Ricardo Villarreal

Think, Therefore Think Again

Seven Leadership Lessons from Hemingway’s “The Old Man and the Sea”

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Skiff at SeaErnest Hemingway’s epic story of Santiago, an experienced old fisherman determined to change his luck by sailing into the deep sea with the goal of making the biggest catch of his life, is one that shares with us so many enriching lessons on life, but also on leadership.

On the most intense and vivid passage of the novel, our lonely hero struggles at sea for three gruesome days against a giant marlin in a live-or-die battle that will bestow the greatest personal triumph for Santiago.

Here’s my take on the 7 most valuable leadership lessons Ernest Hemingway shares on this masterful narration.

1. Knowledge is more Powerful than Strength

In preparation for his journey, Santiago tells the young boy and loyal assistant Manolin, “I may not be as strong as I think, but I know tricks and I have a resolution.”

Understanding his surroundings at sea, the behavior of wind and weather patterns, the time of day, and the different combative movements of the fish once caught in the line, helped Santiago be more strategic, resourceful, and wise on his decisions to dominate the strength of the marlin.

If he had used only his strength, he would have gotten weak and exhausted very quickly unable to defeat a bigger, faster, and stronger fish, and would have eventually failed.

2. You can’t do Everything Alone

At several times during the epic struggle, the solitary Santiago wishes his young friend Manolin was present to help him. Particularly the boy could have assisted him as he got tired and needed to rest, or when he started feeling severe cramps.

Once the giant marlin was caught and secured on the side of the skiff, Santiago had to repeal several aggressive shark attacks on the marlin. Having a helping hand could have prevented the unfortunate ensuing damage.

3. Respect your Rivals

Even though the old fisherman fully understands the rivalry he is facing against the marlin, he never humiliates the big noble fish. Quite the opposite, Santiago has a deep admiration for the marlin’s dignity and beauty, and often refers to the fish as his brother and friend.

In fact, after having caught and killed his worthy opponent, there are instances of regret where Santiago feels sorry for what he has done. But self-reflecting about his place in life gives him some peace:

“You were born to be a fisherman as the fish was born to be a fish… You did not kill the fish only to keep alive and to sell for food. You killed him for pride and because you are a fisherman. You loved him when he was alive and you loved him after.”

4. Fight with what you have

As the old man embarks on his return with his big catch, the fight is not yet over. He now must battle with sharks wanting to eat his fish and ruin his extraordinary conquest.

Having lost his harpoon and realizing his unfavorable situation, Santiago wishes he had a stone for his knife and were better armed. But he couldn’t stop in the middle of the fight to think how he could have done better.

“Now is no time to think of what you do not have. Think of what you can do with what there is.”

It is useless to spend any time on the “what ifs” and better to focus on maximizing your resources and abilities.

5. Don’t Rely on Luck

Additionally, we hear “luck” mentioned a couple of times throughout the book. As the old man embarked on his adventure, he thought to himself while at sea, “It is better to be lucky, but I would rather be exact. Then when luck comes you are ready.”

Even though luck is always welcome, we can’t depend on luck to help us come out victorious. However, readiness and determination are more likely to get us there.

6. Be Inspired by a Hero

Santiago loved baseball, and he idolized the Yankees’ star Joe DiMaggio. The old man identified with him personally, not only because he was the son of a poor fisherman, but because DiMaggio also struggled with a serious injury in his career before making a triumphant comeback.

Thinking of the great DiMaggio during his brutal fight gave Santiago the motivation and confidence he needed to endure his hardship at sea.

7. Never Give Up

The old man had gone eighty-four days without catching a fish, but this didn’t deter him. On the contrary, it gave him the courage to try harder and risk it all by going into the deep sea, where no other fisherman had gone.

Santiago then braved the match of his life catching a giant marlin; an insurmountable accomplishment he earned through patience, intelligence, skills, and determination. If this wasn’t enough, on his return he heroically confronted a shiver of sharks who ultimately devoured his fish, leaving only the meatless skeleton from tail to nose.

But losing the fish meat was no longer relevant. During his battle against the sharks, he tells himself, “man is not made for defeat… a man can be destroyed but not defeated.”

The old man returned to land with the giant carcass tied on the side of his boat, and his triumph duly recognized as the people in town were astonished to see the largest catch ever made.

8. Dreams of Lions

I’ll add an eighth lesson, which is related to life more than leadership. The old man frequently dreams of lions, referring to a time in the past when he was a young boy sailing in Africa mesmerized by seeing lions on the beaches.

This was a time of his life when he felt happiness and pride. The symbolism Hemingway uses here is obvious as a group of lions is called a pride.

The sea as with life, is a place full of risks and rewards, where we can find our hopes and fulfill our dreams, where we find our friends and our enemies, where we can fail or come out triumphant.

