Mindful Monday / Issue #499
"Why Not Me? Why Not Now?"
December 1, 2025 · By Ryan Hawk, host of The Learning Leader Show
Welcome to Mindful Monday!
This week, we focus on how to respond when you lose, why you should write, the success of hands-on leaders, why you should be grateful, and some wise words about practice. Enjoy!
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#664: David Adelman – CEO of Campus Apartments
David Adelman is the CEO of Campus Apartments, founder of Darco Capital, and co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers. During our conversation, we discussed how losing a basketball bet at age 11 changed his life, investing his bar mitzvah money in real estate, becoming CEO at 25, his grandfather’s Holocaust survival story, and why it gives him perspective on struggle, embracing failure, the trade-offs of building something excellent, and what he looks for when hiring leaders. You can WATCH our conversation on YouTube.
Why You Should Write…
“Eminem is always writing in a book. All the time. He always has notebooks.” Rick Rubin explained to Joe Rogan on his podcast. “Are these all rhymes to use (for your songs)?” “No, no, no. 99% of what I write, I will never use. It’s just to stay engaged in the process of writing and finding new ways to write so that when I need it, it just comes.” CLICK HERE to read more.
The Success of Hands-on Leaders
Leadership theory suggests CEOs should focus on high-level issues such as strategy and resource allocation. These authors challenge this conventional wisdom by spotlighting CEOs who dive deep into day-to-day execution rather than hovering at the strategic level. CLICK HERE to read more.
Gratitude Enhances Your Health
Here are six questions that can help you evoke the life-enhancing power of gratitude. How can the power of gratitude affect our lives? Recent research has pointed to gratitude’s myriad positive health effects, including greater emotional and social well-being, better sleep quality, lower depression ranks, and favorable markers of cardiovascular health. Now, new data from the long-term Nurses’ Health Study shows that it may extend lives.
Wise Words
“For 37 years I practiced 14 hours a day, and now they call me a genius.” —violinist Pablo De Sarasate
