Adam Kirk Smith

- A. Smith Blog - Leadership in Life

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Why Leaders Must Appreciate Scientific Inquiry

I winced when the debater raised his voice and angrily responded, “Scientists believe it, and that’s good enough for me.” Even a casual student of history knows scientists have often been wrong, and new theories emerge as we get new information.

Every leader should understand the nature of scientific inquiry, because it underlies many beliefs being transferred to others (through education or indoctrination), and significant political and economic decisions.

The process of science is to ask questions and seek answers in a particular, constrained way:  [Read more…] about Why Leaders Must Appreciate Scientific Inquiry

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Feed What Fuels Your Best

You may have heard this apocryphal but useful story:

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An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.

“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”

The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”

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Challenge for the day: What mindset are you feeding? Open/opportunity/growth, or Constrained/enslaved/shrinkage?

Yes, others have made decisions which affect you and the people you’re working with on projects and initiatives.

Yes, you are not working in a pure democracy. As the song says, “Everybody’s gotta serve somebody.”

Yes, there are practical limits on time, energy, and funding.

 

Yes, it’s possible that the universe might work better if you were in charge. But the people who have the power to make decisions are always the people who make the decisions.

Still true: you have the power of choice about your mindset.

It’s not just you, but the people you’re leading, too. How you think, speak, and act is broadcasting at 50,000 watts to them.

Feed the mindset and behavior which fuels your best contributions, and truly help your organization. Starve the rest.  

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As Leaders, One of Our Main Jobs Is to Equip Others

I try to ask questions more often than I give answers. Why? Because I believe that teaching people how to ask better questions is the best source of knowledge. This can sometimes leave people to think that I am being too vague when in all actuality, I am trying to push people to think for themselves. Giving people all of my own conclusions only produces lazy minds and thought patterns, and ends up leaving people forgetting how to adult. If I can give people new ideas to run with and do something great with, then I feel my job is done. But please know that ultimately you have to put in the work to see results for yourself; no one else can do that for you.

I feel that if I can give people new ideas to go do something great with, then my job is done. But please know that ultimately you have to put in the work to see results for yourself; no one else can do that for you. That’s why willpower is so important, and that’s also why life is a journey. You will learn much along the way so that you are better prepared the next time around. In fact, that’s what life is all about–trial and error, lessons learned, apply and repeat. As actor Will Rogers said, “Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.”

From my talk with Seth Godin on my podcast, I left with the need to ask myself the question “What is it for?” and the thought that maybe all advice is bad advice. You can listen by clicking here. 
  [Read more…] about As Leaders, One of Our Main Jobs Is to Equip Others