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Have you ever been asked the question, “What advice would you give to your younger self?” I have. Have you wanted to ask that question to other successful people in your sphere of influence? If so, then this is a great short read. I resonate with it so much and probably will be my go-to answer from here on out when I’m asked this question. I truly wish I would have discovered this sooner in my leadership and life … it would have saved me a lot of pain. But at the same time, it’s also something that you have to live and learn and just because you read it, doesn’t mean it will soak in. In fact, it’s probably my stage of life that I think that it’s actually profound. What do you think of the answer to this question?

Not sure if you’re an Apple fan or not, but usually after I watch an Apple keynote, my response is, “Shut up and take my money already!” I think I would probably fall into the Apple Fanboy category (Friends, you are probably rolling your eyes right now thinking that’s the understatement of the year!). But more than the hardware, which there were some interesting ones released, I’m always much more interested in the software  iOS, Mac, TVOS, WatchOS) updates. These are devices that I use everyday and when I see innovation and advancements in this area, I get so excited. I want to maximize every feature of every software. So, watch this video that has been edited to show just the highlights of the WWDC event and see what I’m excited about. It’s coming in the Fall (and yes, I couldn’t wait and installed the beta versions last night :)). 

This read put into words something that I’ve been feeling about leadership and character for a while now. Of course, it’s Carey Nieuwhof, so he’s going to write it much more articularly. But it is gold. I have definitely seen this play out in my own life. Quotes like, “The ultimate test of a leader’s character is not failure, it’s success.” and “The greatest leaders regularly help those who can’t return the favor.” Whether you are a leader right now or thinking about being one, or are a parent, teacher, friend, sibling, etc (did I cover everyone? :)), you must read this.

I’ve been following Gary Vaynerchuk for a while now. He’s a marketing genius! But he wrote a book a year or two ago called “Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.” It’s a fascinating read and there’s implications for not only marketing in sales but also in ministry. We’ve been having conversations this week in the office on how we could use this strategy. It’s pretty brilliant. This short read shares 6 takeaways from the book (read Cliff notes!) so you can get the idea pretty quick. Give it a read and then give it a try!