Tina Seelig

We can challenge ourselves every single day.

The more we take on problems, the more confident and proficient we become at solving them. And the better able we are to see them as opportunities.

Most people approach problems as though they can’t be solved and, therefore, don’t see the creative solutions sitting right in front of them.

In school, students are usually evaluated as individuals and graded on a curve. In short, when they win someone else loses. Not only is this stressful, but it isn’t how most organizations work. Outside of school, people usually work on a team with a shared goal, and when they win so does everyone else.

Over time, I’ve become increasingly aware that the world is divided into people who wait for others to give them permission to do the things they want to do and people who grant themselves permission. Some look inside themselves for motivation and others wait to be pushed forward by outside forces.

sometimes opportunities can be found right across the street—you just have to look up from your desk to see them.

people who get to the top work harder than those around them, have more energy that propels them forward, and are markedly more driven to get there.

There is considerable research showing that those willing to stretch the boundaries of their current skills and willing to risk trying something new are much more likely to be successful than those who believe they have a fixed skill set and innate abilities that lock them into specific roles.

If you want to achieve something, the key is to start moving in that direction. Give yourself permission to do so. Look around for holes in your organization, ask for what you want, find ways to leverage your skills and experiences, be willing to make the first move, and stretch beyond what you’ve done before. There are always opportunities waiting to be exploited. Instead of waiting to be asked and tiptoeing around an opportunity, seize it. It takes hard work, energy, and drive—but these are the assets that set leaders apart from those who wait for others to anoint them.

you can read as many books on leadership as you want, but until you experience the challenges real leaders face, you will not be prepared to take charge