Navigating the Challenges of Product Management and Leadership Through Tactics Used by David Goggins Part 2/2
Book 2: Never Finished
Evolution 1: you have been preoccupied by bullshit for way too long. It’s time to switch your focus to the things that will slingshot you forward.
Goggins' Journey: He was caught up for a long time, playing the victim game and dwelling on his past. This led him into a rut in his 20s, causing significant weight gain. However, he shifted his focus, applied himself to Navy SEALs training, lost 100 pounds in 90 days, and earned acceptance into the program.
Leadership Coaching Insight: Allowing the past to dictate your attitude can seep into the team dynamic, creating a toxic environment and fostering poor morale throughout the team. “Think like a Goldfish” is a quote from the popular TV show, Ted Lasso, conveying a similar message. It's essential to leave the past in the past and move forward with positive energy; the team will follow suit.
My Personal Experience: This shift in mindset spurred my journey toward growth, away from a path of victimization and weakness. Maintaining this altered mindset is a considerable challenge to uphold daily, requiring immense patience. However, engaging in physical movement, even when unwilling, can help dispel negativity. Audiobooks and uplifting podcasts can also assist in transitioning out of a negative headspace.
Evolution 2: It’s time to make your own mixtape.
Goggins' Journey: He devised a system wherein he recorded his own complaints and listened to them afterward. This experience invoked a desire for change within him; he found the sound of his own complaints and the weakness in his voice to be distasteful.
Leadership Coaching Insight: This serves as an excellent tool for leaders as it allows the implementation of a similar approach with teams, either through a retrospective or a post-mortem. It can help in establishing a clear understanding of everyone’s position and provide key insights into addressing recurring issues that arise.
My Personal Experience: I haven’t personally utilized this precise tool, but I do employ cognitive distancing and journaling to aid in reflecting on my thoughts and attitudes throughout the week. This assists me in understanding the state of my mind in relation to my body. I primarily use this technique while running long distances or engaging in intense workouts. I imagine that I am coaching myself and provide myself with positive motivation when I encounter a negative spiral.
Evolution 3: There are 86,400 seconds in a day. Losing just one of those seconds can change the outcome of your day and potentially, your life.
Goggins' Journey: He faced a dilemma: choose between his comfortable life as a celebrated public figure, traveling globally for public speaking engagements, or train for another 100-mile race in Leadville, Colorado. He chose to run the race.
Leadership Coaching Insight: Making decisions in split seconds can either make or break products and teams. It’s crucial to firmly understand who you are and what you represent as a leader. This way, you are equipped to make instantaneous decisions with the right principles in mind; otherwise, it could be to the detriment of your team and organization.
My Personal Experience: I have made countless split-second decisions that have defined my future, and it’s challenging to keep track at this point. Some of these decisions involved agreeing to a multitude of races and running endeavors with my wife, who has consistently encouraged me to excel and hasten in every aspect. A substantial portion of these split-second decisions stem from my role as a Product Manager in startups, where there are typically hundreds, if not thousands, of pressing issues occurring simultaneously. I’ve had to overlook the majority and address those I deemed crucial. These decisions are exceptionally challenging to make in the moment, but with experience, discerning the right path becomes feasible. Lately, my other instantaneous decisions have centered around managing my anxiety. I am easily frightened and often desire to retract or decline invitations from friends; however, I opt to say yes and persevere, recognizing it’s beneficial for me.
Evolution 4: Have the courage and mental endurance to do whatever it takes to start knocking down those walls. You are the warden of your life. Don’t forget you hold the keys.
Goggins' Journey: He shared stories about his mother and her encounters with toxic relationships. She felt imprisoned by the men she was involved with, as it was the only lifestyle she understood. Eventually, she dismantled the barriers and began to liberate herself from the recurring cycle, managing to escape from David’s father. This courageous act allowed her to develop a healthier relationship with herself later in her life.
Leadership Coaching Insight: Numerous substantial barriers exist for leaders within both large and small companies. As a leader, it's your responsibility to choose which barriers to overcome or penetrate and to possess the mental resilience to endure such challenges repeatedly. This can be a daunting obstacle for many to manage; therefore, it’s crucial to equip oneself with the leadership skills and influence needed to voice concerns and strive for enhancement, as this will motivate the surrounding team.
My Personal Experience: I've surmounted several significant mental barriers in my past. One was departing from school when I received a job offer from a high-performing tech company; another was declining a proposition from a large company and accepting a position as a founding Product Manager at a burgeoning startup. Overcoming these mental barriers is crucial, as the more challenging path is frequently the more intriguing and fulfilling one.
Evolution 5: Continued growth only comes when you are willing to be humble.
Goggins' Journey: He recounted a tale about Master Sergeant William Crawford, a holder of the Medal of Honor, who assumed a position as a janitor at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. This demonstrated immense humility; he devoted his new existence to a life of service, opting not to elevate himself above others.
