Necessary friction

In a world where comfort rules, teams falter. The Lincoln cabinet, notoriously filled with rivals, produced America’s most consequential presidency. Lincoln deliberately assembled strong-minded individuals with conflicting views—what historian Doris Kearns...

The earned edge

The unseen territory “Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment.” – Walter Wriston Most failures aren’t from what we see coming. They’re from what we don’t see at all. When you’ve traveled the...

‘A-Players’ myth

A-player mythology pervades leadership circles. These mythical beasts deliver 3-5x standard output while attracting more unicorns to your stable. The promise is seductive: fill your ranks with these superstars and watch your company soar. You want them. You need them....

Turn the page

The viewer fixates on a typo. You’re stuck on slide one. Their concern, valid or not, is now a roadblock. Navigate it or lose them forever. Plan your route, but pack a GPS for detours. The journey forward sometimes begins with a step sideways....

Puppet strings

Who decides your boundaries? Your “freedom” exists in a carefully constructed box between organizations, communities, government regulations, and social expectations. Corporate ladders, algorithmic feeds, legal frameworks – these invisible puppeteers pull...

Words vs works

Steve Jobs and Elizabeth Holmes paint a stark picture of authenticity versus artifice. Jobs, often harsh and direct, delivered groundbreaking products that changed computing. His 1997 “Think Different” campaign came after having revolutionized personal...