Leadership and Warfare II Flashcards
Resilience and determination
Effective leaders must be able to bounce back from setbacks and keep moving forward even in the face of difficult challenges. They must also be determined and focused on achieving their goals, even in the face of obstacles and opposition.
For example, Roosevelt faced significant challenges during his presidency, including the Great Depression and World War II, but he remained resilient and determined, working tirelessly to address these challenges and improve the lives of Americans.
TOUGH IN PRIVATE,
RESPECTFUL IN PUBLIC- Bill Clinton - Negotiation
When President Clinton was conducting negotiations during his presidency, his public comments
mattered a great deal in regards to reaching a
successful outcome. While he could sometimes
afford to play hardball in his personal dealings
with other leaders, he was careful about the
information he presented to the world. “If you’re
in politics…then you have to think hard about
what you’re going to say in public as opposed to
what you’re going to say in private—and how
you’re going to say it,” President Clinton says. He
recommends being blunt and tough in private
and more accommodating in public, recognizing
“the intrinsic dignity of the people on the other
side, their right to have a different opinion
Weak Points and Strong
The smart combatant makes the first move and, therefore, never engages in warfare from the backfoot. You should fight either on your own terms or not at all. Strike at vulnerable points, and don’t attack your enemy where they are well defended. Likewise, you should learn to defend your weak spots from a surprise attack.
By remaining obscure to your opponent, you can uncover their weaknesses while remaining invisible. This allows you to concentrate your forces while your enemy’s are divided. Try to discover your opponent’s plans, and with this information, calculate the likelihood of their success. Understand the strengths of your opposing army so you can better spot its weaknesses and strike where it is weak.
Always Be Testing
- You might come up with the most brilliant idea, but it won’t help you become successful if you don’t try t it on real users. This implies building robust analytics and doing constant experimentation. The more tests you run, the more you learn, and the more you’ll succeed.
Effective communication:
Good leaders are able to communicate their vision and goals clearly and effectively to their followers. They must also be able to listen and respond to the concerns and ideas of others in order to build trust and foster collaboration.
For example, Lincoln was known for his ability to communicate effectively with others and was often able to persuade others to support his policies through his powerful and eloquent speeches.
Bring value to the marketplace by solving
Bring value to the marketplace by solving: Be inspired by inefficiencies and create a solution that makes things substantially easier, better, or faster. When you have found an inefficiency you want to address through a product, your product needs to be not just slightly better than the current state, but massively better — at least ten times better. A marginally better product is worthless.
Optimization
There are projects you’re keeping alive by ignoring the sunk-cost principle (or for emotional, non-practical reasons). Shut them down now to free up more valuable time and focus.
People will follow their own interest.
So my advice for anyone else who may find themselves in a similar situation is that people are very self-motivated. When it comes to bankers and human beings in general, everyone is looking out for their own interests.
The Map is not the territory.
“The map is not the territory” is a phrase often used to emphasize the difference between the representation of something and the thing being represented. The idea is that a map, or any other form of representation, is an abstraction of reality, and therefore it is limited and incomplete.
In other words, a map can never fully capture the complexity and richness of the real world. It is only a simplified representation of the territory, or the actual physical space being depicted. The same concept can be applied to other forms of representation, such as models, diagrams, or mental images.
The phrase is often used in the context of epistemology, the branch of philosophy that deals with knowledge and understanding, to highlight the limitations of human perception and knowledge. It reminds us that our understanding of the world is based on our perception of it, which is inherently limited and imperfect.
Power Signals Itself
People always send out power cues about their power -or the power they believe they should have-.
Grant’s talk about how people stand and move in a room, who gives way to whom in the sidewalk, and who looks the most like the biggest alpha male.
If you are interested to learn and understand the signs of power definitely check out the course here or these articles:
How power talks
How power looks
Alpha male body language
But also watch out for alpha-male posturing, which are the low-quality expressions of dominance and social one-upping.
XIII - The Use of Spies
What enables the wise sovereign and the good general to strike and conquer, and achieve things beyond the reach of ordinary men, is foreknowledge.
Having converted spies means getting hold of the enemy’s spies and using them for our own purposes: by means of heavy bribes and liberal promises, detaching them from the enemy’s service and inducing them to carry back false information as well as to spy in turn on their own countrymen.
