David Morris Profile picture
Apr 24 12 tweets 3 min read
10 things your parents never told you about work (but probably should have):
You Won't Love What You Do

Confucious lied.

He said: “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

You set yourself up for failure if you buy it.

Pick jobs where you're competent and make a meaningful impact.

Then work every day of your life.
You're Replaceable

I've left many jobs where I held an incredibly important role.

My ego is sad to report that none of those companies shut down after I walked out the door.

We're all replaceable.

Never let your status, accomplishments, or position go to your head.
A Different Job Won't Make You Happy

If you can't find a way to be happy in your current job, chances are the next one won't make you any happier (for long).

If you surrender your happiness to external circumstances,

You'll never find it.

Be happy where you are.
Great To Work With > Doing Great Work

My formula for career success is simple:

Do great work and be great to work with.

But if you have to choose one,

Intentionally find ways to be great to work with.

When push comes to shove, the jerks and trouble makers are first to go.
If You're Not Learning, You're The Problem

It's easy to sit and wait for others to take an interest in your development.

When they don't, you blame them for your stagnation.

But the truth is, your growth is your job.

If you're not learning and growing, do something about it.
Chess Players Win

As a leader, I'm often surprised by how much people suck at seeing the bigger picture.

The lowest level career skills are tactical.

It's the strategic thinkers - those who can see 2 or 3 moves ahead - who advance.

Play chess while others play checkers.
Things Work Out

My business ordered a material we didn't need and had to take delivery.

It was painful.

6 months later, supply chain issues threatened to shut down production.

That wrong material came to the rescue.

Big mistakes can become wins.

Relax.

Give it time.
Whatever You Make Isn't Enough

If you're only in your job for the money,

You're a bad employee.

Yes, you should be fairly compensated.

But if you're only showing up to get paid, what you get paid won't ever be enough.

If you can't find a better reason to show up, move on.
You'll Always Have A Boss

It doesn't matter what you do for a living, you'll always have a boss.

It may not be captured on an org chart,

But you can't escape having people you report to.

Whether it's a customer, a board, or a spouse, everybody's got a boss.

Get used to it.
Today's Excellence = Tomorrow's Expectation

Fair or unfair, your big accomplishment this year becomes the new baseline expectation for next year.

Will you use it as an excuse to hold back?

Or as motivation to keep pushing?

Nothing says more about who you are than your answer.
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More from @wdmorrisjr

Apr 15
A man once offered JP Morgan the "guaranteed formula for success."

Morgan paid $25,000 for it.

The simple secret to succeeding at anything:
The story goes that the man approached Morgan with an envelope he claimed contained the "guaranteed formula for success."

Morgan agreed that he would read it first and, if it was true, pay the man.

He opened the envelope, read the contents, nodded, and got out his checkbook.
The paper only contained two sentences:

1) Every morning, write down a list of things that need to be done that day

2) Do them

Sound simple?

It is.
Read 12 tweets
Apr 10
There are many things in life you try hard not to remember.

But there are others you can't afford to forget.

Here are 11 of the most powerful:
Time Heals

The burden you're carrying today will be lighter tomorrow.

The wound you incurred last week won't hurt as bad next week.

The shattering setback from last year will be a lesson learned next year.

Get through today and let tomorrow do its job.
Hope Helps

Hope is risky.

It feels safer to live without it.

If you don't hope, you can't hurt.

But hope shapes a vision of a better future.

It gives you the ability to endure and keep going.

Don't surrender to the safety of despair.
Read 13 tweets
Apr 3
Parents have to choose their battles.

8 fights worth picking with your kids:
Parenting is hard.

We're all figuring it out as we go.

One of the most difficult things to sort through is when to take a stand,

And when to let up.

There's no magic formula for figuring this out,

But these are a few things I've found worth squaring off with your kids over.
The Reading Fight:

Make your kids read.

Of my four kids, one was a natural reader who always had a book in his hands.

For the others, it was a fight.

But it's a fight worth picking,

Because reading is tied to everything from cognitive development to the ability to focus.
Read 20 tweets
Mar 27
6 ways great leaders think differently:
Under Authority → In Authority

It's a big moment when someone is given their first leadership role.

Because how you handle authority reveals who you are.

In my experience, there are 2 primary failures of authority ⏤

Abdication and abuse.
Abdication happens when you're given authority and don't take it.

Abuse happens when authority is used for selfish gain.

Weak leaders abdicate or abuse.

Great leaders take charge when they're put in charge,

But think first about the good of those they've been trusted to lead.
Read 14 tweets
Mar 20
In the struggles of life and work,

Perspective is the first thing to go.

9 simple tricks for getting it back:
Remind Yourself The Cavalry's Not Coming:

Sometimes I need a shove to break out of a victim mindset.

This is my ace in the hole.

Tell yourself:

- No one's coming to save me.
- There are no magic bullets.
- Only my action counts.

Then, plan a deliberate path forward.
Add "Right Now" To What You're Feeling:

Feelings change over time.

What feels world-shattering today might be inconsequential tomorrow.

I started adding the phrase "right now" to what I'm feeling.

"I hate my job...right now."

Try it and see how it changes things.
Read 11 tweets
Mar 13
Your career is a long journey to an unknown destination without a map.

I'm the old guy by the side of the road you stop and ask directions.

The only career advice you'll ever need:
First, Learn How To Sell

A mentor who sold his business for hundreds of millions once told me:

If you ever want to be a CEO, learn how to sell.

Sales is a skill anyone can learn.

Regardless of how you're "wired."

If you can produce revenue, you will succeed.
Follow Before You Try To Lead

I entered the workforce ready to take charge.

After all, I was 22 and knew *exactly* what to do.

It wasn't until I learned how to follow another's lead that I was trusted enough to be put in the lead.

Follow first. Lead later.
Read 20 tweets

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