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)
Tag: management
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
Practice Is Like Eating
Dan Coyle compares practice to eating. Saying, “I’m going to practice” is like saying, “I’m going to eat some food.” Practice what = eat what How good are you at typing? When is the last time you improved? Do you feel - kind of plateaued for a while? Life is full of things like typing. … Continue reading Practice Is Like Eating
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
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
McKinsey’s Pyramid Principle For Clear Communicating
When consulting behemoth, McKinsey, teaches structured communication, they teach it using a 3-step framework called the pyramid principle. Say someone asks you a question or for advice. To respond, you: Start with an answer. Be bold, and be ready to support it. It’s more persuasive and it’ll put the audience into listening mode. Group and summarize … Continue reading McKinsey’s Pyramid Principle For Clear Communicating
Your Friends = How Fast You Compound
Kunal Shah has made the remark (paraphrasing), “Your group of friends determines how fast you compound.” In other words, if you want to grow, have friends who also want to grow. If you want to be trapped, small-minded, or stuck in a rut - then pick your friends accordingly for that outcome too. Shah’s point … Continue reading Your Friends = How Fast You Compound
Why We Need Why’s
The more mundane the task, the more important it is to understand why we’re doing it. You can ask a person to file a report daily. If they come to believe it’s a box to be checked for a manager’s quota and little more, don’t expect unshakeable compliance. If, however, they understand why that report … Continue reading Why We Need Why’s
Two Types Of Trust
David Burkus has a fascinating post up about the “Two Types of Trust on Teams.” Here’s the short version: Trust is what enables teams to work well together. More trust = better, less trust = worse. The two types of trust worth focusing on (and building/rebuilding) are Cognition-based trust and Affect-based trust. Cognition-based trust is … Continue reading Two Types Of Trust