Yesterday was a day focused on relationships. I was at a CLUB 500 event discussing friendship and its direct impact on team stability, project success, and the overall atmosphere within a company.
Here are three thoughts I took with me:
1. Development Happens Only Through Interaction
Sitting in a lotus pose is for stabilization. Real growth begins where there is live, human connection. Not over Zoom, not in a chat, but in a shared physical space. True progress is fueled by the kind of high-bandwidth, direct interaction that digital tools can only simulate.
2. Friendship Means Putting Another’s Interests First
This is a difficult principle, especially when it’s unprofitable. Think of the Ant from the fable who refused to help the Grasshopper. The question isn’t about the morality of his choice, but the intent behind it: did he want to help, or did he want to teach a lesson? These moments expose our internal drivers—revealing whether we are led by ego or empathy.
3. “Acute Self-Doubt” as a Diagnostic Tool
Sometimes this single phrase describes what’s happening to a person more accurately than any performance metric. Aggression, detachment, and prickly behavior are often not signs of malice. Instead, they signal an internal conflict and a low level of self-acceptance. Understanding this is critical for anyone leading a team.