When was the last time you felt like you were on a playground?

Thank you for subscribing to The Leader’s Playground. It’s a pleasure to have you here, and I hope we can experiment and learn together in this environment. But first, a story.?

At age 29, I collapsed on a golf course. It was the start of a breakdown that ended with me driving all the way from Nottingham, where I lived, to Newcastle and falling apart in front of my parents.?

As I sat in front of our family doctor, I realized a few things. I was unhappy in my job and did not know why. I was tired and had little resilience. My energy was all but gone. I could not cope.?

My collapse on the golf course triggered the recognition that something was wrong—that I was wrong.?

I’d been wrong my whole adult life about what would bring me joy and how to approach my career. And by being wrong, I had found my place to make a difference.?

That journey from Nottingham to Newcastle turned out to be the start of a longer, continuing journey of personal evolution that has guided my professional choices in the vast playground that most of us call work.?

Playground? Yes.?

The more I have worked in and with organizations, the more I realize how unhappy most people are in their jobs. And yet, I’ve also seen that all of the elements of playground fun exist at work: competition, games, banter, risk, teams…

Because of this, I believe the future of our organizations lies in creating a playground environment where teams can play, learn, push the boundaries, stretch themselves, love their work, and be happy.?

A vital ingredient, however, is that you have to fail in order to succeed. Part of creating a playground environment is prioritizing experimentation, celebrating failure, and allowing room for learning and growth.?

It’s the times in life I failed or was wrong that led to the most meaningful growth, and the same is true in business. It’s my mission to help others discover this truth, too.?

Let’s play and fail together.

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Here’s what to expect.

Every two weeks, you’ll receive the newest edition of The Leader’s Playground to your inbox. Because I like to play, I can’t promise that it will always look the same (nor would I want to!).?

There will usually be some combination of a note from me, a featured podcast or book or other resource that I think you’ll enjoy, a peek into the experimenting and learning happening over at P2 Labs (the think-tank branch of my company, PotentialSquared), and sometimes a question or challenge for you.?

Perhaps you’ll get a video of my cheeky cats or a Jimi Hendrix quote. Who knows??

Next, I’d love to hear from you.?

There are plenty of newsletters out there, so I want to make sure I’m delivering content that is valuable to you. I’d love to learn why you subscribed and what you’re most interested in hearing or learning about.?

Don’t hesitate to ask questions or request content.

Finally, let’s make sure you actually get these letters.?

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And if you have other friends who might like to join us in playing, failing, and learning, please feel free to share The Leader’s Playground with them or share this link to subscribe.?

See you out there.

Cheers,

Colin

P.S. To learn more about my book, Be More Wrong: How Failure Makes You an Outstanding Leader, click here.?