At the crossroads between the art and science of decision making are aspirations and ambitions. If our goal is to make good decisions (or advise others to make “good” decisions, hello all professional service jobs), aspirations and ambitions are here to guide us through the process. Keeping it simple, ambitions are related to things we … Continue reading Aspirations And Ambitions
Gary Keller has solved a lot of problems over his career. From figuring out when it was time to let go of his musical dreams, to attending college on a whim, to turning a local realtor practice into the largest real estate business in the world (Keller Williams) – he’s seen a thing or two. … Continue reading The ONE Thing
The right strategy is the strategy a person can actually stick to. This is resilience. It might not be “the best” strategy, it might not be “optimal” – but, it’s the strategy that will get the job done. Professionally, we create value when we build resilience into our clients via our work. We succeed when … Continue reading Build Resilience
Taylor Swift performed a rare solo set on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert Series. While the performance itself is great, her commentary in between songs is TED Talk material. She showcases the songs the way they were written and talks about her creative process. While she doesn’t share any tips for having a hit single, she has … Continue reading Curiosity, Craft, And Inspiration: Lessons From Taylor Swift
American journalist Cokie Roberts passed away this week at the age of 75. I didn’t know much about her personally, but her name and voice were a staple of my childhood. Reading and listening to several pieces on her life, her work, and her ethos made for something worth sharing. Cokie was a true professional. … Continue reading Do The Work, Be Fair, Be Kind, And Lift Each Other Up: Remembering Cokie Roberts
Every job has its own time horizon. The higher up the organizational ladder we go, the farther we can see and the longer the time horizon becomes. Tim Hockey, CEO of TD Ameritrade, explains the management theory of time horizons and roles. We can borrow this logic to think of our own jobs and goals. … Continue reading Every Job Has A Time Horizon. Know It.
Kevin Systrom, founder of Instagram and all-around talented innovator, gave Tim Ferriss some inspiring hiring advice. He said when looking to add someone to his team or company, he would strive to only hire people that were smarter, more experienced, and more talented than him. Gauging by Instagram’s success, it seems to have served them pretty … Continue reading How Instagram “Hired Up” On Their Way To 1 Billion Users
Reid Hoffman says there are three tours of duty we can have with our jobs: rotational, transformational, and foundational. Understanding which tour we are currently on can help us excel. To make it easier (or nerdier), he uses a Star Wars metaphor for each. Rotational: like Han Solo, we are a hired gun – there to … Continue reading Our Own (Jedi) Tours of Duty
Late one night I was studying and running through practice problems. You’ve probably been there too – when you instinctively know the answer to a question, but deep down you recognize that you only know the answer because of some very superficial context clue. In reality, you have no idea what the answer actually means, … Continue reading Escape The Busyness Trap And Get Down to Business (Essay)
