LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“We are not victims of our situation. We are the architects of it." Simon Sinek

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We're looking at some quotes from Simon Sinek this month.

The above quote comes from Sineks book, "Leaders Eat Last".

Do you ever assume the "victim" position? That position tends to blame others for everything in life that isn't right and it keeps us STUCK.

This quote challenges us to:

• Take personal responsibility for our lives and live empowered.

• Have a mindset and attitude that reflects our positive control.

• Action. To not sit on the sidelines, but to act on what we want to see.

I also believe that sometimes tough things happen in our lives for the purpose of shaping us, molding us, and teaching us something. In no way can we avoid bad things, but our response to those things is what shapes us.

When was the last time you pulled the VICTIM CARD when something didn't go your way? How did that work out for you?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“Working hard for something we don't care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion." Simon Sinek

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We're looking at some quotes from Simon Sinek this month.

Looking at the quote above, there are a couple of things that stand out:

First, not all work creates stress, but the idea that we're putting our time towards something that isn't important to us can "become" stress inducing...I would agree.

Second, passion is a driver for all of us, and the connection between stress and passion is clearly drawn back to what we value and care most about.

Sometimes I choose a quote simply because I want to think about it a little more, and that's the case here. I'm thinking about times in my life where I've felt that level of stress that is induced because I don't value the thing that I'm doing, and I'm also thinking about times in my life where I'm working hard and loving every minute of it.

Think about that in your life. I'll share 2 personal illustrations below, but can you identify a "STRESS" time and a "PASSION" time?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe." Simon Sinek

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We're going to dive into some thoughts from Simon Sinek this month. He's done some great work for leaders in his speaking and writing, but for me, the biggest "AH-HA" came when he shared his Golden Circle Model of WHY.

The model is explained in his Ted Talk from 2014 which is one of the most popular talks of all time. SEE IT HERE. The Golden Circle simply challenges us to "Start with the WHY", instead of starting with the "WHAT".

The WHY is what drives us, what gets us out of bed in the morning, what inspired us, what keeps us moving forward. The WHY doesn't really change.

The WHAT and the HOW is simply the ways in which we pursue the WHY.

Many times we get these backwards, and we're driven by WHAT we do, instead of WHY we do it.

When you think of your WHY, what comes to mind? What is that thing

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“Making better choices takes work. There is a daily give and take, but it is worth the effort."Tom Rath

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

Last thought from Tom Rath. I started with a quote from on health, and then we spent some time talking about teams and strengths. Today I'm reminded of this thought above from his book, Eat, Move Sleep.

Early this month as we began looking at some of Rath's work I shared about "movement" and his journey with health.

This quote today is such a good reminder to me, because I have a tendency to make "worse" choices... not because I want to, but because it's just easier sometimes.

I'm reminded that when I do the work, there is a reward!

James Clear talks about this in the book, Atomic Habits. He talks about the value of immediate rewards, but he also says this:

"The reward is on the other side of sacrifice."

You see that reward after doing the work!

While Rath is talking about health here, making better choices can apply to many things.

When you read that line, "making better choices takes work", what is the first thing you think about?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“Although individuals need not be well-rounded, teams should be."Tom Rath

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

Tom Rath has done extensive work in the area of strength development, and we've already talked about how important it is to not look for balance, but to really develop your natural, God-given strengths. This is where each of us have the most potential.

In the quote above, he adds something that's really important to understand.

Every person should bring their greatest gifts and strengths to play, however it's important for an effective team to understand what is needed from every single person, and then what the team needs to function at the highest level.

When we're a part of a healthy team, we all bring our strengths to the table, and they compliment each other, because our strengths are different, and we need the others to fill-in where we're weakest.

Being on an effective team is a complete rush because you learn to fire on all cylinders and stuff gets done!

When was the last time you were a part of an EFFECTIVE team? Does this quote ring true to you?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“If you spend your life trying to be good at everything, you will never be great at anything." Tom Rath

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

The first time I thought about the quote above was when I watched a short video series from Marcus Buckingham called Trombone Player Wanted.

In this presentation Buckingham tells the story of a student who played the trombone, but who really wanted to be a drummer.

The purpose was to challenge people to lean into their strengths, but I remember one illustration he used, and it went something like this:

You come home with a report card from school, and for your grades you have an A in math, a B+ in science, an A in English and a D in Geography. Your parents don't really notice the good grades, but focus on the D and strategize about how to get that grade up a little bit.

What happens in the end is your good grades come down, your bad grade moves up a little bit, and you become mediocre.

What your parents should have done is helped you excel in Math & English, even science, and maybe bring your Geography grade up to a passing C.

I'm sure as a parent I've done the same thing to my kids.

We all do such a great job teaching BALANCE. We strive to be the "best all-around" or to be able to do anything and everything instead of really focusing on what we're really good at.... what we were created to do and be.

How do you read the quote above from Rath? How has that been played out in your own life?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“Instead of following your passion, find your greatest contribution." Tom Rath

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We're exploring some Tom Rath quotes this month.

I saw the quote above, and had to stop and think it through a little bit.

I've always challenged people to pursue their passion, and when we do a LifePlan, we spend time discovering what that passion is and how to align with it.

When Rath said to "find your greatest contribution", that connected with me as well.

I think PASSION and CONTRIBUTION are often connected.

Ben Horowitz writes... "Passion can be deceiving. You cannot know whether what you are feeling is real. You do not know whether it will last. That is the nature of passion. It is fickle and most often short-lived. Contribution, however, is certain. It is grounded. It is tangible. You can see the impact your contribution has on the lives of other people."

This makes you think, right?

Horowitz goes on to say that often success is what fuels passion, in fact, passion is often just a byproduct of success.

Contribution on the other hand means "adding value to other people's life."

Think about those 2 words in your life: PASSION and CONTRIBUTION. How do they align? What are you following?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“Every hour you spend on your rear end saps your energy and ruins your health." Tom Rath

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I've followed Tom Rath in a number of his books on STRENGTHS and WELLBEING for years, and I want to pull some of his quotes out this month that have impacted me.

Here's the deal... I just had a birthday this week, so I'm thinking a little more about my health this year, and in Rath's book, Eat Move Sleep, he provides some great tips, challenges and reminders to any and everyone when it comes to our health.

This past week, I had a small surgery on one of my eyelids, and it turned into 5 days of very little activity, no lifting or bending, and lots of bruising, bleeding and discomfort. Of course, I'm old, so this is to be expected!

I had searched for something from Tom Rath last week, and ran into the quote above. Today, I identify with this as I've spent more time on my back this past week than I wanted to.

Last night my sleep was restless, my legs were aching, and finally this morning I was given a green light from my doctor to do some increased movement this week with limitations, but at least I'm moving again.

How does this quote hit you? Do you agree or disagree? What's your experience with movement?