The 3 Levels of Sudoku Awareness

Do You, Sudoku ?

In all of my travels, I have found that there are three levels of Sudoku awareness.

Those that say "Sudoku, no clue." To be in the 'no-clue' crowd you must not open a paper, you must not leave your home and you must not be too interested in the world around you. Life is either spinning too fast for you or has come to a stand still.

Then there are those that say "Sudoku, for you!" The 'for you' guys have either tried Sudoku and had their self-esteem seriously impared by the challenge so have decided that the stress is just too much for them at this time. Or, they have simply seen the numbers, thought the game would require math skills and remembered that they can't add or subtract without a calculator.

Finally, there are those that shout "Sudoku, wohoo!" The 'wohoo' crew have experienced the addicting rush of achievement and keep coming back for more. These are the grid junkies. It is at this level the Sudoku leadership principles can be understood and continually practiced.

Wouldn't it be nice to practice your leadership skills and not lose your job if you make a mistake?

Tell me your challenge and I will show you a Sudoku leadership principle that can help you meet that challenge.

The Patient Sudoku Player

OK - you have been on a number rush in your Sudoku game. The voice in your head is screaming "I AM INVINCIBLE." Then you hit the wall of 'no clues' and the game begins to slow down. Patience begins to run thin and three things happen:

• We make assumptions
• We make bad decisions
• We become impetuous

What happens to your game?

Sometimes I quit in frustration. Other times I slow down, follow my plan, and my patience always pays off when I finally see the clue that breaks the wall.

How's your leadership game? There is a rush we get with achievement and a wall we hit with challenges. Being successful depends on whether our patience runs thin or we slow down to follow a plan. If we become impetuous the rush controls our success - or lack of it. The wall is there for a reason and that is to teach us how patience can be an investement in our leadership success.