Testa Pulse * September 2024
Fabrice Testa
Serial Entrepreneur ?? Investor ?? Keynote Speaker ??? Bestselling Author ?? Mentor ?? Space Tech ?? Deep Tech ??
Hey! World Builders!
I'm thrilled to see you here. This is your monthly dose of inspiration and guidance to help you break through to the next level. Each month, I share valuable insights, strategies, and recommendations on a variety of topics including technology, economy, geopolitics, and well-being.
My goal is to assist you in realizing your full potential, whether it be through building world-changing ventures, achieving your wildest dreams, or simply materializing your breakthrough potential.
Take advantage of this opportunity to overcome any limiting beliefs and pursue your true purpose. Trust in your crazy ideas, dare to dream big, and act boldly. YES, it’s possible to materialize your wildest dreams, build a breakthrough business, and change the world!!
Are you ready to become the architect of your own life?
Be inspired by reading my bestseller book Super-Entrepreneurship Decoded.
______________________________________________________________
Building Cohesive Teams: Lessons from the Special Forces and Startups
This Thursday, I attended a fascinating talk by a former Special Forces officer of the French Commandos Marine. Someone in the audience asked the officer, “How do you create cohesion among a company team, based on your experience?” His response was simple yet profound:?Great teams are created when facing hard times, not when everything is easy.?His answer resonated deeply with me, reminding me of my early experiences in entrepreneurship and the challenges that shaped my teams.
The Value of Shared Struggles
In the Special Forces, the essence of cohesion lies in shared adversity. Soldiers in these units face physical, mental, and emotional trials together, and through these trials, they build trust, mutual respect, and a sense of camaraderie that binds them tightly. The officer's point was clear: it's the difficult moments that forge real bonds. And while the corporate world may seem far removed from the battlefield, this principle still applies.
I remember one of my first companies vividly. At times, the pressure was immense. We had tight deadlines, sometimes impossibly tight, and more often than not, we had to work late into the night to meet them. On those nights, our boss would order pizzas for the team, and we’d take short breaks to share a meal. It wasn’t glamorous, but those moments were fun—almost exhilarating. The shared stress brought us together. We were all in it, working toward the same goal, and through those late-night sprints, we built bonds that lasted far beyond those projects. Looking back, I realize that the pressure and the necessity of working through tough times created a strong team.
The Shift Towards Well-Being
However, it seems that today’s workplace ethos has shifted dramatically. Well-being and work-life balance have become focal points in corporate culture, and for good reason. Employee burnout, mental health awareness, and the understanding that long-term productivity is linked to employee satisfaction are shaping modern policies. Yet, there’s a flip side to this approach that’s worth exploring.
In today’s environment, if employees feel they are suffering too much or experiencing significant stress, they often choose to leave. Companies, especially those in the tech and startup sectors, face high turnover rates, in part because employees now have more choices, and the culture encourages them to prioritize their well-being over sticking it out through hard times.
While it’s undoubtedly important for companies to foster healthy work environments, I can’t help but wonder:?How can truly cohesive teams be formed if we don’t face challenges together?
Can Cohesion Thrive Without Hardship?
The officer’s words suggest that hardship plays a crucial role in building unity. A cohesive team, one that truly trusts each other and performs at its best, often emerges when its members face obstacles together. If the modern work environment is focused solely on well-being and avoiding hardship, are we missing an essential ingredient for building strong, cohesive teams?
Challenges push people beyond their comfort zones. When teams face adversity, whether it’s an intense project deadline, a major client crisis, or navigating a downturn in the market, they are forced to collaborate, problem-solve, and rely on one another. These moments reveal character, work ethic, and resilience. They create shared experiences that teams can look back on and say, “We did that together.” Without them, it’s difficult to create the same depth of connection.
Finding a Balance: Well-Being and Challenge
This doesn’t mean companies should go back to the days of glorifying overwork and burnout. It’s about striking a balance between fostering a supportive work environment and understanding that challenges are a necessary part of growth—both for the individual and the team.
Leaders should think about how to intentionally create opportunities for teams to face difficult situations together, but in a way that doesn’t lead to burnout or long-term disengagement. This could mean taking on ambitious projects, encouraging cross-functional collaboration, or even something as simple as creating internal competitions or team-building challenges that push people out of their comfort zones.
Moreover, when these tough moments do arise organically, as they inevitably will in any business, leaders should use them as opportunities to build cohesion. Supporting teams through the challenge, while also being present and visible as a leader, can transform adversity into an experience that strengthens bonds rather than causing fractures.
