Howe Leadership

01/06/2025

Below is the third in a series of posts from my grandson, Josh Toyer (https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-t-toyer-81b24a276/), who is preparing to start his internship with me. Here is his latest insight from Amy Edmondson’s book “Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well” (https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/profile.aspx?facId=6451).
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In my previous post, I shared that not all failures are alike in how they can be prevented. This time, I would like to consider the consequences of failures— something that I personally do not always want to think about. There are a large variety of situations that we can find ourselves in while working in our respective fields and understanding how these situations affect the impact and likelihood of failure is key to a healthy mindset about failure. The first aspect to consider is whether our work is high stakes or low stakes. By their very nature, failures in higher stakes environments result in more severe consequences than lower stakes environments. An example would be flying a plane versus trying a new sport; failing at either task can result in physical injury, but one will be more serious than the other. The second aspect to consider is the degree of consistency in your work. The more consistent it is, the deeper your knowledge of what works and what doesn’t. In inconsistent work environments there is no established pattern for success, so the probability of failure is high and should be expected. Now imagine a matrix with impact (high stakes vs. low stakes) on one axis and degree of consistency on the other axis. Place your work in the appropriate quadrant. What does that suggest to you about reasonable expectations for failure? The trick for perfectionists like me is to understand both the likelihood and impact of failures, and not to berate yourself when they occur, especially in a work environment with a high probability of moderate to low impact failures. In the meantime, remember the words of Benjamin Franklin: “Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.”

12/22/2024

If you are not a word nerd, perhaps you missed the announcement of the Oxford Word of the Year -- brain rot.

‘Brain rot’ is defined as “the supposed deterioration of a person’s mental or intellectual state, especially viewed as the result of overconsumption of material (now particularly online content) considered to be trivial or unchallenging. Also: something characterized as likely to lead to such deterioration”. (https://corp.oup.com/news/brain-rot-named-oxford-word-of-the-year-2024/)

Denouncing social media would be the trivial, unchallenging reaction symptomatic of brain rot. Let me offer a more thoughtful antidote, from leadership expert, Dr. Michelle Pizer.

"Think about what sparks your creativity or inspires you to think deeply — whether it’s solving a complex problem, learning a new skill, or simply stepping away from the noise for a meaningful conversation. These moments remind us why the trivial stuff is, well, trivial." ~ Michelle Pizer

How about setting a challenging goal for yourself for 2025? Then, if you're serious about following through on it, let's have that meaningful conversation Michelle Pizer speaks of, and perhaps I can help you map out an achievable action plan.

12/19/2024

Below is the second in a series of posts from my grandson, Josh Toyer, who is preparing to start an internship in web design & development here in Indy. We’re both learning from the latest research in the science of failing well. Here’s Josh.
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In my previous post, I shared that accomplishing anything of significance requires accepting the associated risk and being open to the possibility of failure. However, not all failures are alike— and that’s what I’d like us to consider now. The first thing to understand is that failures can take different forms. There are simple and complex failures, and both of these can be avoided. Simple failures just result from simple mistakes, such as spilling milk or forgetting to do a basic safety check. Complex failures, as the name implies, result from a multitude of small errors that compound into a bigger one. Simple failures are normally simple to prevent, but complex failures often result from factors beyond our control. What are we supposed to do then? For starters, take a step back and learn from the experience. One of the things that perfectionists need to do is reorient their minds from wanting to avoid failure at all costs to having a growth mindset, where failure is not something to be avoided but an opportunity to grow. In the meantime, remember: “Do not be embarrassed by your failures, learn from them and start again.” ~ Richard Branson

If the fear of failure is holding you back, perhaps we can help you rethink the role of failure in your personal growth. If you’d like to find out more, we’d love to share a cup of coffee with you – and Grandpa’s buying!

12/10/2024

I just adopted the word LEADERSHIP on Wordnik (https://www.wordnik.com/words/leadership).

