A quick hit is a short riff, rant or observation. An idea worth sharing, but not worth waiting on for a full-blown podcast episode. And not worth devoting an entire episode to either.

This morning I did my usual glance drive-by on Facebook and other social media platforms. I noticed this post by Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook:

For some years now I've been increasingly focused on the mental health and fitness of business people. Particularly business owners and CEOs. In fact I recorded an entire podcast episode about what I think is going to be increasingly top-of-mind moving forward. It's my work or business related podcast over at GrowGreat.com. This particular episode was focused on the mental wellness revolution that is bound to happen because of the pressures of doing and being in business.

Business owners and leaders suffer an isolation that seems paradoxical. Surrounded by lots of people, yet lonely. Socially often busy, but alone. During the times when the biggest challenges and opportunities arrive, business people are mostly alone to figure it out. I'm working to put my own mark - a very tiny mark - on the problem by helping a small group of business owners overcome isolation and loneliness by helping them make better decisions in real time, by helping them more properly execute those decisions inside their business and by helping them do it more quickly --- because speed is a critical competitive advantage for small business.

EMPATHY

Talk is cheap. And it's everywhere. People talk a big game when it comes to empathy, but I don't see it exercised much.

Maybe people don't know how to do it. Or maybe they don't really have much of it. No matter, the outcome is usually the same. People who are too focused on themselves to notice. I'm a noticer. It can't be helped. It's not some calculated thing, it just happens. A conversation is happening among a group of people. Somebody says something, maybe seemingly innocuous, and in a moment one person silently walks away. Maybe it's a slight drop of their head. Maybe it's a look in their eye. Something triggers in my brain making me know that what's just been said has hit them in some way. I follow, approach and ask, "You okay?" Sometimes tears start immediately. Sometimes expressions of anger. Sure enough, something was said that caused them to feel something. Something they didn't feel comfortable sharing in that moment. But here we are. Just the two of us. And they're sharing.

It happens for me with great regularity. I'm not looking for it. It just happens. There are dozens of other examples of how my empathy drives me. But that gives you a clear idea (I hope) of how vision and noticing work for me (and I know I'm not alone).

I've now been on the planet going on 60 years. Hard to believe. But that's long enough now to know how rare (some might say "odd") I am. Until the last few years I didn't think much of it. I didn't think what I did was out of the ordinary, but I'm finding out that it is extraordinary. Not much about me is extraordinary, but I've learned in the past few years to tell people that I know I have a couple of super powers. Empathy and connection (communication). Well, okay - they may not be SUPER powers, but they're qualities or characteristics that are at the forefront of my life.

And as I look back to my youth, I've always had these. It begs the question, "Are these innate qualities or did I learn them?" I'd argue both. But I don't really know.

My childhood is riddled with stories of neighborhood kids who got into it with me getting between them, talking them off the ledge before somebody started throwing punches. I've always stepped forward quickly to make peace. At school. On the playground. In sports. At work. Everywhere. Partly it's about keeping peace,