Solutions 21 Weekly Insights

If you can only read one thing this week...

Hard

by Albert Ciuksza | Posted on June 21st, 2016

Nearly four years ago, my wife and I got married. It has been the best four years of my life, though not without its trials (pro tip: don’t try to renovate until at least your third year of marriage). We have stayed committed to each other through challenging times and have had the opportunity to celebrate many successes. In spite of our marital bliss, about once a week my wife or I look will at the other and say:

“Marriage is hard.”

Marriage IS hard. It’s true. It’s also really rewarding if you do the hard work.

Both my wife and I have been chastised for saying this. We’ve been told that the statement is demeaning, an implied accusation that the other is a bad spouse. Nothing could be further from the truth! We’re simply pointing out that the being married is difficult.

When did “hard” become a synonym for “bad”?

Most of the important things that I do in life are hard, not just my marriage. I’m training for a half marathon … that’s hard. My projects here at Solutions 21 are hard, too. Each delivers a lot of personal satisfaction when I make progress. In fact, being hard is part of the draw.

“If it were easy, everyone would do it.”

We see this a lot in our Building Better Bosses side of the practice. For instance, a supervisor has, on average, a decade of experience in a supervisory role before getting any supervisory training. Why? Read the rest at the Solutions 21 Blog >

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The Unseen Consequences Of Hypocritical Leadership
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Why you should read it: Because "it's actually much harder to create an alignment between words, actions, and rewards than it might seem." But when it comes to integrity, especially as a leader, actions truly speak louder than words.
This Is What Happens When Employees Find Meaning at Work
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Why you should read it: Because "meaningful work seems to have a real and recognizable impact on employees and the organization as a whole" and "employees want to know their work means something, and if they don’t, they’ll look for purpose elsewhere." Are you providing purpose for your talent?
Why Leaders Need To Be Quick To Listen, And Slow To Anger
Forbes
Why you should read it: Because "leadership, whether in business or anything else, is an inherently emotional journey." But how you handle your emotions will dictate your ability to be a successful leader. Do you effectively manage your emotions?

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