your read and thanks for your comments and ideas that bring this communique to life every month, I appreciate your support.
Regards,
Dan
“Relevant & pragmatic ideas, tools and insights to play at your best.”
For You
Who gets the best part of your day?
Most folks start with well-intentioned plans that rattle to pieces as the day progresses. We are called to firefight; energy goes down and before we know it, the day is gone, and the precious list remains untouched.
Be very careful about to what (and to whom) you’re giving the best part of your day. (Philipp Meyer)
For me, this means tackling the tough things, those things that matter to me and my clients, early in the day, before lunch. That is my prime time, and I protect this time like an elephant mother protects her offspring.
All too often, people say to me, “If you only knew how my boss works,” or “Our organizational strategy is chaos,” and “this is why I don’t get to my issues”. Knowing and focusing on the best part of your day as a personal strategy is not about never getting interrupted or never being asked to move another priority into your privileged space – but it does mean knowing your prime time and blocking it in your calendar. And if you’re still doubting this advice, open up your calendar and see how much of your prime time you have blocked in your calendar this month. I am just saying…
For You & Your Team
How do you make decisions in your team, especially on those tough topics like head counts, cash management, and strategic priorities?
When teams discuss these game-changing topics, often the conversation gets cluttered with opinions, with few facts or objective thinking to back these opinions.
You and your team will get to the heart of what matters when you frame such discussions according to “first principles”, that is those fundamental truths that everyone can agree with. You can argue opinions, but in most cases, you can’t argue principles, since everyone agrees to them. It’s important to make visible or to review your first principles when making strategic decisions.
First principles are a useful framework in decision-making because they help you and your team question assumptions and explore new possibilities from the ground up.
Before you and your team want to tackle a wicked problem, create a common set of “first principles” to prevent discussions from running off the tracks.
For You, Your Team & Your Business
A senior leader briefed me before our strategy workshop with his team. “My guys are enthusiastic about this business,” he said, “Don’t be surprised when they fight hard for their baby, (meaning their respective function).”
On the surface, this “fight for my function” is appreciated as it reflects ownership and passion.
Yet when the leadership team addresses strategy, it is crucial to leave the every-day-functional-hat at the door, and put on a new hat that stands for, “I am now looking out for our entire business, which, on some occasions, may be good for our overall business but not so good for my department.
This is an important mindset to develop, otherwise strategy discussions get reduced to operational arguments, with people trying to preserve their interests; and that is not good for your strategy, or your business results.
Which hat are you wearing in your strategy discussions?
People, Places & Technology
“The Hard Thing About Hard Things,” is a rock-solid learning resource for ambitious leaders and those that support leadership and business development. Ben Horowitz, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, authored this masterpiece and is one of Silicon Valley’s most respected (and successful) entrepreneurs.
Many people talk about how great it is to start a business, yet very few are honest about how difficult it is to run one. Ben thoughtfully shares the problems that confront leaders every day, sharing the insights he’s gained developing, managing, selling, buying, investing in, and supervising technology companies. In my eyes, a must-read.
Thought for the Day
“Don’t coach players,
coach the team.
There is too much focus
on the individual leader,
when the emphasis
should be on the team.”
-José Mourinho