Our daily Field Notes email is just the kind of jumpstart you need. A fast read. Maybe less than a minute. Because sometimes it just takes one insight to change the trajectory of the day.
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The Lost Art of the Handwritten Note
The Lost Art of the Handwritten Note. It’s time to get over yourself and your insecurities and let others know how you feel more often. Fretting over the perfect thing to say is a lousy excuse if it robs others of words they would need to propel themselves forward. Handwritten notes are a lost art…
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Good Leaders Never Mistake Kindness for Weakness
One particular quality will inspire team members, keep them engaged, enhance their job satisfaction, and make them more productive. This leadership superpower is not energy, intensity, or work ethic. It’s kindness. Good leaders are kind people, but that doesn’t mean they are weak, soft, or tender. The idea that kindness and compassion are incompatible with strong…
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Win More Often by Not Trying To
Win More Often by Not Trying To. Those who commit to a process that values the small steps of excellence outperform those who fixate on winning. The lesson is clear: When you master yourself by mastering the process necessary to win, you will rack up victories. As it turns out, knowing how to perform at…
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Social Media Creates an Echo Chamber
Leaders who are addicted to the daily feed of information based upon their own clicks stand a chance of missing many good ideas and learnings. Exploration into the unknown pays big dividends — but only for leaders willing to expand their field of vision and escape the influence of social media on learning. Looking outside…
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Overthinking Is Exhausting
Overthinking Is Exhausting. Good leaders are naturally action-oriented, but abandon this strength when they unintentionally chose to overthink. The key is to act. Occupying the mind by executing an action prevents becoming consumed with the problem. Any movement toward a solution helps. Once the spell is broken, leaders usually stop fixating on what they can’t…
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Taking Charge Without Taking Charge
Taking Charge Without Taking Charge. By remembering that work quality is always a team sport, leaders can come to provide what team members most need from them to be successful. The best leaders are more likely to take charge of themselves and not others.
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Talking to Leaders When They Fall Out of Favor
Talking to Leaders When They Fall Out of Favor. When they recover their mojo, they turn to authentic relationships with those who didn’t abandon them when it mattered most. You can be one of those trusted relationships if you don’t follow the crowd, but instead turn toward people you respect who are out of favor.…
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The Ivy Lee Method for Personal Productivity
The Ivy Lee Method for Personal Productivity. By asking leaders to follow that simple sequence and to accomplish the most important thing first each day, he changed the way leaders think about productivity for years to come. An ocean of leaders still rely on the Ivy Lee method to get the most out of their…
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The Way You Speak to Yourself Matters
The Way You Speak to Yourself Matters. Frequently replace negative commentary with commands for action and you will soon find the inner critic has taken a permanent vacation. Don’t let your self-talk turn to the dark side. Fight off the negative commentary that can quickly become a habit. Substitute a command for action anytime the…
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People Are Always Talking About Me
People Are Always Talking About Me. Good leaders accept that gossip will occur, but they don’t let it create distrust on the part of a valued team member. They remind the team that no one is immune to the effects of negative rumors