We hope this message finds you well and thriving in your leadership journey. At IGW, we are dedicated to fostering transformative leadership experiences, and we believe in building leaders who, in turn, build leaders. In our quest to facilitate leadership growth, we’re excited to introduce IGW Insights – a biweekly newsletter for inspiration and valuable resources to empower your leadership skills. This inaugural issue includes: a brief note from me, your faithful Founder and CEO, some recommended reading and listening as we dive into 2024, and an exercise so you can fully appreciate how far you traveled in 2023.
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DW Leadership Note: Man plans, God laughs. Man must adjust
The level of predictability in business (or life) is very low. Or as the Yiddish saying goes, “Man plans, God laughs.” Sometimes God’s sense of humor is rather dark. We can call this irony, or challenges, or history doing its thing. For example, if you got dropped from a helicopter onto a surfboard smack in the middle of a 50-foot wave, you’re either going to learn to surf or you’re going to scream your last confessions to a cold and emotionless crest. And no matter how badly you surf, as long as it gets you to shore, it’s not only more than ok, it’s potentially exactly what was called for. Read the full reflection on my blog.
Recommended Reading and Listening
This article by William Deresiewicz has had a magnetic effect on me. I have found value not only in rereading it but also in meditating on its fundamental ideas. Over the years, the importance–utter centrality–of being alone to think has only grown. Enjoy this article. I hope it resonates with you as it has with me.
I don’t recommend spending too much time listening to podcasts. You’re better off with an audiobook. Here are two exceptions, both episodes of the On Being podcast hosted by the wonderful Krista Tippett, both featuring Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, of blessed memory, from whom IGW borrowed its motto (We build leaders who build leaders) and who has had an outsized positive influence on me personally, intellectually, spiritually. Take notes: Remembering Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks & Enriched by Difference.
Journaling Exercise
If Deresiewicz’s article resonated, you’ll put inviolable time on the calendar, find a place outside of work where nobody can find you, put your magical phone on airplane mode, and put pen to paper. In ancient times, this is what they used to call “thinking,” and today it’s called “journaling.” It’s a foolproof way of mining your thoughts and desires.
Perhaps you’ll find that 15 minutes does the trick, perhaps for you, it will be four hours. Set a timer if that helps, or don’t set a time if you prefer open-ended journaling. It’s not about the time you invest, but rather about how much you can let go of control of the process, let your pen move across the page, and see what emerges from your mind.
Here are two prompts that you’ll find useful: What were my biggest wins in 2023? What were the most important lessons that 2023 taught me? That’s it. Simple.
But you must invest distraction- and interruption-free time, putting pen to paper. Let your mind relax into the exercise. Enjoy it even. And when you’re done, put what you just wrote away and take a walk. Let your mind reset yet again. A couple of days later, revisit what you wrote and see what insights emerge.
If you’re feelin’ wacky, email me with three bullet points of insight from the journaling you did, and I’ll send you mine. That’s right folks, I smoke my own dope.
Onward and upward,
Dan Weiss, CEO
P.S. If you’re reading this, you’re probably a business owner/CEO, and you’re proud of the business you’ve built. Yet you know business and life are all about continuous growth. To learn from and contribute to a forum for commitment to principles of people-centered leadership and personal evolution, please join The Courageous Business Leader.
