Home » Archives for John Stevenson » Page 3

Author: John Stevenson

The benefits of being uncomfortable

Staying in “the comfort zone” can kill relationships, careers and businesses. Because a comfort zone is really just another way of describing stagnation, boredom and plateauing. Perhaps the most confounding part of this is that it’s often due to having enough. Enough customers. Enough money. Enough stuff. The pleasure in our lives slightly outweighs the …

Read more

Burnout: how to identify it and fix it

Burnout is a common malaise right now. Isolation, all-day Zoom meetings, and anxiety about the future of our country and world are weighing on all of us. If you’re feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, or underappreciated, you may be in the fog of burnout. The causes of burnout, and their potential remedies, though, are a bit harder …

Read more

The fundamental of being kind and useful never go out of style

I know the complex problems of today cannot be fixed with a few words. And simple refrains won’t open hardened hearts, soothe real pain and suffering, or fix injustices overnight. But we can remind ourselves of the fundamentals of human decency. Because the fundamentals – of anything – never lose value and never go out of …

Read more

Communicating is the most important skill to test when hiring

“I would have written you a shorter letter if I had more time” is the modern-day translation of a quote from 17th century mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal. It captures perfectly two of the most important disciplines of writing: precision and brevity. Rambling, muddled, and lengthy writing is painful to read. It’s frustrating and confusing. It …

Read more

Everything is figureoutable

Ever feel stuck and scared? Having trouble getting started? Not sure what to do next? All pretty normal and natural feelings, especially now during a global pandemic, but the key is to shake those feelings fast. Marie Forleo is the author of Everything is Figureoutable. She writes and speaks about a variety of leadership, entrepreneurship, and …

Read more

And: the power of thinking in combinations and win-win

It was F. Scott Fitzgerald who said, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” This is exactly what the best leaders – and their organizations – are able to do. And it is the …

Read more

Ambitions: How to lean in if you’re already all in

All moms are working moms. Period. Whether they’re working inside the home or outside the home, they’re working. Hard. It’s dawn to dusk, and then some. It’s changing gears constantly, from household tasks, to professional responsibilities, to emotional maintenance. A few years ago I gave Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In” to my wife, Sarah Jane, thinking she …

Read more

Momentum powers motivation: how to cultivate it

Being stuck is the worst. No one likes to be part of an endless project with no goal line in sight. It’s a sure path to burnout, and a waste of time, money, energy and emotion. Momentum, on the other hand, motivates. It drives you. It excites you. Progress, forward motion – quick wins – …

Read more

Trust

Without trust, nothing in society would work. We go out in public among strangers because we trust we won’t be attacked. We give a loan, not because of a promissory note, but because we trust the person to repay it based on their word (and past behavior.) We travel in planes because we trust pilots …

Read more