Memento Mori

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ro-GueYLeEc/YPloI87dgsI/AAAAAAABU1s/M9CIwDpWiOcuRDbHVN0-er-QDclYItl1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/Manuel%2BDom%25C3%25ADnguez%2BS%25C3%25A1nchez%2B-%2BThe%2BSuicide%2Bof%2BSeneca%2B%25281871%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="1920" height="384" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ro-GueYLeEc/YPloI87dgsI/AAAAAAABU1s/M9CIwDpWiOcuRDbHVN0-er-QDclYItl1gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h384/Manuel%2BDom%25C3%25ADnguez%2BS%25C3%25A1nchez%2B-%2BThe%2BSuicide%2Bof%2BSeneca%2B%25281871%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Manuel_Dom%C3%ADnguez_S%C3%A1nchez_-_El_suicidio_de_S%C3%A9neca.jpg">The Death of Seneca</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by Manuel Domínguez Sánchez, 1871 (public domain - Wikipedia) </span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /><hr /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong><br />“Everlasting misfortune does have one blessing, that it ends up by toughening those whom it constantly afflicts.</strong><b>”</b> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Seneca, 42<br /><br /></em></div><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>I didn’t intend to write about suicide this week.</p><p>But that’s the thing about suicide: for those who must live in its aftermath, it is never an expected occurrence.</p><p>This week, we had to break the news to our 17 year-old son that <strong><a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/vinnie-marroni-miracle-assist-foundation">a longtime friend of his died by suicide</a></strong> late last week. It was devastating for us, as we had known him since he was about 10.</p><p>In addition to our sorrow over the loss, we were heartbroken for our son, who had a tough time processing it as well. A parent’s instinct is always to protect their child, and in this instance, there was nothing we could do to protect him from the pain.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>I don’t know that I have any words of wisdom about suicide. This is something that humans have been grappling with for millennia, so all I can do is offer some observations that connect it to what I write about here: leadership and communication.</p><p>Parenting is leadership. Our children are like the next wave of managers that we train — the most important job of a leader is preparing the next generation of leaders — and every day, through our actions (taken or untaken) and words (spoken or unspoken), we demonstrate what we expect of them.</p><p>So when it comes to dealing with suicide, we help them grapple not only with the loss of a friend, but with the topic itself, in an effort to understand it.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Death is a part of life. Indeed, the leading cause of death is birth. The title of today’s newsletter, “<em><strong>Memento Mori</strong></em>,” (remember that you die) is the phrase chariot drivers whispered to commanders on parade in Ancient Rome. And it has become the unofficial motto of Stoic philosophy.</p><p><em>Memento mori</em> serves as a powerful reminder that our time here is limited, and that death is inevitable for every last one of us.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>The Facts of Death</strong></h2><p>With suicide rising as a cause of death—since 1999, suicide rates have <strong><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/01/30/u-s-suicide-rate-rose-again-2018-how-can-suicide-prevention-save-lives/4616479002/">risen by 35 percent</a></strong>—even before the pandemic, it is part of our collective experience.</p><p>Typical emotional markers for suicide include depression, lack of interest in activities once enjoyed, irritability, anger, anxiety, shame or humiliation, and mood swings. The natural assumption would be that COVID-19 led to an increase in suicide, but <strong><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8110323/">that wasn’t the case</a></strong>.  After a steady increase for 20 years, it would seem that suicide rates are already high.</p><p>I’ve lost many friends, family members, and associates (online and offline) to cancer, heart attacks, and accidents. A few of my online friends have died by suicide as well, driven by struggles of mental health.</p><p>We freely talk about the importance of cancer screenings and of healthy habits to impact our heart health, but we’re skittish about the topic of mental health. Mental health is stigmatized. But guess what?</p><p>Mental health <em>is</em> health.</p><p>It is the health of the most important organ in your body: your brain. And just like there are heart diseases caused by the body not producing the proper amount of certain enzymes, there are diseases associated with our brains caused by the body not producing the proper amount of certain chemicals or electrolytes.</p><p>And yet we treat people who seek mental health services as if they should be ashamed of it.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>Shame on Who?</strong></h2><p>While it initially seemed odd to tackle the topic of suicide with you, I thought back to last week’s newsletter, in which I explored the concept of <strong><a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2021/07/have-you-no-shame.html">shame</a></strong> and its connection to duty, honor, and accountability.</p><p>And as I reflected on Sánchez’s painting above, I was reminded of the long tradition of <em><strong>honor suicide</strong></em>: when a person chooses suicide to escape the shame of an immoral or dishonorable action.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“I believe that no man ever threw away life while it was worth keeping.” </strong></em></strong></em></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— David Hume, 1755</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>In such cases, the suicide itself wasn’t considered dishonorable; it was a natural way to leave the earth after experiencing something that would have been difficult to live with.</p><p>Seneca was a prime example of that. As Nero’s tutor, he tried to steer the youth clear of certain tendencies. Ultimately, he fell afoul of the emperor and had to take his own life. More on <strong>accountability </strong>and Seneca’s choice <strong><a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2021/01/leaders-need-to-be-accountable.html">here</a></strong>.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"><br /></pre></div><p>As Hume implied, we all have different ways of considering what our lives are worth. Whether it is an ancient philosopher, a World War II kamikaze pilot, or a troubled teen, each knows their value and breaking point.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>Parental Advice</strong></h2><p>The most difficult part in absorbing this suicide close to our family is the feelings of hurt we have for our son, and knowing the right thing to say.</p><p>Above all, whether a parent or a leader, the most important communication skill you can bring to any relationship is <strong><a href="https://www.scottmonty.com/2019/10/the-liberation-of-listening.html">listening</a></strong>.</p><p>We let our son know that we are always there for him, available to listen whenever he wants to talk to us. Or, if he doesn’t feel comfortable talking to us, we can find someone who will listen to him. Call this <em>memento audiere</em>.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>The other is to encourage <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/the-transparency-of-innovation">transparency</a></strong>. We encouraged him to talk about his friend, memories of them together, and any feelings he has about the situation. The more we talk together, the more we can be aware of what our needs are. <em>Memento loqui</em>.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Ultimately, there is only so much within your power to <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/control">control</a></strong>. In expressing our sorrow and pity for his friend, we reminded our son that this was ultimately his friend’s choice. There are certain things that are beyond our control.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Like any struggle, I keep telling myself and my son that this is temporary. There will be times when it eases up, receding like the remnants of a wave, then moments again when it crashes to shore.</p><p>This is just part of the process.</p><p>Part of growing up.</p><p>Part of life.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure> </figure></div><div><hr /></div><p>In Friday’s newsletter, I’ll be writing about my first experience with suicide, how it shaped me, a teenager's canny lyrics about the topic, and I’ll share some links—both timeless and timely—about grappling with suicide. Be sure to sign up as a Premium subscriber so you can read it.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{"url":"%%checkout_url%%","text":"Subscribe now","class":null}">Meanwhile, I've opened this essay, “<strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/cycles">Cycles</a></strong>,” that was previously available only to Premium subscribers. Feel free to read and share it.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday.<br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Join the club by signing up below:</div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="9847" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p>

Memento Mori

The Death of Seneca  by Manuel Domínguez Sánchez, 1871 (public domain - Wikipedia)  “Everlasting misfortune does have one blessing, that it...

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Have You No Shame?

