I wish I could quit Seth Godin.
Almost every day, in fact, I start my morning with a good cup of coffee and Seth’s blog. And, every morning he leaves me with more questions than answers. Damn him!
What I’ve figured out, however, is that his lessons (and questions) are beautifully simple (and hard) and apply to leading change in business and in life. For example, consider these two nuggets on leading change, Seth Godin style:
- Focus like hell on what matters most—figure out what that is for you, for your organization, and quit everything else. Quitting frees you to excel in what matters most. It takes guts to quit. It takes leadership to quit. “Strategic quitting is the secret of successful organizations” (Seth Godin, The Dip).
- Change is hard in the middle (known as The Dip in Seth lingo)—so game up! The Dip is the part of any change after the initial excitement—you know the tough part. The part where you start to question. The Dip is the muck you slog through after starting something and before you turn it into mastery, a skill, a successful change. The Dip is to be expected. Are you ready to slog through it? Consider the following quote from Seth Godin’s smart book, The Dip.
Quit the wrong stuff.
Stick with the right stuff.
Have the guts to do one or the other.
Mr. Godin, I wish I could quit you, but I can’t. You frustrate me. You never skip the hard questions. Each morning you leave me wanting more, questioning more. I won’t quit reading your blog and your books because, you say you write about marketing, but you write about life really. So be gentle, I’m learning, and keep inspiring me to ask the tough questions.
Photo credit Joi.
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Melissa, very though-provoking post. The only way I've found to 'quit' Seth's blog is to stop reading blogs; that worked for about a week. He has a way of bringing out far-reaching truths in a way that's simple and clear. Your point about his blog being about life (more than just marketing) is spot on. Thanks!
-Michael
Michael, thanks! Not sure how you found the post, but I'm glad you did!
~Melissa
Melissa, I can not think of a better way to stretch oneself than to be reminded of what we know deep inside but are fearful of facing. Seth just brings it to the forefront.
Melissa – nice post.
LOL at your opening statement. I can relate – his posts are my favorite retweets, for exactly the reasons you mention. He is one master at asking questions.
John
Lynn, thanks for the comments. I checked out your blog and company. Impressive! I'm glad you found my post.
~Melissa
Lynn, thanks for the comments. I checked out your blog and company. Impressive! I'm glad you found my post.
~Melissa
Hi John, thanks for the comments and for finding my post! Glad my first line resulted in laughter. ; )
~Melissa
Seth's ideas truly are simple but rich – like how you tied a few directly to leading change.
Seth is my role model for learning the art of brevity with impact!
Seth's ideas truly are simple but rich – like how you tied a few directly to leading change.
Seth is my role model for learning the art of brevity with impact!
Hi Susan. "Brevity with impact" – I like it! Great blog too! Randomactsofleadership.com
~Melissa
Melissa, very though-provoking post. The only way I've found to 'quit' Seth's blog is to stop reading blogs; that worked for about a week. He has a way of bringing out far-reaching truths in a way that's simple and clear. Your point about his blog being about life (more than just marketing) is spot on. Thanks!
-Michael
Melissa, very though-provoking post. The only way I've found to 'quit' Seth's blog is to stop reading blogs; that worked for about a week. He has a way of bringing out far-reaching truths in a way that's simple and clear. Your point about his blog being about life (more than just marketing) is spot on. Thanks!
-Michael
Michael, thanks! Not sure how you found the post, but I'm glad you did!
~Melissa
Michael, thanks! Not sure how you found the post, but I'm glad you did!
~Melissa