The Blog of Robert Van Valkenburgh
When I was a teenager, I was sent to a Scared Straight program and was made to visit a prison for a day. If nothing else, the experience of being looked at, talked to, and treated like prey gave me empathy for the weak and outnumbered. From the time I was very young, I was [...]
“There can be no leadership where there is no team.” -Leif Babin
"We should fight for one another. We should forgive those of us who are weaker and support those of us that are stronger." -Dave Chappelle What do you do to contribute to and raise up your community?
Being a leader requires the delegation of responsibilities, but never the abdication of responsibilities. Jocko Willink often talks about the necessity of a decentralized command structure within an organization, if that organization is to be successful. Leadership must delegate objectives and responsibilities to lower-level leaders who are closer to the ground where tasks are executed. [...]
What are some or your favorite free or inexpensive activities or experiences? Are you happier with more time and less money or with more money and less time?
When someone criticizes you, accept it as a gift. They are offering you the opportunity to improve. When your friends, family, or customers stop telling you when you’re wrong, it’s probably not because you’re doing nothing wrong.
If more entrepreneurs talked about how many times they thought about quitting, or were forced to pivot, we'd have more entrepreneurs. Share your failures, real or imagined, not just your successes. Someone may need to hear your story in order to author their own.