There must be no more intimate relations in the whole army than those maintained by spies. No other relation should be more liberally rewarded. In no other relation should greater secrecy be preserved.
Whether the object be to crush an army, to storm a city, or to assassinate an individual, it is always necessary to begin by finding out the names of the attendants, the aides-de-camp, the doorkeepers, and the sentries of the general in command. Our spies must be commissioned to ascertain these.
The end and aim of spying in all its five varieties is knowledge of the enemy; and this knowledge can only be derived, in the first instance, from the converted spy. He not only brings information himself, but makes it possible to use the other kinds of spies to advantage. Hence it is essential that the converted spy be treated with the utmost liberality.
Spies are a most important element in war, because upon them depends an army’s ability to move.
- Bill Clinton - Negotiation - KNOW WHEN TO
STAND YOUR GROUND
Being true to your own values is essential to a
negotiation. Know where your lines are and what
concessions you are unwilling to make. “You have
to know when you’ll quit,” President Clinton
explains. “You have to know what you won’t do.”
It helps to come prepared with a list of creative
solutions that will work for both parties so that
you won’t get caught flat-footed if your counterpart makes an offer you know won’t work. Having hard data or relevant information from past negotiations at your disposal can also help you make your case and provide realistic counteroffers, and
remaining flexible in certain areas may also be
vital to achieving your desired outcome.
I - Laying Plans
The art of war is of vital importance to the state. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence under no circumstances can it be neglected.
All warfare is based on deception. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near.
Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder, and crush him. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him. If he is in superior strength, evade him. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest. If his forces are united, separate them. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected.
The general who wins a battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand.
Courage
Leaders must have the courage to stand up for their beliefs and take bold action, even in the face of opposition or risk. For example, Lincoln demonstrated great courage in his efforts to preserve the Union and end slavery, despite the many challenges he faced.
Integrity and honesty:
Leaders who are honest and have strong moral values are more likely to earn the trust and respect of their followers. They must also be willing to admit their mistakes and take responsibility for their actions.
For example, Lincoln was known for his honesty and integrity, which helped him to build trust with the American people and earn their respect.
DON’T FORGET TO BREATHE- Bill Clinton - Speech making
According to a 2001 Gallup survey, Americans are
more fearful of public speaking than they are of
needles, spiders, and being enclosed in small
spaces. Some fear it more than death. If you’re one
of these folks, try a body-scan meditation before
you go on: Close your eyes, bring awareness to
your physical form, and breathe into any uncomfortable sensations or tensions.
III - The Sheathed Sword
To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy’s resistance without fighting.
There are three ways in which a sovereign can bring misfortune upon his army:
By commanding the army to advance or retreat, being ignorant of the fact that it cannot obey.
By attempting to govern an army in the same way as he administers a kingdom, being ignorant of the conditions that obtain in an army.
By employing the officers of his army without discrimination, through ignorance of the military principle of adaptation to circumstances.
Mission/Purpose - Bill Clinton - Speech making
Write out a statement that encompasses why your organization exists, on a galaxy brain level. The mission should state why your organization does the work it does,
but it doesn’t necessarily get into the particulars of how the work is performed. Most mission statements are between one and three sentences, so keeping
things succinct is crucial. For example, a nonprofit organization that works with
schools to bolster STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)curriculums might say its mission is to “position students to excel in a world that requires scientific and technological literacy.”
The Use of Spies
If a war drags out for many years, you will deplete your treasury, and there will be much unrest in your homeland. To prevent a long war, you must learn to use spies effectively to know when to strike the enemy. You can only trust spies if you pay them sufficiently for their services. However, the cost of paying a few good spies compared to the costs of a drawn-out war are miniscule.
Tzu states that there are five types of spy, and the trick is to use all five so that your opponent will never uncover the depths of your espionage network. They are:
Local spies: Inhabitants of your opponent’s country.
Inward spies: Officials of your enemy, which could also include concubines or those in your enemy’s ranks who feel frustrated at being in subordinate positions.
Converted spies: These are the spies of your enemy that you’ve bribed into working for you. Therefore, they will carry back false information to your opponent.
Doomed spies: Your own spies that you reveal false pieces of strategic information to so that when they’re caught behind enemy lines, they’ll give your opponent false facts.
