Archive for May 2021

Great leaders navigate the constant tensions that exist in their programs. -The tension between a focus on development and getting results. -The tension between moving fast in recruiting and going slow to be thorough and not make mistakes. -The tension between doing everything possible to create a good culture and not manipulating people. -The tension between…

First Principles Thinking from first principles is breaking down complicated problems into basic elements and then reassemble them from the ground up. Elon Musk has brought much attention to this idea of thinking from first principles. I first heard about thinking in first principles when Musk was interviewed by Kevin Rose. In 2002 he wanted to send the first…

Questions Wise people ask more questions than unwise. Questions don’t signal ignorance, they signal intelligence. The better the questions you ask, the better answers you will get. Sometimes in order to get to the right question (which will get you to the right answer), you have to ask a lot of questions. When in doubt,…

The Pygmalion Effect states that when we raise expectations, performance improves. However, it is not sufficient to just talk about these higher expectations. Mixed Signals The coach gives a big speech about how “we are going to have high and lofty expectations” and then they turn around and by their actions communicate that they, in fact, have low…