Swift Straw Blog

Last week I released a blog about learning to overcome the natural human tendency of “Being Right” so that we can make mistakes with a smile.  Another detrimental human tendency that we must overcome in order to grow as a person and as a leader is the tendency to block ideas that are not our own.

I am in the process of re-reading one of my favorite books of all time, “Blue Ocean Strategy.”  We have all heard that a strategy is only as good as a team’s ability to execute.  In Blue Ocean Strategy, they use the concept of Fair Process to describe the most effective way to execute on a strategy.

“I never learn anything talking. I only learn things when I ask questions,” Lou Holtz.

Habits are our brains way of trying to create less work.  The Baso Ganglia part of our brain determines when it is time to create a habit, which makes room for our brain to focus consciously on other things.  Once the habit trigger kicks in, actions can be done through auto suggestion.  

After battling cancer for years, Randy Pausch received the fateful news that the cancer had returned and he only had a few months to live.  Randy spent the last month of his life delivering his final message to the world.  Here are a few takeaways:

My Grandmother, Grace Adkins, is about to celebrate her 90^th birthday.  As we prepare to celebrate, here are a few things that I have learned from her amazing life and continued example: