A young apprentice spent years learning from a master potter. One day, after completing what he believed was his finest bowl, he carried it proudly to his teacher.
As the master examined it, he noticed a small crack near the base.
The apprentice immediately began apologizing.
“I saw it too late,” he said. “I should have started over.”
The master shook his head and asked, “Why?”
“Because it’s flawed,” said the apprentice.
The master placed the bowl on the table and replied, “Then it is just like the rest of us.”
The apprentice looked puzzled.
The master continued, “A flaw is not always a reason to discard something. Often it is an invitation to improve it.”
Together they spent the afternoon repairing the crack. When they finished, the bowl was stronger than before.
Years later, the apprentice would remember that day. Not because he learned how to repair pottery. But because he learned the difference between being judged and being helped.
Many thanks for your continued feedback and suggestions, I really appreciate your insights!
Enjoy your June news2use,
Dan
“Relevant & pragmatic ideas, tools and insights to play at your best.”
For You
Recently, I found myself speaking with several highly accomplished professionals; those who lead teams, influence significant decisions, and regularly present to boards and executive committees. As I complimented them on their contributions and achievements, several responded almost identically; “Wow, that feels good. We don’t hear that very often.”
It struck me that recognition often becomes scarcer as people rise. The higher the position, the more likely conversations focus on gaps, risks, missed opportunities, and the next challenge to solve. Yet even the most accomplished leaders need encouragement, acknowledgment, and belief.
One of the overlooked responsibilities of leadership is helping others feel larger than they are. When people feel larger, they take on larger challenges. They contribute more boldly. They become more willing to stretch beyond what they thought possible.
A simple question for reflection: When people leave a conversation with you, do they feel larger or smaller because of the interaction? Leadership is not measured solely by the results we produce. It is also measured by the confidence, capability, and courage we help unlock in others.
For You & Your Team
Most leadership teams are familiar with the “hot seat.” Someone presents a challenge, an issue, or a result and quickly finds themselves defending decisions, explaining mistakes, or responding to criticism. While accountability matters, these experiences can easily become more threatening than developmental.
Yet I’ve also observed teams that chose a different path. Rather than putting struggling colleagues on the defensive, they offered suggestions, support, and practical ideas to help them succeed. Watching these interactions, I realized that a “Help Seat” can be far more powerful than a hot seat. That insight has led me to deliberately incorporate Help Seat sessions into executive team off-sites and leadership exchanges.
One leader at a time sits before the team and receives feedback framed around three questions: What do we appreciate about this person’s contributions? What could they do differently to help themselves or the team excel? What is the one piece of advice we would offer?
The results have been remarkable. During a recent debrief, several participants shared, “It was uncomfortable coming up and sitting in the chair, but once I did, I felt safe. I felt like the team was really there to help me.”
That comment captures the difference. The purpose of great teams is not simply to evaluate one another. It is to help one another grow. When feedback is offered with respect and genuine support, people become more open, not more defensive.
Perhaps it’s time to transform a few hot seats into Help Seats.
For You, Your Team & Your Business
Functional responsibilities are crystal clear and your process landscape is explicit, yet your organization still falls short of meeting customer service levels, which leads to frustrated clients. Sound familiar and wondering why you have a gap, when on paper everything looks airtight?
Here’s the crux of the issue; customers buy solutions, while companies invest in functions.
The result is often a gap between what customers need and how organizations operate. Marketing completes its work. Sales completes its work. Operations completes its work. Service completes its work. Yet somewhere between those handoffs, the customer experience suffers.
Many organizations overcome these challenges through heroic leaders who step in, coordinate across boundaries, and save the day. The problem is that heroics do not scale.
This gap closes when leaders shift their conversations. Instead of reviewing functions separately, review the customer journey. Instead of asking who completed their task, ask who owns the outcome. Instead of rewarding individual optimization, recognize cross-functional collaboration that creates value for customers.
After all, the customer never sees your organizational chart.
People, Places & Technology
One of my recent reads has been Rocket Dreams, which explores the vision, ambition, and relentless pursuit of the future associated with the modern space race.
What I found most interesting was not the technology itself, but the power of imagination. Long before rockets launch, someone must first imagine what is possible. Every breakthrough begins as an idea that initially appears unrealistic, impractical, or even impossible.
In leadership, we spend significant time analyzing the past and managing the present. Yet creating the future requires something different. It requires the courage to imagine possibilities that do not yet exist.
Whether building companies, leading teams, or shaping strategy, the future is created twice; first in imagination, and then in execution.
If you are looking for a great summer, pick up a copy of Rocket Dreams.
Thought for the Day
Leadership is not measured
by how large you become.
It is measured by how
many people become larger
because of your presence.