11/19/2024

It's been a pleasure to collaborate with my grandson, Josh Toyer (linkedin.com/in/joshua-t-toyer-81b24a276), over the past few months. As he nears graduation from Cedarville University, Josh has been freelancing for me, creating content on the subject of failure. Some of you may recall that before founding IndyGrit.Community, I served as the Chief Mentor in Residence for The Failure Institute, where I developed a keen interest in this topic. Josh's unique insights have been invaluable, and I've invited him to author a series of posts to pique your curiosity. Here's the first one for your reading pleasure.

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My point of view on failure has been challenged by Amy Edmondson’s book Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well (Edmondson, A. (2023) Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, New York, NY: Atria Books). Let’s face it: None of us likes to fail. But it’s a fact of life that failure does occur, and learning to fail well is an important lesson to learn as early as you can. Accomplishing anything of significance requires accepting the associated risk and being open to the possibility of failure. But if you’re a perfectionist like me, that fact can discourage you. If you are like me, you take failure personally; you believe that just because you failed, you are a failure. And that is simply not true. I have learned that just because you fail, that does not mean that you are a failure. I want to share what I have learned with you to give you a bit more confidence in yourself and introduce you to the concept of failing well. I’ll do that over the next few weeks, so check back for my next installment. In the meantime, remember that “When we give ourselves permission to fail, we, at the same time, give ourselves permission to excel.” ~ Eloise Ristad

10/22/2024

"It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust." ~ Samuel Johnson

10/13/2024

"Information scarcity rewarded knowledge acquisition. Information abundance requires pattern recognition." ~ Adam Grant

09/27/2024

Businesses tend to be seasonal in the same way that we experience spring, summer, fall, and winter. However, these business seasons are less conspicuous because their duration is unpredictable and may vary from one business to another.

Here is how farmers respond to the seasons in order to optimize their business over the long term. Spring is the time for planting – for new beginnings. Farmers must first be patient as they wait for the ground to thaw and be sure there will not be another frost. The season is marked by enthusiasm and hope as fields are prepared and crops planted.

Summer is make or break time. It is marked by vigilant monitoring of crops and prayer for favorable conditions that are outside the control of the farmer ‐‐ such as just the right amount of rain, sunshine, and warm temperatures. There is constant weeding, pruning, trimming, and fighting insects. The season is marked by the weariness of fighting against all the opposing forces of nature.

Fall is harvest time and reaping the rewards of all that has come before. A time for bringing in the crops and selling them. And there are decisions to be made about what portion of the cash surplus should be reinvested in the farm and how much should go in the bank to carry the business through the winter. It is a season of celebration with an eye to the future.

Winter is a season for reflection, rest, and preparation for spring planting. A time to mend fences and repair equipment. A time for accounting for the past season followed by short and long‐range planning. It is marked by cautious optimism and waiting for signs of spring.

While this metaphor isn’t perfect, it can be helpful. With that in mind, which season do you think best describes your business? If you were to lean into your current season, what would you be more intentional in doing? I'd love chatting about this with you over a cup of coffee. Please reach out, but no pumpkin latte for me. Sorry.

09/23/2024

There is a proverb from the Native American wisdom tradition along the lines of: "The path is new to you, but it is worn from the footsteps of those who have gone before." This proverb speaks to the idea that the path you are on may be new and unfamiliar to you -- but you are not alone. You can draw on the wisdom and guidance of those who have gone before you. I encourage you to avail yourself of the plentiful resources of our community.

If you'd like to chat, I'd love to share a cup of coffee with you. Perhaps I can be of help, and if not, it's likely I know someone who can.

09/11/2024

Consider this great irony. Benedictine Monks were pioneers in developing and using the first clocks because they were committed to praying at set times each day. These early clocks rang bells to call the community to prayer and remind the community of the brevity of life in contrast to God's eternity.

