Post by Simon Sinek
Optimist, New York Times bestselling author of "Start with Why" and "The Infinite Game", and founder of The Optimism Company
Being a founder is a constant firefight. 🔥 The question isn’t if emergencies pop up—it’s how you handle them. Early on, I made three mistakes: ❌ Treating every fire as urgent. ❌ Believing only I could fix things. ❌ Dropping everything, every time. It led to burnout and a fragile business. Here’s what I’ve learned since: ✅ Protect focus. When I’m in a meeting, my phone stays away. Fires can usually wait 30 minutes. ✅ Delegate fires. When a problem is brought to me, I ask: “What do you think we should do?” ✅ Accept short-term dips. Growth comes when others practice solving hard problems—even if results slip at first. Leadership isn’t about being the fastest firefighter. It’s about building a team that doesn’t need you to grab the hose every time.
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