Life is made of memorable moments and it’s important to focus and continue creating moments that bring value to our lives, that make us better people, that give us the opportunity to love and improve the lives of those around us, and that give us a sense of accomplishment and happiness.

For when we reach the end of our lives, we can look back and say, “well done.”

 

Trump’s Checkmate

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Checkmate TrumpThe latest issue of The New Yorker (May 8, 2017) shares “Endgames” by Evan Osnos, a very comprehensive piece on what it would take to bring down Trump’s Presidency, focusing on the US Constitution’s Twenty-Fifth Amendment, the possibility of an impeachment, or even a self-imposed Nixonian exit.

While it is true that no US President has ever been immune to criticism, Trump entered his presidency having lost the popular vote by 3 million votes, in a sharply divided nation, with plenty of chaos, and fueled by a huge opposition of citizen activists and critics that so early in his term are calling for his impeachment.

His start has been everything but smooth sailing. Full of controversial executive orders, an unwillingness to release his tax returns, a questionable cabinet of incompetent loyalists, massive marches and protests all over the country, nepotism & conflicts of interest, and a federal investigation into a collusion with Russian interference of the 2016 US presidential election, among others, have gained Trump the lowest approval rating of any President in modern US history.

To make things worse, his arrogance and inability to take any negative criticism has irritated many people from his own political party. Trump is simply not interested in responding to his own actions, accountability is non-existent for him, and it’s always someone else’s fault.

But, can something really be done to take down Trump?

Yes, but the road to get there is not necessarily quick nor easy. Evan Osnos describes, for instance, how in 228 years of US political history, only one President has resigned and two have been impeached (although they were not removed from office).

One legal option to remove the President lies in the Twenty-Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution.

This amendment was adopted on February 10, 1967 and it deals with the succession to the Presidency as well as responding to the President’s disabilities. More precisely, but not as specific as we would like, Section 4 deals with the removal of the President if he is “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.”

The common denominator for using this legal instrument has to do with the possibility of Trump being mentally unfit.

Speculation about Trump’s mental health started during the presidential campaign, but it has kept growing and it remains a big concern as the US and the world rely on his decision-making abilities to deal with imperative world affairs matters.

Osnos reveals how more than 50,000 mental-health professionals have signed a petition stating that Trump is “too seriously mentally ill to perform the duties of President and should be removed” under the 25th Amendment.

The author also shares with us a revealing study by psychiatrists at Duke University concluding that about half of US Presidents they researched had suffered a mental illness. With this, he details three particular cases that are worth noting:

Pro-slave President Franklin Pierce was a heavy drinker and suffered from depression after his son’s death at a crucial time in US history, years before the start of the Civil War. President Lyndon B. Johnson was also affected with paranoia as the Vietnam War escalated.

And finally, President Ronald Reagan’s judgment, as well as his speech and decision-making abilities, changed during the last years of his presidency. Five years after leaving office, Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Trump does carry a lot of baggage against him that could trigger using this amendment, and there are elements that make people rightfully suspicious of his judgmental abilities and mental health.

To name a few, his constant repeating of proven falsehoods, his use of a fourth-grade level language, his threatening rhetoric against those who criticize him, his obscene narcissism and unpredictable behavior, and his incitement of violence against protesters, are among the dangerous signs that have people very worried.

Dispensing Section 4 of the 25th Amendment on Trump is a very possible, although not immediate, scenario.

Next comes the possibility of impeachment. The grounds for it include: “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

One very important point Evan Osnos shares here comes from an interview he had with David O. Stewart, the author of “Impeached,” who told him: “impeachment is not a judicial proceeding, but a tool of political accountability.”

Among the reasons for impeachment are several undergoing investigations of Trump, including the very serious amounting evidence of collusion with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election, and his reluctance to resign from his business holdings and profiting from them while holding the office of the Presidency, plus violating the US Constitution’s Foreign Emoluments Clause.

On this last example of using the public office for private gain, let’s not forget the State Department had to take down a website that promoted Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Resort.

But again, impeachment is not likely to happen soon. Not while Republicans hold the majority in Congress and the Senate. But Democrats have a big chance in the 2018 midterm elections to gain back political control and generate a bill for impeachment.

Finally, there is also the possibility of a Nixonian exit. One where Trump, cornered by multiple scandals, simply offers his resignation. He has expressed he misses his old life and that being President wasn’t as easy as he thought.

But as positive as it would be getting rid of an unstable and toxic President like Trump (if it ever happens before 2020), the scenario of dealing with a Mike Pence Presidency will also have its share of challenges in a country that desperately needs progressive actions to move forward.

 

Let’s Talk About Your “Haters”

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Match FireI don’t know if it’s originally a millennial term, but for the last few years I hear more and more the term “haters” being used in professional settings, especially with entrepreneurs.

The top definition for “hater” in Urban Dictionary says, “a person that simply cannot be happy for another’s person’s success.”

