Your sadness might be caused by another person’s insecurity.
Your fear might be caused by another person’s boldness.
Your silence might be caused by another person’s loneliness.
There are different angles to the same story. And the capacity to appreciate more than one of them will help you get past whatever it is that is holding you back.
I think there might be an opportunity there.
That’s a sentence that destroys focus, motivation, productivity. Because it is true, there probably is an opportunity here, there, and everywhere in between. And that’s not a good reason to pause and go pursue it.
Others will always ask, demand even, that you change your mind, do something, behave in a given way. And of course, it is your responsibility to accept what you feel comfortable with and push back against what is not for you. What does not help your own goal. What does not stand for you own values. What takes you farther from your purpose.
You set the boundaries and you are the one defending them.
You get what you measure.
Unless you measure too many things.
In that case, most likely, you get nothing.
Define success, pick a good proxy, and stick with it.
When you raise through the ranks, keep in mind that your role, responsibilities, relationships shift.
It is mainly a journey you have to do alone. And you can’t make up for it by pretending you are still friend with everyone. Your words have a different weight. Your messages have a different weight. Even your ideas and opinions have a different weight. The best you can do is embrace this fact and act as it is expected by your new role.
Instead of cracking an ambiguous joke, shut up and listen.
Instead of sharing your pain and frustration, own other’s pains and frustrations.
Instead of giving your opinion on every topic, ensure that others can give theirs.
The friend complex is dangerous for founders, executives, managers. Whether you resist to it might make the difference between being alone and being lonely.
You've got this 