Conclusion: The Test of Tough Times
The wisdom of the former Commando officer rings true in both military and corporate life: tough times create strong teams. While modern corporate culture’s focus on well-being is vital, we must also recognize the irreplaceable value of shared adversity in building trust, resilience, and unity within teams. Companies that learn to balance these two forces—well-being and challenge—will be better equipped to create the kind of deep cohesion that propels them forward in both good times and bad.
Cohesive teams aren’t born from comfort. They are forged in the crucible of challenges, and it’s in those moments that the best leaders and most resilient teams emerge.
______________________________________________________________
Implementing Automatic Rules in Life A Blueprint for Efficiency, Focus, and Well-being
In a world where decision fatigue is a real concern, and where productivity and focus are more valuable than ever, many successful people are turning to "automatic rules" in their daily lives. These rules help automate certain decisions and actions, allowing individuals to conserve their mental energy for more important tasks. In this article, we’ll explore automatic rules, how to implement them effectively, and the benefits they can bring to various aspects of life.
领英推荐
What Are Automatic Rules?
Automatic rules are predefined decisions or habits that streamline daily routines. They are designed to remove trivial choices from your day by establishing clear guidelines or habits that operate with little to no conscious thought. In essence, automatic rules eliminate uncertainty and reduce decision-making fatigue by making certain aspects of your life automatic.
For example, tech entrepreneur Mark Zuckerberg is known for wearing the same style of clothing every day to avoid spending time on mundane decisions like choosing an outfit. This type of automatic rule helps free up mental energy for more important matters. Another common example is following a strict morning routine, where actions like waking up, exercising, and eating breakfast follow a set pattern.
Why Implement Automatic Rules?
Humans are creatures of habit, and research shows that much of our behavior is governed by routines. However, when left unchecked, the endless stream of decisions we face daily can lead to burnout, poor time management, and reduced mental focus. Automatic rules help mitigate this by reducing the cognitive load and streamlining repetitive tasks. The benefits are numerous and multifaceted:
How to Implement Automatic Rules in Your Life
Areas of Life Where Automatic Rules Can Be Applied
Conclusion
Implementing automatic rules in your life is a powerful strategy to reduce decision fatigue, increase productivity, and create space for creativity and innovation. By identifying repetitive tasks, setting specific rules, and gradually expanding your automation efforts, you can free your mental bandwidth for higher-level thinking and personal growth. While it takes time and discipline to establish these rules, the long-term benefits to your well-being, career, and overall happiness are well worth the effort.
______________________________________________________________
The Crazy Sprint Workshop
Feel like the pace of the entrepreneurship and technology revolution is leaving your business in the dust? I've developed?a half-day awake session, a one-day workshop, and a two-day mini-sprint for executive leaders and board members?to demystify buzzwords like exponential technologies or?business transformation preparing you to steer your organization into a confident future. Don't be among the 49% of businesses that see technology as a threat - seize the opportunity now! AWAKE SESSION This is aimed at teams eager to prepare for the Age of Exponential Acceleration. Participants will learn why a linear mindset is not working anymore. They are invited to embrace exponential thinking and discover the latest emerging technologies to create novel products and services. At the end of this session, teams walk away with the foundational elements to make their business future–proof. EXPONENTIAL WORKSHOP It starts with the half-day awake session.??Then, during the second half-day, participants are actively working on defining their Massive Transformative Purpose, designing a few moonshots for the entire organization or their department, and discovering in more detail several exponential technologies to use for creating a radical transformation of their organization. CRAZY SPRINT It starts with the full-day exponential workshop.??Then, during the second day, participants are coached on how to use the Crazy Method? to build concrete, radical, and transformative projects within their organization. Teams are pushed to catapult their ambition to heights they could not imagine and to build a rock-solid plan to materialize such amazing projects.??They will also learn how to capture the zeitgeist and adopt a Yamakasi mindset to overcome any obstacles.
______________________________________________________________
Quotes To Reflect On
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” -- Walt Disney
“A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” -- Albert Einstein
“Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” -- Winston Churchill
______________________________________________________________
That concludes today's edition. I hope you found it valuable and informative. If you did, please consider sharing it with your network and colleagues. By sharing this newsletter on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, or via email, you can help spread the word and make a difference. Moreover, please invite your friends and colleagues to subscribe to my?newsletter by sharing the registration link.
Until next time, build the world you love!
Fabrice
______________________________________________________________
P.S. Whenever you're ready, there are 4 ways I can help you:
#1:?Ready to materialize your dream and build a breakthrough business??Let's chat.
#2: Have you seen my?YouTube Channel??There is some valuable content that I think you'll like.?Come check out my stuff, and give me a like and subscribe.
#3: Promote your brand?to thousands?of subscribers by sponsoring this newsletter?>>> Click here to contact me
Food Supplement Designer?Clinical Biochemist?CEO at Darmaxis SARL
1 个月??????