Leadership Coaching Insight: This may be one of the most crucial developments for a leader, as there are numerous instances where a leader must roll up their sleeves and assist the team. This not only aids in motivating the team but also enriches your understanding as a leader of the daily tasks and challenges, which in turn makes you a more robust leader and communicator.
My Personal Experience: I’ve undertaken dozens of roles and delved deep into the trenches at virtually every company I’ve been part of. The outcome of this commitment is the accumulation of thousands of hours spent performing a plethora of jobs. Consequently, I possess the capability to collaborate with and communicate with subject matter experts across various industries and disciplines. This is arguably the supreme advantage of a Product Manager. Clearly articulating what needs to be accomplished and suggesting a recommended approach will assist your team in navigating through most intricate situations.
Evolution 6: Who’s In your foxhole? Tag them and tell them why.
Goggins' Journey: He underwent numerous transformations in his life, at times solitarily, and at other times with support. His transitions necessitated continuous evolution of his close circle of friends, sometimes to the extent that he severed ties with everyone, enduring solely with his mother at his side. The pivotal lesson he discerned was the significance of one's inner support circle and its impact—either beneficial or detrimental—on one's progress towards achieving goals.
Leadership Coaching Insight: You require 4-5 advisors; I refer to them as the board of directors for your career. These individuals challenge, educate, and shape you into the leader you aspire to become. They present you with contrarian perspectives and possess skills you desire, enabling you to refine and hone your weaknesses as a leader. Moreover, they maintain stronger mindsets than yours and propel you to elevate to their level.
My Personal Experience: I’ve been fortunate to have numerous friends and colleagues who have assisted me in my career. My passion for self-improvement has led me to some of the most formidable individuals to stand by my side. Hailing from diverse backgrounds, they provide varied perspectives that have facilitated my growth and learning. I owe my presence here to those individuals. My wife, my mother, my father, and several close friends have served as my anchors, helping me weather myriad storms.
Evolution 7: Who will you become and what do you want to stand for? Are you ready to be the standard? If you are willing, share your oath to self.
Goggins' Journey: The tale of Captain Connolly and his training at Air Assault School unfolds. Captain Connolly was perpetually excelling, securing the highest marks, performing more pull-ups, shattering course records, and consistently emerging as the top performer in the class. This inspired Goggins to exert himself more than ever before and propelled him beyond his usual limits as Connolly established a new standard above his own.
Leadership Coaching Insight: Identify the top performers within your organization and immerse yourself in their company as much as possible. This might be a highly uncomfortable experience as it could highlight your shortcomings, but it will prompt quicker growth and development compared to your peers. Enduring and mastering this skill is crucial, as it enables you to emulate these individuals and operate at increasingly elevated levels, given their constant push for you to aim higher.
My Personal Experience: Having left both college and high school, I've consistently maintained that work is my educational platform, a place where learning is an ongoing process. This mindset has cultivated a natural curiosity within me, leading to discussions on intricate subjects with some of the most intelligent individuals at the companies I’ve been a part of. I consider myself fortunate to have been surrounded by remarkable talent at every organization, acquiring invaluable skills more through practical experience than formal education.
Evolution 8: It’s time to level up and seek out that blue-to-black line. The line that separates good from great. It’s within each one of us.
Goggins' Journey: The concept of "Blue to Black" came to David Goggins when he witnessed an attempt at a world record, wherein a skydiver leaped from outer space. There was a distinct demarcation where space commenced and the sky ceased—hence the term "Blue to Black." This marked the inception of his innovative mindset to ascend beyond and differentiate the commendable from the exceptional.
Leadership Coaching Insight: Transitioning from good to great is a pivotal mindset for leaders as it propels your team to strive for heightened aspirations and curtails complacency. This mindset also enables your team to operate with autonomy and a sense of seniority, fostering a more robust morale and culture within your group.
My Personal Experience: I’ve aimed to immerse myself in the presence of visionary thinkers, and this endeavor has propelled me into realms of profound discomfort at times. My friends and colleagues are all navigating from blue to black, which inevitably ignites a similar aspiration within me. I have friends who scale mountains and construct companies; my wife built her own enterprise from the ground up; my father, who never attended college and relocated to America, ascended to a partnership at a preeminent consulting firm globally. All these individuals have contributed to sculpting my blue to black mentality; however, this journey is marked by substantial challenges and discomfort, a reality I won’t disguise.
Conclusion:
Embracing the transformative journey from blue to black involves a relentless pursuit of self-improvement, resilience, and learning, as illustrated by David Goggins' exemplary journey of overcoming limitations and embracing excellence. It's a unified pursuit of dismantling internal and external barriers, fueled by humility and an unyielding desire to evolve, affecting not just individuals but the collective environment in leadership and team dynamics. My journey, interspersed with encounters with formidable individuals and influencers, reflects a continuous evolution, driven by the ambition to transcend commendable and delve into the exceptional, to confront fears, and to venture into the uncharted territories of potential. It underscores the essence of making well-informed instantaneous decisions, cultivating positive energy, and fostering a culture of reflection and perpetual learning, ultimately crafting our legacies in the eternal voyage of discovering our utmost capabilities.
