The most important person we ever manage is ourselves. Those around us whom we lead and manage watch our reactions and make judgments about us. Fortunately, we have some control over this.
Daniel Pink (“The Power of Regret”, “To Sell is Human”) suggests that we look to a few philosophers from antiquity for tips on alternative personal management strategies. In a 2-minute video, Mr. Pink suggests we take “The Stoic Test” for lessons on how to deal with frustrations, annoyances, and setbacks.
Note: There are several books that advocate the teachings of the Stoic Philosophers to enhance performance and live a happier life. You could consider starting a daily ritual of reading from “The Daily Stoic”; a one page per day excerpt with commentary from one of the Stoic philosophers such as Seneca or Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. If you’d like a video intro to Stoicism, check out Tim Ferris’ (author of “The Four Hour Workweek”) take on Stoicism in his TED Talk “Why You Should Define Your Fears Instead of Your Goals.”
