Musings on business and career

Everyone has something to learn and teach. Although I love learning and think I have a ton more to learn, I also believe I have experienced enough that I can share what I have learned as thoughtful teachings. So, in no particular order here are my teachings based on the wins and many mistakes I have made over the years.

1. Be great at setting expectations. Great leaders set expectations for clarity and accountability.

2. Write down your decisions. Memorializing your thoughts & revisiting them is one of the greatest ways to accelerate personal growth.

3. Time creates clarity of thought. When you’re unsure or fear that emotions are playing into a decision, take a break and revisit later.

4. Follow your passion is bullshit. Passion isn’t a light switch. It’s a process and it’s a feeling that ebbs and flows. Follow your skills, your energy, and what pays the bills.

5. Who you work for > what you work on. Your manager makes or breaks your experience. Working on horrible shit with a great manager is better than working on great shit with a horrible manager.

6. Psychological safety is the most underrated aspect of culture. Want to suck the life out of a business? Create an environment where employees fear sharing ideas, concerns, and questions.

7. Pull employees push a company forward. The best people I’ve ever hired default to action & think three steps ahead. Proactivity is a secret weapon.

8. The Peter Principle is a real thing. Every employee can be promoted to the point of incompetence. It makes you realize that hyper-promotion can be a bad thing.

9. Knowing what you don’t know is more important than knowing what you know. When you know what you don’t know you remove blind spots. When you know what you don’t know you can ask for help.

10. Hiring is an acquired skill not a Spidey sense. First-time founders & managers think they’re the world’s greatest recruiter. They think they have this sixth sense about spotting talent. It’s bullsh*t. Hiring is learned.

11. Managing is a game of opposing skills. It’s part coaching (support, safety, empathy) and its part managing (goal setting, feed-back providing, accountability).

12. The greatest way to network is through creating content. People want to connect with people who enhance their thinking. The best way to show you are a good thinker is by being a good writer.

13. Imposter Syndrome is normal. I suffer from it & so do millions of others. You doubt yourself & feel like a fraud because you have lofty ambitions. Know that you’re not alone & know that you have fears because you really care.

14. Procrastination is normal. I’ve hated myself for procrastinating. And I’ve finally accepted that it’s part of the process. Of course, we can always strive to be more efficient and effective. But to expect zero procrastination is to be living in the clouds.

15. Long walks are food for the mind & soul. I find my best ideas & my biggest breakthroughs happen when I’m in motion. Long walks help ground me in the present & separate me from technology. It’s a great recipe for elevated thinking.

16. Making big, audacious, educated asks is a competitive advantage. We fear asking for things because we fear rejection. But know what’s even worse than rejection? Regret.

17. Keeping your word is a competitive advantage. If you say you’re going to do something and then do it, you’ll outperform most people in the workplace. 95% of people: are late miss deadlines forget to send an email

Hope you enjoyed my musings. Feel free to share what you have learned in your business and career.