Last updated on June 9th, 2024 at 04:22 pm
June 2, 2024
Here is the best thing I heard (What?), saw (Eye.), and read (Read.) this week, as well as the best idea (💡) I developed.
What?
All In Podcast – Bonnie H. Cordon: Letting Him Direct Thy Paths (Episode 276):
- [Bonnie H. Cordon] “I’m glad that we have a Heavenly Father that’s a God of miracles, because it truly has changed my perspective. But with all of whatever I do, there’s one little statement that I think has always kind of put things in perspective. And you’ve heard it, but there’s that statement that says: ‘Bless, not impress.’
“As we walk through life, if we just walk into any situation and think – ‘I’m just here to bless, do whatever I can, and not worry about impressing anybody’ – it takes a lot of pressure, a lot of anxiety out of the situation.”
Eye.
Charles Barkley and Draymond Green on Instagram (hilarious back-and-forth):
- [Charles] “Hey, you know what’s funny about that? You know who was asking about you the other day?”
[Draymond] “Who’s that?”
[Charles] “Nobody!”
Read.
“The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate The Three Essential Virtues (J-B Lencioni Series)” by Patrick M. Lencioni:
- “Leaders who can identify, hire, and cultivate employees who are humble, hungry, and smart will have a serious advantage over those who cannot. They’ll be able to build stronger teams much more quickly and with much less difficulty, and they’ll significantly reduce the painful and tangible costs associated with politics, turnover, and morale problems. And employees who can embody these virtues will make themselves more valuable and marketable to any organization that values teamwork. …
“In the context of teamwork, humility is largely what it seems to be. Great team players lack excessive ego or concerns about status. They are quick to point out the contributions of others and slow to seek attention for their own. They share credit, emphasize team over self, and define success collectively rather than individually. It is no great surprise, then, that humility is the single greatest and most indispensable attribute of being a team player. …
“Truly humble people do not see themselves as greater than they are, but neither do they discount their talents and contributions. C.S. Lewis addressed this misunderstanding about humility when he said ‘Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.’
“A person who has a disproportionately deflated sense of self-worth often hurts teams by not advocating for their own ideas or by failing to call attention to problems that they see. Though this kind of lack of humility is less obtrusive and obvious than the other, more negative types, it detracts from optimal team performance nonetheless. …
“Hungry people are always looking for more. More things to do. More to learn. More responsibility to take on. Hungry people almost never have to be pushed by a manager to work harder because they are self-motivated and diligent. They are constantly thinking about the next step and the next opportunity. And they loathe the idea that they might be perceived as slackers. …
“When I refer to hunger here, I’m thinking about the healthy kind – a manageable and sustainable commitment to doing a job well and going above and beyond when it is truly required. …
“Of the three virtues, this one (Smart) needs the most clarification because it is not what it might seem; it is not about intellectual capacity. In the context of a team, smart simply refers to a person’s common sense about people. It has everything to do with the ability to be interpersonally appropriate and aware. Smart people tend to know what is happening in a group situation and how to deal with others in the most effective way. They ask good questions, listen to what others are saying, and stay engaged in conversations intently.
“Some might refer to this as emotional intelligence, which wouldn’t be a bad comparison, but smart is probably a little simpler than that. Smart people just have good judgment and intuition around the subtleties of group dynamics and the impact of their words and actions. As a result, they don’t say and do things – or fail to say and do things – without knowing the likely responses of their colleagues.”
💡
Post the four sections of my newsletter (What? Eye. Read. 💡) to my Facebook and Instagram stories each week, one section per day. I would also include a call to action, inviting individuals to subscribe to the newsletter.