You can handle adversity. Here's how you do it

It's OK to admit when you've had a bad day | Baseball offers a preview of reopening's difficulties | Cost-cutting needs an executive's oversight Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( May 21, 2020 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( [SmartBrief on Leadership]( Innovative Ideas. Ahead of the Curve. [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE](  [] Leading Edge [] [It's OK to admit when you've had a bad day]( Optimism is a fine trait, but don't let it serve as a mask for what you're feeling, writes George Couros, who shares how revealing frustration can be humanizing. "Sometimes putting on a 'brave face' is less effective in leading others than it is to share your struggles," he writes. Full Story: [George Couros]( (5/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [You can handle adversity. Here's how you do it]( Adversity, challenges and setbacks don't have to define us, because we can build up our mental toughness in a variety of ways, LaRae Quy writes. One simple way to do this is to be an avid reader, someone who will "learn new skills and expand your horizons, study to become more intelligent, and make yourself more likable and attractive," she writes. Full Story: [SmartBrief/Leadership]( (5/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Rewarding employees during a recession In a down economy, many companies struggle to afford rewards and recognition programs with their high markups, shipping costs and fees. [Come learn how to harness the power of Amazon]( to reduce spend by offering millions of rewards with zero markups. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Strategic Management [] [Baseball offers a preview of reopening's difficulties]( Baseball offers a preview of reopening's difficulties Camden Yards (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) MLB has unveiled a detailed plan to resume games by Independence Day, but the proposal requires tremendous safety efforts, not to mention cooperation from governments, health officials and the players union. Everyone wants to play ball, says Hall of Fame pitcher and former union representative Tom Glavine, but "you can't dismiss a player's concern for his health or his family's health any more than you would dismiss your own concerns." Full Story: [ESPN]( (5/19), [The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (free content)]( (5/19) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Cost-cutting needs an executive's oversight]( A planned, value-based approach to costs must be led by executive leadership, starting with an understanding of low-value or redundant cost drivers and continuing with benchmarks that can make cost optimization an ongoing, habitual event, writes Jackie Wiles. "Centrally coordinate this plan and own it personally -- or assign a direct report to do so -- to reinforce the direct link between cost management and business performance," Wiles writes. Full Story: [Gartner]( (5/20) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Smarter Communication [] [Questions uncover assumptions and avoid trouble]( We think we are saving time by guessing at people's intentions instead of just asking more questions, and Shari Harley finds this to be an especially poor strategy for virtual conversations. "Asking questions will always be easier than recovering from violated and often unstated expectations," Harley writes. Full Story: [Candid Culture]( (5/17) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Featured Content Sponsored content from 1440 Media your news in a single email]( scours 100+ sources so you don't have to. Culture, science, sports, politics, business and everything in between – in a 5-minute read each morning, 100% free. [Sign up now!]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [] The Big Picture Each Thursday, what's next for work and the economy [] [Employees want the same things, no matter their age]( Employees are no longer easily stratified by age and workplace needs, and so employers must begin to think about all workers in terms of providing them with "meaning, purpose, good leaders" and advancement opportunities, says career expert Lindsay Pollak, who was interviewed for this Deloitte analysis. "What changes is how each generation expresses these needs and what expectations we have about our employers' fulfillment of them," she says. Full Story: [Deloitte Insights]( (5/15) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] In Their Own Words [] [How the pandemic has affected this cancer patient]( Michelle Hynek has been fighting stage four colorectal cancer since October, and the coronavirus pandemic has meant a postponed surgery, extra precautions during her chemotherapy treatments and further restrictions on who can be in her vicinity. Hynek's isolation began well before the pandemic and is expected to continue "until there is a solid medicine that's going to cure this, or a vaccine," she says. Full Story: [Marie Claire online]( (5/18) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Daily Diversion [] [Loved "Last Dance"? Here are 50 more sports documentaries]( Kendall Baker rounds up 50 sports documentaries that aren't the Michael Jordan-focused "The Last Dance," Each listing includes a brief description and a link to the trailer, starting with 2019's "At the Heart of Gold," about the system that enabled gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse, and ending with 1994's "Hoop Dreams." Full Story: [Axios]( (5/18) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Editor's Note [] More insights from SmartBrief Besides our more than 200 newsletters, SmartBrief publishes [original insights]( on leadership, marketing, education and more. Here's what you may have missed: - [The art of civil discussion]( - [College grads: Navigating the job market during coronavirus]( - [HR Insights: Handling layoffs with emotional intelligence]( - [Opinion: Coronavirus rewriting social connection rules]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Sharing SmartBrief on Leadership with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free. Help Spread the Word [SHARE]( Or copy & share your personalized link: smartbrief.com/leadership/?referrerId=japnABMSAp [] [] It is never too late to be wise. Daniel Defoe, writer, journalist [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email](   SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - [Browse our portfolio]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Advertise with SmartBrief]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy policy]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:leadership@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE](mailto:lengel@smartbrief.com) SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004