Advice for Graduates--JEFF GOINS

We recently graduated another class of incredible students from Cornerstone University. And there are so many other schools across the world sending out the newest batch of grads into the workforce and our global community. It is a time of stress and anxiety...and filled with advice from all kinds of folks! I recently read a book that I am passing on to some of the graduates I know filled with some really meaningful words from Jeff Goins, one of my favorite authors! Here's a little summary of some of his thoughts in his book THE ART OF WORK:

http://artofworkbook.com/

• Don’t worry about what to do. Worry about who you are and who you are becoming. Focus on continued growth and learning, and what you’re meant to do will become clear over time.
• Stop looking for the perfect job and start creating it. The best way to do what you love is to build the perfect job for yourself. Start a small business, if even as a hobby, so you’re never completely on someone else to earn a living.
• Instead of chasing your dream, serve someone else’s first. This will save you years of pain and accelerate your growth in ways you can’t imagine. And it will humble you.

http://goinswriter.com/graduate-advice/

FIGHTING THE SCARCITY MINDEST AS A GENEROUS LEADER…Jenni Catron, CATALYST

I THINK WE LEARN TO FEAR SCARCITY AT AN EARLY AGE. THE FEAR OF NOT HAVING ENOUGH CAUSES US TO RACE TO BEAT OTHERS TO GET WHAT WE WANT.  

Before we know it this mentality infiltrates every part of our lives.

We're afraid of a friend (or colleague) becoming better friends with someone else, so we don't make the introduction
We're afraid the store might run out of that fancy new thing we want so we slap our credit card down and impulsively buy it
We keep our freezers stocked because we don't want to go hungry
We give our financial resources sparingly because we're afraid we won't have enough for retirement
We don't celebrate the accomplishment of a co-worker because we're afraid they'll get promoted sooner

We hoard.
We keep.
We guard.
We protect.

I believe that this mindset of scarcity is one of the most dangerous enemies to great leadership.  Our unwillingness to champion others, to give to others, or to make a way for others is a dangerous place to find ourselves.

In our efforts to guard and protect ourselves we actually sabotage our leadership influence.

Scarcity is in opposition to great leadership because I believe one of the greatest responsibilities of leaders is to generously develop, inspire, and empower those you lead.
 

IF YOU ARE CONSTANTLY PROTECTING WHAT YOU HAVE, YOU RARELY HAVE TIME TO INVEST IN THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU.

"A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." Proverbs 11:25

I'll be honest; scarcity can get the best of me.  It's one of the greatest challenges to my leadership. 

http://catalystconference.com/read/a-dangerous-enemy/