An old quote says that you can tell the true nature of a person’s character by the way she/he treats subordinates. according to my experience, this is quite true - in good and bad cases.

Knowing that is hard to be a good leader and that there is a ton of things you can screw up, here are some thoughts about what counts in the long run - because as a leader or a boss you don’t run a business/department/team/… but influence people and their lives… 

The bosses and managers you will remember for the rest of your life are the ones who…

1. provided safe space to grow.
   
2. showed us how.
3. opened career doors.
   
4. defended us when we needed it.
5. developed us as professionals and persons.
6. saw something in us we couldn’t see.
   
7. inspired us to stretch even higher.
   
8. lead by example.
   
9. explained when asked and listened when needed.
10. emphasized our future over the company’s present.
11. ensured us that our work mattered.
12. forgave us when we made mistakes.
    

Try your best to work for someone like this now and to become someone like this later…

Your m

80% of the people you talk to actually don’t care about YOUR problems.
20% are glad you have them.
Fact.

Don’t complain publically.
Never post, blog or brag about your problems. 
Instead: directly approach those few who can and may help. 

Don’t get me wrong:
Think of who might be supportive and ask for help if needed! Asking is a sign of strength, not of weakness!
But: Remain silent or vague towards everyone else! 

What you want is a solution and/or help - not pity, condolences, consent or blame! 

Keep in mind that the vast majority of your high school friends, neighbors, colleagues, followers, etc. will not solve or support!
Therefore, you better keep things to yourself.

Your m

Advice To My Younger Self

If I had the chance to meet my high school me - I would tell him the following… in no distinct order:

1. always be in the moment, be present
2. think, travel and write as much as you can
3. practice public speaking
4. value friendships and family over everything else
5. memorizing is not learning
6. winning is not that important - playing is
7. learn how to listen, to eat and to invest
8. seize every single day but don’t take life too seriously
9. understand when to shut up and to leave
10. find a mentor for everything that matters to you
11. trust your gut / have faith
12. Never lose your course
13. solve the hardest problems you can find
14. never brag or pretend - a waste of time
15. whatever you do, always go “all in”

Your old m

… are completely worthless unless you get at least of few of them done. 

Stop postponing and procrastinating: Use the days to come to make some of your thoughts and ideas reality.

Annotation: It might work best with a cup of coffee - just like this one…

Your m

What I’ve learned over the last year:

Being happy is just like being fit!

- You have to work hard for it.
- You must not stop if you wanna keep it.
- It is on you to make it happen.

From forbes.com:

“… —you either create it, or you don’t. Happiness that lasts is earned through your habits. Supremely happy people have honed habits that maintain their happiness day in, day out.”

(Some examples of habits: https://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2017/02/14/ten-habits-of-incredibly-happy-people/#1b1c1a4d11ba) 

Therefore: 

Happiness is probably NOT driving the right car, earning more or achieving your next goal - although it can be all of that.
Happiness is within you and highly depends on your perspective on the world. 

But what that also means is:

1. You have to actively decide to become happy - and for example, apply various habits (Step A)
   
2. And you have to chose to BE happy. (Step B)
   

A bit like these guys:

But don’t get me wrong: I am not telling you to become a hedonist and only look for short-term satisfaction. Nor do recommend to make YOLO your new motto… I know that life can be tough and unfair.

All I say is that it is on you and not any god given circumstances. It is on you to live a happy life.

Be aware that you need to create the happiness inside of you before you can experience it.

Or as someone once sang: 

Source for this post is this TED Talk by Tasha Eurich: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVPxmz_PvUw

Step 1:

Open up for feedback and accept the fact that you are NOT perfect - yet.
Try to understand that there are skills and characteristics you are lacking or own untapped potential in.

Step 2:

Think about a certain behavior/skill/habit that would significantly change you for the better. Ask yourself “What habits/doings/actions/skills would make me a better leader/person/dad/bartender/…?”

Step 3:

List what you can come up with. 

Step 4:

Rate each listed item from 1 to 10 - depending on “how close to awesome would I come mastering this skill/habit/…?”

Step 5:

Pick the ONE rated highest and work on it - every single day.

Best of luck!
Your m

Reuse stuff you have made/created once… dig deep into your personal archives, tweak things a bit and adapt existing stuff instead of starting from scratch!

Is that cheating? No, smart.

Most highly productive people I know use this trick over and over. For example with talks, keynotes and speeches: if it is still true and fits the topic of the event - why not upcycle the stuff you already have!

And moreover: this is the best way to get the most out of every piece of content you ever created. Imagine the potential lying around in your files, on your hard drive, drop boxes, etc.

Pablo Picasso once said:

“Good artists copy; great artists steal.”

You can do both, legally: from yourself!

On 3 June 2016 one of the greatest and most inspirational sportsmen in history died.

For years I have read and watched everything I could find about him.

These are the four most powerful lessons and thoughts I learned from “The Greatest”…   

First of all, YOU have to see it… 

“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision.“

Ali knew that he is made for greatness. He deeply believed that he is (going to be) the best there is in his sport - and he was never shy to let the world know… But apart from all the rhymes and jabs - he was a master of the inner dialog, the maestro of his own mind. 

He saw greatness when nobody else saw him at all. 

We are all salesmen

Ali was a sales genius marketing his own brand - long before the word personal brand was even invented. You wanna know what that looked like: 

But don’t get that wrong: all the bragging would not have had the effect that it had, hadn’t his actions followed his words! But it started with the show and the marketing. He managed to become a famous person, a hero, a media phenomenon and a sports brand respected and admired for decades - to the very last day of his life and beyond.

(His worlds would not have been enough to do so - that is for sure. But his boxing wouldn’t have either.)

Preparation is everything

"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses - behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”

He trained like a machine (hating every minute of it). He was disciplined and mentally strong. Not just a showman. He delivered. And he only could because of his relentless preparation regime.

An example:

Once asked for the number of situps he does in a normal workoput he replied: “I have no idea. I start when it starts hurting.”

Being great inspires greatness in others 

Ali became more than a boxer. He became a legend, a world known brand, and an icon. 

Because of his success, his personality, and his courage…

I have no idea if Ali knew what we do today - but in retrospective, he managed to inspire athletes all around the planet across all kinds of sports and over decades. He inspired sports brands, managers as well as school kids to believe in their goals and to work hard.

To take away:
You may not box like Ali, you may not float like a butterfly or dance like the heavy-weight champ…

… but you can believe in yourself, market your band, prepare and perform like him!

And you can inspire those around you - by being The Greatest version of you!

Your m - dancing, floating, stinging…

(This is an ad made by a beer brand - stating the message completely wrong. Alc is NO problem solver!! I just use the picture for illustration…!)

Why I share: this what we all do. This is what we actually get the money for. We are all problem solvers!

Responsibility in a job is nothing but the allowance to take on larger problems. 

My personal recommendation: 

Do join the problem solvers team! Always keep your eyes on the solution (not the challenge) and accept the fact that the problems you face are the reason you do have a job. 

See them as the wind you need to sail. 
And sail/solve.  

your m