Hi Reader,
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Three Principles that Guide My Work

​Read on the Blog​

I wrote my first blog post in 2016. My first podcast episode dropped in 2019.

I’ll admit I had no idea what would happen. I do know that I was heavily influenced by Seth Godin’s work, and three of his guiding principles. Here they are.

Do Generous Work

Rather than asking, “What can I get out of this?” or “How will this benefit me?” asking, “How can I help?” or, better yet, “How can I make a difference?” is a game-changer.

Doing generous work gives you a purpose that goes beyond self. It’s focused on making a positive impact. That will keep you going when you’re wondering if what you are doing is worth it.

This Might Not Work

Putting yourself and your ideas out into the world is scary. What if no one cares? What if it’s not perfect? What if it doesn’t work?

Godin emphasized that if you aren’t saying to yourself, “This might not work,” you’re not really putting yourself out there. You’re playing it safe.

Edwin Friedman put it somewhat differently. He wrote that leaders not only need to learn to embrace discomfort, they need to learn to love it.

I have done a lot of things over the years that haven’t worked. It wasn’t fun, but it didn’t hurt either. And I’ve learned a lot.

Drip, Drip, Drip

We all want to be great from the beginning, but that rarely happens. Consistent, incremental progress over time is the key to making a difference. This requires a long-term perspective.

When I started The Non-Anxious Leader Podcast, I made a commitment to do weekly episodes. The idea of producing a small amount of content on a regular basis seemed to be the best way to introduce people to family systems theory and to improve my craft.

Persistent and steady effort aren’t flashy but it’s the best way to make an impact. Or, as Shane Parrish wrote, “In the short term, you are as good as your intensity. In the long term, you are only as good as your consistency.” Drip, drip, drip.

These three principles have been foundational for me over the last decade. I hope they can help you.

Ironically, I feel like I’m just getting started. There is so much to learn and so much to share. Thanks for spending time on the journey with me.

Recommendations

This week's recommendations share two of my favorite productivity tips: focused work and taking breaks. They'll help you do your most important work more often and more effectively.

​A System for Creating a Focus Forcefield [4 Layers] - Ben Meer The subtitle is "1 hour of focused work = 4 hours of distracted work." I couldn't agree more. I don't use all of his techniques, but the ones I do use make a huge difference. Find what works for you.

​A Guide to Taking Better Breaks at Work by Kira Schabram and Christopher M. Barnes. This is a deep dive into why you need to take breaks, the barriers, how to do it better and how to foster a culture of breaks. If you are a leader, this is a must read so that those you lead can be at their best.

Podcast

Episode 319 of The Non-Anxious Leader Podcast, How NOT to Parent (or Lead), is now available.

That's it for this week. Thanks for reading.

Peace,

Jack

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