At it’s core Christmas is about generosity. The generosity of a God who gave up a son for our benefit, reflected in our generosity with each other at Christmas.

Generosity gives life meaning more than anything else I know. Have a generous Christmas Day.

Some of you have asked how my book is coming along. My intention was to self-publish a book based on my personal manifesto of investment principles, as a resource for my friends and coaching clients. Some advisors I respect have suggested I attempt to find a publisher before going the self-publishing route. I’ve conceded, and begun contacting literary agents.

If the book is accepted by a traditional publisher it will take about a year to be released. If I quickly receive a sufficiently large stack of rejection letters, the book will be out in self-published form much sooner.

Seeking publication of a book is turning out to be an odd process for this Internet-age guy used to being the picker rather than the beseecher of pickers. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot. I’ll keep you posted.

When the book makes it, one way or another, to draft review stage, I’ll be in touch with you who offered to be early readers. Thanks!

The record label has more power than the artist looking to be signed.

The employer has more power than the applicant looking to be hired.

Google has more power than the website looking to appear in search results.

The pickers have more power because they took the risk to start something of their own.

Waiting to be picked can be a copout from stepping out and doing something.

Be careful to whom you give the power to pick or reject you. Remember if you aren’t picked, you still get to pick who gets the next chance to pick you.

Consider starting something that makes you the picker.

Pick yourself and go.

You know that painful, stressful moment when a friend or colleague confronts you about a problem they see in you?

In that moment you are receiving a valuable gift. You stand to benefit so much from listening. They may have nothing to gain by taking the risk to speak up to you.

Thank them and ask to hear more. That’s the wise, fitting, and difficult, response to someone who cares enough to give you negative feedback.

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.