Each of us has a natural speed. A rhythm that feels comfortable. Some of us move fast, always pushing, never stopping. Others take a slow, methodical approach. And some avoid movement altogether.
Occasionally, we can shift gears and speed up for a short-term need. But the comfort of our standard speed usually draws us back.
Dialing up is hard. It’s difficult to imagine doing more than we’re doing now. It’s harder still to visualize the better outcomes that could come from pushing ourselves and our organizations beyond the status quo.
Even worse is when we deliberately slow our pace to fit in. To blindly match our rhythm to those around us, in our workplace, our social circles, our environment. The groups we allow to shape us.
The slow, almost imperceptible tick-tock of our internal metronome feels safe, especially if it’s set to someone else’s rhythm. It’s predictable. It gives us a (false) sense of control when we have no control at all.
We tell ourselves that changing our settings would bring chaos. Better to stay safe and avoid the challenge.
If we’re willing to turn our settings down to accommodate others, why not turn them up to pursue our own goals?
Why not push beyond our comfort zone to improve, to evolve? Why not try to inspire those around us to ramp up?
The things we don’t change are the things we’re actively choosing. Doing nothing is a choice.
Life moves at a relentless pace, largely outside our control. What we can control is our response. We can set our internal rhythm to match what’s happening or set it to create what we want to happen.
Here’s a brutal truth: The outside world doesn’t grant or deny us anything. It keeps moving, with or without us.
It’s up to us to set our own tempo—not for the group, not for the organization, but for ourselves and the people who matter most.
“…climbing 10% of the mountain ten times is not as useful as climbing to the top once.” – Adam Mastroianni
This quote reminds me of the old adage about project resourcing: sometimes projects can’t be completed faster merely by adding more people to it. After all, the story goes, nine women can’t make a baby in a month.
Does this climbing quote ignore our preparation? Route scouting, equipment testing, and countless workouts that make the summit climb possible. Not to mention the like-minded team we built to support the climb.
Maybe it’s not about preparation. Maybe it’s about the false-starts, the simulated progress, the big talk and no action that we engage in to make it seem like we’re climbing when we’re not. We think we’re fooling everyone, but we’re only fooling ourselves as we take the comfortable way out and choose not to climb at all.
It’s easy to climb 10% of the mountain or achieve 10% of the goal. It’s easy to get 50%. 60%. Even 75%. But as the challenges compound near the top, we let doubts creep in. The grinding effort becomes exhausting. We lose sight of the summit or forget why we’re climbing in the first place.
We make excuses. We can come back another day and try again. The summit will always be there, and maybe next time…
That’s just it. We’re rarely “ready” for the climbs that matter, whether in business, fitness, or life’s hardships. Waiting for the perfect time often means waiting forever.
You have the power to choose the summit run every time. Committing 100% effort, even when you feel 60% ready. Trusting that you’ll figure out the rest along the way.
Life’s summits rarely wait for us to feel ready. The question is: will you take the first step…and then push beyond 10%, all the way to the top?
Zig Ziglar once said, “It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.”
This perfectly describes the driver of true achievement. It’s not just the initial desire or excitement that propel us, but the dedication to stick with something until the end.
I accidentally saw this idea come to life during a recent road trip. I stopped by a taco shop. It happened to be near a beach and was clearly a popular local destination. The tacos were excellent, but that’s not the point of this story.
As I sat on the patio eating my carnitas tacos and enjoying the view, I couldn’t help overhearing a conversation at the table that less than two feet away. Two early-twenties (by my estimation) men were talking about how amazing the surfing had been earlier that morning.
I got from the conversation that they had been surfing together since they were teenagers and this morning’s session was a long-overdue reunion of sorts since they hadn’t surfed together in quite some time.
One of them made a comment that stuck with me: “Surfing is the only time I’m really alive. I know what I’m doing and can feel the water telling me what to do. I wish I could get that kind of fulfillment out of the rest of my life. I feel like I’m just wandering around, waiting until I can surf again.”
It wasn’t long before his friend responded, “I know what you mean. I’ve had to settle down these past couple of years. I got a dog, and it’s been a lot of responsibility, but he’s amazing. He loves the beach, so I take him there as often as I can.”
Then came the real kicker. The first guy, the “wandering” one, responded, “Maybe that’s something I should do. I can’t get motivated at work and just want to quit. Maybe getting a dog would help me commit to the work.”
