🔥 5 Minutes of Leadership Fuel
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🫶 A Dose of Inspiration
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In that choice lies our growth and our freedom.”
— Viktor Frankl
I first read Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning during the throes of Covid. I was a principal at the time and it seemed as if the challenges were waves hitting quicker than I could catch my breath.
It was a book I’d continue to come back to… one of those that gives at the right time and keeps on being generous with profound wisdom.
When we claim the agency of our response, we have the opportunity to live fully and lead powerfully.
📥 Download the quote graphic to use in your next staff email or meeting.
🤓 A Dose of Learning
This week, I’ve been reflecting on a conversation between Simon Sinek and Tom Nash, an international keynote speaker who, at 19, contracted a bacterial infection with a 2% chance of survival.
He survived. But because of the infection, he lost both arms and both legs.
As a man who did the iterative hard work of turning devastation into something he could actually live and lead from, he’ll tell you it’s the best thing that ever happened to him
The thread running through Tom’s message? Agency.
In a moment that changed everything, the doctor gave him a choice. Amputate his two arms and have a chance at living, or keep them and face certain death.
Making that choice, even an obvious one, completely changed his mindset. He wasn’t a victim of the amputation. He was the one who decided.
That’s agency. And it turns out, it holds immense power.
To maintain his sense of agency, in everyday life, not just in crisis, Tom developed three inner characters he calls on depending on what he needs. I think they’re worth knowing too.
🎨 The Artist paints perspective. Think of a photographer who can zoom in or zoom out. When you’re drowning in the minutiae of work or life, zoom out to remember what’s actually going well, how far you’ve come, what the bigger picture looks like. When everything in the big picture feels like it’s on fire, zoom in to find one specific, concrete thing that’s still good. The cup of coffee. The person across from you.
📚 The Author gives you objectivity. Imagine your 80-year-old self writing the autobiography of your life. When you’re facing a hard decision, project forward and ask: what decision would I want the main character, the hero of the story, to make? What story would I be proud to tell? It’s the advice you’d give a good friend… except you’re finally giving it to yourself.
🧪 The Alchemist turns hard things into gold. Not by pretending they aren’t hard. But by asking: What’s the hidden gem in this challenge that I haven’t looked for yet? This is the character Tom lives by… and it’s the one that turned losing four limbs into, by his own account, the best thing that ever happened to him.
Leadership is hard. Life is hard. And challenges will keep coming. The artist, the author, and the alchemist won’t make that easier, but they might just change what you do with it.
🎙️ Listen to the full conversation here: A Bit of Optimism: Stop Telling Us Everything Happens for a Reason | Anti-Victim Tom Nash
🎦 Watch Tom’s Ted Talk: The Perks of Being a Pirate
🌀 A Dose of Reflection
“Leadership is not about being in charge. It’s about taking care of those in your charge.” — Simon Sinek
Tom shares the story of Joel Robuchon, arguably the greatest chef who ever lived. Joel spent his final years not commanding his kitchen, but moving through it quietly. When someone struggled with a technique, he didn’t yell or take over. He’d take the knife, teach them, and hand it back.
That’s it. That’s the move.
His staff didn’t just respect him. They loved him. And all they wanted was to become the best version of themselves… for him. That’s what Tom calls a debt of honor: you want to become your best self for the people who believed in you.
As a leader, one of the most powerful things you can do for your team isn’t to solve their problems. It’s to believe in them enough to hand them back the knife.
This week, reflect on:
🔍 For yourself: Which of the three characters do you need most right now… the artist, the author, or the alchemist? What would it look like to call on them this week?
👥 For your team: Where are you solving problems that belong to someone else? Who on your team is waiting for you to hand them back the knife?
🌱 For your culture: What would it look like if agency, the belief that you always have a choice in how you respond, became a shared value on your team? What’s one small way you could invite that this week?
You got this. Let’s lead with belief.
In your corner,
Melody
Founder, Culture of Belief
PS: Leveling up in life… 🐸🚗🕹️
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