Michael Hyatt's Blog, page 65
April 10, 2017
The Most Under-Appreciated Characteristic of Strong Leadership
3 Ways to Leverage Humility and Avoid the Trap of Overconfidence
Why do smart people make terrible decisions? At Catalyst several years ago, Malcolm Gladwell answered that question by going back to the Battle of Chancellorsville during the American Civil War.
“Fighting Joe” Hooker was a Major General in the Union army. In 1863 he squared off against General Robert E. Lee in Spotsylvania County, Virginia, near the village of Chancellorsville.
Exceedingly smart, Hooker set up an elaborate spy network. He knew more about the Confederate army than the Confederates did. Armed with detailed intelligence, Hooker positioned his troops in such a way that he surrounded Lee on three sides. What’s more, his men outnumbered Lee’s two-to-one.
The Disease of Experts
Hooker was absolutely confident he would destroy Lee’s army. Lee’s only choice was to retreat to Richmond. The night before the battle Hooker told his troops, “God Almighty could not prevent us from victory tomorrow.” He was bold, audacious, and—as it turned out—overly-confident.
The problem is that information does not guarantee better decisions. In fact, as Gladwell pointed out, we tend to overestimate the value of additional information.
He cited the work of Dr. Stuart Hopkins, who did extensive research on this topic. Hopkins discovered additional information makes people more confident in their ability to solve a problem. But their actual results are not better. Sometimes, they’re worse.
Gladwell called this overconfidence “the disease of experts.” They think think they know more than they actually do. In fact, they make mistakes precisely because they have knowledge.
This insight can be applied to countless situations. At the time, Gladwell used it to explain what happened during the Great Recession. It also explains what happened to Hooker.
The Trap of Overconfidence
When Lee realized he was surrounded on three sides, he began moving his troops south. Hooker assumed Lee was retreating to Richmond. His men relaxed. Some of them started celebrating. What they didn’t realize was that Lee was flanking their position.
Hooker was arrogant and overconfident. He was so certain of his victory, he didn’t prepare for this possibility.
Even though Lee was surrounded on three sides and outnumbered two-to-one, he was able to defeat Hooker. It was a stunning and demoralizing defeat for the Union army.
The lesson is this: In times of crisis, we think we need leaders who are bold, confident, and self-assured. But this is completely wrongheaded. What we really need are leaders who are humble and willing to listen.
3 Ways to Avoid the Trap
As leaders ourselves, how can we avoid becoming overconfident? Three ways:
Listen to those around us. We cannot afford to create a culture that is not safe for dissent. Our people need to feel the freedom to disagree with us and tell us the truth.
Plan for contingencies. We might be right. We might be wrong. We need to accept this and create a plan A and a plan B. We can’t afford to assume that our plans are infallible.
Enlist the help of our team. When organizations are small, they can be run by a single, entrepreneurial leader. But when the organization gets bigger our leadership must change. It must become a more collective, collaborative effort.
Humility is the most under-appreciated characteristic of strong leadership. The good news is that, as leaders, we can learn. We can grow. If we don’t, we risk large-scale, public failures that will have a catastrophic, negative impact on the people we are entrusted to lead.
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In times of crisis, we need are leaders who are humble and willing to listen.
—MICHAEL HYATT
Question: What specific actions are you taking to remain humble as a leader? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
April 8, 2017
April 7, 2017
How I Reconciled Professional Ambition and My Personal Life
What the Enneagram Taught Me About Steering Clear of the Dangers
When I was a young executive I had a level of stamina that was nearly supernatural. I could get locked onto a goal and not eat, not sleep, just stay focused on it until I achieved it.
But as I recently told my friends Ian Cron and Suzanne Stabile on their excellent The Road Back to You podcast, all of my ambition came at a steep price, to my family, my friends, and me.
The Road Back to You podcast and book are all about the Enneagram, a personal development tool with roots going back to the fourth century. It divides personalities into nine distinct types: helper, loyalist, challenger, and so on. I am a No. 3, the Achiever or Performer.
Over the last decade, I’ve benefited so much from the Enneagram, I’ve even had Ian come and teach my entire company about it. It was a tremendous time of learning, self-discovery, and team building.
The thing I love about the Enneagram is that it not only reveals your personality type, it also helps you navigate around the pitfalls that often come with your number.