But I have also seen entrepreneurs wanting to feel important by having “haters” that they erroneously label people that provide some kind of criticism as “haters.”

It’s a fact, entrepreneurs can be very passionate about their projects and very protective of their ideas and leadership style. Many times to a point where they become blind to their erratic decisions or refuse to see or accept any flaws.

When talking to people about their business and asking for advice, many entrepreneurs don’t really want honest feedback, unless it’s positive or in a form of praise.

And so, when someone provides them with criticism, and that valuable feedback doesn’t please them, the entrepreneur is oftentimes quick to label the critic a “hater.”

It’s important to realize here that some of the harshest criticism you’ll receive will actually come from people who truly want you to succeed, not from “haters.” Be humble and open to this valuable insight.

Now, I’m not saying that all feedback you get will be good for your entrepreneurial objectives, but you should always conduct yourself appreciative and professionally.

Even better, know how to filter criticism, use it to your advantage, and turn it into something good; it may lead to positive results or spark new ideas to improve your business.

But when you put yourself in a position where you can’t take any criticism, you risk isolating yourself into an imaginary world of “me vs my haters”, where talking frequently about them becomes pernicious to your wellbeing while making you look weak.

When you put too much emphasis on your “haters” you are not only wasting valuable time and losing focus on your original business goal, but your objectives start shifting in the wrong direction as you give more importance to your “haters” by making your desire to beat them part of your goals.

Instead, convert that energy to drive you and your business forward.

Concentrate on the people you work with who rely on your leadership, focus on your clients whose positive experiences on your products and services are helping you grow your business, and focus on the investors who have put their trust in you believing in what you do.

Any amount of time spent on your “haters” is counterproductive. Additionally, your audience doesn’t care nor wants to hear about them, so quit talking about them on your social media posts or in public conversations.

If, on the other hand, there are people begrudging you in the openness of social media, don’t resent them, and don’t make their problem your problem. Continue with your life focusing on those that truly matter to you.

Dale Carnegie said it brilliantly, “no one ever kicks a dead dog.” If people are talking about you, take it as a great indicator that you are doing something valuable that is getting people’s attention.

The best way to avoid criticism is to do nothing and be a nobody, but as long as you are an entrepreneur who wants to accomplish big things, know that you’ll hardly be immune to criticism.

Learn that, although you may not have control over how people perceive and treat you, you do have absolute control over your reactions towards them and on how you let their actions affect you.

When you fully dominate this, you will see instantly that the “haters” have been reduced to nothing, becoming insignificant in your life.

 

How Death Makes Us More Alive

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Train TracksWe become thinkers the very precise moment when we acknowledge death and discover our own mortality.

I believe the first time I truly grasped the concept of death and realized I will die one day was when I was 8 years-old. I was at home reading the shocking news about the Mexico City earthquake of 1985 and the number of deaths from the tragedy.

I remember the uneasy feeling in my body and the impossibility of doing something about it as I was holding the newspaper and seeing the word “deaths” in the story.

As I discovered that death was real, thinking about how to deal with this topic started to become serious business as well.

In his book, “The Questions of Life”, Spanish philosopher Fernando Savater says that if death is the eternal state of not being, then we have already defeated it: the day we were born.

And even if it is only one time we will defeat death, this one time and opportunity we have of being alive, every day and instant that we continue to live and enjoy life will be triumphantly ours.

With this, not only does one start to think more about life the moment we know we will die, but we also begin to feel more alive than ever.

What do we know about death? Certainly not much. We do know, as Savater explains, that death is very personal and non-transferable. We cannot die for someone else, we can only die our own death.

But death, besides being distinctly personal, is also an accurate concept of true impartiality. Death does not discriminate on race, gender, or socioeconomic class; there is no individual who can escape from it. In the eyes of death we are all equal.

The certainty of death is what gives more importance to our lives. Everything we do, all our work, our hobbies, our social interactions… are all ways of resisting death.

But death is such an incomprehensible thing and so inevitably personal that it also represents the biggest fear for most people.

Some people fear about the unknown that follows death and confront such distress believing in a supernatural after-life world: a mystical place of eternal joy or punishment.

Others, not believing in gods rewarding or punishing humans, fear about the possibility that there is absolutely nothing after death, and that nothing is quite terrifying to them as well.

Perhaps a comforting way to digest this topic comes from Greek philosopher and atomic materialist Epicurus who advises on why we shouldn’t worry nor lose sleep over death: There is nothing to be afraid of because we never coexist with death and we will never feel death, as feeling is an activity (and privilege) of the living.

To feel distressed about the (gazillion) years ahead of us in which we will no longer be alive is just as capricious as to worry about the billions of years before we were born.

If we did not feel any pain being absent for all those billions of years, why should we feel concerned about a future of eternal absence?

