Time = life

For the next 5 minutes, let’s elevate your career.

In today’s email:

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” Enthusiasm is powerful at work because it:

✅ Inspires others to commit to big goals

✅ Fosters optimism in the team

✅ Drives change

Our enthusiasm creates great value for our team. And it helps future proof our careers.

Defensiveness is when we perceive feedback as threatening and don’t accept accountability for our actions. It’s a maladaptive but very human response. Our brains evolved to initiate a flight or fight response to a range of threats. Dr David Rock identified perceived threats to status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, and fairness as triggering negative emotions in the workplace.

A major cost of defensiveness is that it delays us from resolving problems. One way to disarm defensiveness is to cultivate openness. Regard feedback as data. Try to be curious about the perspective and reasons of others. A commitment to understanding others, doesn’t meant that we need to agree with them. It’s essential though to moving forward.

Being more productive frees time. We can use this time to advance work or non-work goals. Or to be idle. Whatever we want more of in our lives. Good time management liberates us.

I was reminded today of the large percentage of Olympic gold medallists who become depressed soon after their victory. Euphoria had quickly waned. And in some cases, the dominant feeling was relief that defeat had been avoided. Achieving big goals in organizations can also be underwhelming.

Why then pursue these big goals if the outcome can often disappoint? Because the journey is the reward. This is more than a cliche. This phrase was printed on a poster displayed at Apple’s headquarters in the eighties and became an unofficial company slogan. Steve Jobs knew that building something meaningful with great people was as important as the end result.

What is making you happy on your journey?

Brian Chesky (1981 — ) was born in Niskayuna, New York to social worker parents. He developed an early interest in art and design, often redesigning toys and shoes as a child. Chesky graduated from Rhode Island School of Design with a BFA in industrial design. In his studies, he met future Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia. Chesky started his career as an industrial designer in Los Angeles but soon relocated to San Francisco.

Airbnb was born in 2007 when Chesky and Gebbia rented space in their apartment to conference attendees needing accommodation. This idea rapidly grew to a global platform connecting millions of hosts and travellers.

Under Chesky’s leadership, Airbnb has revolutionized hospitality, welcoming over a billion guests in more than 240 countries. He regularly stays in Airbnbs to improve the guest experience. Some of Cesky’s career wisdom: