Character > Competence
"The best dividends on the labor invested have invariably come from seeking more knowledge rather than more power." - David McCullough
Hey Coaches,
Here you go!
✍️ Articles
The Seven Habits of Awful Bosses: Daniel Crosby gave a great summary of habits that bad bosses shared, written about in the book Why Smart Executives Fail.
Domination Mindset: These leaders see themselves and their companies as dominating their environments, often overlooking crucial market signals and competition.
Over-Identification: They identify so completely with the company that the boundaries between their personal interests and those of the company become blurred, leading to biased decision-making.
Know-It-All Attitude: They act as if they have all the answers, disregarding valuable input and feedback from others, which stifles innovation and adaptability.
Elimination of Dissent: They ruthlessly eliminate anyone not on board with their vision, creating an environment where critical voices are silenced and groupthink prevails.
Image Obsession: They are consummate company spokespeople, investing excessive time in maintaining the company’s image at the expense of addressing underlying issues.
Dismissal of Obstacles: They treat intimidating obstacles as temporary impediments to be quickly overcome, often underestimating the challenges and complexities involved.
Reliance on Old Strategies: They are quick to return to the old strategies that made them successful in the past, failing to adapt to new circumstances and innovations.
The Acceleration of Addictiveness: Venture Capitalist’ Paul Graham wrote about addictiveness, why it can be applied to things that aren’t bad, and how being different from the norm is OK.
“You can probably take it as a rule of thumb from now on that if people don’t think you’re weird, you’re living badly.”
🎙️ Podcast
Game Changers with Molly Fletcher: Unlock a Life of No Regrets with FSU Football Coach Mike Norvell: Coach Norvell shares his approach to leading through challenges, action-based leadership, and why success ultimately hinges on building meaningful relationships. [8/15/24 - 55 minutes] Apple | Spotify | YouTube
“The response that you have in times of adversity always showcases the truest identity and character of who you are and what you’re about.”
💭 Miscellaneous
Mark Manson on Character
“Competence is how good you are when there is something to gain. Character is how good you are when there is nothing to gain. People will reward you for competence. But people will only love you for your character.”
Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph’s Definition of Success (source)
“I’ve worked hard, for my entire career, to keep my life balanced with my job. In my book, I write about my Tuesday date nights with my wife. For over thirty years, I had a hard cut-off on Tuesdays. Rain or shine, I left at exactly 5 pm and spent the evening with my best friend. We would go to a movie, have dinner, or just go window-shopping downtown together.
Nothing got in the way of that. No meeting, no conference call, no last-minute question or request. If you had something to say to me on Tuesday afternoon at 4:55, you had better say it on the way to the parking lot. If there was a crisis, we are going to wrap it up by 5:00.
Those Tuesday nights kept me sane. And they put the rest of my work in perspective.
I resolved a long time ago to not be one of those entrepreneurs on their 7th startup and their 7th wife. In fact, the thing I’m most proud of in my life is not the companies I started, it’s the fact that I was able to start them while staying married to the same woman; having my kids grow up knowing me and (best as I can tell) liking me, and being able to spend time pursuing the other passions in my life.
That’s my definition of success.”
📺 Video
Kara Lawson: Handle Hard Better (3 minutes)
Kara Lawson explains that things don't get easier in life, we just become better equipped to handle them.
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