Hey friends π
Hope you've had a great weekend :)
I spent my Saturday getting humbled at the hands of a mechanical bull (evidence below) - here are 3 things it taught me about B2B sales... ;)
As I write this, I'm watching my beloved Tigers (AFL) receive an absolute shellacking (technical term) from the Hawks. Expected, but still a painful watch.
I hope your week goes better than my bull riding!
Brock
Poll of the Week
Select an option to have your say and see the results.
| If you could swap your role for your manager's, would you take it? |
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This Week's Thought
I recently learnt about a form of Japanese pottery called Kintsugi, and while I was in Geelong last week I just so happened to see an example of it (I think) at an art gallery.
I'm no pottery buff, but the reason I mention Kintsugi is that I think it is both amazing, and a great metaphor for elements of our work.
It's a form of pottery whereby broken items are put back together and repaired, but rather than attempting to cover over the cracks or hide them, they are lined with gold so that they stand out.
The result is a piece of art which is truly unique - no two pieces of pottery break the exact same way, so their gold lines are unique.
I love the fact that the cracks aren't hidden - they're highlighted. They're the main attraction.
I think we can all apply a bit of Kintsugi to our own lives. I try to be as open as possible about all of the embarrassing moments I've had in my career so far.
What if we looked at the cracks as features, rather than defects? Our most valuable lessons, rather than regrets?
What I'm Reading
As I mentioned last week, I've just started Invent & Wander. The book is a compilation of Jeff Bezos' shareholder letters and speeches, and the theme of failure and Kintsugi actually ties in really well.
I thought this week I'd share these words from Jeff (they're so good that I've actually highlighted them twice in separate books):
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I believe we are the best place in the world to fail (we have plenty of practice!), and failure and invention are inseparable twins. To invent you have to experiment, and if you know in advance that itβs going to work, itβs not an experiment. Most large organizations embrace the idea of invention, but are not willing to suffer the string of failed experiments necessary to get there.
β Jeff Bezos
From the Community
This comment came in relation to the last video/newsletter topic of praise. I replied to it, but I did it quite quickly so I wanted to think about it more and perhaps provide a better response.
I think the answer to the question is yes.
Everything is relative, and if people have high expectations of you then there is less room for you to impress, and more room for you to underwhelm.
Nothing in life comes free, and that even includes a strong personal brand and reputation. Of course a strong brand is great for a number of reasons, but it can also have a number of drawbacks: higher expectations; tall poppy syndrome; etc.
I think it's wise to consider both sides of every coin so you can keep a level head.
Have a question, story, or just want to share your thoughts?
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