36 learnings at 36

1.Happiness drives success
and not the other way around.
This past year I’ve experienced high stress
levels. I felt I was not in control of things. It took
me some time and difficult decisions to find the
happiness route for my family life. Once on the
right track, I was able to successfully regain
control of my professional life.
36 LEARNINGS AT 36 BY SERGIO LEGRANT

2.Getting enough sleep is not a
dream but a necessity.
As soon as my young daughter began to sleep
through the night, I’ve started to wake up more
energized and keen to “do stuff” and enjoy the
day.

3.Being self-aware is the best
self-service.
I’m not the person of my dreams, but I’m aware
of my strengths and “imperfections”. Knowing
what makes me “unique” or “weird” has helped
me to understand when, where and how I can
“add value”.

4.Working is like playing but for
grownups.
Sometimes it can be fun and rewarding.
Sometimes it can be frustrating. Falling down
and getting up is part of the “game”. Different
goals, different reward systems, same
satisfaction. Working and playing can always be
made more fun.

5.Working “smarter”, not
harder, is actually “smarter”.
As a “perfectionist”, I tend to work hard to deliver
“impeccable” work. Most of the time it would
have been sufficient and smarter to just match
the expectations if I had known them upfront.

6.Important to know: urgent
tasks may not be important.
Urgent = to be done as soon as possible.
Important = if not done “the boat will sink”.
Important is more important than urgent.

7.Blocking time to “get things
done" will help get things done.
If I’m not “in control” of my calendar, others will
be. What is important for others may not be
important for me.

8.Saying “No” can be extremely
positive.
One day I realized that if I had said “No” more
often to things which were not important to me,
the “world would not end” and I would have had
more time to say “Yes” to things which are
actually important to me.

9.Before saying “No” or “Yes”
ask clarifying questions.
Is it important? How important? Why is it
important? Is it urgent? How urgent? Why is it
urgent? Real issues “survive” clarifying
questions and fact checking. Please be prepared
to answer my questions.

10.Why? Why? Why? Why?
Why?
The 5-WHYs technique “never fails”. Why?
Because asking “why” until the root cause is
clear helps to identify the real problem. Why?
Most of the times, “what is essential is invisible
to the eye”. Why? Why? Why?

11.Using analogies to explain
complex "stuff" saves time.
Like a good engine can help to sell a car,
analogies have helped me to “sell myself” and
are usually welcomed. Simple analogies create
a common ground and allow for more inclusive
discussions.

12.Giving options is the best
option.
I’ve learned this as a management consultant.
With the exception of mathematics there is more
than one solution to any problem. People
become more engaged when they’re given
options.

13.”Less, but better.”
Sometimes I use this sentence in presentations
to “evangelize” others: less meetings, yet better
outcomes; less presentations, yet better
prepared; and I’ll stop here or I’ll break the rule.

14.Structuring communications
will structure feedback.
What? Why? Who? When? How? What’s in it for
me? Whenever I invest more time to write
clearer communications, I tend to receive less
and more structured feedback. Everyone wins
more time.

15.Take note: take notes.
Sometimes I can’t even read what I write, but by
noting it down I’ve already increased the
probability of remembering it later on.

16.Pausing before doing
something (pause) won’t hurt.
I struggle to not “fire back” immediately after
taking an “hit”. I’ve learned that going
“thermonuclear” on someone is a waste of
energy, especially if I can quietly settle things
behind the scenes, saving time and energy. Let
me take a note and follow-up tomorrow.

17.Compromising is not losing.
How much energy will I have to spend to
convince you to adopt my “view of the world”?
And what will I gain? Reaching compromises is
like “bridging” different views of the world or even
winning different perspectives.

18.Celebrating often creates
opportunities to celebrate.
Who doesn’t like to celebrate “victories”? Why
can’t we celebrate more often? Celebrations
don’t need to be long or expensive, as long as
they are meaningful.

19.Bonding beyond business
delivers beyond expectations.
A super team of “average” players has the same
chances of winning as a normal team of “super”
players. For me, creating a team is all about
“bonding” individual needs and interests with a
“greater” common goal.

20.Connecting with people will
get more things done.
Connecting with like-minded people who are
connected with more like-minded people has
helped me to get more things done. I often use
humor to test and setup a “connection”.

21.Replacing coffee with tea
will not affect productivity.
I was having too much coffee. My head would
hurt if I would not drink it. Drinking tea between
coffees fixed this without compromising on
productivity or humor.

22.Eating well requires less
exercising and time.
Since I don’t have a lot of free time to practice
sports, I’ve decided to be more careful with what
I eat. Happy body, happy mind.

23.Saving some time for
“nothing” is productive.
I frequently need time for myself: to sleep, to
read, to learn, to organize my ideas. I wrote most
of this text on the train where most people do
“nothing” but still “go far”.

24.Good idea: ideas with real
(inter)actions.
After some “secret” failures, I’ve adopted a more
“social” approach by sharing my ideas with at
least three persons before investing more time
or money. That’s already a first real action.

25.Following inspiring people is
really inspiring.
I follow Richard Branson. I also follow my friends
and family who are a source of daily inspiration.
The “ordinary” super heroes inspire me.

26.Being more Branson and
less Jobs is a sign of maturity.
I’m becoming more of a team player rather than
an “I know it all” kind of person. It’s still
rewarding for me, and the results have
surpassed my expectations. Takes time to
change.

27.Being myself is totally ok.
I’m a “genuine” person.
I don’t hide my convictions or my facial hair. I’m
comfortable with both because this combination
makes me “unique” or “weird”.

28.Saying “good morning”,
makes the morning good.
What started as an obligation as a child became
part of me. Until today, I have only met one
person who didn’t care to reply back and my
persistence paid off after some time. Saying
“good morning” is acknowledging people and
their importance.

29.Thanking people is
thankfully not a weakness.
I say “thank you” all the time. I don’t have to say
it, yet I like to say it because I also like to hear it
from others. A personal “thank you” note can
make a visible difference between an angry “red
face” or a smiley “yellow” face.

30.Using the “red hat” avoids
an angry “red face”.
Whenever appropriate I warn others I’m putting
on my thinking “red hat” so that I can share my
“unfiltered” opinion. After that, I’m ready for a
fact-based discussion without putting on an
angry “red face”.

31.Saying “I’m sorry” is, “I’m
sorry”, the right thing to do.
I often have to “say sorry” to colleagues, friends
and family after “messing up”. It shouldn’t be a
reason for embarrassment. Being transparent
about the “mess up” is the first step in the right
direction.

32.Crossing the limits
sporadically is ok.
“Stepping on the line” too often was making me
less “cool”, until the day someone more
experienced advised me to do it only on “special
occasions”. Safety first, especially if you’d like to
live a long happy life.

33.Helping others makes a
difference.
I like to help. I’ve also been helped very often.
Sometimes, a small help can make a big
difference. However, I’ve also learned that
helping too much or when not asked can fire
back.

34.Moving a lot has some
benefits.
I’ve lived in five different cities and switched jobs
three times in the past six years. Always with the
support of my family. I have built a great network
of contacts and kept the boxes used for moving.

35.Questioning life once a year
is not questionable.
Every year around my birthday I ask myself if I
am happy with my life and with my
achievements. Then I share my thoughts with my
wife and we decide on course corrections.

36.Sharing my happiness,
makes me happy.
That’s why I’ve decided to share my 36 learnings
at 36 (years old) with you.

36 learnings at 36

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