#30: Complainers vs doers
Why you should take action instead of being frustrated and venting all the time
Hey friends,
Had a full week at work last week, so I was happy to put out one LinkedIn post every day of the week. My process of getting up and writing first thing in the morning is working. I’ll see if it will still work in a couple of months when I start something that will require a lot of my time.
But more on this activity a bit later, as I'm not 100% sure I’ll start it.
So, busy week, managed to hit the gym five times, met with some dear friends on Wednesday, and celebrated one of my best friends’ birthdays at a Mexican place on Saturday. All in all, a good week.
Oh, and we had a short celebration of Halloween at work, which was pretty fun (we decorated, played some games, and ate pumpkin pie).
I have decided to build an email course along the lines of “from contributor to leader”. Of course, this is a working title, as I just came up with the idea yesterday.
Last week I also finished the course “Build in Public Mastery”, which I will talk about more in the last section of this email.
I figured out it would be a good idea to make a “Sprint” out of this month and finish this email course by the end of it.
I will keep you posted on the progress as well as on the technicalities of posting it online and having it as a lead magnet for this newsletter and other paid products. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
By the way, you could help me create this course.
If you are someone who wants to ascend to a leadership position, let me know what your most important struggles are.
If you are someone who is already a leader in the organization, let me know what your challenges were or any advice you would have for people who want to go on this route.
Complainers vs doers
In today's corporate world, there's an increasing murmur of dissatisfaction.
Everywhere you turn, from casual coffee breaks to virtual water cooler chats, I hear tales of discontent.
"My boss doesn't get it."
"HR is just ticking boxes."
"The company doesn’t care about us."
I’ve been there—frustrated, annoyed, and venting to anyone who'll listen.
But here’s the real problem: simply venting isn’t a solution.
Complaining to your spouse, friends, or even that empathetic colleague might provide momentary relief, but it does nothing to change the way you feel inside.
These surface-level complaints are often just the visible tip of a much deeper iceberg.
Under that waterline could be a vast expanse of:
mismatched skills
misaligned values
misunderstood expectations.
By not diving deep to understand the crux of these issues, you're setting yourself up for prolonged misery and continuous dissatisfaction.
So, how do you navigate these icy waters?
Self-Reflection: Before pointing fingers, take a step back. Reflect. Understand the core reasons behind your dissatisfaction.
Maybe it’s not just about your manager’s latest email but a broader clash with the company culture.
Or perhaps your talents are simply better suited for a different role or environment.
Open Communication: Once you've identified the root cause, take the brave step forward.
Discuss your concerns with your team leader. You might be surprised at how understanding and receptive they can be when presented with honest feedback.
Initiate Change: Sometimes, waiting for external change isn't the answer.
It might be up to you to be the catalyst for change.
Perhaps it's refining your skills, or maybe it's spearheading a team initiative that showcases the results of a new approach.
Know When to Move On: There's no shame in recognizing when a situation isn't the right fit.
If you’ve tried to communicate and effect change but are still finding yourself at odds, it might be time to seek out new horizons.
In the end, silent suffering isn't the answer.
We live in times in which we have the luxury of working in a place we love. We spend more than half of our waking time at work, so why not do it somewhere where your abilities make a difference?
Recommendation: Build in Public Mastery Course
Last week, I finished this course by Kevon Cheung. It’s a self-paced course about how you can involve your audience to create a product or service.
Enrollment is closed for now, but it will open again on January 1st so you can join the waitlist.
https://buildinpublicmastery.com/
(Not an affiliate link.)
I liked the course as it changed my perspective on social media and creating content.
Before this course, I had the impression that you need to grind all the time. I would wake up and comment on 5 large accounts on X, then use my lunch break to repost other people and stuff like that.
But not anymore. I want my social media experience to be a fun one and to connect with like-minded people. I also want to involve people in what I am creating, as it will be a product for them in the end.
And this is what I plan to do with the email course that I want to put out this month. I want to get into conversations to find out what interests my audience and why they are following me.
I want to know more about you.
Kevon’s course teaches you how to put an idea into practice by validating it while working on it.
It can be a course, an ebook, or a software product. Anything you can think of—almost anything, actually.
It’s a philosophy I’ve been using in software products for years now: Agile.
You build a prototype, an MVP, you show it to the customer early enough so you can adapt to the feedback and make the changes.
So, as I said earlier, I will keep you posted about my work to create the email course for aspiring leaders.
And I’m counting on your help :)
Have a great week!
Thank you for reading, and let me know if you liked something in particular in this newsletter.
Until next time,
Leo
P.S.: If you would like to read my content daily, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and Linkedin.
P.S. 2: If you want to take your productivity to the next level, check out my extensive Productivity course that can accelerate your career.