A candidate and I discussed creativity.The candidate believes they are not creative — they don’t have “artistic” talent. I asked the candidate if they could design the ideal cookie. I got the benefit of imagining a potentially amazing cookie.The candidate got the benefit of realizing that creativity is not just an “arts” thing, it’s just a simple act of imagining “what if” and “how might I.”Creativity is not reserved for the artists and hipsters.

The person that is ultra-reactionary doesn’t deserve necessarily deserve your stress and attention.Acting like water — going with the flow, adapting to the environment, being persistent, being cool — is often the best response to fire.

Stressful day. But amazing how relaxing it can be to help someone else. I don’t think it was the act of “helping”. I think it was the decision that I was going to “show up” as the helper. It’s never about the destination. It’s always about who you decide to be when you arrive. I decided to be someone that was focused on the person I intended to help. I showed up that way.

I’m traveling overseas this week. While away I’ll be working and writing — it shouldn’t feel any different for you. While preparing I had a brief freak out. I told myself, “it’s okay, we got this, and chill the #!@# out.”Surprisingly, that worked.

Machiavelli writes that a prince should avoid founding their state on the people — avoid creating an organization for people by people. I think that’s because people are self-interested. I am watching “Game of Thrones” now. I imagine if Machiavelli would write a television series, “Game of Thrones” would likely be it. I enjoy seeing concepts from “The Prince” played out in that fictional world. I’m at a point in the show where Daenerys Targaryen is establishing her state. She has a belief in a state for and of free people — where slavery doesn’t exist. Daenerys doesn’t listen to her council, founds her state on the people, she ignores the effectual truth in favor of her ideals, and struggles. Why? People are largely self-interested.What are the implications for the savvy leader?Build upon an idea. Spread the idea and discover those that want to opt-in to the change you want to make.Exclude. There are people who are not meant for your work, they don’t belong in your “state.” Remove them. Recruit and lead. You don’t need to have dragons to create compliance. If you’re skilled, inspire people to want to build upon your idea and make it better. Punishments rarely make work better. Balance ideals with realism. See the world as it is, not as you hope it to be. If you want to make change happen, you must deal with what’s in front of you. I know of one leader, and reader of this blog, that sees the world as it is. She’s got a great idea to connect aging populations with experiences they want, and she gets people. She’s an effective idealist.

More than a decade ago, I sailed on the m/s Zaandam and met a fascinating woman named Veronika. Veronika worked in the shops. A well-read woman, I would often see her sitting in the passenger cafeteria on sea days with a book and a tea. We were friends, and one day I sat down and asked about the book. More than a decade later, I now own my own copy of “The Master and Margarita”, by Mikhail Bulgakov. I started reading a few pages and I’m hooked. I enjoy the descriptions of Moscow, the language used, and Bulgakov’s wit. I don’t often read fiction; and I’m glad I’m starting.

If you’re vacationing to get away from it all because life is stressful, what good is the vacation if you arrive at your destination still stressed?It’s not the distance from the problem that matters; it’s how you manage yourself.

Seth Godin wrote about consequences the other day. He cites the “Seven Social Sins” popularized by Gandhi. I pasted them below. I am not going to comment on our culture. Instead, I am going to ask how you interpret these “social sins” relative to your values? Tolstoy suggested that culture and society are improved from the inside the out. If that’s remotely true, then what might matter is not how we see others show up in society, but how we choose to show up for each other. Wealth without work.Pleasure without conscience.Knowledge without character.Commerce without morality.Science without humanity.Religion without sacrifice.Politics without principle.

I just finished Leo Tolstoy’s “A Calendar of Wisdom.” The book is Tolstoy’s curated collection of insights and ideas from great thinkers and great books. The entry for December 31st got me thinking:“The past does not exist. The future has not begun. The present is an infinitely small point in time in which the already nonexistent past meets the imminent future. At this point, which is timeless, a person’s real life exists. Time does not exist. There is only a small and infinite present, and it is only in this present that our life occurs. Therefore, a person should concentrate all his spiritual force only on this present.” A powerful meditation to start off the new year. Consider picking up this book - even from the library.

Good leaders know how to expand the world of those in their charge.