snackable

Quite often I think about the nature of leading. People tend to form groups and trust certain individuals to make decisions on behalf of the entire group. This construct certainly raises many questions (what are the pros and cons of doing this; what motivates people to conform to this construct; how to become the trusted one; what makes these types of organizations work/fail), which I hope to address in these pieces. I'm interested in the way the trusted people make others do as they wish. There is no inherent need for anyone to do as someone else says. Any request is fulfilled for a certain reason. Here is how I perceive the reasons.  First, positive and negative reinforcement. I do something because I get something out of it, I don't do something because I lose something because of it. This "trade" is very simple and is truly the basis of everything, although sometimes it doesn't feel like it. Law is a great example - I obey the law because there are repercussio...

Criticism - the practice of judging the merits and faults of something. Many things can lead to the failure of an organization. In fact, there are so many possible downfalls, that one might wonder how organizations even manage to succeed.  I believe the analysis and judgment of merits and faults of different ideas and decisions is a key factor to fostering success. Accepting criticism is often perceived to be the difficult part. But many times, giving criticism is the truly difficult thing to master. This is true when the goal of the criticism is to change flawed behavior, since accepting criticism is difficult even when it is given well, so you have to work hard in order to make it count. So here are my thoughts on receiving and giving criticism: When receiving criticism, whatever it is, first and foremost you must accept it. Try your hardest to not defend your position. Next, analyze the criticism. Was the decision that led to it conscious? If so, is it still the best choice cons...

The past year or so of my life has been a time of never ending change. It started out with a period of true freedom. I traveled the world, playing ultimate, going skiing and spending time with good friends. In retrospect, this period took place right before the rise of COVID-19, making it a true blessing that I was able to enjoy the end of my time in school appropriately. Then, a period of accelerated development began. I studied for the Psychometry test on my own, went through a 2 month course, then another 4 month course. Throughout this time, I found myself striving for greatness. Feeling challenged and stimulated to grow and become better.  This journey of learning brought great ups and downs. At times, I felt absolutely fantastic, inspired and amazed at myself. But for periods, I felt the never ending struggle weighing down on me. The friction and diverse barriers presenting themselves to me, slowed my march towards expertise to a grinding halt.  Since, I have realized di...