Showing all posts tagged #philosophy:


Position Hierarchy

Posted on March 6th, 2021

Architect >
Coach >
Leader >
Doer

Regardless, of position, always be a Servant. Stay Humble. Be a Learner; improving always.

My Speech

Posted on January 8th, 2021

A friend of mine was telling me today about how one of his kids as well as a person he’s mentoring are each displaying areas where they struggle with, "getting nervous making phone calls to people." He went on to say, "If you’re going to be employable you have to be proactive and know how to talk to people."

Wow, do I know this?! I have been crippled at points in my life. Often I revert to those feelings. Many of you know me as a leader, producer, coach, etc. I present online and on stage multiple times per week. I have to make many calls, obviously as well. I have to will myself to step up and push past fear daily.

In the text thread with him I replied, " It’s not fun. However it’s the real world." I encouraged him to let them know how much harder it is for people like me and our President Elect. I went on to express my feelings that, " It it THE WORST. Terrifying and awful. Every time."

He followed by noting, "I’ve never thought about that."

I know that he means zero disrespect with that statement. Honestly, I took it as encouragement that I’m better at handling myself than my fears and internal struggles typically have me believe about myself.

I continued my dialogue with him saying, "I have NO IDEA how he has done what he has. Same as the previous King of England. It’s crazy inspiring." I then asked him, "Have you and [your wife] watched The Kings Speech?"

You must. In general, it’s a good film and worth seeing. More so, it’s arguably the best piece of art to understand me.

Similarly, and even were it not regarded as one of the top articles written in 2020. I encourage reading this:

Similar to the Best Picture nominee, I recommend not only for the great writing, but also to understand me.

II Corinthians 12:7-10


Life > Dreams

Posted on November 1st, 2020

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that."

— Albus Dumbledore

Character Discipline and Friendships

Posted on June 1st, 2020

I wrote the following note to one of my graduating seniors I coached this past year. I suggest it’s good encouragement to all of us as we navigate transitions and seek to live life well.


Remain at your core the high quality person of character that you are.
Be considerate, friendly, poised, curious, clever, fun.
Practice healthy disciplines—physically, mentally, spiritually.
Treasure good friendships—sage wisdom from mentors, young men that you can pass along inspiration and challenge, and with a few true friends whom you can truly know and be known by in life’s journey.

Practice GTD in All Parts of Life

Posted on March 13th, 2020

I wrote the following response to a friend who just read the David Allen book Getting Things Done. I thought it might help this audience too.

Huge fan of GTD in all of my life. It has helped me to far better be the out-of-the-box thinking, spontaneous, creative leader that I’m actually wired to. Apply it to your whole life. Practice it. Make it true for you. Practice it more.
I’ve followed it for a dozen or so years. I keep getting better at it.

Last year I switched from digital to Bullet Journal. Integrating GTD methodology into the BuJo world has vaulted my creativity and productivity at a rate that I never would have even hoped. I wish I would've done so half a decade sooner.

I’m happy to share coaching...

Journaling Benefits

Posted on January 3rd, 2020

Journaling reinforces vision and purpose as well as reveals values.

I wrote this commitment in my Commitments page (pg. 2 right after my Vision/Values page) of my Bullet Journal last summer. I have held to this discipline on a daily basis now for more than half a year straight. The fruit of such has indeed been experienced.

Leadership is a Craft

Posted on December 13th, 2019

Leadership is not a burden or a right. It’s a craft.

Design + Context = Purpose

Posted on November 24th, 2019

Where design and context are aligned,clear purpose can be found. As a designer, we are the answer for how we can improve the world. Bring beauty and care to the context of the situation. Make it better.

Success is rented daily

Posted on October 3rd, 2019

"Success is never owned, it is rented and the rent is due every day."
—unknown

A friend read me this quote. I like it. It’s a reminder to be about the daily work of living out your vision with purpose and commitment.

Do you have a Vision and Values document for yourself? If you don’t yet, please reach out to me. I would love to talk about what a coaching relationship might look like.


Greatest Intersection of Stewardship and Creativity

Posted on September 15th, 2019

Excellence is not to be confused with perfection. Excellence is beautifully imperfect; as it recognizes the continued pursuit of improvement. The iterations will always continue; so make the most of the time and resources we have. Recognize when it’s better to leave one project at good and refocus by encouraging each other and developing another project until it’s time to call that one great. (Even though we have such high standards that we know what we wish we could keep tinkering further...) Then celebrate! Especially after big projects, remember that "We get to be a part of this!" Then next week, begin working on v2.0!

I used to struggle with perfectionism. I remember in high school when I couldn’t understand my best friend who could just rip through homework and turn in something that was barely 80% effort. Instead I wouldn’t turn something in because it wasn’t worthy of what I knew it should be. I’ve come a long way since then. I now can present something if it’s the best I believe it can be with the recourses justifiably allocated. I can reconcile that. It has actually become a core value for me. A Maximizer shall get greatest value out of resources…. I still want for perfection, but I also find beauty in excellent. I can coach that now. I’ve come a long way.

I just read a Forbes article written by Victor Lipman that included five tips for taming perfectionism. I thought I’d share.


These five tips may not be perfect, but then again, what is? Guess that’s part of the story here…
Pursue excellence, not perfection – There’s a vast difference if you’re able to frame the endeavor this way. Excellence is attainable, perfection isn’t. Excellence is an admirable goal, perfection a potentially destructive one. As the definition in Psychology Today notes, perfectionists view life "as an endless report card on accomplishments."
Try seeing yourself through the eyes of others – The irony is that the accomplishments of many perfectionists, from the uniquely talented Ms. Kearney to many C-Suiters, are exceptional by any objective standards. Easier said than done I know, but if you can find the perspective to view yourself as others do, it will be a constructive lens to look through.
Step back and take (well-deserved) pride in what you’ve accomplished – And where exactly do you want that lens to focus? Instead of dwelling on outcomes and projects that haven’t gone perfectly, step back and spend some time reflecting on past accomplishments you’re genuinely pleased with. No doubt if you’re a CEO, there have been more than a few to bring you to this point in your career. Compared to what most of us mere mortals have, a bronze medal at the Olympics, let’s say, seems a pretty pleasant outcome. (Wouldn’t mind having one myself – would look quite nice on the wall in my study.)
If you feel perfectionism has become seriously debilitating, you may want to consider counseling or therapy – BTW, I completely understand if your reaction to this suggestion is, Hey, I’m a high-functioning hard-edged executive and I have neither time nor inclination for this sort of thing. Fair enough, totally get it. But just in case you’re interested in this level of introspection to better understand the roots of the behavior and find additional ways to address it, I’ve included a link to Psychology Today’s database of therapists. (Full disclosure: I also write for Psychology Today, which is why I’m familiar with their offerings.)
Laugh - Cliche though it is, laughter is good medicine, a natural mood changer. Find time if you can to not take yourself too seriously and remember to laugh. We’re all on the same ski slope so to speak, all just passing through the great bumpy freestyle mogul of life, and if you can find a little more time to see the humor and "enjoy the ride" – well, that’s only a positive thing.
"Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good." It’s derived from a similar phrase in the writing of Voltaire and it’s a sentiment I always felt had real relevance when I was in the business world… about the need to keep the wheels of commerce turning rather than being concerned with getting everything absolutely right.

Eric G Wolfe

Creative Director | Process Architect. Design Strategist. Leadership Coach.