Surviving spies: All spies who survive and bring back news from your enemy’s camp.
Seeking diverse perspectives:
Leaders should be open to hearing and considering the viewpoints of others, even if they differ from their own. This allows for a more well-rounded and informed decision-making process and helps to build trust and support among followers.
For example, Johnson was known for his ability to seek out and listen to the perspectives of others, which helped him to build a broad base of support for his policies.
Never say no when a billionaire, or someone with substantially more experience and exposure, wants to work with you.
Never say no when a billionaire, or someone with substantially more experience and exposure, wants to work with you.
Values - - Bill Clinton - Define your goals
Delineate the deeply
ingrained principles
that guide your organization’s actions
and cannot be compromised as a matter
of convenience or in
the pursuit of short term gain. “Aspirational values” are
those that your company is pursuing but
does not yet embody.
To make sure your values mean something,
try to avoid vacuous
words and focus
instead on what can
clarify your identity
and rally other members to your cause.
The aforementioned
STEM program might
use words like ingenuity, courtesy,
openness, and
respect.
Lincoln Hot letters
Lincoln would write “hot” letters to channel his anger at a colleague. But then he would put them aside and wouldn’t send them. Historians later discovered a bunch of such letters marked by Lincoln “never sent and never signed.”
He advised one cabinet member seething about an affront to write such a “hot” letter and then told him to throw it out, saying, “You feel better now. That is all that is necessary.” (p. 225)
COMMIT TO THE SAME GOAL - Bill Clinton - Speech making
When it comes to achieving the outcome of your dreams, getting every one of your team members on the same page is essential. When teams that President Clinton has put together weren’t as effective as he’d hoped, it was usually because he didn’t devote enough time to “clarify the mission, the responsibilities, and the priorities” of everyone involved. Consider this the biggest downfall of group management: Without a framework for achieving a clear goal, every other decision is bound to veer off target. A shared goal will “enable you to explain and act
on all of the things happening in the world,”
President Clinton says.
Find time and space to think and recharge.
Lincoln moved with his family to a complex for disabled veterans from June until mid-October 1862 to escape the crush of White House activity and visitors and reflect on how to approach emancipation. (p. 215) He attended more than 100 theater performances while president, finding there “respite and renewal.” (p. 228)
Teddy Roosevelt used physical activity to keep “mental balance,” playing tennis, hiking, boxing, and then turning to literature when injury kept him from sports. (p. 264)
LOOK BEYOND THE RÉSUMÉ – BECOMING A
BETTER LEADER - Bill Clinton
Finding the perfect person for a job can be a
herculean task, and attempts to standardize
the process are often doomed from the outset.
President Clinton has learned that people are
unpredictable: “Sometimes people with academic education seem to lack the street smarts, and then [they] surprise you with an
amazing amount of toughness.” What’s
important, he explains, is casting a wide net
and considering a broad applicant pool—especially those who’ve been historically overlooked in your field.
The Army on the March
When on the march, always stick close to sources of sustenance, and camp in high places that are facing the sun. When on dry, even land, identify an accessible position with rising ground on both the right and the rear. This means that you can see danger approaching while escaping safely behind where you’re stationed.
Once you’ve positioned your army, you must search any nearby ponds, hollow basins filled with reeds, or woods as your enemy may have spies positioned here. Look at the birds when they suddenly rise upwards, as it often means soldiers are in ambush beneath them. However, if birds gather on any singular spot, it means it’s unoccupied.
If envoys from the enemy are sent across to you in a friendly manner, it means they’re seeking a truce. If your enemy’s troops line up before you but don’t advance, you must be cautious. It could mean that they are planning a surprise flank attack. If your and your opponent’s armies are of a similar size, then no direct attack can be made. Here, all you can do is cultivate your existing strength, observe your enemy, and obtain reinforcements.
Small goals lead to small ideas
Double or triple your goals and use a company-wide brainstorming session to solicit ideas. You need to train your mindset to become positive. Attending influential seminars, like the Tony Robbins seminar, helped Lerner to surmount something as big as his father’s death, as well as to improve his mental clarity.
Power Does Change People Around You
Power might not change you, but it does change how people act around you.
