Bite-sized insights for curious leaders & learners every other Sunday.

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🗣️ "A peasant that reads is a prince is waiting." -Walter Mosley

🗣️ "Hell is having to meet the person you could have become." -Unknown

🗣️ “Life is like a ten-speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use.” -Charles Schulz

🗣️ "Everyone who strives to reach his potential must pay a price—in time, effort, resources, and opportunities missed. Many people fail to pay the price that their potential demands." -John Maxwell

In grad school, after months of working on a project, two of my best friends took our idea and filed a patent on it. Here’s what I learned from the experience. ​Read more​

When he was Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius kept a journal, which was later published as “Meditations.” It's packed with memorable quotes. ​Read more​

Busy shouldn’t be a badge of honor. These five virtues offer a better path to fulfillment in our increasingly busy world. ​Read more​

​John Williams by Tim Greiving​ ​Nonfiction: Biography, Music, Film Ever since I took a "Music of the Movies" class in college, I've listened to soundtrack music while I work. Williams is the mind behind some of the most memorable scores in history: Jaws, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T., etc. My favorite stories were about his relationships with filmmakers Stephen Spielberg & George Lucas. Check it out if you love movies and/or music.

​Holly by Stephen King​ ​Fiction: Horror, Thriller/Mystery This was the 31st King book I've read. It follows detective Holly Gibney as she tracks a serial killer. As with many of King's books, this one isn't for the faint of heart. Expect fantastic writing, thoughtful characters, and some disturbing stuff.

🗣️ Of all the times you've trusted someone to take on a task beyond their current abilities, what percentage of the time did they not rise to the challenge? -Idea from Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar

In many companies, when a manager is out of the office, their boss (the Senior Manager, Director, etc.) fills in to cover for them.

I think that model is flawed. Here's why...

It's difficult to develop talent in an organization. Most companies wish they had a deeper bench of future leaders.

And one of the best times to give someone a chance to lead is to have them fill in as a manager for a short period of time. You can see how they respond to conflict, stress, and difficult decisions, and they'll learn a ton along the way.

So the next time you're about to leave for vacation, parental leave, sabbatical, etc., rather than tapping another manager to fill in, give one of your direct reports the chance to shine instead.

Backfill UP, not DOWN.

Earlier this month, my wife and I escaped from the PNW to spend a week in Mexico.

We've found that going somewhere hot and sunny in Jan/Feb is one of the best ways to survive the winter, so we've done that for many years.

We spent four days in Mexico City, then three in Puerto Vallarta. We also ate more tacos than I can count! ;-) It was a fun, relaxing trip.

Visit me at BobbyPowers.com for more articles and book reviews about leadership, self-improvement, and productivity.

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