THESIS: The expectations you hold of people don't just influence how you manage them. They can influence what those people become capable of achieving. Literally. Back in the 1960s, psychologist Robert Rosenthal explored a fascinating idea: People tend to rise (or fall) to the expectations others have of them. In his famous classroom experiment (1968 original article in the Scientific American - only 6 pages), teachers were told certain students had unusually high potential. Here's the...
7 days ago • 1 min read
Following up on my email yesterday about the best and worst coaches you've ever had... One subscriber sent me a response that was too good not to share. With his permission, I've removed identifying details. Two basketball coaches. Same player. Completely different outcomes. Coach #1: Ages 7–11 "My AAU basketball coach had this amazing way of lifting up and getting the best out of each player. I was my own harshest critic. I'd beat myself up over mistakes and play with fear. Instead of being...
14 days ago • 2 min read
'm curious. What coaches do you currently have in your life? And what coaches have you had in the past? Think about it. Maybe you had a basketball coach in high school. A mentor early in your career. Someone who helped you navigate a difficult period in your life. I have coaches in different areas of my life. I have someone I learn philosophy with. I've had coaches for working out. And yes, even as a coach myself, I've had people coach me on coaching. Some of those relationships have been...
15 days ago • 1 min read
Everything in your life either drains your energy or gives it back.For the things that drain you, you have four options:🗑️ Eliminate it. (Cancel the meeting that should've been an email.)🔄 Accommodate it. (Batch all your invoicing into one morning.)📈 Get better at it. (Learn to give feedback, so it stops feeling awful.)🤝 Delegate it. (Hand off your scheduling to someone else.)The things that give you energy deserve a spot on your calendar too.A walk around the block in the middle of the day,...
22 days ago • 1 min read
Hi everyone - I’m Andrew and I’m a coach. (And yes, I am restarting this newsletter.) 🙄 🥱 (yawns) Oh great, another coach who read a book about leadership and now wants to tell me how to run my company. Wait. I know. Many coaches don’t run their own business, so they have no business getting their nose into yours. (Looking at you, coaches who’ve never made payroll but have a beautiful slide deck about it!) But I do. I own a commercial cleaning business, so I know the reality: I’ve put my own...
29 days ago • 1 min read
you think I don't know what's going on?! Recently, I had an employee lying directly to my face!! At first I was a little confused why something didn't match up, but as I dug into it, I realized someone lied directly to my face. How could this be? How should I react? In that moment I realized I had a very clear choice. A choice that I had bene preparing for years. What I had been preparing for what how to react in situations that call for me to show up as a leader, a role model and not sink...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
oasis on your journey We often come to the wrong conclusions when we think about ourselves. We think: If only I were more disciplined. We think: If only I had more energy. We think: If only... We think: I’ve been created without what I really need to succeed. If only I had a few more tools, a little more talent, a couple fewer flaws—then I’d feel like I’ve arrived. And sure, you’ve heard what I’m about to say before.But have you actually internalized it? There comes a moment when two paths...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
warning: only pull when a real emergency. WHEN "THEY" WANT THE FIRE ALARM TO GO OFF One of my clients had a security audit done on his software, using one of his friends as a consultant. The consultant came back with a serious concern—a glaring vulnerability. The kind of thing that could maybe trigger a lawsuit or a full on system failure. My client’s response? “Okay, thanks for bringing this up. We'll have to address this immediately. How's the fam doing?” The consultant stared at him,...
over 1 year ago • 1 min read
tale of two founders I just realized last night (11:43 p.m.) that I was five weeks away from running out of cash. No more payroll, no more runway, no clear path. I went home, but I didn’t sleep. The next morning, the pressure was unbearable. I couldn’t bring myself to tell my investors. I couldn’t face my team. I tried to work on a plan, but the fear, the exhaustion, the burnout—it was all too much. Last night, I ended up in the ER thinking I couldn't breath. The doctors found nothing wrong....
over 1 year ago • 2 min read