Happy Tuesday!

A little over a week ago I lost a dear friend. He wasn’t just my friend, but also my neighbor, my high school teacher, my co-worker for a summer, and through nearly fifty years was also my mentor.

I’ve thought a lot about Mike over the last week or so and in that mentor role, I’ve thought about how he influenced my confidence in myself. Perhaps one of the best things a mentor can do is to help instill and encourage confidence. Mike certainly did that for me – and for many others too.

Because of Mike, confidence is the theme of everything you read below.

Rest in Peace, my friend.

Notice the last word in the subtitle of my new book (It will publish March 25), Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence. There is no doubt that confidence is an important – and often underappreciated part of leading successfully. You can learn more and see how you can get some amazing bonuses when you order copies now here).

If you would like to learn more about the book – almost a try before you buy situation – you can watch two different people interview me about the ideas in it. These interviews will eventually be on the Remarkable Leadership Podcast, but why wait? Here are links to the recordings of the livestreams:

Handing Over the Mic: Exploring Flexible Leadership - Julie Winkle Giulioni

Handing Over the Mic: Exploring Flexible Leadership with Jim Huling

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Make it a great day and remember…

You are Remarkable!

Kevin 😊

Breaking Records

I have two stories, 71 years apart, with eerie similarities. And the messages for us matter. Both are about breaking world records in the mile race.

In 1954, Roger Bannister was the first to break the 4-minute mile – a mark many thought could never been done. It was world news because of those thoughts, and because it had been 9 years since the previous record was set.

46 days later, John Landy of Australia broke Bannister’s record. Later that year, they raced each other, and both broke the four minute mark. (Here’s a bit more about it.)

Earlier this month, Yared Nuguse took nearly half a second off the indoor mile world record, a mark that had stood for six years. Five days later, Jakob Ingebrigtsen broke Nuguse’s record by 1.5 seconds. (Here’s more about this story.)

You may not run, or care about sports records, but one of the messages here is crystal clear. Notice that after the long-held record was broken, in both cases, it was broken again quite quickly. While there may be other factors, think about this one.

Confidence.

Do you think that once Landy saw Bannister break the record, he saw himself as more capable of breaking it? And do you think that Nuguse’s new record fueled both competition and confidence for Ingebrigtsen?

It is unquestionably true.

But it’s not just about guys who run in other parts of the world.

The message is about us.

Find exemplars who can fuel your skill development and confidence. And encourage others to do the same.

Records were meant to be broken, whether of the world or personal variety. What record do you know you can break next?

Questions That Build Confidence

If I asked you to list the things that you need to build your competence in anything, the list likely contains (and likely starts with) confidence. Without confidence, you might not try.

Once you have tried, and have at least some success, you build confidence. And the loop starts over.

So, if confidence is foundational to our (and our team’s success), how can we build it?

Thanks for reading. Please reply at any time with questions or feedback for our team.

When you’re ready, here’s a few ways we can help:

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