Generally, people become more manipulative around powerful people and seek to be more liked.
They hide their flaws and, consciously or unconsciously, try to mimic the power person’s behavior and opinions.
This creates a problem for powerful individuals because they will have a harder time judging people’s character.
This is important because your power depends in large part on the people you surround yourself with.
So you must find ways to reliably vet the people around you without counting only -or too much- on your own analyses.
Celebrate victories to move forward. Leave a record for the future.
LBJ signed the Voting Rights Act in the same room where Lincoln had signed a bill freeing fugitive slaves, declaring “the struggle for equality must move toward a different battlefield. It is nothing less than granting every American Negro his freedom to enter the mainstream of American life.” (p. 337)
With the conclusion of the coal strike, Teddy Roosevelt wrote a 3,000-word letter recounting the episode in detail, to explain the circumstances so it wouldn’t be used to justify warrantless expansion of executive power in the future. (p. 271)
Features of Victory
Tzu builds on these approaches to war by suggesting that there are five essential features of victory:
The victorious know when and when not to fight.
They know how to manage both superior and inferior forces (e.g., it’s possible to defeat a greater force with careful strategic planning).
Victory is dependent on an army that shares the same focused spirit throughout its ranks.
The victorious know to attack their enemy when they are unprepared.
Victory comes only to those whose strategic plans aren’t interfered with by a sovereign power.
Employees Have More Power
Today’s employees have more options and knowledge, which gives them more power against employers.
Grant interviews David Solomon from Goldman Sachs, who candidly admits Goldman is hiring outside of Ivy League because those people tend to stay longer in the company.
To me, the difference was all in entitlement.
Ivy League graduates thought they were entitled to Goldman and to any other top employers or opportunity.
Graduates from average colleges instead felt like they had made it in Goldman and were grateful for the opportunity (and unexpected financial windfall).
The Nine Situations
Tzu builds on his distinction of the six types of terrain by arguing that there are nine varieties of ground:
Dispersive ground: This is when you are fighting on your own territory. It’s called dispersive, as if your troops are located near their loved ones. In the face of an upcoming battle, they are likely to disperse into their homes.
Facile ground: When you’ve marched into hostile territory but haven’t gotten far, this ground variety makes it easy for your troops to retreat.
Contentious ground: Such ground offers both sides an equal advantage and, thus, must be contended for.
Open ground: It allows for both sides to have an equal liberty of movement.
Ground of intersecting highways: This land intersects between your territory, your enemy’s territory, and the ground of a third territory that adjoins both.
Serious ground: This is when your army has penetrated deep into hostile country, upping the stakes of your approach.
Difficult ground: This refers to all terrain that is difficult to traverse, such as forests, marshes, and cliffs.
Hemmed-in ground: This includes all ground that can only be reached through narrow passes, making you vulnerable to enemy attack.
Desperate ground: This is any ground on which you can only be saved from defeat by engaging in battle immediately.
For each of the types of ground, Tzu offers a tactical approach:
On dispersive ground, don’t fight.
On facile ground, don’t stop.
On contentious ground, don’t attack.
On open ground, don’t block the enemy’s path.
On the ground of intersecting highways, join up with your allies.
On serious ground, gather and plunder.
On difficult ground, keep steady in your march.
On hemmed-in ground, resort to using strategy.
On desperate ground, fight.
Retention - “You can spend money on marketing to get users to sign up. You can spam the crap out of them with notifications and emails to get them to come back once or twice, but you can’t spend your way to get them to come back one week, one month, or one year later.”
The only thing that is going to get users to come back and use your product time and time again is a quality product that users find useful and that they actually like using. Yet many entrepreneurs focus on growth at the expense of retention. That strategy might work for a while but eventually, you’ll wake up one day and everyone is gone.
If you focus on retention from day one and you succeed in getting users to come back again and again, growth will follow naturally because people will tell their friends about your product.
“We have new and complex problems. We don’t really know what they are. Why not establish a new agency to take over the new duty rather than saddle it to an old institution?” —FDR (p. 294)
“We have new and complex problems. We don’t really know what they are. Why not establish a new agency to take over the new duty rather than saddle it to an old institution?” —FDR (p. 294)
Don’t be pressured into making any decisions or signing any documents you’re unsure about.
