Good grief, Charlie Brown! Don't waste those 5 cents

An internet quiz -- falsely attributed to "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz -- can help you quickly identify your priorities as a leader, presenting factual questions that are tough to answer, such as "Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant," contrasted with more meaningful questions, such as "Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile," writes Skip Prichard. "Be the person who supports, encourages, and elevates others. That's the kind of leader who leaves a mark that no accomplishment rivals," Prichard notes.

Put it into practice: This quiz's first set of questions focuses on personal achievement and "glorifies wealth, beauty, and instant recognition," Prichard writes. The second list, though, focuses on "the people who leave a lasting imprint" on us, and that's how the best leaders want to be remembered, according to Prichard.

Overcome your imposter syndrome by refusing to compare yourself with others or obsessing about your progress versus someone else's and instead write your own story of success, writes consultant Marlene Chism. "If you're not confident about your current level of growth and have yet to build your capacity or credibility, that's not imposter syndrome. It's called learning," Chism asserts.

Put it into practice: Avoid buying into the argument that having imposter syndrome means you're a success because feeling inadequate is "a status symbol that you have arrived," writes Chism. "Self-doubt, lack of belonging and fear of being a fraud are not syndromes to want. It's a bad habit to break."

Critical thinking can be quickly short-circuited by logical fallacies, such as an ad hominem, which attacks the person, not the issue being discussed, a false dilemma that has only two options or an appeal to authority that cuts off further dialogue, writes executive coach Christine Comaford. Learning to spot these fallacies and following Comaford's suggestions on defusing them can reduce a tendency to be offended and help you deepen the conversation.

Put it into practice: The common thread to all the logical fallacies Comaford presents is to invite your conversation partner to go beyond knee-jerk reactions and think more deeply about what they're saying. "Without solid logic, we cannot create a persuasive argument."

Protecting your supply chain. Thirty percent of you are very dependent upon out-of-country sources of supply. Given the world turmoil we regularly face, having contingency plans in place in the event of supply disruptions is a wise idea. Consider building an alternate supplier base, having backup stock and possible product changes to reduce reliance on those key suppliers.

For those of you who don't worry because not much of your input comes from outside the country, ask your suppliers this same question. You might be surprised to find a key "domestic" supplier is very reliant on out-of-country components and your risk might be higher than you originally thought.

Bottom line - understand your supply chain risk and be prepared with contingency plans in case the unthinkable happens.

-- Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS, which includes TITAN -- the firm's e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West Point graduate and author of three leadership books: "One Piece of Paper," "Lead Inside the Box" and "The Elegant Pitch."

Seeing his mother -- and other Black women -- doing whatever it took to support their families and being homeless for a time during his teen years taught Everette Taylor, the CEO of Kickstarter, the skill of not complaining but also a spirit for hustling, though he encourages a balanced approach to life and business. "I spent a good part of my career not investing in my family and friendships and love the way that I should have, including making time for myself, investing in self-care, my mental health, and my physical health," Taylor says.

Cats and dogs experience REM sleep, which is when humans dream, says Harvard University dream researcher Deirdre Barrett, who suggests that the dreams of these pets might reflect their daily lives, a concept supported by considerable evidence in humans. "It's a very safe assumption that cats dream about stalking and pouncing on prey," says Barrett, and neuroscience experiments from the 1970s back up the idea.

I once suffered from imposter syndrome, especially in my early 20s when I was a cub reporter for a radio station. It was my first time reporting, and while some stories were straightforward, my anxiety spiked when I covered a local murder trial. So much information! I struggled to find the critical point to structure my stories around. I was sure this would be the day my boss discovered I was not cut out for this work.

Marlene Chism addresses this point: Sometimes you are an imposter -- not because you're trying to pull something over on others, but because you're a rookie at whatever you're trying to do. Frankly, I had a lot to learn in my first reporting job, and luckily, I had a patient boss who wanted to teach me the ropes because he saw my potential to be a great reporter.

If I were taking the quiz Skip Prichard writes about, Bill Matson is one of those people I would list as someone who taught me something worthwhile and made me feel appreciated - even as I struggled. Under his guidance, I unlocked that potential and have never struggled with imposter syndrome again.

I invite you to think about those five quiz questions that focus on the importance of others in your life and how much of an impact they've made on you. If you're still struggling with imposter syndrome, think of those who have helped you overcome feelings of inadequacy in the past and follow the sage advice they gave you at the time. Also, remember that you may feel like an imposter because you're just learning new skills. In that case, cut yourself some slack.

As leaders, we can focus on our accomplishments, or on those currently in our charge and find ways to influence their lives for the better so they remember us as someone who made them feel appreciated and taught them something worthwhile.

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