— To follow is a bullet of wisdom on leadership. It comes from Tom’s rifle, named Shot, who has seen it all. You’ll get the drift by clicking Blog in the menu at www.tomnewhouse.com. —
I HATE BANANAS! As rifle I am, have been, and will be straight; bananas are curved. Also, they are yellow, which is one color us rifles don’t associate with. I’m not done: Bananas rot quickly. I’m over 50 years old, and my shot is as true as ever. There’s a reason we say people “go bananas” when they lose their minds. Going bananas is bad. Bananas are bad. I hate ‘em.
Whoa there, Shot. Bananas can’t be all bad. They are a great source of potassium. They taste wonderful…well, until they darken. And then they make awesome banana bread. Some of us—a lot of us—like bananas. But here’s a question: What’s a banana to feel like when among rifles like Shot? Excluded. (Admittedly, this is circuitous way to address inclusion…and trust.) If folks don’t feel included, they won’t trust. If they don’t trust, many other benefits—as we have revealed in recent weeks—don’t accrue. Although there are various ways to increase inclusion, none work unless you first change your mindset. Go! Bananas.