“You are not thinking, you are just being logical.” -Niels Bohr Just because you can make sense of it doesn’t mean it makes sense. Not because the answer should invoke magic or anything. But because the answer can be messy. I was at a strategy session and we were talking about new clients. How to … Continue reading You’re Not Thinking, You’re Just Being Logical
Tag: management
Real Wins Vs. Fake Wins (Via Kurtis Hanni)
Anybody who has ever been in business for themselves knows this feeling: you won. You got the sale or closed the deal or whatever you were supposed to do. But you over-promised, or you’re undelivered, or something worse. You won, but you really lost. Kurtis Hanni has a word for these: fake wins. And fake … Continue reading Real Wins Vs. Fake Wins (Via Kurtis Hanni)
The World Doesn’t Change From The Top (Julie Fredrickson’s Vogue Story)
When Julie Frederickson was growing up, she thought she wanted to work for Vogue. They were the tastemakers. She wanted to be a tastemaker. She thought she had the eye for it, so why not? But somewhere along the way she realized how taste isn’t made on the top. The world doesn’t change from the … Continue reading The World Doesn’t Change From The Top (Julie Fredrickson’s Vogue Story)
Kevin Bacon (And Remembering You’re Always 6-Steps Or Less Away From Help)
In 1994 three frat guys in Reading PA were watching movies. You can fill in any details around what else was going on yourself. But they wondered why Kevin Bacon was everywhere and came up with a theory/game they called, “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.” They posited you could connect any actor to Kevin Bacon … Continue reading Kevin Bacon (And Remembering You’re Always 6-Steps Or Less Away From Help)
John Adams On Self-Doubt And Impostor Syndrome
Would you be surprised if I told you John Adams, who was 40ish at the time of the American Revolution, was grappling with impostor syndrome? Think about it: the country is about to bust apart at the seams, and you’ve got… what to offer? Besides some cozy, coddled brains and half-hobbling ideas about how things … Continue reading John Adams On Self-Doubt And Impostor Syndrome
Can Do – The Seabees Motto
Building bases, roads, and airstrips during a war is no small task. It’s no small task in peacetime either. And the Naval Construction Battalions (or CBs, or Seabees for short) were some of the best at the task. Their service is recognized with a special Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. It features their motto, “Can … Continue reading Can Do – The Seabees Motto
The Myth of Stakeholders
It’s not stakeholders don’t exist. The myth is there’s one universal type of stakeholder. If there was only one type, then the conversation about shareholder-stakeholder alignment would be easy. But it takes a village. And anybody who thinks everybody in the village is exactly the same… I have a rational-agent economic model to sell you. … Continue reading The Myth of Stakeholders
The Highest Level Of Employee Trust Is…
Rachel Botsman asked this question the other day, and every group leader will want to think on this for themselves. As a leader looking inward, What do you think is the highest expression of employee trust? (Please leave in the comments below.) I was speaking with Eugenio Pirri - FIH, CEO of the Dorchester Collection, … Continue reading The Highest Level Of Employee Trust Is…
What’s Best For Your Customers Is… (Business Building Advice From Derek Sivers)
I’ve been arguing with a vendor over a nickel-and-diming type fee that they think we should just pass on to the end customers. They’re not (completely) wrong. They have an understandable logic behind their decision and I can see why they’re pushing for it. Hrumph. Adult real worldy stuff, blah blah blah. But I also … Continue reading What’s Best For Your Customers Is… (Business Building Advice From Derek Sivers)
Podcast Of The Week: Rick Rubin And Rory Sutherland
How many times have I talked about Rick Rubin? Click here. One of my favorite producers of all time. The guy knows how to LISTEN. What about Rory Sutherland? Click here. One of my favorite marketers. Modern David Ogilvy. And a source of so much behavioral economics and evolutionary psychology - I so adore him. … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Rick Rubin And Rory Sutherland