I was scrolling through Instagram and I wanted to vomit. Staring up at me from my phone was a stylized photo of a book. Someone I follow was studying at the feet of a business author and they were excited to read a quote from Rocky.
(The boxer, not the squirrel who cavorts with moose.)
This is weak leadership. In a moment of need, when you or your people crave a good word, please leave fictional boxers out of it. Ditto for Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, or <insert military hero here>.
Instead, bring out the story about your high school English teacher. Tell us what your mom told you on the first day of school. Quote your colleague from your first summer job. Show us that wisdom can exist in unlikely places and maybe - just maybe - we'll start to believe that some lives inside of us, too.