Savater also mentions that part of the anguish we feel about death has to do with facing two difficult realities: all the joys of life we will miss when it comes to our own death, and because it will leave us without those we love in the case of others’ deaths.

It’s the conscience of death that makes life a very serious issue to think about. It’s mysterious and marvelous, a type of miracle for which we must fight and constantly reflect.

So death inevitably makes us thinkers. But not thinkers about death itself, but about life. And that should make us feel more alive and grateful.

A popular proverb says, “no one is too young to die, nor too old to live one more day.” It’s up to us to fully take advantage of the time we have and live the best life we can.

 

 

Reading like Nick Hornby

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Nick Hornby“I’m beginning to see that our appetite for books is the same as our appetite for food, that our brain tells us when we need the literary equivalent of salads, chocolate, or meat and potatoes.” – Nick Hornby

“The Polysyllabic Spree” by Nick Hornby is a book about reading that I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading if you love to read. Literally.

With his distinctive witty narrative and open conversational style, the bestselling author of “A Long Way Down” and “Fever Pitch” brilliantly unveils the imperfect and humanizing side of reading we all can relate to.

Let’s face it, reading is quite a challenging task, frequently threatened by all kinds of possible distractions.

And that is the pillar battle in Nick Hornby’s book, as each chapter represents one month of a year-long reading journey, where at the beginning of each episode he enlists those books he bought vs those books he read.

The challenge is quite entertaining as many of the books he reads are not even those he originally purchased. And in the mix of his hilarious explanations, his book commentaries and recommendations are spot on.

As he takes us on this natural and spontaneous reading expedition, he invites us to explore our own reading habits, our unique relationships with books, and even the detours and struggles we face when trying to read.

When it comes to those ever-present obstacles, the author accurately points out that reading is a domestic activity, and is therefore susceptible to any changes in the domestic environment.

Not that this is my case, but let’s say you are comfortably sitting with a book one evening, and your very imaginative and hyper-active four-year-old boy is running around the house while holding a toy spaceship and making sound-blasting special effects.

In such case, you must surrender to the planetary troops that are aggressively pushing you towards an asteroid field, and attempt reading at a later time, perhaps right after the spaceship captain takes an intergalactic bath followed by him going to his zero-gravity sleeping capsule to rest for the night.

Because reading is a very personal activity, we also have our own rules.

For example, I read in both English and Spanish, so I have this rule: I like to read the book of the author in their native tongue primarily.

However, if the author’s language is neither English nor Spanish, then I will proceed to read it in the closest language. Let’s say, if the author is German or Swedish, I would read it in English; if the author is Portuguese or Italian, I would read it in Spanish.

But then I can’t explain why I chose to read Japanese author Haruki Murakami in Spanish, or Greek philosophers in English. Of course, it also depends on availability.

Back to the book, Nick Hornby has a few confessions he shares that I felt very identified with, but also a little bit guilty of such conducts.

For instance, he spends a lot of money on books, many of which he knows he will never read. Anybody else guilty of this?

But let’s say you did start reading a book, and at one point you realize it’s not your type or you simply can’t finish it. Well, it is OK to abandon it. There is no reason to persist with a book that is not working for you.

And while some books are badly written, Hornby reminds us that sometimes they are badly read as well. Not enjoying a book could be our fault too if we don’t provide the commitment and concentration that a book requires.

Now, when it comes to how we organize our reading list, there are (almost inevitably) events that alter the order of your pile of books-to-read.

One of those common events for me comes from book recommendations from a close friend or relative who has a proven track record of recommending great books.

When that happens to me, I feel I must stop whatever I’m reading or update my book cue accordingly in order to give VIP preference to that book recommendation.

Other altering events are realizing an author I like has released a new book or discovering a totally interesting book by accident (like it happened to me with this one).

But altering your book order and putting books aside for later can also be a pain in the Rumpelstiltskin. Especially when you realize there are several books you have put aside which have remained unread for years.

And I’m talking about real physical books in your home! I’m not even going to mention those books I have on my Amazon shopping cart “saved for later”.

One thing is very true: there will never be enough time to read all the books you want.

In fact, Nick Hornby reveals a depressing fact from Gabriel Zaid’s book “So Many Books”, which estimates that it would takes us 15 years simply to read a list of all the books ever published (author and title to be precise)!

The lesson here is to stop wasting time reading books you hate and the more reason to prioritize and focus on enriching, enjoyable, and substantial books.

What books to read? If you are open to new ideas, Nick Hornby has some great recommendations throughout the book covering many genres and authors.

As soon as you immerse yourself in this book, you’ll realize he is not only a tremendous book critic, but his love of books is so contagious you might want to start your own reading list challenge.

At the end of the day, the ultimate goal we readers have is to secure a temporary peacefulness that will allow us to achieve the maximum enjoyment of reading. But can we?