Doing is the mode we learn first, taking action to solve the problem ourselves.

Deciding is telling them what to do to solve the problem. We know, they do, they still don’t know.

Teaching is telling those below us what to do to solve problems like this in the future. We know, they learn what we know.

Coaching is seeing them as able to rise to the occasion. It’s letting go of control and warmly challenging them to new levels. We affirm. They strengthen. We ask. They explore. We challenge. They stretch. We both learn.

Doing and deciding are quick, they keep us in control, and they keep people dependent on us. That doesn’t work when you want to lead something bigger than yourself.

Teaching and coaching take a bigger investment of time, and they pay off later in higher performance and increased freedom to delegate.

Pay attention to which mode you go into when your team has a problem to solve.

This Thanksgiving I’m in Haiti with my wife and kids. We’re spending the week with the staff of Paulos Group, a unique poverty charity we are involved with.

Thanksgiving is an increasingly meaningful holiday to me. So much wells up as I look back on the unfolding of my life. This year I am especially grateful for the diverse and fascinating conversations I get to engage in almost every day with people who are doing work that matters.

I am deeply thankful for people who bravely, honestly, messily, hungrily pursue health, growth, and their personal potential. People like most of you who read this blog.

Thank you to those who come beside me in my quest for that kind of growth, and to you who invite me to be beside you in yours. Your courageous transformations inspire me.

Happy Thanksgiving.

If you want something, and you haven’t dedicated time and/or money to it, it’s a wish. A wish is something you hope someone else (the universe?) will make happen for you.

When it’s on your calendar and in your checkbook, then it’s a priority. Priorities get done, wishes don’t.

I’m hiring an assistant to work with me on every aspect of my entrepreneurial, business management, investing, and consulting activities. Responsibilities will span a wide range from small tasks such as scheduling appointments and billing clients to challenging projects such as researching potential acquisitions and marketing our offerings.

This job is a unique opportunity to learn entrepreneurship, business, leadership, and investment hands-on alongside me.

The position is full-time, on-site at my office in downtown Champaign, IL. Some travel opportunity is likely.

Send interested applicants to www.aardsma.com/apply.

Thanks!

It’s easy to let staff meetings turn into routines that don’t confront the tough questions and don’t move the team forward. We try to make them count. A few questions we ask at staff meetings at my companies:

How’s everybody doing personally?

What are our big-picture goals for this company and are we achieving them?

What in your area is going well? What in your area can improve?

What do our dashboards and key numbers say about how we are performing?

What have we learned lately?

How do we intend to win versus our competitors?

What will we each commit to doing before the next meeting?