Pronounced: EN-KUR-UJ.com–short posts you can use every day
Author: Bob Dailey
Bob Dailey. Born and raised in Southern California...now in Oklahoma. Graduated from (and met my future wife at) Cal Poly Pomona, in 1988. Married to Janet 37-plus years. Father of two: Julianne and Jennifer. Grandfather of 9!
Held many leadership positions in small, medium, and large companies (and even owned a company for about 7 years). Tractor operator, competitive stair climber, camper, off-roader, occasional world traveler, sometimes mountain biker, and writer.
When faced with overwhelming and unwieldy tasks, the metaphor about “eating the elephant” reminds us that the only way to tackle it is one bite at a time.
Whether it’s a major project, a personal goal, or a tough decision, the key is to start. Too often, we fool ourselves and others by dancing around the elephant, procrastinating or overplanning.
This dance—making elaborate plans, seeking endless advice, or justifying delays—can feel productive but only serves as a distraction. Real progress begins with that first bite.
Start somewhere, however small, and build momentum from there.
I always encourage strong leadership. I extol the value of leaders who take bold action, make decisions, who are prepared to fail, learn, and try again…all in the pursuit of excellence.
The President of the United States is often called “the leader of the free world.”
Maybe that’s why the moment I heard that President Biden is ending his reelection campaign today, and endorsing Kamala Harris for the job, I immediately started thinking of the things a strong leader would do with this opportunity.
So, here’s my short list of what Kamala Harris should do over the next 10 days:
She must take bold and decisive steps to show that she is presidential material; that she is the leader the country needs. This will mean stripping away the layers of spokespeople, surrogates, and others who often represent our political leaders. This effort is 100% on her and her alone, as the strong leader she wants voters to see.
She should immediately schedule 30-minute live interviews with anchors of each network (ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, MSNBC, CNN, OANN, etc.), and 30-minute interviews with the top 10 podcasts (both liberal and conservative).
Making these interviews “live” events does two things:
Shows that she doesn’t need teleprompters, jump-cuts, or any other gimmicks to handle questions from news anchors or podcasters.
Shows that she can energetically express and articulate her vision for the next four years, and competently address questions from all sides of the political spectrum.
She should travel to 7-10 of the most contentious (“battleground”) states, visiting multiple cities in each of the states to hold campaign events. She should invite each of her potential VP hopefuls to attend as well so she and the nation can see what they have to offer in this “new” post-Biden environment.
When reporters ask her about the 25th Amendment and why she hasn’t attempted to invoke it over the past year, she should state that while she hasn’t seen the need up to this point, she will be evaluating that need considering what’s taken place over the past 30 days.
This will put the nation and the President on notice that she may take action between now and January 20, 2025, if necessary. It will also allow her to step further outside of his shadow and stand on her own.
Does Kamala Harris have what it takes to show this type of strong and bold leadership? Does she have the energy and drive to pull this off?
We shall see.
She often says we should focus on “what can be, unburdened by what has been.”
I’m working on an autobiography of sorts. It’s a compilation of my answers to a series of questions. There are about 75 of them that act as prompts. Here are some examples:
Tell me about your childhood home.
What were your school days like?
What was your favorite fashion trend when you were a kid?
How did you meet your spouse?
The idea is that my kids and grandkids and anyone else who’s interested can learn more about my life as they read through my answers to these questions. It’s been a fun project that I’ve been working on over the past 3-4 months.
I just finished answering this question and thought I’d share my answer here:
Can you share a favorite quote or saying of yours?
Life is a journey, not a destination.
I’m not sure who said this first. It’s something I said for years before learning that it was a famous quote from someone else. Turns out there are posters and artwork that you can buy that highlight this quote. Maybe I saw the quote decades ago and it lived in my subconscious mind until later in life.
I don’t have anything against goal setting or visualizing a future and going after it. But it’s important to avoid having tunnel vision in your pursuit of goal achievement since you may miss other opportunities and experiences that introduce themselves along the way.
I’m reminded of a drawing of a stickperson on a ladder. They are locked in on their goal: reaching the top of that ladder before anyone else. This person even jumps over someone and kicks another person off the ladder in their effort to reach the top first. When this person finally reaches the top, they find that the ladder doesn’t actually lead anywhere. Their ladder is standing in the air and not leaning against anything.
The lesson is to make sure the ladder you’re climbing is going somewhere you really want to go.
