LEARN A LITTLE:
Just Asking For a Friend
Like a lot of people, I’ve turned away from TV as a source for news and, for that matter, also newspapers, with the exception of the Farmers Weekly Review of Will County, Illinois. These days, it seems like you don’t know what to believe, how much to believe, and who to believe anymore. For the most part, I think I am doing okay, but recently I have begun to wonder if I am missing something. Perhaps I’m becoming unaware of key information, such as some important changes in governance, including rules and laws.
I was discussing this with a friend, who was having similar questions, especially in the realm of traffic and driving regulations. He asked me a number of related questions to which I had no answer. For example:
- Is it now ok to turn right at an intersection with a stop sign without stopping? Do you have to slow down?
- Have traffic signal lights been redefined? For example, when a traffic light turns yellow, does it now mean to speed up so you can get through the intersection and not have to slow down to stop?
- Is there a limit to how many cars can pull out into an intersection when the light is yellow so they can cross it before the cars with a green signal begin to move forward?
- Is it true that posted speed limits are now merely suggested guidelines and that motorists can now proceed at a speed that they are personally comfortable with?
- Is it now acceptable to pass another car on a curve or hill on a two-lane highway as long as you feel safe doing so?
- When driving on interstate expressways with three or more lanes going in each direction, is the middle lane now the “slow lane”? Can you now pass other cars on either side?
- What is the current recommended distance for following behind another car on an expressway? Is two to four feet the current expressway standard? Can it be a bit closer at night if you have your “brights” on?
- Is it now permissible—as long as you are comfortable in doing so—to advance your vehicle in front of another car as long as your turn signal has been on continuously for at least two seconds?
- Is it true that drivers of pickup trucks and white SUVs are exempt from following posted speed limit signs?
Reader feedback would be appreciated. Just asking for a friend.
LAUGH A LITTLE:
REFLECT A LITTLE:
Proverbs 15:19
The way of the lazy man is like a hedge of thorns, but the way of the upright is a highway.
READ A LITTLE:
The Score That Matters:
Growing Excellence in Yourself and Those You Lead
Ryan Hawk and Brook Cupps
(Matt Holt Books, 2024)
Ryan Hawk may be familiar to you as the author of Welcome to Management and The Pursuit of Excellence. He is also the host of a very popular podcast, “The Learning Leader Show.” Brook Cupps, on the other hand, is most familiar to those who are avid basketball fans. He is recognized as an outstanding coach and leader. You can follow him on his website, “Blue Collar Grit.”
I recommend this particular book for its clarity, practical wisdom and helpful insights with respect to notions of leadership. However, it may not be as enjoyable to those who do not have an interest in sports or sports stories.
Hawk and Cupps essentially elaborate on the importance of keeping score in our lives, an activity that provides us feedback and the information that allows us to do better in the future. While the authors describe the merits of having external scoreboards, their emphasis is clearly on the importance of having accurate internal scoreboards by which we keep track of how effectively we are living our lives. They suggest focusing on answering questions, such as “Are we living up to our values? Are we being the person we aspire to be?”
What follows are selected highlights and insights:
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“Real self-awareness is something we will always be working on. Building it is a never-ending process.”
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“Without a finish line, people tend to want to skip the work of developing self-awareness.”
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“Use fear as fuel.”
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“When our words match our actions, we are aligned with our purpose. Our critical behaviors allow us to fulfill our values. By fulfilling our values, we fulfill our purpose.”
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A leadership example: “E + R = O”, “E are the events that occur in your life. R is your response to those events. And O is the outcome produced when the event is combined with your response. The focus of the R factor is to spend our time and energy on the one thing we actually have control over: our response to the events in our lives.”
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I really like this thought. “Intentionality and direction are necessary for excellence to flourish. We never drift upstream.”
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“Culture is based on what we do more than what we say.”
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“If you are not inspired, you will not inspire other people.”
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Here is another reason to read the book. You will find the answer to the question, “Why don’t you find wolves in a circus?”
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“Leaders who handle the tough moments well are more impactful than those who do not.”
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A leadership reality: “Things will not go exactly as planned.”
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“Hard is the shortcut. We all wait in life for things to get easier. It will never get easier. What happens is you learn how to handle hard better.”
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What kind of energy do you bring into the room? You are either adding to it or taking it away.
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“Quantity leads to quality. We need to get going to get good.”
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“When there is trust in an organization, things get done fast…. Trust decreases transaction costs.”
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“Inheritance is passed on in living even more than in dying.” – Sam Deford
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The question is not, “Are you keeping score?” The question is, “What score are you keeping?”
Until next time,
Art Dykstra
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