<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VkQAYpWRn4I/YO-x_LboGQI/AAAAAAABUyM/BQeWGwQUrm4dPWMKrvm8N6G9IG6ft0FNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/Thomas%2BRowlandson%2B-%2BThe%2BBurning%2BShame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="1024" height="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VkQAYpWRn4I/YO-x_LboGQI/AAAAAAABUyM/BQeWGwQUrm4dPWMKrvm8N6G9IG6ft0FNwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h456/Thomas%2BRowlandson%2B-%2BThe%2BBurning%2BShame.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Burning_Shame_-_MET_DP88060.jpg">The Burning Shame</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by Thomas Rowlandson, 1809 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons, </span><a href="https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en" style="text-align: left;">CC0 1.0</a><span style="text-align: left;">)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“I am no longer good through deliberate intent, but by long habit have reached a point where I am not only able to do right, but am unable to do anything but what is right.”</strong></em></strong></em></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Seneca, 65</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />Every day, I’m amazed at how many people view the world in absolutes.</p><p>We have so much information at our fingertips, accessible through a few swipes or clicks on supercomputers we hold in our hands.</p><p>Gone are the days that required a trek to the local library, thumbing through the card catalog, where thousands of cards held the secrets of our collective knowledge, held in a warm embrace by shiny oak drawers and cold a metal spindle.</p><p>No longer do we need an understanding of the Dewey Decimal System.</p><p><br /></p><p>And yet, with the ability to connect to individuals and information anywhere across the globe in the blink of an eye, we seem more clueless than ever.</p><p>Social media, once the promised land of digital discourse and avowed “public square” of conversation, has devolved into shouting matches, untamed trolls who no longer live only beneath bridges, and personal attacks that range from merely cruel to outright dangerous and even illegal.</p><p>In the digital world, familiarity—passing or otherwise—does indeed breed contempt. This is unfortunate, as it ought to breed empathy, with our awareness that there are billions of individual stories and perspectives out there, each with its own set of struggles.</p><p>But it’s simply easier to sort and categorize in one of two buckets. Pro or con. Good or evil. My side or your side.</p><p>Somewhere out there, we need to be seeking common ground.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>Moral Absolutes</strong></h2><p>This week, <strong><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/13/us/politics/biden-voting-philadelphia.html">President Biden tried to find common ground</a></strong> in a speech on voting rights that are supposed to be afforded to us all under the Constitution (and under subsequent legislation). In doing so, he appealed to the better angels of those who seek to restrict voting by asking,<br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em><b><span style="font-size: large;">“Have you no shame?”</span></b></em></p><div class="preformatted-block"><div style="text-align: center;"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label></div><p> </p></div><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;">That phrase stood out to me.</p><p>It is reminiscent of the phrase used by <strong>Joseph Welch</strong>, a Boston lawyer representing the Army at the McCarthy hearings in the Senate. On June 9, 1954 Welch stood up to the bullying senator live on national television, saying, “<strong><a href="https://www.happyscribe.com/public/it-was-said/ep-6-edward-r#paragraph_2263?utm_source=public_transcript&utm_medium=paragraph&utm_campaign=public_promo">At long last, have you no sense of decency?</a></strong>”</p><p>Whether asking about shame or decency, it is an arresting question. It pierces the veil of any argument and asks us to consider the dignity of our fellow citizens.</p><p>Here’s the thing about shame: it requires you to have a conscience—to feel as if you are breaking a code, whether it’s personal or collective.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--LftQIhG6Pk/YO-ymx-t6SI/AAAAAAABUyU/UgrTiod0HUEboNPtSiGpOsaSm-GGJ4qgwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1200/SHame.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="672" data-original-width="1200" height="224" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--LftQIhG6Pk/YO-ymx-t6SI/AAAAAAABUyU/UgrTiod0HUEboNPtSiGpOsaSm-GGJ4qgwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h224/SHame.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><em><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><br /></strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>“It is not for outward show that the soul is to play its part, but for ourselves within, where no eyes can pierce but our own; there she defends us from the fear of death, of pain, of shame itself”</strong></em></div></em><p style="text-align: right;"><em> — Michel de Montaigne, 1580</em></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>A sense of shame is the mirror image of a sense of honor. If you fall short of your ideal (or the ideal of a community), you feel shame.</p><p>If you have a sense of virtue or integrity, that is.</p><p>When <strong>Horace </strong>wrote the third of his <em>Odes</em> in 23 BC, he made it clear that our better angels should triumph over our impulses:</p><blockquote><p><em><strong>“Virtue, repudiating all base repulse, shines in taintless<br />honors, nor takes nor leaves dignity at the mere will of the<br />vulgar.”</strong></em></p></blockquote><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>In an ideal world, achieving that level of inner victory would be easy.</p><p>In reality, when it comes to our moral responsibility—to our family, our employees, or even our country—there will always be competing forces that require us to make choices.</p><p>Choosing to place a family member in childcare (or eldercare) versus keeping them at home is not an easy choice: it involves a financial commitment for the sake of a career or better medical attention than we can provide. Many people struggle with this decision.</p><p>Similarly, the decision to lay off a significant portion of employees in order to save an insolvent company is a gut-wrenching one for any CEO (one with a soul, at least). Do they put a percentage of people out of work, or do they prolong the dying breaths of the company until everyone is affected? Either way, there’s pain involved.</p><p>As difficult and nuanced as these decisions are, at their core they represent certain dichotomies:</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/honor-and-duty">Duty</a></strong> or desire.<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/honor-given-honor-taken">Honor</a></strong> or shame.<br /><br />Virtue or vulgarity.<br /><br /><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/leaders-need-to-be-accountable">Accountability</a></strong> or <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/the-blame-game">blame</a></strong>.</span></p></h3><div class="preformatted-block" style="text-align: left;"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p style="text-align: left;">After the appropriate amount of soul-searching, you’ll need to choose.</p><p>And then you should be ready to answer whether or not you have shame.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><em><strong>See you again on Friday </strong></em><span style="background-color: transparent;">— </span><em><strong>but only if you're a Premium subscriber</strong></em>.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. <br /></p><div style="text-align: center;">Join the club by signing up below:</div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="4772" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p>

Have You No Shame?

  The Burning Shame  by Thomas Rowlandson, 1809 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons,  CC0 1.0 ) “I am no longer good through deliberate inten...

