Stoic Monday - The Standard You Walk Past

What do your values ask of you when life gets difficult?

What if this difficult chapter isn’t the end of your story?

Monday Mentor: Be Willing to Hear What You Don’t Want to Hear

In this episode of the Building Better Humans podcast, host Glenn Azar shares a powerful reflection on how our identities can become limitations. He draws from his own experiences, including his time in the Australian Army and his work in nursing, to illustrate how our past decisions and experiences can shape our sense of self and hold us back from growing into our full potential. Glenn explains that as adults, we tend to turn our experiences into identity, whereas children are more fluid in their thoughts and feelings. He shares a personal anecdote about how a single bad experience can lead to a lifelong conclusion, and how this can prevent us from trying new things and living a more authentic life. He also discusses how our brains tend to notice what confirms our existing story and how we can become stuck in a narrative that no longer serves us. Glenn encourages listeners to examine their own identities and the stories they tell themselves. He suggests that we often repeat negative self-talk and limit ourselves with phrases like "I'm not the type of person who..." or "I've never been good at...". He invites listeners to challenge these statements by asking themselves where they came from, when they were last tested, what has changed since then, and what small experiment they could run to gather new information. In this episode, Glenn offers practical advice on how to break free from limiting identities and start living a more authentic life. He encourages listeners to take small actions that challenge their old stories and gather new evidence. By doing so, they can begin to see themselves in a new light and make decisions that align with who they are today, rather than who they used to be.

In this episode of the Building Better Humans podcast, Glenn dives into the challenges of leadership in small teams, particularly in businesses where the owner is still heavily involved in day-to-day operations. With a focus on building a strong foundation for growth, Glenn shares practical advice on how to develop leaders, improve communication, and create a positive company culture. The episode covers the importance of setting standards, making communication a part of the job, and giving people room to lead. Glenn emphasizes the need to hold the standard without crushing people, and to develop leaders before needing another supervisor. By doing so, business owners can build a strong team that can deliver better work, take pride in it, and grow without depending on the owner for every answer. Glenn also highlights the importance of accountability, teaching people to think, and giving them the autonomy to make decisions. By following these principles, business owners can create a business that can grow without sacrificing its core values and culture. If you're a small business owner or leader looking to build a strong team and create a positive company culture, this episode is a must-listen. Take 10 minutes to ask yourself three questions: what behavior are you allowing in your team that you wouldn't want to build into its culture, what decisions are you still making that someone on your team could learn to make, and who in your business is already having a positive influence on others and how can you help them grow. Listen to the full episode to learn more about how to build a strong foundation for growth and create a business that can thrive.