I wish I had it earlier in my life. As I told Ian and Suzanne on the podcast, there were two realities that helped me deal with the ditches I drove into. But there was still a lot of damage at the start.
Reality 1: The Women in My Life
The first reality that helped me understand how being a Performer could hurt or help me was being married to my wife Gail and having five wonderful girls.
Performers are all about achievement, but the women in my life are not really that impressed by achievement. What they are impressed with is relationships. And they’re not happy when I take shortcuts in that department.
I remember one time I was fighting with Gail (yes, that occasionally happens). She told me “I don’t need you to be a CEO right now. I need you to be my partner,” and she was right.
In relationships, problem solving is not nearly as important as being fully present. One of my daughters went through a painful breakup and opened up to me about it. She poured her heart out to me for 45 minutes, then gave me a big hug and said, “That was so incredibly helpful, Dad.” I literally had not said one word.
These days my daughter Megan runs my business. She has taught me how to stop and watch the confetti drop and celebrate with my team rather than just run onto the next goal. It’s good for a Performer to occasionally take a bow and take it all in.
Reality 2: The Gift of Failure
The second reality was veering into a financial failure. Performers are usually talented at navigating their way to success, and the thing we fear most is embarrassment.
The first time I came to work at Thomas Nelson I had some success but felt that there was more I could do. So I left and started a publishing company with a business partner. Everything was great … at first.
Unfortunately, our growth outstripped our capital. I didn’t realize you could grow and go broke at the same time, but now I know that’s possible. Because of all the money we put out in advances and inventory, we were illiquid. And when a big creditor called our loan, we couldn’t pay the bills and had to close it all down.
It was bad. People in my church were bringing us groceries. My kids were humiliated, which was really tough to watch. Yet from that I learned there’s life after failure, and I found out who my friends were.
That failure really dinged my confidence, but ultimately it was a gift. Before, I often thought I was the smartest person in the room. The embarrassment of failure opened me up for the first time to the notion that maybe I didn’t know everything. Maybe I didn’t have it all figured out. Maybe I needed to learn new things.
The uncertainty caused me to go back to the beginning. My whole approach to personal growth and productivity starts in that journey. It forced me to rethink not only how we do things, but why.
It also gave me a deep appreciation for my family and teammembers, and how to structure my work life so I could honor them and their role in my life.
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In relationships, problem solving is not nearly as important as being fully present.
—MICHAEL HYATT
I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything today. But if you want some of the same personal benefits without veering into the ditches yourself, I recommend Ian and Suzanne’s work.
Question: What personal discoveries have kept you out of life’s ditches? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
April 5, 2017
Elon Musk and the 100 Hour Error
3 Big Reasons Why Overwork Is a Productivity Killer
Elon Musk is widely regarded as one of the most influential entrepreneurs working today. He’s one of the founders of PayPal and the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX. He wants to help put a colony on Mars and be buried there.
Because Musk is considered such a visionary, many people want to learn his methods and follow his example. However, they run into a serious problem. Musk may be a genius, but he’s also a workaholic who proposes untenable work habits.
The 100 Hour Error
In an 2010 interview, Musk advised entrepreneurs to be “extremely tenacious and then just work like hell. You just have to put in 80 to 100 hour weeks every week.”
He explained, “If other people are putting in 40 hour workweeks and you’re putting in 100 hour workweeks, then even if you’re doing the same thing … you will achieve in four months what it takes them a year to achieve.”
That’s perfectly good advice. For a robot.
Some people live to work rather than the other way around. But even high achievers are not meant to work those kind of hours. Our first clue ought to be Musk’s own life.
Musk admitted that 100 can be “wearing” and produce “really a high amount of pain” over time. Even his lower number of 80 hours is too much for a healthy person to pull off consistently. The costs on our lives are simply too great to bear.
In survey after survey, Americans say that they are overworked and struggling to get any sort of clarity about what they ought to be doing better. It’s a damaging situation, and the last thing we need is encouragement to drive even harder. Why?
Overworking like Musk recommends costs us in three primary areas: our relationships, our health, and our productivity.
1. The Relational Cost
Musk has been married three times to two women. “Elon was obsessed with his work,” his first wife, Justine Musk, said. “When he was home, his mind was elsewhere.”
He even works when he’s with his children. “What I find is I’m able to be with them and still be on email. I can be with them and still be working at the same time,” he told South by Southwest attendees in 2013.