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It's About Time

<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DIOWcm4y-10/YOcbgM0ehtI/AAAAAAABUns/4GQVaQfY30gnxUbUfQYuaBsoDhlpjBVrgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Anton%2BRaphael%2BMengs%2B-%2BThe%2BTriumph%2Bof%2BHistory%2Bover%2BTime%2B%2528Allegory_of_the_Museum_Clementinum%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1725" data-original-width="2048" height="540" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DIOWcm4y-10/YOcbgM0ehtI/AAAAAAABUns/4GQVaQfY30gnxUbUfQYuaBsoDhlpjBVrgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h540/Anton%2BRaphael%2BMengs%2B-%2BThe%2BTriumph%2Bof%2BHistory%2Bover%2BTime%2B%2528Allegory_of_the_Museum_Clementinum%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">Detail from </span><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anton_Raphael_Mengs,_The_Triumph_of_History_over_Time_(Allegory_of_the_Museum_Clementinum),_ceiling_fresco_in_the_Camera_dei_Papiri,_Vatican_Library,_1772_-_M0tty.jpg">The Triumph of History Over Time</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> (Allegory of the Museum Clementinum, ceiling fresco) by Anton Raphael Mengs (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>“No preacher is listened to but time, which gives us the same train and turn of thought that elder people have in vain tried to put into our heads before.”</strong></em> </p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Jonathan Swift, 1706</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>Time is a strange thing. Our perception of time is warped (see what I did there?) but we mark it in absolutes.</p><p>We can lose track of time when we’re enjoying ourselves, or feel like time is standing still when we’re loathing our surroundings.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>“Time, when it is left to itself and no definite demands are made on it, cannot be trusted to move at any recognized pace. Usually it loiters, but just when one has come to count upon its slowness, it may suddenly break into a wild irrational gallop.”</strong></em> </p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Edith Wharton, 1905</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>For anyone with children, the phrase “The days are long but the years are short” hits home, as the daily toil of parenting can seem like a slog, but one day you realize your kids are grown up.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>“One day you turn around and it’s summer,</strong></em></div><em><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Next day you turn around and it’s fall.</strong></em></div><strong><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>And all the winters and the springs of a lifetime—</strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Whatever happened to them all?”</strong></em> </div></strong></em><p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Frank Sinatra, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD87obuUgUk&ab_channel=FrankSinatra-Topic">The September of My Years</a>, 1965</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>As a father of a nearly-18 year-old, I feel this deeply. Now, I know you’re probably wondering how a youthful 39 year-old can have a grown son…</p><p>The classic “39 year-old” is a running gag that was first popularized by the legendary vaudeville/radio/television star Jack Benny, whose character was sensitive about his age. Thus, he bent time to his will and remained forever 39.</p><p>It’s an example of how we can use the double-edged sword of time to our advantage as leaders.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>A Quick Look Back</strong></h2><p>Yesterday marked the 6-month anniversary of the Capitol insurrection, and so my thoughts turned to that historic building.</p><p>If you visit the United States Capitol, there in the National Statuary Hall—which used to be where the House of Representatives met—over the doorway you’ll find a sculpture by Carlo Franzioni. It depicts Clio, the muse of history, riding a winged chariot called <em>The Car of History</em>.</p><p>She’s recording history in her book, as a reminder to all in that room that they were part of history and their actions and words mattered.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4iui0R_2tk0/YOcZW7UqQuI/AAAAAAABUnk/I1TQUBCTpAc9GAd_CkengUgSd7-1b_RrACLcBGAsYHQ/s600/Car%2Bof%2BHistory.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="394" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4iui0R_2tk0/YOcZW7UqQuI/AAAAAAABUnk/I1TQUBCTpAc9GAd_CkengUgSd7-1b_RrACLcBGAsYHQ/w263-h400/Car%2Bof%2BHistory.jpg" width="263" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">Source: </span><a href="https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/car-history-clock" style="text-align: left;">Architect of the Capitol</a></span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p></p><p>But how often do you pause to look at works of art like this, or consider events of the past, or read of the lives and challenges of great men and women?</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>“Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for.”</strong></em> </p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Socrates</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>We seem to be too busy focusing on what's right in front of us, being distracted by notifications and more content online than we can read in 100 lifetimes. And yet, there's this wealth of wisdom just sitting there on shelves, waiting for us to uncover it.</p><p>But look at that clock again. It is a symbol—a symbol of the past, present, and future. With its two hands, it not only tells us the current time; it tells us what time it <em>was</em> and what time it <em>will become</em>.</p><p>If we spend time understanding what has happened in history—family history, corporate history, or human history—we can determine where we need to go.</p><p>The problem with life as we know it today is that we forget the reflective function of the old-fashioned clock, and therefore of time. We live our lives digitally, in the moment.</p><p>A digital watch, historian David McCullough mused, “is the perfect symbol of an imbalance in outlook in our day. It tells us only the time it is now, at this instant, as if that were all anyone would wish or need to know.” <a class="footnote-anchor" href="#footnote-1" id="footnote-anchor-1">1</a></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>The Time-Space Conundrum</strong></h2><p>In 1953 in <em><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3wroWUe">Understanding Media</a></strong></em>, Marshall McLuhan predicted the difficulty that access to instant information would lead to when he wrote,</p><blockquote><p>“<em><strong>the instantaneity of communication makes free speech and thought difficult if not impossible</strong></em>.”</p></blockquote><p>Ironically, our near-synchronous connection with each other across the globe does not translate to a common experience. While we may be connected by time, we’re not connected by space. Our disparate geographies and cultures are necessary contexts to what we read, do, and think.</p><p>And thus comes the conundrum of the debate around returning to the office with the pandemic easing.</p><p>On one hand, employees that are remote are missing out on the interaction happening between peers and colleagues in the office, and thus may be robbed of context and excluded from decisions, meetings, etc.</p><p>Alternatively, remote employees have a different relationship with time: they don’t have to spend it in a commute or shuttling from conference room to conference room. They can be more efficient by selecting the time when the do certain work.</p><p>But <a href="https://www.inc.com/gabrielle-bienasz/productivity-remote-work-employer-survey.html">45 percent of employers said productivity was down</a> with remote work, and 39 percent would fire employees who refused to return to work.</p><p>I suppose that means there ought to be a conversation about valuing time: employees valuing their employers’ time and employers valuing their employees’ time. A better balance should be possible without resorting to absolutes.</p><div><hr /></div><blockquote><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>“I wasted time, and now doth time waste me;</strong></em></div><em><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>For now hath time made me his numbering clock:</strong></em></div><strong><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>My thoughts are minutes; and with sighs they jar</strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Their watches on unto mine eyes, the outward watch,</strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Whereto my finger, like a dial's point,</strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Is pointing still, in cleansing them from tears.</strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Now sir, the sound that tells what hour it is</strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Are clamorous groans, which strike upon my heart,</strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Which is the bell: so sighs and tears and groans</strong></em></div><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>Show minutes, times, and hours.”</strong></em> </div></strong></em><p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— William Shakespeare, 1595</em></p></blockquote><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>Ultimately, our relationship with time comes back to our perception of it.</p><p>As a leader, you ought to be doing all you can to share your perception with others and to use your empathy to understand their perceptions as well.</p><p>Only then will we be able to more fully appreciate the time we have with each other.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{"url":"%%checkout_url%%","text":"Subscribe now","class":null}"><br /></p><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><em><strong>I'll be back on Friday </strong></em>with a subscribers-only edition that continues our exploration of time.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. And they get an audio version of this essay. Join the club by signing up below:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="1180" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p>

It's About Time

Detail from  The Triumph of History Over Time  (Allegory of the Museum Clementinum, ceiling fresco) by Anton Raphael Mengs (public domain - ...

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The War of the Office Worlds

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2KpA8NX8sGk/YN9rlHGvBgI/AAAAAAABUg0/EIpJ9xbbL9Yf10jtZaKRscXT0MYqLx-4gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Lourens%2BAlma%2BTadema%2B-%2BThe%2BDeath%2Bof%2BPharaohs%2BFirstborn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1259" data-original-width="2048" height="394" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2KpA8NX8sGk/YN9rlHGvBgI/AAAAAAABUg0/EIpJ9xbbL9Yf10jtZaKRscXT0MYqLx-4gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h394/Lourens%2BAlma%2BTadema%2B-%2BThe%2BDeath%2Bof%2BPharaohs%2BFirstborn.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/collectie/SK-A-2664">The Death of the Pharaoh's Firstborn</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by Lourens Alma Tadema, 1872 (public domain - Rijksmuseum)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="captioned-image-container" data-pm-context="[]"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"><br /></figcaption></figure></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>“But who shall dwell in these worlds if they be inhabited?”</b></i></div><i><br /></i><div style="text-align: right;"><i>— H.G. Wells, 1898</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><br /></div><div><hr /></div><p><br />The year-plus of the pandemic has given many people a chance to rethink their priorities.</p><p>Time at home, devoid of the daily commute and harried business travel, has offered us a chance to reassess where and how we spend our precious time.</p><p>And with the waning of the worst of the pandemic, leaders are faced with the formidable task of determining where and how employees will do their work.</p><p>The valuable lessons we’ve learned over the last 15 months are being tossed aside in the Great Return to Normalcy—masks off, large gatherings as if nothing ever happened—all while significant percentages of the population remain unvaccinated.</p><p>And we’re already seeing a push to return to the office full-time.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>“Yet so vain is man, and so blinded by his vanity, that no writer…expressed any idea that intelligent life might have developed there far, or indeed at all, beyond its earthly level.”</b></i></div><div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>— H.G. Wells, 1898</i></div><br /><div><div><hr /></div><p><br />Of course we want to move past our dystopian experience of the last year. But there are lessons we ought to bring with us, rather than to instinctively try to return to “normal.”</p><p>So I reached for H.G. Wells’ classic dystopian novel <em><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/2Tg1dZU">The War of the Worlds</a></strong></em>, published in 1898, and found some fascinating parallels in which we might find wisdom.</p><p>While it can be classified as science fiction, the story was close enough to reality to dupe a wide audience when dramatized for radio by Orson Welles in 1939. The plot is straightforward:</p><p>Martians land on Earth and begin capturing and killing humans, destroying entire cities in the process. Humanity is defenseless against them, its artillery repelled and technological ingenuity bested by the Martians’ superior technology.</p><p>People flee, find refuge in remote locations, and amid hopelessness, suddenly find that the Martians are mysteriously dying. The cause? The simple common cold virus.</p><p>A virus stopped the nightmarish invasion.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2>The War of the 2021 World</h2><blockquote><p><em><strong>“…slain, after all man’s devices had failed, by the humblest things that God, in his wisdom, has put upon this earth.”</strong></em></p></blockquote><p>In 2020, the increasingly frenzied pace of work—of commutes, meetings (endless meetings!), and an always-on culture—ground to a halt as much of the world sheltered in place.</p><p>We were slowed not by productivity apps, scheduling systems, or corporate-mandated mindfulness workshops, but by a virus.</p><p>Interestingly, the sudden halting of life as we knew it is much closer to what the Martians faced: they were felled by tiny organisms they didn’t account for.</p><p>For all of our technological advances, we were slowed by nature.</p><p>During that time, it gave people an opportunity to spend more time with loved ones. To reflect more. To focus on things that mattered to them. A return to nature, of sorts.</p><p>It was a great gift.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><i><b>“At times I suffer from the strangest sense of detachment from myself and the world about me; I seem to watch it all from the outside, from somewhere inconceivably remote, out of time, out of space, out of the stress and tragedy of it all.”</b></i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>— H.G. Wells, 1898</i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><hr /></div><p><br />One would think that such a gift would be received and cherished, particularly by leaders whose employees stuck with them (and vice versa) through such a life-changing event.</p><p>It was an opportunity to test the old myth that workers couldn’t be productive from home, a long-held view by old-school managers who equated visibility with productivity. The myth was destroyed, with <strong><a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5f5654b537cea057c500f59e/t/60143f05a2117e3eec3c3243/1611939604505/Wal+Bulletin+1.pdf">productivity remaining stable or even increasing</a></strong> during the pandemic.</p><p>And yet, we now see employers calling employees back to the office, eager to return to “normal.” But <strong><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-01/return-to-office-employees-are-quitting-instead-of-giving-up-work-from-home">not all employees are having it</a></strong>.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>The challenge with a one-size-fits-all approach to work is that it doesn’t acknowledge the new reality we just emerged from: that some people fare better in remote locations. They can still connect with fellow teammates. Their stress level is lower without a commute.</p><p>Have we not learned our lesson?</p><p>Even with the harshness of a pandemic, we still see instances of companies ignoring what happened and simply pressing for life as they knew it.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2>Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera</h2><p>If you recall the story from Exodus in the Old Testament of the Bible, Moses was trying to free the Israelites from the clutches of the Pharaoh. God sent <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plagues_of_Egypt">ten plagues</a> to haunt the Egyptians, and it wasn’t until the final one—death of the firstborn of every household—that Pharaoh freed the Israelites.</p><p>But he didn’t learn his lesson; he didn’t relent. Undeterred, Pharaoh and the Egyptian army chased the Israelites to the edge of the Red Sea. With God’s help, Moses parted the water and the refugees made it across.</p><p>But the Egyptians, hellbent on reclaiming the reality they knew, followed them onto the seabed. The waters flowed back into the sea, and Pharaoh and his recovery team were drowned.</p><p>The lesson is to adapt to what we learn from our surroundings and experiences.</p><p>For as leaders, we don’t want to end up like the Martians or Pharaoh’s army.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><hr style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><p></p><p><em><strong>Don’t miss the follow-up piece, “<a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/our-intentionality-laid-bare">Intentionality Laid Bare</a>”</strong></em>, opened up for public access for a limited time. This subscribers-only edition continues the exploration of our post-pandemic readiness for the office.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. And they get an audio version of this essay. Join the club by signing up below:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="18251" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p></div></div></div>