He used an extremely important word—commit. It was evident these two men are deeply committed to surfing. It’s their passion, and it gives them a sense of fulfillment that’s absent in other areas of their lives. Surfing isn’t something they merely do—it is something they live for. But beyond surfing, they lack the same kind of dedication. Their passion for the sport brings them joy because they are fully invested in it, heart and soul.
The wandering friend’s dilemma isn’t uncommon. Many people struggle with finding motivation in their daily lives. They haven’t truly committed to something that extends beyond their comfort zone or personal hobbies. They desire fulfillment without realizing that commitment is often their missing link.
It was as though this young man had stumbled upon the key to unlocking motivation and purpose: he needed to commit. Whether it is work, relationships, or another area of his life, the power to find meaning and fulfillment can only come from his willingness to fully invest in something.
Goethe once said, “At the moment of commitment, the entire universe conspires to assist you.” This idea aligns with the realization that real fulfillment only comes from investing fully in what we do. When we are all in, we aren’t just going through the motions—we are owning the process, taking charge of the outcome, and continually working toward our goals.
The wandering surfer may never have thought about his job as something worth committing to. To him, it was just a means to an end, something he had to do so he could afford to spend time doing what he really wanted—to surf. But if he can shift his mindset and fully invest in his work with the same passion and dedication he gives to surfing, the fulfillment he seeks might not seem so elusive.
Fulfillment doesn’t come from merely reaching a goal or winning a trophy. As Cardinal Pell put it, “Commitment to a worthwhile goal brings fulfillment and meaning, even if the path is difficult.” The true joy and deep sense of satisfaction come from the commitment itself—the effort, discipline, and perseverance that drive us toward our goal.
If you’re handed a trophy without having worked for it, it’s meaningless. You know deep down that you didn’t earn it, didn’t push through the challenges, didn’t grow in the process. But if you earn that trophy through your own hard work and dedication, it’s a symbol of something far greater than the achievement—it’s proof of your commitment.
In the end, what we commit to is what brings meaning to our lives. Whether it’s our relationships, our careers, or even something as personal as surfing, the act of giving our all, of pushing through the hard times, is what fills us with a sense of purpose.
The wandering surfer wasn’t lost because he lacked passion; he was lost because he hadn’t fully committed to anything beyond the waves.
To truly live a fulfilling life, we must commit wholeheartedly. When we do, we’ll find that the truest sense of fulfillment comes from the dedication and growth that only commitment can bring.
The year spent training for a triathlon isn’t just about race day. It’s about the discipline, endurance, and self-discovery that come with each mile ran, every beach swim, and each grueling mile logged on the bike. The race is the goal, but the transformation to triathlete happens during the journey to the starting line.
What about Basic Training for the Marine Corps (something I haven’t personally experienced)? Recruits aren’t merely learning the basic skills they’ll need to be successful. They are becoming something entirely new…a Marine. The recruit is transformed into a Marine by the training process.
Consider a four-year college degree. It’s been said (not sure who said it first) that the main thing a recruiter learns about a college graduate is that they had to apply themselves adequately over a four (or five, or six) year period to get enough class credits to graduate in their chosen major. Each college graduates’ journey is different, and that journey is often as valuable as the classes they had to take to get their degree.
Even smaller experiences like a short hike, a long drive to visit family, or a phone call with a friend can offer more than just their immediate outcomes. They can provide moments of reflection, connection, and growth.
Life’s experiences are not just a series of goals to be checked off or memories to be cherished.
When we learn to enjoy the process and the lessons along the way, we gain something far more valuable: growth, understanding, and the ability to appreciate the transforming power of our journey.
Early in my career, during my time as an internal auditor, I learned a lot about people. I spent countless hours observing and interacting with individuals at all levels of organizations, from front-line employees to CEOs. This unique vantage point taught me a foundational lesson: the success of any organization usually hinges on the character and behavior of its leaders.
In our small audit teams, we developed a shorthand to quickly convey our impressions of the people we interviewed. We’d use these labels —like Adam Henry and Don Henry— to help summarize complex personalities in a few words. After interview meetings, we might describe our interviewee as a good guy, a solid operator, an Adam Henry, a Don Henry, or perhaps someone who was DUP, or DUC.
Let me translate those last four:
Adam Henry – Asshole
Don Henry – Dickhead
DUP – Definitely Unpleasant (not quite an Adam Henry)
DUC – Definitely Unclear (meaning they seemed like an idiot)
What’s the difference between an Adam Henry and a Don Henry? While both are problematic, the distinction lies in their approach and the impact on those around them. Adam might be uncooperative and arrogant, but Don takes it a step further—using their position to intimidate others and make them feel as dumb as possible. Don loves to belittle people and fosters a toxic environment that stifles collaboration and creativity.
