Growth
Jamie Patterson: Uphill Words of Wisdom
Click here to download Jamie Patterson’s Words of Wisdom
What are 3 signature things you tell people regarding your area of expertise?
- Networking is king—always be curious and don’t be afraid to meet new people
- The ability to communicate effectively is the most important skill you can have
- Everyone’s story is important
What is your favorite quote?
“Going in one more round when you don’t think you can—that’s what makes all the difference in your life.” – Rocky Balboa
If you could offer one piece of advice, what would you tell your younger self?
Don’t take everything so personally—you can’t make everyone happy, you are not pizza.
What are your 3 favorite books (any genre!)?
- The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
- Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
What are three nouns that describe you?
- Mom
- Advocate
- Connector
Connect with Jamie:
- Website: clemson.edu/mba
- LinkedIn: in/jamiesilvispatterson
The Value of Negative Feedback
Anyone who has ever led a team of individuals can attest to the value of positive reinforcement and praise. It’s important that your high-performing employees feel valued and that those who could use some improvement can celebrate the small successes in order to motivate them towards continuous improvement.
That being said, in recent years there has been more emphasis on providing everyone an equal opportunity to succeed and, not only recognizing them for their contributions, but also providing positive praise for just showing up. Not only does this do a disservice to our younger generations as they enter the business world, it also doesn’t allow for continuous self-improvement or increased self-awareness.
How is someone supposed to improve upon themselves and his or her business acumen if no one is there to point out their mistakes and hold them accountable? How can a rose bush continue to bloom year after year if it isn’t pruned? Only by recognizing and owning ones failures can an individual realize true growth – personally and professionally.
Is this easy? Of course not. But, there is incredible value in negative feedback, and instead of ignoring, dismissing or arguing against it, what we really need to do is lean into it. We need to create environments where we are not only open to negative feedback, but where we ask for it – where we seek it out from our leaders, peers, direct reports and customers.
In a recent podcast with Sunniva Holt, she said “If you’re not growing, your dying.” In the very same vein, if you’re not improving, you’ll never progress and you’ll continue to be stuck in the same place you are now.
Me personally, I choose growth.
#SeeYouOnTheHill
Capacity versus Potential
When we are young, people ask us “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Without preconceived notions about what is expected of us, without external or self-imposed limiting beliefs, we are free to dream about what our future might hold. We are able to let our interactions and experiences of those around us guide us as we imagine our futures.
But as we get older, the focus stops being what we want to be and our unlimited capacity and instead becomes “What are you qualified to do?” and “What are you doing to achieve your true potential?” We get caught up in the daily grind and the lives that we’ve built for ourselves that we lose that ability to truly be present in our daily lives and to live into our days rather than just living through them.
I recently came across this quote:
“I say unlimited capacity rather than unlimited potential, because potential can be a dangerous concept. We can use it to tyrannize ourselves, to live in the future instead of the present, to set ourselves up for despair by constantly measuring ourselves against what we think we could be rather than what we are.” – Marianne Williamson
I love how Ms. Williamson points out what many of us have probably experienced as we’ve tried to project our future lives.
- Am I doing enough?
- Am I doing the right things?
- Am I using my gifts and talents in the right way?
- Will I achieve all that I’m capable of?
- If I don’t, will I be unfulfilled?
By focusing too much on the future – by worrying about what we could be versus what we are now – we are missing out on the greatest gift that we have. Today.
As I continue to work through my own journey and do my own mindset work, I find that I have too often focused on my unknown and immeasurable future potential rather than my unlimited capacity to make a positive impact in the present: the here and now. I have handcuffed my present-day self by trying to live for tomorrow rather than living for today. And since no one knows what tomorrow may bring, it’s unnerving to think of continuing to live my life this manner.
Being present and living into your day are two concepts that carry incredible power if you make a conscious decision, have a true desire, and actively work to be successful in these areas.
So, are you willing to do the work?
#SeeYouOnTheHill