Whether his kids can get through to their father when he is on email is a whole other question. “Musk frequently gets so caught up in his multitasking that it sometimes takes two or three tries at his name, uttered at full volume to get a response,” reported Inc. when it named him “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2007.
When we engage in overwork, we’re asking our spouses and children to carry the weight of our ambition. And that burden can be crushing.
Andy Stanley uses the metaphor of a rock to make this point. It’s like we have a stone we give someone to hold for us. If the duration is brief, it’s not a big deal. They can manage. But Musk recommends we make that duration permanent. How long till the rock drops on our families?
2. The Health Cost
To cope with the workload, Musk used to drink caffeinated beverages practically nonstop. “I got so jacked that I seriously started to feel like I was losing my peripheral vision,” he admitted. That should tell us all we need to know about the stress that kind of workload produces.
Because of the hours we work, most of us don’t get the sleep we need. To save time in the kitchen, we eat for convenience, not nutrition—or even joy. We don’t get enough exercise. And our rest and relaxation often looks like collapsing exhausted in front of the television or mindlessly clicking away time online.
When we’re weary and worn out, we’re not as clear about things as we could be. We get irritable and irrational, make bad calls, and often see the world more negatively than we should.
The result? Despite our relative wealth, Americans are unhealthy, stressed, and depressed compared to other countries.
One nine-year study of financial workers found that long hours essentially ruined them. They “started to break down in their fourth year on the job,” business reporter James Surowiecki said. “They suffered from depression, anxiety, and immune system problems, and performance reviews showed that their creativity and judgment declined.”
3. The Productivity Cost
The drain on employees is also important to consider. An 80 hour workweek will dry up even the most energetic employees. “What was clear is that people who worked for him were like ammunition,” one former Tesla employee said about Musk, “used for a specific purpose until exhausted and discarded.”
Most of us can effectively work 40 or 50 hours a week comfortably. And we can work longer on occasion, when it’s crunch time and things simply have to get done. But trying to work longer, regularly, is foolish.
This isn’t even controversial among researchers. Harvard Business Review published an article in 2015 whose title left zero room for misunderstanding: “The Research Is Clear: Long Hours Backfire for People and Companies.”
“There’s a large body of research that suggests that regardless of our reasons for working long hours, overwork does not help us,” HBR reported. In fact, in one revealing study, “managers could not tell the difference between employees who actually worked 80 hours a week and those who just pretended to.” In other words, the additional hours resulted in no measurable gains in productivity.
Indeed, the consensus view these days is that “Considerable evidence shows that overwork is not just neutral—it hurts us and the companies we work for.” Even if the occasional phenom could pull off the longer workload consistently, as Musk claims to do, there is no way that would be a good example for many others to follow.
Explosive Advice
I’m not judging Musk. That’s not my job. In fact, I’ve fallen for the same trap in the past.
But I am calling foul on the idea that we need to follow his lead. The reason Musk himself can’t manage a 100 hour workweek—and why no one should even try—is that our minds and bodies are simply not designed to do that. And the costs are clear to almost anyone paying attention.
Musk has many great ideas, but the 100 hour workweek is a bit like those early SpaceX rockets that never quite made it into orbit: ambitious but explosive.
If you find yourself trapped in a cycle of overwork, you might be suffering from one of four predictable reasons I detail here. The good news is that if your life is out of balance because of overwork, you can choose a better outcome starting today.
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If your life is out of balance because of overwork, you can choose a better outcome starting today.
—MICHAEL HYATT
Question: What’s your worst experience with overworking and what did you learn from it? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
April 4, 2017
3 podcasts that will help millennials take over the world [Appearance]
In this Mashable article, my podcast, This Is Your Life, is included as on of the top podcasts for millennials.
Event:
3 podcasts that will help millennials take over the world
3 podcasts that wil help millennials take over the world [Appearance]
In this Mashable article, my podcast, This Is Your Life, is included as on of the top podcasts for millennials.
Event:
3 podcasts that wil help millennials take over the world
April 3, 2017
What to Do When You Find Yourself Overcommitted
7 Strategies to Regain Balance in the Midst of a Busy Season
A few years ago I found myself in a busy season. I’m talking crazy busy. In less than a month, I spoke publicly a dozen times and attended two different board meetings—not to mention finalizing my company’s strategic plan.
