Throughout my columns, I’ve tried to tilt the frame of reference for my readers - from warehouse and counter help to the CEO, so they might approach their jobs with an alternative or a fresh outlook on how to improve their performance. I have found that a common ingredient among people who are good at what they do is the element of self-improvement. More frequently than not, these changes don’t occur because of a thunderbolt, but rather due to steady, incremental changes that accumulate into a distinct advantage. There’s much to be said about being the turtle in business. I’m certainly no business guru, but I believe that I’ve had some modest success in finding experts who are particularly insightful on how to improve oneself. I’m fascinated by different approaches in behavior that affect us because that is the first step in any change, whether it’s individually or institutionally.
I recently listened to the audiobook, “Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALS Lead and Win,” a business book by two ex-Seals who took what they learned in the military and applied it to the business world. Coincidentally, I was having lunch with a friend who is responsible for almost 40,000 workers. I like this fellow so much, I told him that I was going to send him the book. He replied: “I finished reading it recently.”