The War of the Office Worlds

The Death of the Pharaoh's Firstborn  by Lourens Alma Tadema, 1872 (public domain - Rijksmuseum) “But who shall dwell in these worlds if...

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Innovation in Storytelling

<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OascBdxFRC8/YN9oefXndGI/AAAAAAABUgs/YdqmwXkul68VoG4h9r4fNUNEgjyfVzAEQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Jules%2BVerne%2B-%2BVol%2B4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="987" data-original-width="1600" height="394" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OascBdxFRC8/YN9oefXndGI/AAAAAAABUgs/YdqmwXkul68VoG4h9r4fNUNEgjyfVzAEQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h394/Jules%2BVerne%2B-%2BVol%2B4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://flic.kr/p/7BBA6r">Illustration from Volume 4 of the Works of Jules Verne, published in 1911</a></em><span style="text-align: left;">. (Flickr - George Oates)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="captioned-image-container" data-pm-context="[]"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"><br /></figcaption></figure></div><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“I care not how humble your bookshelf may be, or how lonely the room which it adorns. Close the door of that room behind you, shut off with it all the cares of the outer world, plunge back into the soothing company of the great dead, and then you are through the magic portal into that fair land whither worry and vexation can follow you no more.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Arthur Conan Doyle, 1907</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />One of the great joys of life is immersing ourselves in stories that transport us. Whether a short story, a novel, or a movie, there are talented individuals who can bring worlds to life that are strange and different, or eerily familiar.</p><p>To me, those familiar ones are the most creative. Shows or stories that seem plausible, but stretch our imagination just a little further.</p><p>I’m talking about science fiction.</p><p>While stories have always been with us, at some point, someone had to innovate and determine that they wanted to incorporate science into adventure stories.</p><p>These go beyond the classic mythology of ancient cultures — stories that fused man, nature, and religion that in many instances provided fanciful explanations for natural phenomena. Science fiction done well is so plausible as to cause us to suspend our disbelief.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h3><strong>Forced innovation</strong></h3><p>When he was a teenager, Jules Verne’s father sent him to law school. An attorney himself, the elder Verne thought that a respectable and profitable career lay ahead for his son.</p><p>But the young man, while he was a decent enough student, found his joy in literature. He was a devotee of Victor Hugo’s work, reading the corpus multiple times. And he was beginning to explore his own writing skills through an association with Alexander Dumas’ son, writing some short stories for publication, and an appointment as secretary of the Théâtre Historique, where he wrote some comic operas with his friend and flatmate, a young composer named Aristide Hignard.</p><p>He knew that a career in literature was his future, and the additional pressure he received from his father—including an offer to set him up in a lucrative law practice—was enough to cause him to make his move.</p><p>These influences caused Verne to spend time at the Bibliothèque nationale de France, conducting research for his stories and inspiring a passion for science, recent discoveries, and especially geography.</p><p>During that time, Verne met Jacques Arago, a renowned explorer and geographer, who continued to travel extensively despite going blind in 1837, nearly 20 years previously. They struck up a friendship, and Verne was inspired by  Arago’s innovative and witty accounts of his travels. This led Verne to develop a new genre of literature: travel writing.</p><p>But not any just kind of travel writing. While Verne’s tales took us all over the globe, they were adventure stories that incorporated fantastic use of technology—technology that didn’t yet exist.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h3><strong>Technologies predicted by Verne</strong></h3><p>His novel <em>20,000 Leagues Under the Sea</em> introduced us to electric submarines, as Captain Nemo’s <em>Nautilus</em> traversed the oceans.</p><p>In <em>Robur the Conqueror</em>, we find a character who builds a contraption out of pressboard with high-speed rotors that propel him into the sky: a helicopter.</p><p>In <em>The Carpathian Castle</em>, Verne tells a story in which villagers live in fear of a mysterious castle that produces odd voices and projected images. The people later discover that the images were a hologram, paired with recorded sounds.</p><p>There are many other examples of Verne’s inventiveness. This creativity sprung not only from his mind, but from the careful research Verne did at the library. He was careful to combine the known with what he saw as trends, piecing them together in a way that made them seem strange, yet familiar at the same time.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>This is exactly how innovation works.</p><p>We get inspired by people, books, shows, events, and everything around us, we juxtapose it with what we know, and, with the help of others around us, we develop the idea to something we can bring to market.</p><p>All it takes is a little imagination and perspiration.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><div><hr /></div><h2><strong>Are you ready to improve your speaking skills?</strong></h2><p>The last year has thrown the speaking industry for a loop. The best speakers were able to pivot and adapt to the new virtual settings, but there’s still so much to learn.</p><p>Together with Peter Shankman, I’ve created a course to help you <b><a href="https://shankman.mykajabi.com/speaking-and-storytelling-with-scott-monty-and-peter-shankman" target="_blank">become a better speaker</a></b>. Whether it’s breaking into the industry, mastering the administrative side (including contracts and pricing), or becoming a better storyteller, we’ve got you covered.</p><p>Learn more about the course, which includes a lifetime subscription to a growing online community of speakers and experts, and <b><a href="https://shankman.mykajabi.com/speaking-and-storytelling-with-scott-monty-and-peter-shankman" target="_blank">register here</a></b>.</p><p><br /></p><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 image2-71-563" href="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f0e6f32-773d-470a-b2ef-69f71efeb388_563x71.png" style="height: 0px; padding-bottom: min(12.611%, 71px); width: 100%;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-attrs="{"src":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6f0e6f32-773d-470a-b2ef-69f71efeb388_563x71.png","height":71,"width":563,"resizeWidth":null,"bytes":5308,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/png","href":null}" src="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6f0e6f32-773d-470a-b2ef-69f71efeb388_563x71.png" style="max-height: 71px; max-width: 563px;" /></a></figure></div>

Innovation in Storytelling

  Illustration from Volume 4 of the Works of Jules Verne, published in 1911 . (Flickr - George Oates) “I care not how humble your bookshelf ...

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Character Defines Success Amid Uncertainty

<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0HUG9_iOuzo/YMtAXD5X_5I/AAAAAAABUTE/_XyMHyQI9w0axOn7QMyJRxgvRRPda2f6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s734/John%2BStrudwick%2B-%2BA%2BGolden%2BThread%252C%2B1885.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="734" height="372" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0HUG9_iOuzo/YMtAXD5X_5I/AAAAAAABUTE/_XyMHyQI9w0axOn7QMyJRxgvRRPda2f6QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h372/John%2BStrudwick%2B-%2BA%2BGolden%2BThread%252C%2B1885.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moirai#/media/File:Strudwick-_A_Golden_Thread.JPG">A Golden Thread</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by John Strudwick, 1885 (public domain - Wikipedia)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“We cannot insure success, but we can deserve it.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— <a href="https://www.masshist.org/digitaladams/archive/doc?id=L17760218ja" target="_blank">John Adams, 1776</a></em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />Do you know what’s going to happen tomorrow?</p><p>Well, you may have an idea of a general set of events or expected occurrences. The news media keeps us on alert so we can tune in, and our calendars attune us to where and when we need to make an appearance.</p><p>But beyond that, we can’t say with certainty that we know <em>how</em> things are going to work out.</p><p>The future is uncertain.</p><p>The past four years—and without doubt, the last year alone—have been fraught with the ups and downs of a reality TV show (admittedly, it has seemed like we were caught in the midst of one) as we’ve lived on edge.</p><p>But isn’t that the story of all history?</p><p>We don’t know how things are going to turn out for us, and neither did our ancestors.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>When <strong>Dwight Eisenhower</strong> oversaw the planning for Operation Overlord in 1944, he had no way of knowing whether D-Day would be a success. In fact, <a href="https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/d-day-message" target="_blank">he drafted a short note</a> in the event of a defeat:</p><blockquote><p>"Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air and the Navy did all that Bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt it is mine alone."</p></blockquote><p>As the first three humans were set to land on the moon and safely return in 1969, we had no way of knowing whether NASA would be able to pull it off. Speechwriter <strong>William Safire</strong> prepared a speech for <strong>Richard Nixon</strong> titled "<a href="https://www.archives.gov/files/presidential-libraries/events/centennials/nixon/images/exhibit/rn100-6-1-2.pdf" target="_blank">IN THE EVENT OF MOON DISASTER</a>."</p><p>When we were making digital and social media progress at Ford, we didn’t have a road map; we paved the road behind us.</p><p>The point is, it is only upon looking back that we have certainty; looking forward, nothing is guaranteed.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“History, I like to think, is a larger way of looking at life.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— David McCullough, 2017</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />I write a lot about history here. And it’s more than a hobby or side interest to me. History is the study of human nature, of character.</p><p>And character is what shapes our future.</p><p>The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, “character is destiny.”  It was his supposition that fate is not some predetermined outside force (as much as Greek mythology credited <strong><a href="https://www.greeklegendsandmyths.com/the-moirai.html">the Moirae</a></strong>), but that our future is determined by our inner character.</p><p>Character defines who we are, and part of knowing who we are is knowing where we came from.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Our family gives us a strong sense of values; our education provides us with facts and (with any luck) the ability to think critically; the corporate history of our company tells a story of how and why the company came to be.</p><p>Those looking to make change—particularly in uncertain times—will often encounter someone of long tenure at a company dissuade them from disrupting things with one simple and dismissive phrase:</p><p><em><strong>“We’ve always done it that way.”</strong></em></p><p>“We’ve always done it that way” is the shield behind which the fearful cower. It’s an excuse for avoiding a difficult decision. It is the plea of someone who needs a roadmap in unfamiliar terrain.<br /><br /></p><p><strong><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>If you’ve always done it that way, then you’ll continue to get the same results. </i>[<a href="https://ctt.ac/d6v5B" target="_blank">Tweet this!</a>]</span></strong></p><p><br />And if you’re satisfied with the same results, want to avoid conflict, and wait for the world to change <em>you</em> rather than you changing the world, then by all means, keep doing things the same way.</p><p><strong>Margaret McFarland</strong>, a child psychologist who mentored <strong>Fred Rogers</strong>, said “<em>attitudes aren’t taught, they’re caught</em>.”</p><p>Risk-taking, fearless leadership, transformational change—all of these things are part of a company’s (or family’s) culture—and we need to <em>live</em> these values as well as talk about them.</p><p>Even though we may be predisposed to shrink from a crisis or to avoid a seemingly insurmountable task—uncertain as they are—it is the very act of meeting them head-on that calls out our character, and therefore our destinies.</p><p>When <strong>John</strong> and <strong>Abigail Adams</strong> sent their son, <strong>John Quincy Adams</strong>, across the Atlantic to study in France, he was just 12 years old. The year was 1779 and America was at war. Transatlantic travel in a leaky boat was anything but a sure thing.</p><p>But the Adamses wanted their son to have an opportunity to associate with Benjamin Franklin and political philosophers in France and to gain from experience, as uncertain as it was.</p><p>In <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-03-02-0207" target="_blank">one of her letters</a> to her son, Abigail Adams reminded him that unfamiliar and uncomfortable scenarios help us become who we are meant to be:</p><blockquote><p><strong><i>“The habits of a vigorous mind are formed in contending with difficulties... Great necessities call out great virtues.” </i>[<a href="https://ctt.ac/2U97Z" target="_blank">TWEET THIS</a>]</strong></p></blockquote><p>When faced with uncertainty, the character you display, either overtly or blatantly, tells others everything they need to know about you.</p><p>Deep down, you already know it to be true.<br /></p><p><br /></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"></pre></div><div><hr /></div><h2><strong>Coming Up</strong></h2><p>Joining us this week on <em><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/s/timeless-leadership">Timeless Leadership</a></strong></em> is <strong>Carey Lohrenz</strong>, the first female F-14 Tomcat pilot and author of <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3zoO6pg">Span of Control: What To Do When You're Under Pressure, Overwhelmed, And Ready To Get What You Really Want</a></em>.</p><p>We’ll be talking about <strong>Control</strong> — how leaders respond amid uncertainty, how to remain flexible and comfortable, and control as much as we can in an uncertain world.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v8byy4eFvEc/YMs_3cC-VCI/AAAAAAABUS8/xtNIx2_p2qQ95ejO35UZvl7ZcrSqhrLJQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1665/Control%2B-%2BHeader.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="981" data-original-width="1665" height="236" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v8byy4eFvEc/YMs_3cC-VCI/AAAAAAABUS8/xtNIx2_p2qQ95ejO35UZvl7ZcrSqhrLJQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h236/Control%2B-%2BHeader.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://lu.ma/3ecq7x9r" target="_blank">Set a reminder</a> to join us live at 12:00 pm EDT on <strong><a href="https://lu.ma/3ecq7x9r">Fireside Chat</a></strong> and be sure to follow the show on <strong><a href="http://bit.ly/timelesspod">Apple Podcasts</a></strong> or <strong><a href="https://pod.link/timeless">wherever you get your podcasts</a></strong>.</p><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><p><br /></p><hr style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. And they get an audio version of this essay. Join the club by signing up below:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="5999" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p>

Character Defines Success Amid Uncertainty

  A Golden Thread  by John Strudwick, 1885 (public domain - Wikipedia) “We cannot insure success, but we can deserve it.”   — John Adams, 17...

