Tag: business strategy

Mark Cuban On Why A Team Can Have One Knucklehead (But Not Two)

Mark Cuban says any team, group, or organization can afford to have one knucklehead.  That’s because one knucklehead will blend in, follow, and figure out how to not muck things up.  However, if you have two knuckleheads - then you have a problem.  Culture and chemistry are critical to success. A team can have one … Continue reading Mark Cuban On Why A Team Can Have One Knucklehead (But Not Two) →

Seth Godin’s Definition Of A Tribe

I’m doing a lot of thinking about teamwork lately. With my peers, with our clients, and beyond. For the 13th or maybe 50th time, I picked Seth Godin’s classic Tribes up to help my brain out.  Godin says, "A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected … Continue reading Seth Godin’s Definition Of A Tribe →

What Leaders Do (And Managers Don’t) In Unstable Times

A little wisdom from Seth Godin on how to lead during tough times (you know, like during global pandemics, hot wars, cold wars, and recessions for example): In unstable times, growth comes from leaders who create change and engage their organizations, instead of from managers who push their employees to do more for less.  Let’s … Continue reading What Leaders Do (And Managers Don’t) In Unstable Times →

Ego At Work – Public And Private

As the poet-philosopher Sturgill Simpson once said, “Woke up today and decided to kill my ego.” Leadership is a funny thing. Especially as an organization scales. It takes a healthy amount of ego to think you can do what others deem unthinkable. But if your only speed is full speed ahead, you can run into… … Continue reading Ego At Work – Public And Private →

Steinbeck On The Way It Always Is

During the dry years, the people forgot about the rich years, and when the wet years returned, they lost all memory of the dry years. It was always that way.” John Steinbeck, “East of Eden” Life moves in cycles. That’s why it’s helpful to remember where you were, and where you might be headed next. … Continue reading Steinbeck On The Way It Always Is →

Don’t Hope, It’s For People Who Aren’t Prepared

“Don’t Hope. Hope is for people that aren’t prepared.” - Coach John Wooden One of my favorite quips in all of finance has to be, “Hope is not a strategy.” This Wooden quote fits in with it nicely.   It will suck. It will be hard. There will be opportunities.  So be prepared.  And that means … Continue reading Don’t Hope, It’s For People Who Aren’t Prepared →

Podcast Of The Week: Will Storr On Status Games

Will Storr made an appearance on Making Sense with Sam Harris to discuss his book, The Status Game. I already riffed about this episode here, but I really do believe understanding status in interactions is one of the most critical elements in understanding any business. Any. Business. How they work with customers, why customers work … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Will Storr On Status Games →

How To Use Status To Create (Or Destroy!) Value

First, as a rule, if you tell people “look how organized I am,” the universe will then throw a proverbial wrench into your gearbox and howl with a laughter only the cruelest of taskmasters can howl. Last night, after a marathon of calls and busyness, I was making dinner and remembering I still didn’t write … Continue reading How To Use Status To Create (Or Destroy!) Value →