Ever wondered why Steve Jobs was so hard on those who worked for him? Listen to him tell this story from his childhood:
It seems this rock-polishing metaphor drove him to be the grit that polished his teams’ results.
As I heard Jobs tell this story, it helped me see that, maybe, he was serving a greater purpose, rather than merely being a jerk.
That’s the power of a story. It can lift you out of one worldview and transport you into another.
What about you? Do you have story from your past that guides your work?
This is one that continues to guide me.
Put This Into Practice Right Now
Spend the remainder of the day jotting down recurring stories from your past that guide you. Then, write these stories out so that you can retell them at a moment’s notice. If only to yourself.