Were our shorthand judgments fair? They may not have been, but they were usually quite accurate based on our interactions. Remember, most people are on their “best” behavior when talking to an auditor (even though most of us would rather not talk to auditors). Imagine if they weren’t on their best behavior.
These judgments, though informal, often reflected deeper truths about the individuals we encountered. A company with too many Don Henrys, for instance, might struggle with low morale, high turnover, and a lack of innovation—challenges that will cripple long-term success.
There was nothing special about us, as auditors, making these assessments of the people we were interviewing. All of us make these assessments as we work with other people. These same assessments are being made about us by other people all the time.
Is this person a good guy, a strong operator, a pleasant person, a team player? Or are they on the opposite end of the spectrum? Should I trust this person to have my best interests at heart, or are they solely in this for their own gain at all costs?
Companies of all sizes, no matter the industry, are made up of human beings, working as a group (hopefully as a team, but not always) to achieve key goals (hopefully the organization’s goals).
If the people who manage a company are Adam Henrys, or worse—Don Henrys, that organization will have difficulty succeeding. They might succeed in the short term, but over a multi-year time horizon, these negative traits in the people managing the business will lead to poor morale, declining creativity, declining teamwork, and declining execution.
Recognizing and addressing “Don Henry” behaviors is crucial for any organization aiming for sustained success. Leaders who prioritize their team’s well-being, encourage collaboration, and foster a positive work environment are far more likely to achieve lasting results.
The next time you’re interacting with colleagues, ask yourself: Am I being an Adam Henry, a Don Henry, or something better?
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.”
Your role as the teacher and mentor is to prepare your mentee to work independently and effectively…
“I can’t believe she can’t tie her own shoes. She’s old enough to know by now.”
My friend was talking about his 5-year-old daughter at the time.
I asked if he’d ever taken the time to teach her how to tie her shoes. He stared at me and said that wasn’t his job and that she should have figured it out by now.
Why tell this story (which really happened!)?
To illustrate how important it is to teach and mentor others…whether they’re our kids, grandkids, employees, family, or friends.
It should be obvious that if you don’t teach, your student misses out on the chance to truly learn and grow. By choosing not to teach, you’re short-changing your mentee of the lessons you’ve learned through hard-earned experience.
In moments of urgency or simplicity, direct instructions are most appropriate, providing a clear roadmap for immediate action (telling).
But true teaching is the art of imparting understanding – the “why” behind actions. It requires a commitment of time and energy, and showcases the significance of tasks, the interconnections between steps, and the importance of specific approaches…usually through storytelling.
What kinds of stories? Stories that provide a personal connection, illustrate key points, and allow your learners to connect emotionally to what you’re teaching. Stories also help students drop their defensiveness toward receiving new information.
Another great teaching method is to ask questions. Questions encourage critical thinking. Ask the student why they think something is important, or how they view a situation. What would they do in the situation? What’s happening that may not be obvious? If their answers are incomplete or miss the nuances of a situation, you can provide additional perspectives and help them understand what to look for.
How can we tell stories and ask questions about something when it’s urgent? We already learned that in urgent situations, telling is often the most appropriate way of getting the right action quickly. To create truly teachable moments resulting from an urgent event, it’s critical that you take the time after the urgency has passed to discuss lessons learned, and maybe even how to avoid the urgency next time.
Your role as the teacher and mentor is to prepare your mentee to work independently and effectively. Not only how to tie their shoes, but why it’s important to tie them in the first place.
I have one favor to ask: If you find this information useful, please forward and recommend it to someone else. Thanks!
True renewal is a deliberate act of self-reclamation…
p/c: a recent sunset at our little homestead
Prayer to Saint Joseph the Worker
O Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor,
obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins;
to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations;
to work with thankfulness and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop by means of labor the gifts received from God;
to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, never shrinking from weariness and trials;
to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from self, keeping unceasingly before my eyes death and the account that I must give of time lost, talents unused, good omitted, and vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God.
All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after thy example, O Patriarch, Saint Joseph. Such shall be my watch-word in life and in death. Amen. – Pope St. Pius X
In life’s journey, we may find ourselves off course or losing track of our original path. We may even fail ourselves or those we love. It is in these moments that we are being called to profound self-discovery and renewal.