When you reach your goal, no matter how lofty and difficult it was to achieve, you are merely at a new starting point or more accurately, you’ve made it to one of an infinite number of stops in your life-long journey.
The real goal should be to maximize your enjoyment of the journey itself. To appreciate the small things that happen, the surprises, the diversions, the successes and the failures, the people you meet, and the places you get to experience along the way.
Life is that thing that happens while you’re busy making other plans.
This one is closely related to the first quote. Life is a series of “nows” that are happening in real-time. You can make plans, point yourself in a particular direction, and even tell yourself that you’re in control of all the things that are happening in your life (spoiler alert – you’re not in control of all the things, you only control your response to all the things).
The time to start something new or something that will improve your life is always six months ago. While you’re busy talking about your future, it’s already happening. That thing you’re thinking about doing today but procrastinating while you do more planning will become that thing you should have done six months ago.
Plans are valuable, and you should have a broad plan with some key pillars that you can stand on throughout your life. It’s equally important to avoid hiding behind the planning phases of your life and forgetting to live your life purposely. It turns out that life’s happening anyway, so you might as well live it proactively and not reactively.
These are the good times.
The shortened version of this among friends is, “Good times.” Meaning these are the good times we’ll look back on fondly when we get older. No matter how screwed up something is, or how hard the thing you’re doing right now is, or how much you just failed… all of it will be lumped into your mind and memory as “good times” from your past.
In fact, some of your worst life experiences or life failures might even become the fondest memories you share in the future. You might reflect on how great something was, or how it was good that you had that failure or that heartbreak so you could apply what you learned later in life.
It’s unfortunate that we usually don’t realize this when these things are happening to us in the present.
Park league baseball season came to an end recently. We had four grandsons between the ages of 8 and 10 playing on teams. The teams had a few “veteran” players, but for most of the players this was their first experience playing organized baseball. They had a lot to learn…and we saw amazing improvements in all the players in one short season.
It’s clear that the lessons they learned can extend far beyond the field, if we are willing to pay attention.
Panicking When the Ball Comes
My most vivid memory from the season is seeing the panic for many of the kids when the ball would come their way. Will they catch the ball? Where will they throw it once they have it? Do they know why they’re throwing it in a particular direction? Will the player they’re throwing to catch the ball?
The drama was real. It was clear that a lot of the kids didn’t expect the ball to come toward them. I saw a few kids jump away from the ball to avoid fielding it.
As a spectator, it’s easy to see what’s happening. It’s easy to assume that surely, we’d field the ball properly, and immediately know where to go with the play.
It’s not always as easy as it looks. Unexpected situations arise, and our response (or lack thereof) can significantly impact what happens next. Learning to stay calm and doing some pre-thinking about our actions (before the play) will significantly improve our chance of success.
Understanding Game Situations
Many young players struggle with understanding the game situation—who’s on base, how many outs are there, what’s the best play to make when the ball comes to them, and how to act strategically.
This lack of situational awareness highlights a crucial lesson: the importance of context and awareness in decision-making. Understanding the bigger picture allows for more informed and effective actions. The coaches encouraged the kids to think ahead (pre-thinking) and consider various outcomes. Whether the kids listened and embraced their advice was another thing entirely.
Are you thinking about your “game” situation? The macro and micro aspects of the challenges you and your organization are facing. Are you thinking ahead and considering various outcomes as part of your decision-making process?
Learning the Basics: Throwing and Catching
It’s not uncommon for young players to throw the ball the wrong way or miss it entirely. These fundamental skills require practice and patience. This aspect of the game underscores the importance of mastering basics before tackling more complex tasks. In any field, solid foundational skills are essential for success. Nearly every pursuit or profession has basic foundational skills that need to be mastered along the way toward more advanced skills. A football analogy fits well here…it’s important to understand the blocking and tackling part of the game before you can advance to running with the ball.
Position-Specific Skills and Aspiration
In youth park league baseball, most of the hits stay in the infield. This leaves the outfielders without much to do. I heard lots of outfielders wishing they could play an infield position like second base, or catcher. None of them understood what those positions entailed, but they knew that those positions had more action.
A few of them took the time to learn about the infield positions from their coach. They showed their interest and willingness to work their way to the infield. This shows the value of preparation and skills development. It’s important to work on the necessary skills before aiming for a specific role, whether in sports or any other endeavor. It also emphasizes the value of seeing a goal and then taking the concrete steps to learn, grow, and achieve that goal.
