A weekly brief for men building careers and families.
Good day, gentlemen. Appreciate everyone who weighed in on the survey last week - super helpful as I’m trying to get better at this alongside you and figure out what actually moves the needle at home and at work.
In this week’s issue, we’re tackling a skill that separates average men from leaders: Proactive communication. The ability to anticipate, identify, and get ahead of problems - before they become problems.
01 - The Core 🎯
One principle to carry into the week.
THE QUOTE
“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.”
THE TAKE
Most of us wait too long to say something. We hear what’s being said, but we can feel there’s something else going on - and we just let it sit.
The truth is, people don’t always say the real problem. You can hear it in their tone, see it in how they act, or feel it in the silence, but it’s easy to ignore it.
That’s what Peter Drucker meant. Real listening means catching the issue before it’s said out loud. Leaders don’t wait for proof. They anticipate it. They name it. They get ahead of it.
Strong men go first. They see it early. They call it out. They move it forward. That’s the shift. From reactive to proactive.
THE MOVE
Pick one area this week either at work, home, or your own habits.
Ask three simple questions.
What’s the issue?
What’s causing it?
What should happen next?
Then go first. Say it. Keep it simple. Lead the way.
02 - The Trait 🏆
One man. One trait worth studying.
Andy Grove | Anticipation
What did he do?
In 1985, at Intel (the company Andy Grove led), things weren’t going well. The company was falling behind in memory chips. Grove then asked a hard question. “If we got kicked out and the board brought in a new CEO, what would he do?” The answer was clear to get out of memory chips and focus on something better (and more profitable): microprocessors. So he made the call before he was forced to.
What did it cost him?
He had to walk away from Intel’s core business. There was internal resistance from leaders who were tied to memory chips. And there was no guarantee his plan would work.
What can we take from it?
Great leaders don’t wait for things to break. They see where things are going. They anticipate the issue. Identify the root cause. And act early. Keyword: early. The more proactive you are, the less reactive you have to be. At work. At home. In everything.
03 - The Question ❓
One question for the week.
Where do you need to go first this week?
Know a man who'd find this useful? Forward this to him.
Hold the line,
-Collier
