October 29, 2024

Last week, someone said something that caught me a bit off-guard. He said to someone, "I hope you ate your Wheaties and took your Geritol this morning!"?

My friend (and The Huddle reader) Mike attempted to break the Guinness World Record for seated golf shot. Sit in a chair and see how far you can hit it. Spoiler: he crushed it. His ball waved at the previous world record (157 yards) as it flew by. The new record: 228 yards. From a folding chair. It was the shot heard 'round the world.?

But the comment made me think: you don't hear much about Geritol anymore. Is it still a thing??

I subscribe to a newsletter, and the author once made a list of things you don't see much anymore. He cited things like whistling (seriously, when was the last time you saw someone just walking along and whistling?), kids with casts, people writing checks at grocery stores, and so on.?

In the business world, I don't see as many business cards as I used to. When I started my business nearly a decade ago, it was the first thing on my list. How can you be in business without business cards? I haven't bought any for years. I probably have a few around the office, but they have the wrong address and website, and I don't even care.?

Why have business cards gone out of favor? If you are in a networking group or do a lot of drop-in sales calls, I guess you still need them. But I rarely get one—and never give one.?

I wonder why??

My theory is it's a lot of unnecessary work. I've got to keep up with the card until I get to the office, then enter it into my contacts or scan it into an app.?

Here's what I do.?

1. Share my contact card via text message. It's easy, instantly on the phone, and neither of us has to do anything else.?

2. I have an app that has a QR code. If I'm at a conference or speaking at an event, someone can quickly open their camera, scan the QR code, and download my contact information. They can also subscribe to The Huddle, sign up for our email list, or connect with me on LinkedIn.?

No further work is needed.?

You know something else you don't see as much these days? Kids playing outside in the neighborhood after dark.

You just don't see it.?

?

The Huddle is a weekly newsletter that is designed for leaders. Leaders must be learners. There is never a moment when leaders arrive. It's a never-ending growth process. I hope this can be a resource that you can use to stay sharp and share with your team.

?With that, here are some things I ran across this week.?

?

Above All Things—A couple of years ago, I decided to spend one year reading old books. No current bestsellers, no new releases, just books that have stood the test of time. I reasoned that if publishers are still publishing a book decades or centuries later, there must be something valuable in it.?

Though I strayed once or twice, I adhered to the goal. I read Dostoevsky, John Steinbeck, Epictetus, and other classic works. I learned that writers from past eras talked much more about virtue, wisdom, reason, and character. Threads of what it takes to be a good person were woven into each book.?

I enjoyed this short article from a Stoic writer who says that integrity is the aim above all. He says, "...the best way you can help the human race, as a whole, is to not force yourself into some unnatural position, but play your own role as well as you can."?

That's a keeper.?

Failure - Failure is a tricky thing. No one wants to fail, yet failure is a part of life. Things don't always go our way. We win some, we lose some, and sometimes it rains (at least according to Nuke LaLoosh in?Bull Durham). ?

Winners hate failing, yet they understand that failure is a part of learning. I see failure as bad if I'm trapped in my comfort zone. I take it personally. I equate "I did poorly" with "I'm not good enough." It's easy to see how that can turn into not trying.?

David Sandler coined the rule, "You have to learn to fail to win." Failure leads to lessons; if we take those lessons seriously, we build knowledge and experiences that pay off for a lifetime.?

HubSpot posted a list of good quotes about failure. Read them here.

State of the State Capitols -?I'm a sucker for this kind of clickbait. Take a visual tour of all the state capitol buildings by clicking here.

As sons of West Virginia, we were taught from a young age that our capitol building was the most beautiful in the country. "It's Taller than the US Capitol in DC and designed by the guy who designed the Supreme Court Building!"?

It is a beautiful building, but I love Wisconsin's granite dome. On the other end of the spectrum, what are we doing Alaska? Did you even try??

Power or Leadership -?Here's 10 seconds of gold from Jim Collins. It's a great question: would people follow you if they didn't have to? If not, it's power. That's different.?

Questions to Leave You With

Have a great week!