As you reflect on your own relationship to time and eternity, perhaps you find yourself caught in the "productivity trap". I'd love to buy you a cup of coffee to hear your thoughts about time management (surely an oxymoron), productivity, and how you manage your energy.

09/02/2024

Happy Labor Day!

"In all labor there is profit,

But mere talk leads only to poverty." ~ Proverbs 14:23

08/29/2024

When coaching entrepreneurs about their personal productivity, I always emphasize "The Power of No" -- making your greatest possible contribution by devoting your time and energy to those vital few pursuits that matter most, and having the courage to say no to the many other less important ones.

A corollary to "The Power of No" is what Oliver Burkman (author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals) refers to as JOMO -- the joy of missing out. He highlights that when we make more intentional choices about how we use our time, we have a greater sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.

However you label the practice, it takes a great deal of courage to say "no" or to choose to miss out. That's why it's called "leadership".

Are you the kind of leader you would want to follow? Let's chat over a cup of coffee.

08/22/2024

Here are the 2024 stats on the survival rate of new businesses. It is relatively unchanged from previous years. Sadly, I've coached a number of young businesses that have become statistics over the years. The immediate cause of their failure is usually evident -- most often, insufficient cash flow. The root cause is less obvious and preceded the immediate cause -- often, in my judgment, the curse I refer to as the second level of ignorance, which I define as "not knowing what you don't know".

One way to improve your odds and mitigate the risks is to engage with an experienced advisor. Since there is no shortage of well-qualified advisors, I'm discouraged by what the statistics reveal to me -- that there continues to be a shortage of humility and curiosity keeping some large percentage of entrepreneurs in the purgatory of the second level of ignorance.

If you'd like to improve your odds, I'd love to chat over a cup of coffee. Maybe I can help, or perhaps I can recommend someone better suited for your needs. In any event, you will be taking an important first step towards breaking the curse of the second level of ignorance.

08/16/2024

If you are a new leader, one of your most defining moments will be your first response to news of a failure. This is probably not what you expected me to name as a defining moment. And yet, psychological safety is among the critical factors we find repeatedly among high performing teams and organizations (and healthy families). Great leaders appreciate the value of a culture that encourages teammates to surface failures large and small before they grow to become more serious. They make a distinction between learning from failure and performance evaluation, and recognize that not all failures are created equal.

There's lots more to be said on this subject, including what would be a healthy first response. If you'd like to chat about this, I'd love to do that over a cup of coffee.

07/31/2024

While there have been many displays of grit at this summer's Olympic Games in Paris, one in particular will remain etched in my memory -- Britain’s Tom Pidcock's mountain bike race to victory. If you missed it, here are the highlights.

Pidcock had to make an unplanned pit stop on his third lap (in this 8-lap event) to replace a flat tire, which put him way behind the leaders and almost certainly out of the running for a stellar finish. With five laps to go, he jumped back in and is quoted as telling himself, “There’s no point in stressing over it, is there? That’s not going to get me back to the front.” Pidcock gave it his all. Fast forward to the final lap of the 22-mile race, and Pidcock was in the number two position, following the top-ranked mountain biker in the world. When the leader had an unlucky break, Pidcock jumped to the lead to claim the gold for Great Britain. You can check out the details here: https://www.wsj.com/sports/olympics/tom-pidcock-mountain-biking-paris-f3aaf0d1?st=xqo5899h3sshrht&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink.

I have an observation from Pidcock's surprising comeback that I believe applies to us as business leaders. With so much uncertainty in our environment, a catastrophe in the early stages of a project or career isn't always fatal. But it does require grit -- including an abundance of mental toughness -- to make a comeback.
If you've got a personal comeback story, I'd love to hear about it over a cup of coffee.

[Photo: Tom Pidcock dans le Tourmalet lors du Tour de France 2023 by Shougissime]

03/03/2024

It was a privilege to be on Matt's podcast:

‎Show Default Profitable, Ep Ep66 Harry Howe, President Howe Leadership - Feb 28, 2024