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In It Together

<em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Creation_of_man_Prometheus_Berthelemy_Louvre_INV20043.jpg"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IQlTNYU45GE/YMJvdncf20I/AAAAAAABUHM/ACuZxL9DKL4_8r0RebZ87mK9F3OHcHtPwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Jean-Simon%2BBerth%25C3%25A9lemy%2B-%2BCreation%2Bof%2Bman%2BPrometheus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IQlTNYU45GE/YMJvdncf20I/AAAAAAABUHM/ACuZxL9DKL4_8r0RebZ87mK9F3OHcHtPwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h400/Jean-Simon%2BBerth%25C3%25A9lemy%2B-%2BCreation%2Bof%2Bman%2BPrometheus.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Creation_of_man_Prometheus_Berthelemy_Louvre_INV20043.jpg">Prometheus creating man in the presence of Athena</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by Jean-Simon Berthélemy, 1802 and by Jean-Baptiste Mauzaisse, 1826 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons, </span><a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/deed.en" style="text-align: left;">CC BY 2.5</a><span style="text-align: left;">)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></a></em><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“A house divided against itself cannot stand.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Abraham Lincoln, 1858</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p>I recall a scene in the mid 1990s just after leaving Boston University: <a href="https://youtu.be/KVocY1CuaIM">David Letterman brought </a><em><a href="https://youtu.be/KVocY1CuaIM">The Late Show</a></em><a href="https://youtu.be/KVocY1CuaIM"> to BU</a>, and picked out a student to become Big Man on Campus.</p><p>He randomly chose Michael Hirsch from the Freshman Record (a literal facebook of enrolled students), whose interests were listed as “Business and people.”</p><p>Dave had a field day with that, remarking,</p><blockquote><p>“That’s a one-two punch. I mean, think about this: if you’re interested in business but not in people, well then you’re screwed.”</p></blockquote><p>And yet, how many times have you encountered a situation, either as an employee or as a customer, where things don’t feel people-centric?</p><p>We have to make a big deal out of human-centered efforts, because they tend to be the exception rather than the rule.</p><p>In our lust for technology and data, we seem to have forgotten that humans are thriving behind each email address, each Twitter account, and each profile. People matter.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2>Look What I Have Created</h2><p>In ancient Greek mythology, Zeus was the tyrannical king of the gods—a real control freak. He had things arranged just the way he wanted. Under his rule, the younger Olympian gods defeated the elder Titans, and Zeus ruled with an iron fist.</p><p>But Prometheus, one of the second generation of Titans, saw things differently. He is credited as the creator of humankind. Or at least with sharing secrets of the gods with humans.</p><p>In Aeschylus’ <em>Prometheus Bound</em>, we find him chained to a rock, sentenced to eternal torment as an eagle eats his liver. Overnight, his liver grows back, and the eagle returns the next day, in a perpetual Groundhog Day of a sentence.</p><p>When asked why he was being punished, he said,</p><blockquote><p>“I gave humans hope, so they may be optimistic, and taught them the secrets of fire, from which they may learn many crafts and arts (<em>technai</em>).”</p></blockquote><p>How fascinating that, in his desire to create collaboration between mortals and immortals, he used technology to make it happen!</p><p>While we understand this to be a myth, to this very day, we still honor those origins of hope, optimism, and technology with a torch race that heralds the beginning of the Olympic games.</p><p>Thanks to Prometheus’ subversiveness, we have a stark reminder of the importance of people in how we lead.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2>People First</h2><p>In his book <em><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3v6ccSz">Excellence Now: Extreme Humanism</a></strong></em>, Tom Peters has a whole section called “People First.”</p><iframe frameborder="0" height="180px" loading="lazy" scrolling="no" src="https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/timeless-leadership/humanity-0tGCvpnjLca/embed/" style="min-width: 100%; width: 1px;" width="100%"></iframe><p><br /></p><p>And it’s no coincidence that the first tenet of Alan Mullally’s <strong>Working Together Management System™</strong> stresses  “people first.”</p><p>The mistake most leaders make—particularly when trying to execute a major transformation—is they focus on technology, metrics, and tracking.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><br />“Our success as an organization will ultimately be determined by our ability to work together as a team…to make the strategy succeed.”</strong> </em></p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Alan Mulally, 2020<br /><br /></em></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>When he arrived at Ford, Alan used the WTMS principles in weekly meetings with his executive team, introducing them to the business plan review (BPR) every Thursday.</p><p>The executives responsible for Alan’s transition into Ford were prepared for the usual bloodletting as the CEO would eliminate dead wood and bring in his own preferred team. But Alan quickly disabused them of the notion.</p><p>The beauty of the Working Together Management System was that they could put their trust in the process.</p><p>Bryce Hoffman recreates the scene in <em><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3x6mFOZ">American Icon: Alan Mulally and the Fight to Save Ford Motor Company</a></strong></em>:</p><blockquote><p>“Alan, if the board offers you this job and you take it, you need to understand that there are no sacred cows,” [board member Irv] Hockaday told Mulally. “Any friends of Bill [Ford] that are in the wrong positions or you conclude are not the right guys, you can get rid of them—and Bill will confirm that.”</p><p>Mulally shook his head.</p><p>“That’s not an issue, because I'm not going to have to get rid of many people,” he replied.</p><p>Mulally’s response was a little worrisome to Hockaday and [board member John] Thornton. They believed the time had come for a little bloodletting at the top of the house in Dearborn. It was concern about the weakness of Ford’s bench that had prompted them to look outside the company for a CEO in the first place.</p><p>“How do you come to that conclusion?” Hockaday asked.</p><p>Mulally responded by outlining his system of weekly meetings for them, just as he had for Ford. He told them this approach enforced extreme accountability on a weekly basis and left no hiding place for anyone who was not entirely committed to executing his part of the business plan.</p><p>“It’s likely that a lot of people at Ford aren’t used to that, and they will self-select out,” Mulally said. “And I won’t have to do it.”</p></blockquote><p>And just like Prometheus, the BPR meetings were like giving fire to the executives. While they were a little skittish at first, they gradually warmed to them and the self-selection process worked as expected.</p><p>In particular, there were a couple of executives who didn’t seem to be team players and harbored a pessimistic attitude. This was anathema to what Alan needed in pulling everyone together.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{"url":"https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/optimism","text":"Related: Optimism","class":null}" style="text-align: center;"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/optimism"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Related: Optimism</i></b></span></a></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>But there were three specific elements to the BPR meetings that ensured the changing culture under Alan’s leadership: enforced <strong>accountability</strong>, a spirit of <strong>cooperation</strong>, and relentless <strong>execution</strong>.</p><p>Together with the other principles and practices, while sounding simple, these behaviors are woven together through the complexity of an organization and its people to ensure working together works.</p><p>For all the people involved.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><h1><strong>Coming Up</strong></h1><p>The next guest on the <em><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/s/timeless-leadership">Timeless Leadership</a></strong></em> podcast is none other than <strong>Alan Mulally</strong>. He helped turn around an American and global icon in his work as an executive at Boeing before being tapped to become the CEO of Ford Motor Company in 2006.</p><p>We’ll be talking about <strong>Collaboration</strong> — specifically about Alan’s Working Together Management System.</p><p>Be sure to follow on <strong><a href="http://bit.ly/timelesspod">Apple Podcasts</a></strong> or <strong><a href="https://pod.link/timeless">wherever you get your podcasts</a></strong>.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. And now, we're adding more audio content to the list! Join the club by signing up below:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="6759" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p></div>

In It Together

Prometheus creating man in the presence of Athena  by Jean-Simon Berthélemy, 1802 and by Jean-Baptiste Mauzaisse, 1826 (public domain - Wik...

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It's You I Like

<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYc22QZQ_yU/YLhULK9AxXI/AAAAAAABT9o/6ltu51ZLvds3JfkVWVLrgv9CEwuROj9LgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1137/Jean-Auguste-Dominique%2BIngres%2B-%2BPortrait%2Bof%2BMonsieur%2BBertin.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1137" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WYc22QZQ_yU/YLhULK9AxXI/AAAAAAABT9o/6ltu51ZLvds3JfkVWVLrgv9CEwuROj9LgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h480/Jean-Auguste-Dominique%2BIngres%2B-%2BPortrait%2Bof%2BMonsieur%2BBertin.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portrait_of_Monsieur_Bertin">Portrait of Monsieur Bertin</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by Jean-August-Dominique Ingres, 1832 (public domain - Wikipedia)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“No man can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true.”</strong>  </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1850</em></p><p><em><br /></em></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />For those struggling with the perennial “personal brand” development, one question you might ask yourself is “What do I want the world to see?”</p><p>Because of the ubiquity of online content—whether on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, or elsewhere—we have an impression of what success looks like, as if a 15-second staged and edited video could tell the full story.</p><p>Weblebrities (not influencers, mind you) are no different than celebrities of decades ago, made glamorous by the Hollywood press machine, their reputations kept intact by an incestuous relationship between studio publicists and gossip columnists. We saw what they wanted us to see.</p><p>Everyone creating content online seeks fame, but authenticity and celebrity rarely go hand-in-hand.</p><p>Why?</p><p>Because people like a show. They like controversy. And we generally don’t live our lives being always “on.”</p><p>And this is why some people struggle with the ubiquitous advice to “be authentic.” They feel like they either owe people some kind of entertainment or that they’ll be ignored if they’re not controversial in some way.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“This above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— William Shakespeare, 1601</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />Isn’t it liberating to just be yourself? To be comfortable with who you are, and to show up that way, every day?</p><p>Whether you’re headed to work, out with friends, or at a family gathering, you don’t need to be <em>on</em>, you just need to be <em>you</em>.</p><p>And when you’re yourself, you can live with less shame or regret later on. Edgar Guest wrote about this in his poem “<a href="http://www.yourdailypoem.com/listpoem.jsp?poem_id=855" target="_blank">Myself</a>”:</p><p>    <em>I have to live with myself and so<br />    I want to be fit for myself to know.<br />    I want to be able as days go by,<br />    always to look myself straight in the eye…<br />    I want to go out with my head erect<br />    I want to deserve all men’s respect;<br />    but here in the struggle for fame and wealth<br />    I want to be able to like myself.<br />    I don’t want to look at myself and know that<br />    I am… bluff and empty show.<br />    I never can hide myself from me;<br />    I see what others may never see;<br />    I know what others may never know,<br />    I never can fool myself and so,<br />    whatever happens I want to be<br />    self-respecting and conscience-free.</em></p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>How we decide to show up will determine how we feel about ourselves, and as an extension, how we then treat other people.</p><p>Have you noticed that bullies invariably have problems with self-esteem? They bully others to make themselves feel more powerful, in many cases because they’re powerless in some other area of their life.</p><p>They feel badly about themselves and extend those feelings onto others. Deep down, they may know that they’re being abusive, and that in turn may make them feel even more dissatisfied with who they are.</p><p>Your feeling about yourself influences your behavior, the behavior of others, and what you perceive of yourself.<br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><br />“Authenticity isn't about being someone else. It's about being the best version of yourself. ”</strong> </em></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Fred Rogers</em></div><div style="text-align: right;">[<a href="https://ctt.ac/77O6Y" target="_blank">Tweet this</a>]</div><p></p><div><hr /></div><h2><br />Just the Way You Are</h2><p>Perhaps most powerfully, Mister Rogers demonstrated how he valued authenticity every day on his program when he told his millions of viewers, “I like you just the way you are.”</p><p>It was more than words, though. Fred Rogers backed it up in the way he treated everyone, giving them the ability to be the best version of themselves.</p><p>One day, a little boy named Jeff Erlanger visited the neighborhood in his electric wheelchair, days before a risky surgery. Mister Rogers visited with him sang “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFmpfEFjdFM&feature=youtu.be">It’s You I Like</a>” to Jeff, who also joined in.</p><p>Later, the two of them would be reunited in a surprise visit that brings me to tears every time I watch it. Every. Time.</p><center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LFmpfEFjdFM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></center><p><br /></p><p>“These are lovely sentiments,” you might be saying, “but what do they have to do with leadership?”</p><p>I’m glad you asked.</p><p><br /></p><p>Think for a moment about the people who work with you. Are you giving them the ability to be themselves at work? To express their ideas, to be comfortable with who they are?</p><p>We post job descriptions that call for people who show initiative. But when they do, perhaps pursuing an unconventional idea at your company, are they castigated or rewarded?</p><p>When we say we’re okay with failure, but then we penalize those who fail, what does that do to those who would be authentic in their approach to solutions?</p><p>And particularly when we’re in Pride Month, how are you allowing people to be uniquely themselves? Perhaps even making it <em>possible</em> for them to be their authentic selves?<br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><br />“As different as we are from one another, as unique as each one of us is, we are much more the same than we are different. That may be the most essential message of all, as we help our children grow toward being caring, compassionate, and charitable adults.” </strong></em></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Fred Rogers</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><h2><br />True Selves</h2><p>And what about you? Do you have the ability to be your true self at work?</p><p>Perhaps you’re afraid of people discovering something about you—some personality flaw or lack of ability. You’re not alone. <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/im-flawed">We’re all flawed</a></strong>. And the only people <strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/ignorance-incompetence-and-impostors">without impostor syndrome are actual impostors</a></strong>.</p><p>The leaders I admire most are those who are consistently themselves (i.e., authentic) whether they’re in front of a camera, a crowd, a boardroom, or an individual in an elevator.</p><p>When a leader shows how they’re comfortable in their own skin and treats people with dignity and respect, is curious, has integrity, is patient and kind, and the dozens of other <strong><a href="https://pod.link/timeless">timeless leadership qualities</a></strong>, we trust them.</p><p>And as we know, trust is the foundation of leadership.</p><p>Why not be yourself? Give people a chance to see and trust the real you.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><div><hr /></div><h1><strong>Coming Up</strong></h1><p>The next guest on the <em><strong>Timeless Leadership</strong></em> podcast is <strong>Minter Dial</strong>, author of <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3piUvO7">You Lead: How Being Yourself Makes You a Better Leader</a></em>.</p><p>Join us at 12:00 pm EDT on Thursday, June 3. <strong><a href="https://f.chat/HAPq">Request access here</a></strong>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cy4Eo3ySh4A/YLhWXkgNsSI/AAAAAAABT9w/tVeHubMV-cUdlboSV9hB5JfmZFHjF1jagCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Authenticity.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cy4Eo3ySh4A/YLhWXkgNsSI/AAAAAAABT9w/tVeHubMV-cUdlboSV9hB5JfmZFHjF1jagCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Authenticity.png" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. And now, we're adding more audio content to the list! Join the club by signing up below:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="28549" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p>

It's You I Like

Portrait of Monsieur Bertin  by Jean-August-Dominique Ingres, 1832 (public domain - Wikipedia) “No man can wear one face to himself and anot...

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Patience and Fortitude

<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oyNrROCrbhE/YK-YMqeZoqI/AAAAAAABTwU/ti0uB7BqylUI1IB4qX-rmBBjNH2xiUUWwCLcBGAsYHQ/s733/Jean-Francois%2BMillet%2B-%2BWaiting%252C%2B1860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="733" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oyNrROCrbhE/YK-YMqeZoqI/AAAAAAABTwU/ti0uB7BqylUI1IB4qX-rmBBjNH2xiUUWwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h428/Jean-Francois%2BMillet%2B-%2BWaiting%252C%2B1860.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waiting,_Jean-Francois_Millet,_1860_-_Nelson-Atkins_Museum_of_Art_-_DSC08970.JPG">Waiting </a></em><span style="text-align: left;">by Jean-François Millet, 1860 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons </span><a href="https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en" style="text-align: left;">CC0 </a><a href="https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en" style="text-align: left;">1.0</a><span style="text-align: left;">)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="captioned-image-container" data-pm-context="[]"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"><br /></figcaption></figure></div><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow—that is patience. The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Leo Tolstoy, 1904</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />Have you ever been late to a meeting or an appointment?</p><p>Of course you have. You’re human.</p><p>And instinctively you offer what we in polite society would expect: an <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/p/whens-the-last-time-you-heard-a-proper">apology</a>. Which is fine — the world needs better apologies.</p><p>But I’m going to give you something different to say—something more powerful and empowering—that will elevate your stature as a leader.</p><p>But first, a story.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h2><strong>Guardians of Knowledge</strong></h2><p>Have you ever been to New York City? If you have, you probably walked past the New York Public Library.</p><p>You know the building—it’s the same one that the Ghostbusters came screaming out of in the opening of the iconic 1984 movie. And out front, you'll see the two guardians of the library—the world-renowned pair of marble lions that stand proudly before the majestic Beaux-Arts building at Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan.</p><p>Did you know they had names?</p><p>The pair, sculpted by Edward Clark Potter and carved by the Piccirilli Brothers, were initially named Leo Astor and Leo Lenox, after two founders of the library, John Jacob Astor and James Lenox.</p><p>They were placed on their pedestals just days before the opening of the Main Branch on May 23, 1911.</p><p>In the 1930s, mayor Fiorello LaGuardia nicknamed them “Patience” and “Fortitude,” two qualities he thought New Yorkers needed to weather the Great Depression.</p><p>And since that time, that’s what they’ve been called.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQbT7t3r_8o/YK-YhN8zEMI/AAAAAAABTwc/F8joZZ589JoArUiSSQPkFaOGmiPO2Vf2wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/crop-1911_LoC_Opening%2BDay_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="911" data-original-width="1280" height="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQbT7t3r_8o/YK-YhN8zEMI/AAAAAAABTwc/F8joZZ589JoArUiSSQPkFaOGmiPO2Vf2wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h456/crop-1911_LoC_Opening%2BDay_0.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">New York Public Library, Opening Day 1911 (</span><a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/2014689221/" style="text-align: left;">Library of Congress</a><span style="text-align: left;">)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“No greater thing is created suddenly, any more than a bunch of grapes or a fig. If you tell me that you desire a fig, I answer you that there must be time. Let it first blossom, then bear fruit, then ripen.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Epictetus</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />Why does leadership call for patience?</p><p>Well, in one case, patience gives a leader an opportunity to remain calm. To practice the opposite of anger.</p><p>And in an age when crises loom at every moment and stress is threatening to creep up on us like Jack the Ripper, patience is indeed a virtue—armor against emotion-driven reactions, both from without and within.</p><p>Have you found yourself warming up to someone who is impatient and quick to fly off the handle? Likely not. The leader who is patient is the leader who is respected.</p><p>Even better, in addition to demonstrating to your colleagues that you can’t be ruffled by challenges that are thrown your way, <strong><a href="https://hbr.org/2020/09/becoming-a-more-patient-leader">recent research has uncovered additional benefits of patience</a></strong>:<br /><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><span style="font-size: medium;">When leaders demonstrate patience, their employees’ self-reported creativity and collaboration increased by an average of 16% and their productivity by 13%.</span></strong></em></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://ctt.ac/kGNe0" target="_blank">Click to tweet this quote</a></b></p><p><br />When you show patience, your team’s performance improves.</p><p>You’ve heard the adage “Slow and steady wins the race.” Well, when you exhibit patience, you convey to your team that a more measured pace is acceptable. And in doing so, they’ll make fewer unforced errors.<br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong>“Humility is attentive patience.”</strong> </em></p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Simone Weil, 1940</em></p><div><hr /><br /></div><h2><strong>The Alternative to an Apology</strong></h2><p>I promised you a different approach to apologizing for your tardiness, and I won’t let you down. Especially since you’ve been so kind to read the entire newsletter.</p><p>The next time you’re late to a meeting or call, instead of saying “Sorry I’m late,” simply say this:</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><em>“Thank you for your patience.”</em></h3><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>This is a magical phrase—one that takes the focus off of your shortcoming and places it on the virtue of your counterpart.</p><p>Suddenly, you have gone from victim to hero with five short words. You’ve given your colleague a gift by demonstrating <strong><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/humility/id1561294951?i=1000516365399">leader humility</a></strong>—acknowledging their human dignity.</p><p>It’s a subtle but powerful behavior. And the beauty is that it reflects well on you <em>and</em> on your colleagues.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{"url":"%%share_url%%","text":"Share","class":null}"><br /></p><div><hr /></div><h1><strong>Coming Up</strong></h1><p>The next guest on the <em><strong>Timeless Leadership</strong></em> podcast is <strong>Ted Wright</strong>. As CEO of Fizz, Ted has been on the forefront of word of mouth marketing for more than two decades. And of all the practices of marketing, word of mouth may require the most patience.</p><p>Join us at 12:00 pm EDT on Thursday, May 27. <strong><a href="https://lu.ma/rkq2dtby">Set a reminder here</a></strong>.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 image2-460-460" href="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6d0986f-35ab-44e2-b4e3-b771a2925bc6_1080x1080.png" style="height: 0px; padding-bottom: min(100%, 460px); width: 100%;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-attrs="{"src":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e6d0986f-35ab-44e2-b4e3-b771a2925bc6_1080x1080.png","height":1080,"width":1080,"resizeWidth":460,"bytes":609126,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":"image/png","href":null}" src="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe6d0986f-35ab-44e2-b4e3-b771a2925bc6_1080x1080.png" style="max-height: 460px; max-width: 460px;" /></a></figure></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">If you don’t yet <strong><a href="https://pod.link/timeless" style="color: #007abe; text-decoration-line: none;">subscribe to the podcast</a></strong>, please do so today. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. And now, we're adding more audio content to the list! Join the club by signing up below:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe data-dashlane-frameid="28549" frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p><div id="B0C4B41C_0B6F_B887_32D0_376C9C8559E5"><div></div></div><div id="1C3D0C7D_ABD9_AA0E_5834_523E2A0BEEB7"></div>