Strikeouts Aren’t Failures
Consider that an excellent hitter in the big leagues gets a hit about 30% of the time. They may get walked occasionally, but the rest of their at bats result in fly outs, ground outs, or strikeouts.
We saw a ton of strikeouts this past season. I was always impressed with the kids who struck out and immediately came back to the dugout to ask their coach what they should be doing to avoid striking out next time. Each strikeout was a learning opportunity…but only if the player saw it that way.
We saw a few kids melt down in disappointment and embarrassment. One kid from an opposing team stomped off the field and took himself out of the game (an extremely negative response to be sure).
When things go wrong, or we don’t get the result we want, that’s the time to buckle down and learn why it happened. Consider ways to improve so the results can improve next time. It’s only a failure if you give up.
Teamwork and Collective Goals
We are all self-centered. As we mature, we usually learn how to control our self-centeredness or at least how to channel it productively. Ten-year-old kids are no different. Their focus is on their own performance. Whether or not they’re hitting the ball. Whether or not they made the right play.
They often forget that the goal is for their team to win. They can help the team achieve that goal by having a strong performance, but also by helping and supporting their teammates. This is a powerful reminder of the importance of teamwork and the collective effort required to achieve a common goal. It’s easy to get caught up in individual performance, but true success usually comes from working together and supporting each other. Collaboration and shared successes build strong teams. Strong teams create successful outcomes.
Consistency Matters
Ask an excellent bowler, pitcher, batter, shooter (basketballs or bullets), pole vaulter, or pickle ball player how they deliver such excellent results. They’ll mention practice, dedication, and a strong mental approach. Eventually they’ll talk about consistency. Each of these pursuits (and countless others) require consistency above all else. The exact motions, body positions, eye contact, and calmness of breath that they can count on happening whether they consciously think about it or not.
Their practice process is all about achieving repeatable actions that their body remembers…every time. They also know that they aren’t swinging for the fences every time they’re at bat, not trying to set the world record or do something extraordinary with every outing.
They are working to become a steady and consistent performer at the highest level possible…and always reaching a little higher.
Consistency, patience, and incremental progress should be the goals…repeatable excellent outcomes will happen as a result of achieving these goals.
Park league baseball is a ton of fun. The drama is real. Teams experienced the “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat” throughout the season. We saw players improving and gaining confidence as the season unfolded.
I don’t know where the teams ended up in the standings at the end of the season.
I know the kids learned a lot and hopefully they’ll incorporate some of what they learned well beyond the game.
Management is an active responsibility. It requires timely decisions and actions.
When managers delay addressing issues, providing support, or offering guidance, it has detrimental effects on both employees and their organization. This form of extreme procrastination, delayed management, erodes trust, hinders efficiency, and can cause long-term damage.
Delayed management occurs when managers, consciously or subconsciously, avoid performing their duties. They may fear confrontation, they may be overwhelmed, or they might just be lazy. Unlike regular procrastination, delayed management specifically involves neglecting critical managerial responsibilities.
When managers delay, employees feel neglected and undervalued. This can lead to decreased motivation and trust. Employees might interpret the manager’s inaction as a lack of belief in their abilities or interest in their well-being. Delayed management stalls projects and misses opportunities.
Picture a small water leak in your walls that goes unnoticed for weeks. The water continues to seep, causing mold to spread and wood to rot. By the time you notice the damage, extensive repairs are necessary. Delayed management causes similar deterioration within an organization, where small issues fester and become major problems.
Managers may fear making the wrong decisions or confronting difficult situations, leading to a cycle of inaction. High workloads and stress can cause managers to feel overwhelmed, making it easier to delay tasks. Some managers assume that someone else will handle the problem, leading to inaction.
Each of these are reasons, not excuses, for delaying management. For employees, none of these reasons matter. The employees’ success relies on their managers doing their job…providing direction, feedback, and expending management energy on behalf of their employees. There is no excuse for delaying management.
Managers should adopt proactive techniques such as regular check-ins with team members and timely feedback. Setting aside dedicated time each day for management tasks can help prevent delays. Effective delegation can distribute workload and empower team members, reducing the burden on managers. Implementing systems to hold managers accountable for their actions ensures they remain committed to their responsibilities. Regular performance reviews and feedback loops can help identify and address delayed management behavior early on.
Delayed management is a silent threat that undermines employee trust, hinders organizational efficiency, and causes long-term damage. Managers can foster a positive work environment and drive organizational success…but only if they do their job without delay.
p/c – I saw this sign recently and loved its simple and direct message
Living next to a farm with about forty sheep has given me a front-row seat to their daily lives. Over the past year, I’ve seen them at all hours and noticed some interesting patterns that remind me of a lot of human behavior.
