3 Questions Elon Musk Asks To Drive Innovation Flashcards
Argue
verb
To give reasons in support of an idea
* He argued that we should try to cancel the meeting.
* The president argued in favor of military spending.
Perfectionist
noun
A person who wants everything to be at the highest standard
* His ex-wife is definitely a perfectionist when it comes to wine.
* Most business leaders are indeed perfectionists.
Breakthrough
noun
An important discovery
* The iPhone was a huge breakthrough in communication technology.
* Nicolas Tesla had many breakthroughs in his career.
Bark up the wrong tree
idiom
To be wrong about something
* I think you’re barking up the wrong tree with that idea.
* He realized he was barking up the wrong tree after seeing the evidence.
Factory floor
noun
The place of a business where products are made / clients are met
* He tries to spend as much time as possible on the factory floor.
* She is always in meetings, I’ve never seen her on the factory floor.
Something goes awry
phrasal verb
Something goes off the expected course
* Things started going awry as soon as he made that proposal.
* Our plans will certainly go awry next year.
Employee engagement
noun
A workplace approach to maximize employee happiness and well-being
* We are trying to increase the overall level of employee engagement in Japan.
* It seems employee engagement in China is very low.
Ivory tower
noun
A privileged state disconnected from reality
* He grew up in an ivory tower and has no understanding of the world.
* That CEO is in his ivory tower and not concerned with his workers.
The front lines
noun
Being in a place where you deal directly with problems
* She has been on the front lines of journalism for many years.
* They are spending all their time on the front lines and less in meetings.
Innovation
noun
The creation of new ideas, designs or products
* He has been responsible for innovation in many fields.
* Scientific innovations drive change in many aspects of society.
Entrepreneur
noun
An innovator who starts new, often risky, business ventures
* We are trying to encourage and support young entrepreneurs.
* She dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur one day.
The modern era
noun
The current historical period of human history
* He is one of the most famous scientists of the modern era.
* The modern era is defined by computers and the rise of the internet.
Learnable
adjective
Something that can be learned
* We believe that most leadership skills are learnable.
* These are all learnable techniques.
“It comes down to …”
phrase
Used to indicate the most essential aspect of a situation or problem
* Well…it all comes down to whether you’re willing to take the risk.
* It all comes down to how well you can manage your team.
Mysterious
adjective
Strange and not understood
* Her private life has remained mysterious.
* There were some mysterious circumstances around their bankruptcy.
Absolute
adjective
Very great
* We have absolute faith in her judgment.
* I think the meeting was an absolute disaster.
“From all quarters”
phrase
From a wide range of people or sources
* We received some good feedback from all quarters.
* Support for the event came from all quarters of the community.