Renewal is not a passive occurrence. As the prayer to Saint Joseph states, it requires us “to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above [our] natural inclinations.” True renewal is a deliberate act of self-reclamation. We have a duty to ourselves and those we love to put in the work that leads to our self-transformation.
It isn’t easy (nothing worthwhile ever is). It involves adapting, finding new ways, and being intentional about embracing change.
When we realize that ours is always a season of renewal, that we can “work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of [our] many sins,” then we will be able “to work with order, peace, moderation, and patience, never shrinking from [the] weariness and trials” of our self-improvement.
May the spirit of renewal be our guide, not diverting us from our journey but enhancing it. May we find the resilience within us to adapt, renew, and move forward with a fresh sense of purpose and determination.
There isn’t a human being on this planet who can carry an entire organization themselves…
Whether you run a Fortune 500 company or a one-person shop, your ability to delegate will be the difference between success and failure. Delegation may be to an employee or a trusted vendor.
Delegation allows you to multiply yourself. It also provides an opportunity for your direct reports to grow within your company.
Right about now, you should be nodding and saying, “Obviously, Bob, tell me something I don’t know!”
So, you understand the importance of delegating. Awesome!
Consider these questions about what you’re delegating, based on the way some managers and company owners I’ve worked with over the past 35 years view the topic:
When you delegate, are you focusing on your schedule, or on your direct reports’ growth?
Do you view delegation as the art of offloading tasks you don’t want to do, or tasks that are better suited to the expertise of one or more of your direct reports?
Do your direct reports own a specific role or job that’s critical to your organization, or are they merely one of your assistants, waiting for a list of today’s tasks to come from you?
If you draw a flowchart of how your organization functions, how many of the process lines route through your head where some type of decision or approval takes place before the process can move to its next step?
How many employees do you have waiting to talk to you? Do you feel empowered by how long the line out your door is each day?
When faced with a crisis, or a short-term deadline, do you pull back all that you’ve delegated so you can do everything yourself to make sure it’s right?
When you delegate the responsibility for a task to an employee, do you trust them enough to also delegate the authority they need to own that task? If not, why not?
I worked with a manager many years ago who told me how great it was that he had a line of people waiting to see him every time he came back to his office. He said it was the first time he had felt important in his life. Wrong answer, Mr. Important Guy!
I worked with another who told me that, “These people (referring to pretty much everyone in his department) don’t work well under pressure. Whenever we have a tight deadline on a deliverable, I usually stay late and get it done myself. That way I know it’s right.” Wrong answer, Mr. Martyr!
There isn’t a human being on this planet who can carry an entire organization themselves…even though many try. Sometimes, they even fool themselves (and others) into thinking they do it successfully.
The power of any organization comes from its ability to properly delegate, multiply its talent, and foster employee growth. By the way, sometimes the cost of that growth is allowing your employees to make mistakes, or to successfully complete a task in a different way than you would have.
Get delegation right, and everyone wins. Get it wrong, and your employees will stop learning. Their motivation will wane and your organization will ultimately fail.
The accounting definition of goodwill describes it as the established reputation of a business, quantifiable by taking the fair market value of the tangible assets of a company, subtracting that amount from the full purchase price, blah, blah, blah.
The accounting definition is important, but the goodwill I’m interested in is your personal goodwill, which is measured with the answers to these questions (in no particular order):
Do you have a personal reputation as a good person?
Are you a person who can be trusted?
Are you reliable?
Do you work with others based on honesty and integrity first, above all else?
When people describe you to others, do they do so fondly or derisively?
Are you a person who people want to be around?
Do you repel people, or gather people?
Do you have a track record of acting fairly in all situations?
Do you serve others first?
When the proverbial chips are down and everything is going wrong, can others rely on you to rise above the chaos, identify root causes, and get to work solving the problems?
Are you known as the person who runs from trouble?
Are you the one who looks to blame rather than solve?
The answers to these questions will matter more to your long-term success than any college degree or career accomplishment you may achieve.
Your actions and attitudes will show people your answers more vividly than anything you say.
It’s easy to say words like honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, or empathy. The real test is how you act and what you choose to do, whether or not other people are watching.
Show me a team of people who don’t value their own personal goodwill or that of their teammates, and I’ll show you a team that fails 99 times out of 100.
The most important choices you’ll make in life are the ones that either add value to, or take value away from your personal goodwill.
Choose wisely. Your happiness and success depend on it.
Grandpa Bob Encouraging Leadership 
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