Sticking Together
Sheep love being in groups. They usually form smaller sub-groups of 5-7 sheep within the larger herd. Reminds me of people having their close-knit circles within bigger communities, generally preferring company over solitude.
Group Dynamics and Hierarchy
Within these small groups, there’s occasional head-butting and shoving, but mostly they’re focused on grazing, lounging around, or scratching against trees. Similar to humans at work or in social settings, where there’s a bit of jockeying for position, but everyone hopefully gets on with their day.
Follow the Leader
One of the funniest things I’ve seen is how a couple of sheep will suddenly start trotting off for no apparent reason. The rest of their group will follow, clearly not knowing why they’re running. The “leaders” that start the trotting vary from day to day. How often have you seen this type of “herd mentality,” where people follow trends or actions without really knowing why.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
If a sub-group that has decided to run catches the attention of another sub-group, the two sub-groups might quickly merge. The sheep don’t know why they’re running, or where they’re going…but they don’t want to miss out. FOMO is a big deal for sheep…much like humans.
The Scramble for Resources
When the farmer’s family arrives with grain, the entire herd rushes to the troughs, leading to a chaotic scramble. Despite having abundant grass resources in the pasture, each sheep’s behavior reflects their drive to secure for themselves what they perceive as limited (before any of the other sheep can do the same). Humans, too, often scramble for limited resources or opportunities, even when there are other alternatives.
Jostling for Position
Despite having lots of shade and pasture available, sheep still push each other around to control certain spots. This behavior shows their competitive nature and a focus on what others have, reflecting human tendencies to compete for the best spots or the latest trends, even when they’re not necessary.
Sheeple?
Watching sheep has given me some surprising insights into human behavior. Their actions highlight our social nature, competitive streak, and tendency to follow others for fear of missing out. Next time you find yourself in a crowd or following the latest trend, ask yourself: are you leading, following, or just trying to keep up with the flock?
It’s surprising how much we have in common with our woolly friends—even if we’d rather not admit it.
Life is filled with stepping stones—moments that can either define us or simply become a small part of our journey.
When faced with challenges or opportunities, we can see them as just another step or as a moment for growth and clarity. Carl Jung once said, “I am not what happened to me, I am what I choose to become.”
I recently re-watched a documentary about the Navy SEALs. Every Navy SEAL candidate faces grueling hardships: physical exhaustion, frigid cold water, mental strain, and the constant threat of failure.
Some candidates see each challenge as an opportunity, a chance to push beyond their perceived limits and grow stronger. They embrace the pain, keep their focus. They find strength in their determination and their fellow candidates. These candidates transform the hardships into defining moments, emerging on the other side as Navy SEALs.
Others, however, let the same hardships overwhelm them. Fear, frustration, and exhaustion cloud their resolve. The challenges, instead of being opportunities for growth, become insurmountable barriers. These candidates wash out, not because they lacked physical capability, but because they couldn’t shift their mindset to see the hardships as stepping stones rather than obstacles.
None of us are born with skills. It’s easy to watch some Youtube videos and think woodworking is totally doable. Any new woodworker can attest to the uneven cuts, the wobbly joints, and the frustrations that can come from trying this new hobby. But, by learning from the mistakes, honing skills through practice and even more failures, projects begin to go more smoothly. The final products are less uneven and wobbly…and the process becomes much more enjoyable.
Learning and growth come from our willingness to take lessons from every experience. Reflecting on each attempt, seeking feedback, and choosing to improve. It’s the decision to learn from every encounter that turns these stepping stones into personal and professional development milestones.
However, clouding our experiences with fear, frustration, anger, or other limiting emotions can lead us to ignore the growth opportunities these experiences present. When we let negative emotions dominate, we risk missing out on valuable lessons that can propel us forward.
It’s difficult, but essential, to manage our emotions and maintain a positive outlook to fully benefit from the lessons we can learn.
The stepping stones in our lives are all potential defining moments. It’s up to us to decide whether we let them pass by or seize the opportunity to let them shape us. We can turn every step into a defining part of our journey.
It’s not just about the stones we step on but how we choose to step on them that defines our path.
Emotional energy is the most important personal resource for a leader. Leadership is demanding. Leading is a verb and that action requires a tremendous amount of energy, emotional energy.
