Rule 1: It ain’t bad as you think. It will look better in the morning.
Whether this rule was put as number one on purpose or not, it is an important one that we forget too often. When I think of this rule, I picture myself lying in bed before I go to sleep thinking about anything and everything that's on my mind. More often than not, it is the bad events of the day that I ponder. I interpret the rule to mean that we should not ponder and waste so much time on the negative aspects of our day and overlook the positive. It is those moments of positivity that motivate us to make whatever is going bad better. And what we think is just awful, for example, a presentation you've been working on for hours, is really not as bad as you think. All you are doing now is critiquing yourself, which is normal, but unnecessary most of the time.
Rule 2: Get mad, then get over it.
This rule pretty much speaks for itself, but I’ll attempt to pick it apart. Just about daily, we are faced with obstacles or people that will make us mad, but getting mad will not do much to better the situation. To “get over it” is a blunt way to say it’s not worth time or thought. In school, SLT, or life in general, there are plenty of things that will make us mad when they do not go the way we planned. The best thing we can do is get mad, learn from it, and move on.
Rule 10: Remain calm. Be kind.
I think this rule somewhat stems off from “Rule 2: Get mad, then get over it.” A leader needs to be calm, collected, and kind in order to be successful in whatever position they hold. When things do not go according to plan, our first instinct is to get angry about the situation. Perhaps an event is not going as planned or we have a minor argument with someone on our team. In order for the situation to end successfully, we have to remain calm and be kind in any event. If we refuse to listen to other people that disagree with us, we rid the possibility of being better. The people that follow you are always watching you and your actions and if you are not a leader with a calm and kind persona, it is unlikely that they will look up to you as they once may have.
Rule 11: Have a vision. Be demanding.
Of all the rules, I think this one has to be one of the most important. I interpret it as meaning you need to have a goal or vision of some sort that you care about to be successful. When you have a vision, like graduating college with a 4.0, and you are set on obtaining that goal, you are more likely to achieve it. You have something to work towards with drive and passion and you will definitely be demanding of yourself. I see being demanding of myself as more of a positive thing than negative in that it attempts to bring the best energy and motivation. When we have a vision as simple as graduating, we have something to work at with passion in hopes of a planned outcome. However, it is also important to incorporate balance within our journey towards a vision. If we are too demanding of ourselves and fail to balance priorities towards our vision, we are less likely to reach it.
Rule 12: Don't take counsel of your fears or naysayers.
I believe this simple rule expresses the importance of self-confidence. A leader that is confident in what they do because of experience and knowledge is more likely to be good at what they’re doing. It is important to take into account different opinions than our own, but they cannot be the driving force behind our actions. When we do what we think is right in a situation, we have confidence. We fear because we chose to go a different direction than other people think we should. Our fear is normal, but only diminishes our intuition. An example would be if a freshman were deciding whether they should apply for an HLD program when none of their friends were. They let the fear of an even newer environment overshadow the possibility of new friendships and opportunities.
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