15 Minute Daily Practice for Startup Founders – Chris Holmberg
One of my favorite VC blogs to follow, is FirstRound Capital’s – FirstRound Review. In case you have never heard of them, FirstRound is a notable VC Venture Fund, with locations in Philadelphia, New York City, and San Francisco, that has invested in a wide variety of noteworthy companies. Their portfolio is stocked with some household names such as: Warby Parker, BirchBox, Uber, Square, and many others. Their blog, linked above, is also a great source for the latest news in technology, as well as great advice and suggestions for startup founders.
I read a particularly interesting article they posted, titled The Most Dangerous Leadership Traps — and the 15-Minute Daily Practice That Will Save You, an interview featuring Chris Holmberg, an executive coach with a ton of experience from working with small clients, to big corporate clients. In his interview, Chris talks about the perils startup founders face, when they mentally limit themselves because they are ‘too busy’ and ‘time is too precious’ for them to sacrifice. He discusses the importance of taking the time to self-reflect, take a mental cool-down to rehearse what has transpired, and what needs to transpire for the next day.
“Outside the business world, many people get how important practice is. Athletes, for example, do it all the time as a matter of course,” says Holmberg. “People who perform, or play sports, or music, they all see the value of practice.” But in business, almost everyone wants to be good right away. They don’t want to spend time going over what already happened” – Chris Holmberg
His solution? A simple 15 minute daily reflection, that he recommends be conducted in a quiet peaceful environment, at the end of every work day. Now, we all understand that a there is no such thing as a “normal workday” for startup founders and employees. This doesn’t mean we all can’t take the time to find at least 15 minutes of free time (unless you’re a crazy robot). Chris Holmberg’s point is simple – startup founders, employees, entrepreneurs, cannot afford to waste time by not learning and reflecting. He makes the comparison to athletes. Athletes are always constantly practicing because they know it benefits them and ultimately excels them further. Founders, employees, and entrepreneurs are no different. We all must continue striving to learn.
“Startup leaders can’t afford to have low learning efficiency. They must milk each experience for maximum learning. Reflection is the key for accelerating your learning curve.” – Chris Holmberg
The interview conducted by FirstRound is really enlightening. It helped me take a quick break and think about reflecting. No matter what, I never want to stop learning. There is always someone out there who can offer you knowledge through experience. It’s a positive thing to take a moment to listen, reflect, and plan accordingly. So do yourself a favor, take 15 minutes to relax and reflect :).
Relax STKR – via http://stkr.us
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