THE 11 HARD PRINCIPLES

People don’t casually decide to become founders. 

We choose this path because we’re called (some might even say compelled) to do so. We have a vision, a passion, an idea, and we simply cannot rest until we bring these things to life. For the most part, we love what we do, and we’re deeply fulfilled by the Work that goes into starting and growing a company.
But that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

In fact, there are times — many times — when being a founder is extraordinarily difficult. Each day brings new challenges, and some people ultimately decide this journey is not for them. But for those of us who can’t and won’t give up on our vision, learning how to deal with these difficult times is the key to turning a mere idea into a Stage 5 company or beyond. 

As I’ve continued to reflect on this summer’s Olympic Games, the parallels between athletes and founders — embracing competition, perseverance, continually pushing yourself — have become that much clearer to me. Doing what’s hard, whether physical or mental, helps shape and prepare us for the even greater challenges that life has in store for us.

Read more in Embracing the Hard: 11 Lessons for Success in Competition and Life.

PERSPECTIVES

“A champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.” — Serena Williams

“Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts.” ― Dan Gable

MARK MY WORDS

Over time, I’ve identified 11 essential lessons, what I’ll call "HARD Principles," that must be addressed on the playing field of work and life (more on these in the blog). It’s my hope you’ll find these reminders helpful for not just yourself but your people, your teams, and anyone you’re trying to help succeed.

1. Accept the hard: Acknowledge that life is full of challenges.
2. Work hard: Dedicate yourself to consistent effort and persistence.
3. Handle hard: Learn to manage life's difficulties with resilience.
4. Do hard things first: Prioritize the most challenging tasks.
5. Be willing to have hard conversations: Foster a culture of honesty and transparency.
6. Choose your hard: Make intentional choices that align with your goals.
7. Build mental toughness: Develop resilience and composure under pressure.
8. Understand risk and reward: Take calculated risks for growth and opportunities.
9. Embrace teamwork and share success: Foster collaboration and celebrate collective achievements.
10. Learn from failure: View setbacks as opportunities for growth.
11. Practice discipline: Develop consistent, focused effort for long-term success.

We all face hardships in both our personal and professional lives. What matters is how we address and react to them. There’s an old saying that each of us goes through life carrying two buckets: one full of water and one full of gasoline. We can’t choose when a challenge or problem arises, but we can choose which bucket we throw at it. 

By embracing the HARD Principles, we can prepare ourselves, our colleagues, our teams, and our companies to smartly and effectively handle the hard stuff.

TUNE IN

The benefits of upgrading your BOS (business operating system) only continue to grow when the BOS is used across and up and down your entire organization. Tune in to learn why it works, what I've learned, and where people often go wrong.