The pace was relentless, and I was on the road nonstop. That is not how I like to work. But who was to blame? Me. I did it to myself.
Have you ever found yourself in this situation, feeling like you have too much work and not enough margin? If the answer is yes, consider yourself normal. I have conversations with people about this problem several times a week.
The good news is that it can change. Here are seven strategies I used to regain balance in the midst of that busy season. I’m confident these can help you too:
Accept responsibility. It’s important to practice what the Navy SEALs call extreme ownership. I made the commitments that impacted my schedule. No one forced me. No one held a gun to my head. When we see ourselves as victims, we’re powerless to change our circumstances. But the truth is we have choices. We can decline the work, delegate it, or—at the very least—negotiate the deadlines.
Confront my FOMO. So often I find myself overcommitted because I was afraid to say “no.” Sometimes, I’m just afraid of disappointing someone. Or getting fired. Or not having enough work. Or missing an opportunity. Maybe you can identify. The Fear of Missing Out is powerful—and also pointless.
Retain my perspective. My busy season was only a season. I could see the end. I knew I would get through it. In the moment, I just needed to take a deep breath and acknowledge that “this, too, shall pass.” I also discussed it with my wife Gail and several of my friends, so they didn’t get frustrated with me.
Triage my calendar. Just because something is on the calendar doesn’t mean it’s chiseled in stone. Even after my dozen speaking engagements, there were a few commitments I could change to buy myself some additional time. Calendar triage can help us sort the urgent and immediate from the rest. It’s critical to keep our commitments. But that doesn’t mean we can’t request a release, ask for an extension, or delegate the project to someone else.
Do the next most important thing. Worrying about everything we must get done is unproductive. It only creates anxiety. Yes, my workload looked impossible, but I didn’t dwell on that. Instead, I focused on next most important thing—and kept moving. I tried not to get ahead of myself. We have to remember Jesus’ statement from the Sermon on the Mount:
Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
Get sufficient rest. I can tackle almost anything, provided I’ve had a good night’s sleep. When I get tired (as Gail can attest), I lose perspective. I also find it difficult to focus and become easily distracted. Two hours in the morning after a good night’s sleep are way more productive for me than two hours at night when I am worn out. We can bring our “A” game, but only if we take enough time off the field to begin with.
Decide to change. I couldn’t go on at my previous pace, and I didn’t have to. I began building new boundaries around my margin. And I started enforcing them to keep myself out of trouble. This is where the rubber meets the road for us all. We must deliberately build margin into our lives, or our busy seasons will become permanent. No one else is going to do this for us.
I’ve been diligent to follow these seven strategies whenever I find myself overwhelmed. And the real win is this: The more I follow them, the less often it happens. Instead of running nonstop, I’ve got the physical and mental energy for what matters most, including the margin I need to recharge.
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We must deliberately build margin into our lives, or our busy seasons will become permanent.
—MICHAEL HYATT
Question: What about you? Are you feeling overcommitted? What are you going to do about it? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
April 1, 2017
March 31, 2017
What to Do When You Hate Your Job
7 Strategies to Make the Best of a Bad Situation
When I was in college, I took a summer job working at a small engine repair shop (e.g., chainsaws, lawnmowers, go-carts, and so on). This by itself is comical, because I am one of the most non-mechanical people I know. Fortunately, they hired me as a parts clerk rather than as a repairman.
My boss, however, was a very unhappy person. And he let everyone know it. He didn’t think twice about arguing with customers or chewing out his staff—in public. I was on the receiving end of his flame-throwing tongue on more than one occasion.
As a result, I was miserable. I didn’t just dislike my job; I hated it. I dreaded getting up and going to work in the morning. I was never so happy as when the summer came to an end and I had to quit to resume my classes.
However, not everyone is so fortunate. Many people feel trapped in a job they hate but don’t believe they can quit. They feel stuck and, as a result, their life is miserable. Do you know someone like this?
If this describes you, here are seven strategies for making work more tolerable:
Be thankful you are employed. This may sound trite, but gratitude is the antidote to frustration. You might not like your job, but being unemployed would likely be worse. Besides, research shows that gratitude reduces stress and makes us more resilient.
