The problems of this world…demand disruptive thinking, audacious thinking.
We still have to fight like hell. We must work together.
There is not time to think in incremental terms, we need to agitate, we must inspire others.
The power of a correct idea in this interconnected age can spread so quickly that scale can happen on a never before [seen] pace.
From FastCompany.
In 2011, before I ever even imagined enrolling in an MBA, I took the Strengths Finder assessment. Having psychology as my background and always having been interested in learning about myself, I taken plenty of these self-assessments.
My results in 2011 were:
Empathy - You encourage people to express their innermost thoughts and feelings, and you refrain from judging them.
Adaptability - You prefer to “go with the flow.” You tend to be a “now” person who takes things as they come and discover the future one day at a time.
Harmony - You look for consensus. You don’t enjoy conflict; rather, you seek areas of agreement.
Developer - You recognize and cultivate the potential in others. You spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements.
Futuristic - are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
Shortly after taking the assessment for the first time I enrolled in an MBA program at Florida International University for which this book was required reading. I decided it would be fun to take the test towards the end of the program to see how my strengths had developed.
I’m almost of the end of the program and I feel my strengths and confidence have matured significantly. I feel I have gained a clearer understanding of my natural abilities and in the process developed some new strengths.
The results from the 2013 assessment reveals the ‘seasoning’ of some of my core strengths and the development of new ones. They are:
Restorative - People who are especially talented in the Restorative theme are adept at dealing with problems. They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it.
Activator - Activators can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are often impatient. ( I am sometimes impatient with results)
Positivity - The individuals have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get others excited about what they are going to do.
Futuristic - People who are especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
Individualization - These individuals are are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are different can work together productively. (Can relate to Developer)
This book is a short read and can be extremely insightful. It’s organized into sections that explain the strength, gives examples of what that strength might look like in real life and gives ideas for action.
It’s also recommended ready by 800ceoread.com
8 Successful Entrepreneurs Give Their Younger Selves Lessons They Wish They’d Know Then
Tim Westergren, the founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Pandora:
“Be sure to ‘notice’ ideas when you have them. Stop. Take the time to consider them seriously. And if your gut tells you they’re compelling, be fearless in their pursuit,” Westergren said. Nothing is more haunting than thinking, ‘I wish I had…’”
Read the rest here.
I had just started reading Reinventing You: Define Your Brand, Imagine Your Future when a friend whom I admire greatly lent me Little Red Book of Selling and, of course, being the way I am I started reading that too. Reading two books at once may sound crazy but sometimes it has a benefit.
Even though the books are unrelated (Reinventing you is about how to develop your personal brand and Little Red Book is about how to sell) I see parallels in the ideas… after all you are a brand which you promote I’ll be expanding on these in future posts.
Which way are you living your life? My belief is that scarcity in every way is always healthier than abundance. I’ve read that people who starve live longer than those who eat a regular diet and there is research to back this up. Furthermore, countries with scarce conditions are more innovative, inventive and creative in their everyday lives than other countries. Take my home country Cuba as an example, when things break there is nowhere that people can go buy replacement parts.
Necessity Is The Mother Of Invention.
As a result people are forced to take things apart to put them back together , they are forced to really learn how things work. It is said as a joke that from a coffee maker to a car, Cubans can fix anything with just a little wire. Remember the Cuban rafters that almost made it to the US on a Chevy truck turned boat? I think they need to get a scholarship to MIT.
As an example of how scarcity influences the profit plan one can look at the difference between tropical countries and colder countries. Tropical countries have a plethora of food sources; they have an abundant variety of fruit trees, they have fresh seafood from the ocean and perfect weather to hunt as needed. In the other hand, cold countries have none of this and thus have to be better at planning and thinking ahead. In their case, scarcity has forced them to develop a ‘business model’ way of thinking by having to consider what the needs are, plan accordingly, project and forecast and be efficient in their work. Scarcity has forced their decision process to be top-down.
As a final note, I’ve noticed that many businesses fail when they get too big and I always ask myself “couldn’t they see in their numbers that growth was killing them” and “why didn’t they stop themselves from growing” always followed by “can that insatiable desire for power make you that stupid and blind?”
Which way are you living your life?
So the question is, how are you living your life? In this country (USA) we obviously have the capability to live abundantly but we’ve learned that is not the best environment for growth and development. Do you have the self-control to limit your resources and ‘make’ instead of ‘take?’ Can you force yourself to be innovative, resourceful and creative? Look around. Are you too comfortable to need to come up with new ideas? Change in inevitable and change is good. Are you ready? Are you capable?
(Abundance vs Scarcity via MediaFuturist: Chris Anderson on “Free”:) via futuristgerd
Some people get it and others don’t. Life is a fleeting moment that seems eternal when we’re 10 but an eternal wait to the end when we’re 90 (if you’re lucky) So tap dance through life. After all, life is a dance between time and opportunity. Eventually the song will end. Were you too scared to make your move or did you steal that kiss?
Nurture and respect every relationship you make, take a little and give a lot every chance you get and others will instinctually do the same for you.
Inspirational to say the least. This is the difference between being passive and proactive. More on this to come.
http://lifehacker.com/5923567/ask-yourself-why-to-prune-your-to+do-lists
If your to-do list items can’t be linked back to a higher life goal, they might not be worth doing.
All activities you’re spending time in should align with one main goal
Michael Porter -
http://the99percent.com/articles/7194/Why-The-Deepest-Lessons-Take-Time-To-Absorb
This kind of time lag in learning from a mistake is not unusual. For the deepest lessons an individual can learn, it’s required. Only with the passing of time can the intense emotions (positive or negative) of an event fall away and allow us to recognize mistakes and our contribution to them.
On why its ok to take emotions out of decision making
Are you interested in starting a business? Do you want to become an entrepreneur? This is a digest of notes, ideas and interesting readings to get you going. Jump.Start.Go is here to give you the tools and inspiration to make the move....Go!