If your emotional energy reserves are low, your leadership will suffer.
What is Emotional Energy?
Emotional energy is your internal fuel tank. It’s what keeps you motivated, resilient, and mentally strong. For leaders, high emotional energy is essential. It fuels your ability to inspire and guide your team. When you’re full of energy, you’re more positive, proactive, and effective.
Emotional Energy Drains
Several things can sap your emotional energy:
Troubles at Home: Personal issues and family conflicts can weigh heavily on your mind, leaving you drained.
Doing Too Much at Once: Multitasking and overcommitting can lead to burnout.
Feeling Like a Failure: Constant self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy can deplete your energy.
Worrying About Small Stuff: Focusing too much on minor details that don’t matter will waste your energy.
Emotional Energy Boosters
To keep your emotional energy high, think and act strategically:
Prioritize energizing activities: Engage in things that make you happy and relaxed, like hobbies, exercise, and spending time with loved ones.
Eliminate Energy Drains: Identify tasks and responsibilities that drain you and find ways to reduce or eliminate them. Delegate when possible and don’t be afraid to say no.
Practice self-care in your daily habits: Make time to get enough sleep, eat well, and have quiet time for your brain to relax. Purposely practice gratitude, take breaks, and prioritize good boundaries around your work-life schedule (this last one will take some effort, but the payback is huge).
Create a supportive environment: Surround yourself with positive people both at work and home. Foster open communication and a culture of mutual respect and understanding. Recognize and celebrate achievements…when was the last time you wrote a personal email or sent a handwritten card to someone congratulating them on an achievement or milestone?
Emotional Energy and Leadership
When your emotional energy is high, you’ll handle challenges better, inspire your team more, and maintain a positive outlook. Your positive energy will ripple across your team and multiply the potential for the entire organization.
What will you do today to protect and recharge your emotional energy?
More importantly, how will you use it to transform your leadership approach tomorrow?
p/c – yours truly at a small lake in Hillsdale, Michigan. An energizing place for some quiet time.
Life can often feel like a series of unpredictable events coming at you without end. In this whirlwind, maintaining a sense of humor helps make sense of it all. Humor helps us see challenges not as obstacles, but as opportunities to grow and understand.
Make the Absurd your Friend
Consider this: you’re in the middle of a presentation when your computer suddenly decides to restart for updates. Everyone in the room is waiting, and you’re left standing there. In that moment, you have a choice. You can panic, or you can laugh and say, “Well, I guess my computer decided the razzle-dazzle portion of this presentation is over.” Embracing the absurdity of the situation lightens the mood for everyone involved and shows that you can think on your feet.
Imagine you’re about to start a remote interview. You take that last sip of coffee and spill some on your shirt. You realize this nice brown spot is visible on the screen just as the person interviewing you joins the meeting. It’s easy to let this ruin your day. Instead, you can chuckle and say, “Nothing like spilling coffee on yourself to make a great first impression!” This acknowledges the problem and humanizes the situation. Plus, you’ll have a great story to tell later.
Adding humor to our lives makes us more resilient and improves our attitude. Not taking life too seriously is crucial. Our worries and anxieties are often fleeting. Finding humor in our daily routines, like laughing off an unexpected reboot, shifts our focus from what’s going wrong to what’s funny, fostering a more positive outlook.
Laughter’s Power
Think about a time you were stuck in traffic with friends, running late for an event. Instead of stewing in frustration, someone starts making jokes about the situation, and soon everyone is laughing. The shared humor transforms a stressful experience into a memorable one, strengthening the bonds among your friends.
Laughter connects us to others, breaks down barriers and builds a sense of community. When we share a laugh with someone, we create a bond that transcends differences and fosters empathy. In a world that often feels divided, shared humor can unify. Moments of shared joy are essential to our well-being, reminding us that we are not alone in our experiences.
Life’s unpredictability can be daunting, but it’s definitely a source of great humor if we’re looking for it. By adopting a mindset that finds humor in the unexpected twists and turns of life, we learn to appreciate the randomness of our experiences. Next time something unexpected happens, imagine it as a scene from a sitcom, with you as the lovable main character.
Find humor in the little things. Accept the absurdity, laugh at the unexpected, and share a joke with those around you. Maintaining a sense of humor is not just about finding joy—it’s about making sense of a life that doesn’t always make sense.
As Jerry Seinfeld puts it, “If you can find humor in anything, you can survive it.”
Grandpa Bob Encouraging Leadership 
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