Put your work in context. The concept of “job satisfaction” is relatively new. The truth is that work is hard. (That’s why they call it “work.”) Even at it’s best, there are going to be difficult days. Frustrations, setbacks, and even failure are part of life. Don’t be surprised; accept the bad with the good.
Determine the source of your dissatisfaction. Is your problem the work itself? Or do you feel overwhelmed because you just have too many tasks in your Drudgery or Disinterest Zones? Maybe you work for a difficult boss? Or perhaps you don’t like your commute or the working environment? It’s important to identify the source of your frustration, so you can work on a plan to change it.
Find someone to talk to. I am not talking about finding someone who will listen to you complain. This won’t help you or them. It will only make both of you miserable. Instead, you need an empathetic, nonjudgmental friend—a mentor, perhaps—who will hear you out and help you objectify the problem so you can address it constructively.
Fix what you can fix. Unless you simply enjoy being miserable (and I have met people like this), you need to put together an action plan to change things for the better. You might not be able to change everything, but you can, no doubt, improve some things. Maybe you can transfer to another department, reduce your workload, establish better boundaries, or something that will make a tangible difference.
Use your job to polish your character. Traits like kindness, peace, joy, and patience don’t just happen. They are forged in the crucible of difficult circumstances. Very little happens when everything is going your way. The important stuff happens when it’s not.
Encourage a coworker. Sometimes it helps to get the focus off yourself. It’s not all about you (or me). If you’re discouraged, chances are someone else is, too. Treat them as you want to be treated. Engage in a random act of kindness. Provide a listening ear. Remind them of what is ultimately true about them. You might just find yourself encouraged in the process.
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It may sound trite, but gratitude is the antidote to frustration.
—MICHAEL HYATT
If you really can’t stand your job, and you have done through the above steps, you need to make plans for a graceful exit. Life is too short to stay stuck in a situation that makes you miserable.
Sometimes you don’t have a choice. But often, you do. You just need a plan and the courage to take the first steps.
Question: Have you ever been in this situation? What did you do? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
March 29, 2017
How to Be a More Energetic Leader
5 Things You Can Do Today to Regain Stamina and Enthusiasm
On more than one occasion, I’ve heard Andy Stanley say, “The best thing a leader can bring to his team is his energy.” I agree. This has certainly been my experience.
As a leader, everything you do is contagious. If you are discouraged, pessimistic, or lacking in energy, people will feel it. The organization will reflect it. It will spread faster than an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Conversely, when you are upbeat, energetic, and optimistic, people also feel it. It will have a positive effect on your team and the outcomes you hope to create.
The best leaders don’t leave their energy level to chance. They are intentional about creating it. Here are some ways I have found to be a more energetic leader:
Get a Good Night’s Sleep
I have found that I need about seven hours of sleep to feel rested. Others may need more; some will need less. Determine what you need and make sure you get it. One of the best ways to do this is to get to bed on time. Avoid the temptation to stay up and squeeze in more work or play. You’re only cheating yourself. You will pay for it the next day.
Eat Smart
Your diet affects your energy level more than you realize. Don’t just eat what you enjoy at the moment. Instead, eat for the effect it will have later. This is one reason why I generally avoid pasta for lunch. It makes me sleepy and lethargic in the afternoon. Before you consume something, ask yourself, “How will this make me feel later?”
Exercise Regularly
If you are not already working out consistently, you might think that regular exercise will deplete your energy. Not so. It will actually give you more energy during the day. It doesn’t drain your energy, it replenishes it. And it will also make you sleep better at night.
Avoid Negative People
Those who are negative—or worse, cynical—will drag you down. I used to think I could bring them up. But I soon discovered that there are some people who just enjoy being miserable. They are energy vampires. They siphon the life out of you. The best antidote is to avoid them, and surround yourself with positive people.
Decide to Be Energetic
This is huge. Unless you are ill, you can be more energetic by simply acting more energetic. I am always surprised at how my emotions follow my body. If I walk faster, sit on the edge of my seat, and smile, I will eventually feel more energetic.
Your energy level has a bigger effect on your team than you may realize. The good news is that you can be a more energetic leader by becoming more aware and intentional about developing it.
If you want to go deeper, here are a few more ideas on How to Boost Your Energy Level.
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The best leaders don’t leave their energy level to chance. They are intentional about creating it.
—MICHAEL HYATT
Question: What do you do to bring more energy to your team? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
