kdalen

Feedback Is A Gift

By / February 15, 2024

The efficacy of the feedback we receive hinges on our ability to discern its utility.

 

Fancy way of saying “It’s up to us.”

 

Whether it is constructive and generative, flat and neutral, or critical and fierce, feedback is a gift.

 

Perhaps it helps advance our project or brings a new perspective. Maybe it identified gaps. Or quite possibly, you’ve identified the type of people you are not trying to serve.

 

And now the path is clearer.

 

Put yourself on the hook. Put your ego to the side. Be open to the others caring enough to share with you what they think.

Crowds

By / February 15, 2024
“Most days we’d rather be wrong with the crowd than right by ourselves” – James Clear 
 
Might be time to find a new crowd. 
 
Or arm yourself with enough that you’re okay sticking out.

Energy Sources

By / February 15, 2024

Our energy source matters.


We need to know if we are drawing from sustainable and renewable sources, or if we are exhausting non-optimal, dead-end reservoirs. 


As leaders and change-makers, we seek to bring significance to all that we do. This requires meaning, motivation, and attention. But it’s only made possible by our energy. 


Patrick Lencioni’s Working Genius is a great start. Identify those areas you’re never tired of and outsource/partner with those that tend to drain you. 

Tugboats and Freight Liners

By / February 15, 2024

Be a tugboat in a world of freight liners. 

 

The freight liner could be the company we work for, the industry we work in, or the community we live in. 

 

But to get where they are going, freight liners, with all their might and abilities, still need assistance from the little guy. The tugboat offers maneuverability and versatility. It guides and steers through the narrowest of situations. 

 

And when you feel like a single tugboat is not going to do the job, you’re probably right. Seek others trying to make the same changes you are. When enough tugboats are working together you start to notice the direction changing. 

No Joy, No Genius

By / February 15, 2024

If it doesn’t bring you joy, it can’t be your genius. 


Your genius is found in the work and projects where you find joy. It’s the work or projects that you can never be tired of. It’s the work and projects that you are always eager to talk about, to learn more about. 


The magic lies in identifying those genius spaces, your “Working Genius”, as Patrick Lencioni dubs it, so you can empower yourself and those around you to do your most significant work. 


You can certainly be skilled in areas that are not your genius. It’s likely required for your role, or just life itself. 


It is also worth noting that all types of genius are required. There is not one that is superior. 


But finding ways to communicate with others and spend more time in your genius is the goal. Because that is what makes you you. And where you can make the change you seek to make. 


For more on Patrick Lencioni’s Working Genius model check it out here: www.workinggenius.com

Compounding Growth

By / February 15, 2024

Is there any other type?

 

We make small deposits into retirement and investment accounts because over time those deposits will add up and become something much greater than any single deposit.

 

Consider this concept of making small deposits into your personal growth account. These deposits can take various forms—reading a chapter of a book, learning a new skill, or dedicating time to reflection. Similar to financial investments, these incremental actions compound over time, leading to significant personal development.

 

The key lies in the daily commitment to growth, no matter how small the steps may seem.

Tempus Fugit

By / February 15, 2024

Tempus Fugit. Time flies. 

 

This Latin phrase captures a lot of meaning for me and serves as a reminder to make the most of the time I am given. It holds so much meaning that I got it tattooed on my forearm. 

 

I particularly enjoy pairing this phrase with two hourglasses. In any given situation we have a choice to make. By saying “yes” to this I am saying “no” to something else. Are we making the most of it or am I wasting energy? 

 

If I am working I want to be impactful and efficient enough so that when the it is time to be with my family I can. 

 

Everything is a balance. Enjoy the time you have and make the most of it. 

Ambitious And Optimistic

By / February 15, 2024

In the pursuit of significant change, finding the delicate equilibrium between ambition and optimism is critical. Your ambition serves as the driving force, propelling you forward in the quest for transformation. Simultaneously, optimism acts as the guiding light, affirming that your relentless efforts are not in vain.


The cocktail of ambition and optimism fuels innovation and compels you to push beyond the boundaries, consistently aiming for new heights.


How does a shared sense of ambition and optimism create a magnetic force that draws like-minded individuals?

When You Don’t Understand

By / February 15, 2024

When you don’t understand something it’s tempting to brush it off as something not worth pursuing it. 

 

But that is likely your sign to dig deeper into the subject. 

 

Value and impact are found in the things yet explored. We need to uncover what we don’t understand. 

 

 

And to take it further. If what you’ve uncovered is significant, how do bring people along on the journey? 

 

How can you get them to enroll? 

The Future

By / February 15, 2024

“The future is already here—it’s just not evenly distributed.” – William Gibson

What an inspirational thought. As change makers and leaders, we seek to improve our present for a brighter future. 


But the future isn’t something that doesn’t already exist. Its something that we invest in everyday. 


In fact, it’s probably already out there. It just hasn’t made it’s way to you yet. 


Keep in pursuit of that future. And once you’ve found it, seek out those who will enroll to distribute that future alongside you.