Not all is good, peachy keen, and rainbows and sunshine.
When I start ruminating, losing sleep at night, waking up early… When this happens, we’re in danger. When my Spidey sense goes berserk, something is not right.
What’s the worst thing that could happen to PD? When the captain is compromised, and you don’t know it. When unnecessary, distracting emotional weight is on me, and you don’t know it. When I see danger, and you don’t.
When this happens, the ship goes down.
I have one job. And only a few responsibilities. But those responsibilities, we can agree, are more important than any of yours. What are they?
Vision. Forward thinking. Upholding the values and principles we’ve agreed to. Fulfilling purpose. And ensuring that our team can count on their leadership to be cohesive. When any of these fail, the game is over.
I want to make a few things absolutely fucking clear.
I am not a peacetime CEO.
I was born in a hospital in Kabul, with Russian tanks in my city. My mother prayed to God while giving birth, to give her a strong and honourable son, or to take my life right there and then. My blood, breath, and DNA were made for purpose, striving against the odds, and war. I am your best defence in such times. I am a wartime CEO. And right now, we are at war. Not an external one, but an internal one.
Shape up. Or ship out.
That said, we will 10X this company. I have no doubt about that. We will reap the rewards of hard work, teamwork, and championship games.
I don’t intend to play this game at the junior leagues forever.
But, what I won’t give up is my clarity, my peace of mind. My sleep, my health, my family. Nor do I expect that from anybody else. Because the ultimate game is not numbers on a wall, spreadsheet, or bank account. It’s living a good, wholesome, healthy life filled with love. That was the ethos of PD. And it will die before I am willing to give it up.
