Executive Coach, Lifelong learner, Dad, Bass player, Outdoor Enthusiast, Former Apple Worldwide Director of Finance.
[DSD] When to Give Up
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I finished last in every high school track meet. It hurt my ego. I struggled to face my teammates with my head high. Of course I didn’t change my training regimen… I blamed the coach for putting me in the wrong race: 2-miles for goodness sake! I stuck it out, but I promptly quit when the season ended. Fast forward 30 years. My son started running high school cross country and track… favoring the 2-mile race. He was not a natural talent, finishing in the slower half of the pack each race. But he trained hard. And he steadily improved each race and each year. A month ago he graduated high school as the 2nd fastest runner on the team. He competed at state, finishing in the top half of runners in his division. The question is: when is the right time to quit? Answer: after you’ve given it your all. Many clients come to me ready to change jobs. The company, the culture, the boss, the lack of opportunity… The environment can be frustrating. That’s true. But don’t let the environment determine your next step. Step up. Learn. Set a clear goal. Get support. Change. Grow. If you do those things, and it’s still not the right environment, then move. But don’t move only to bring your same habits with you. You are the biggest contributor to your experience at work — more than your boss, the culture, or anything else. Invest in yourself. It’s the best investment you can make. To your growth, P.S. This newsletter is ending in 2 weeks, but my YouTube Channel will keep going. Subscribe now. |
Rusty Gaillard
Executive Coach, Lifelong learner, Dad, Bass player, Outdoor Enthusiast, Former Apple Worldwide Director of Finance.
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We’ve been sold a lie. Work hard. Keep your head down. Follow the plan. Delay gratification. And somewhere down the line, you’ll get to enjoy life. That approach might get you a steady paycheck, but it won’t get you fulfillment. I believed this lie for the first 25 years of my career. Until a 20-minute conversation shifted everything. It helped me see that I had never once asked the most important question in my career: What do I want? Not: * What am I qualified to do? * What’s the next...
The call started off badly for Krishnan. It was a final interview, and The audio was muffled. The team on the other end couldn’t hear him. It was a crisis moment. Instead of panicking, Krishnan calmly hung up, called IT, and moved to Plan B. He redialed the U.S. line directly from his cell—at international rates that cost him $50 out of pocket. They hired him. Later, when he asked why, they said: “Because in a crisis, you figured it out. That’s all we needed to know.” That’s mindset in...