Welcome to IGW Insights Issue 9!
Raising a child is an incomparable physical and mental commitment. From conception to adolescence, parents toil to cultivate the child physically and emotionally. It is exhausting in every possible way, and fraught with all manner of risk and variables that we simply cannot control no matter how we might try, no matter the promises of the experts.
Then gradually something happens. Our conversations with our children become…interesting. They develop their own opinions, begin to ask compelling questions, push back, test boundaries. They develop an identity apart from their parents.
Let me talk about teenage boys here for a minute.
At the stage I’m describing, the adolescent boy starts to think about what it means to be a man and develops a desire to grow into one. He begins to behave like his concept of a man, rehearsing things he has seen or heard about, hopefully also positively imitating his father.
And, as there is a gap between his desire to grow into manhood and his current grasp of it, he remains clumsy. His mouth is far ahead of his brain more often than not. While he shows a brave face, he thirsts from the inside for a deeper level of leadership, optimally from his parents.
At IGW, we think of a growing business like a teenage boy. He looks like a man, talks like a man, walks like a man (smells like a man), and despite all this, he is not quite a man yet. He needs training, growth experiences, stewardship, and direction.
What does this have to do with leadership? Click here to find out.
Recommended Reading and Listening
I loved the book Peaks and Valleys by Spencer Johnson. Johnson’s books possess a deceptive simplicity. But they are deep. Peaks and Valleys isn’t just about making the most of the ups and downs. It’s also about how not only are the peaks and valleys of life inevitable, but they are also equally filled with opportunity. I went through the audiobook in one day, on the way to and from Tel Aviv. It’s a short book, but powerful. Enjoy!
Journaling Exercise
We’re getting toward the end of May. Why not think about the progress you’ve made and your priorities for June? Here are two key questions to answer:
- What progress have I made in the past three weeks towards my 2024 goals? This can be any win–an achievement, something you learned, a relationship you built, a shift you made in your thinking
- Given what I am committed to achieving in 2024, what should I focus my energy on in June?
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Thank you for being a part of the IGW community.
Onward and upward,
Dan Weiss, CEO