Patience and Fortitude

  Waiting  by Jean-François Millet, 1860 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons  CC0  1.0 ) “Patience is waiting. Not passively waiting. That is...

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The Humanity of the Pickle Barrel

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j9l2NMH__hs/YJyyY3QjJHI/AAAAAAABTkM/IuJfW0Gu0kg2sI9oFfJOMghiLEjcN_zSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/Doris%2BLee%2B-%2BGeneral_store_and_post_office.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="1024" height="338" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j9l2NMH__hs/YJyyY3QjJHI/AAAAAAABTkM/IuJfW0Gu0kg2sI9oFfJOMghiLEjcN_zSgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h338/Doris%2BLee%2B-%2BGeneral_store_and_post_office.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><em style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photograph of mural <strong><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:General_store_and_post_office_24943v.jpg">General store and post office</a></strong> by Doris Lee at the Ariel Rios Federal Building, Washington, D.C. (Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress via Wikimedia Commons)</span></em></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="captioned-image-container" data-pm-context="[]"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"><br /></figcaption></figure></div><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men. No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.” </strong></em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Elbert Hubbard, 1911</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>You need a pickle barrel.<br /><br />Not because you need to eat more vegetables (although your mom would still insist you do). But because you need more intimate and personal conversations.</p><p>I grew up in a small town in Connecticut — the kind with a town green and a white-steepled church, population 10,000. And I remember going with my mom or dad to the bank and the post office, and the teller or clerk behind the counter would know them by name. They might even ask how I was doing in school or on my baseball team.</p><p>It seems like a data-driven fantasy now, but those were the days when you didn’t need three forms of ID to pick up your mail or make a withdrawal. It was the way business was done.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><p>Going back a few generations, the general store was a center of small-town life, where citizens would go for supplies.</p><p>But more than being simply a retail shop, it was a place to see fellow residents, swap stories, and even hear some gossip over the pickle barrel — a large, wooden barrel where pickles floated in brine and you picked one out. Typically, there was someone seated nearby, just watching, or maybe playing checkers.</p><p>They knew you; you knew them. Maybe they’d strike up a conversation with you. Or make a remark to the clerk behind the counter.</p><p>It felt like an extension of family. When you walked away from the general store, you felt like a person and not a number.</p><p>Outside of interacting with a small business, when is the last time you had a brand experience like that?</p><p>These days, we’re left to felt like we’re a statistic or a cog in a system. Two forms of ID, login, and an encrypted password later, we're left feeling positively inhuman.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><br />“We want a lot of engineers in the modern world, but we do not want a world of engineers.”</strong> </em></p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Winston Churchill, 1948<br /><br /></em></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>We were told that the great promise of social media was that it had the potential to bring back the humanity in business. In its earliest days, we heralded the opportunity to have conversations with customers, to get feedback from them directly, and to create 1:1 (or at least 1:few) interactions.</p><p>And yet…  Where do we stand with that progress?</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="font-size: large;">Every time a new social platform opens up, it falls prey to marketers. Where’s the humanity?</span></em></h3><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"><br /></pre></div><p>Now, I don’t begrudge a company from making money, and there are few options for social networks that don’t include some sort of advertising, but it somehow feels like Groundhog Day.</p><p>The internet has been around for two decades, and yet we’re seeing the same kinds of advertising that were prevalent when television was introduced. There has to be a better way.</p><p>Aside from platforms, advertisers themselves are under pressure with a huge increase in the use of ad blocking technology particularly Apple’s new privacy feature that explicitly asks iPhone users whether an app should be allowed to track them across the other apps and sites that they use.</p><p>The interruptive and annoying user experience is angering consumers, and they’re increasingly making the decision to install software to prevent advertising from taking over their browsing experience.</p><p>And now they have a way to withhold their data.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“The real problem of humanity is the following: we have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and godlike technology.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Edward O. Wilson, 2009</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br /></p><p>The point of all of this is that while advertising is still a necessary part of the content ecosystem online, marketing leaders need to find a better way to meet the expectations of consumers.</p><p>The decades-old, twice-broken model of advertising is outdated — the interruptive model didn’t work for television, and it made its way to the internet, and eventually to social media.</p><p>We need to wake up to the need for human interaction and stories.</p><p>Simply advertising to them is lazy. Perhaps it means a more hands-on style with a focus on community management in addition to paid media. There’s value in creating connections and leveraging relationships, especially when we have products and services that people genuinely care about or want to tell others about.</p><p>We’re on the precipice of losing the opportunity to create the long-promised personalized content that never seemed to materialize. If we want to create an emotional connection with consumers and leave a lasting impact, mass marketing is no longer the way forward.</p><p>We need to show the humanity behind the brand and demonstrate an interest in connecting with consumers the way <em>they</em> want to engage.</p><p>Then maybe we’ll be able to reclaim the pickle barrel conversations.</p><div class="preformatted-block"><label class="hide-text" contenteditable="false"></label><pre class="text"> </pre></div><div><hr /></div><h1>Coming Up</h1><br />The next guest on the <a href="https://pod.link/timeless">Timeless Leadership</a> podcast is Tom Peters. Tom’s name is synonymous with excellence, and his latest book is a look at the urgency of excellence in how we show up as humans.<br /><br />Join us at noon EDT on Thursday, May 13 on <a href="https://firesidechat.com/scottmonty">Fireside Chat</a>.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nSdf6fgRVx8/YJyy8aRecII/AAAAAAABTkU/uuS_6UdxaPoX2Caq9Rwtj0Vclg404fqngCLcBGAsYHQ/s1080/Humanity.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nSdf6fgRVx8/YJyy8aRecII/AAAAAAABTkU/uuS_6UdxaPoX2Caq9Rwtj0Vclg404fqngCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h400/Humanity.png" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div><hr /><br /></div></div></div><div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">If you don’t yet <strong><a href="https://pod.link/timeless" style="color: #007abe; text-decoration-line: none;">subscribe to the podcast</a></strong>, please do so today. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet. </p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Premium Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. And now, we're adding more audio content to the list! Join the club by signing up below:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://www.timelesstimely.com/embed" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p></div>

The Humanity of the Pickle Barrel

Photograph of mural  General store and post office  by Doris Lee at the Ariel Rios Federal Building, Washington, D.C. (Carol M. Highsmith Ar...

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