Never sign a paper (contract, deal, etc.) under pressure. Do not close a deal if you don’t understand the terms of the contract. Beware of toxic terms!
Whenever you can take some money off the table (especially life-changing money), do it. Risks are necessary to achieve truly impactful success, but you still need to be smart. So, temper those risks with sound decision making. Don’t let all the money ride.
PICK YOUR BATTLES - Bill Clinton - Decision Making
So you’ve got lots of different problems, and you
don’t know where to start. How do you decide
which ones to deal with now and which ones to
leave alone? For President Clinton, the question
to ask is one of severity, and he uses a medical
metaphor to drive the point home. “One thing I
always advise people who are making a lot of
decisions is you have to decide whether your
problem is more like a scab on your knee from a
fall or an abscessed tooth.” An abscessed tooth
requires immediate medical attention, but a scab
can heal on its own—and will get worse if you
scratch it.
Stories
If a message is conveyed through a story, it is more likely to be shared. Stories are more memorable and engaging than facts and figures, and they are more likely to be passed on to others.
An example of a message conveyed through a story would be a brand’s marketing campaign that tells the story of a customer’s experience with the product. This type of content is more likely to be shared because it is conveyed through a story, which makes it more memorable and engaging.
Bill Clinton - 02 GIVE CREDIT WHERE
CREDIT IS DUE
Modeling generous behavior isn’t just about
being viewed as altruistic. In the workplace, as in
life, who gets credit (and for what) matters. “A
good leader will share credit when something
good happens,” President Clinton says.
Giving credit where credit is due contributes to the
impression among colleagues that an organization is fair and rewards hard work. (On the other hand, leaders who claim other ideas as their own
create an atmosphere of jealousy, desperate striving, and dysfunction.) To ensure a healthy workplace culture, encourage your colleagues to
credit others, elevate the quiet, diligent performers, and remember that credit is not a zero-sum game—there’s plenty to go around.
“What convinces is conviction. You simply have to believe in the argument you are advancing.” —LBJ (p. 335)
“What convinces is conviction. You simply have to believe in the argument you are advancing.” —LBJ (p. 335)
VI - Weak Points & Strong
Appear at points that the enemy must hasten to defend; march swiftly to places where you are not expected.
The general that is skillful in attack whose opponent does not know what to defend; and he is skillful in defense whose opponent does not know what to attack.
In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them;
Military tactics are like unto water; for water in its natural course runs away from high places and hastens downward. So in war, the way is to avoid what is strong and to strike at what is weak.
Water shapes its course according to the nature of the ground over which it flows; the soldier works out his victory in relation to the foe whom he is facing.
Therefore, just as water retains no constant shape, so in warfare there are no constant conditions.
He who can modify his tactics in relation to his opponent, and thereby succeed in winning, may be called a heaven-born captain.
IX - The Army on the March
He who exercises no forethought but makes light of his opponents is sure to be captured by them.
Humble words and increased preparations are signs that the enemy is about to advance. Violent language and driving forward as if to the attack are signs that he will retreat.
Peace proposals unaccompanied by a sworn covenant indicate a plot.
To begin by bluster, but afterward to take fright at the enemy’s numbers, shows a supreme lack of intelligence.
Second Order Thinking
“Second order thinking” is a concept that refers to a type of reasoning that takes into account the potential unintended consequences of a decision or action. It involves considering not just the immediate effects of a decision, but also the downstream effects that may result from that decision.
Second order thinking is contrasted with “first order thinking”, which only considers the direct and obvious consequences of a decision. By taking into account the indirect and less obvious consequences of a decision, second order thinking can provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the situation.
For example, if a company is considering investing in a new technology, first order thinking would consider the direct benefits of the investment, such as increased efficiency and cost savings. Second order thinking, on the other hand, would consider the indirect effects of the investment, such as the impact on the company’s existing business models, the potential for new competitors to emerge, and the longer-term effects on the company’s overall strategy.
The concept of second order thinking highlights the importance of considering the potential consequences of a decision and the need to be aware of the interconnections and feedback loops that exist in complex systems. It emphasizes the need for a long-term perspective and a deep understanding of the system being considered.
In conclusion, second order thinking is a type of reasoning that takes into account the potential indirect and unintended consequences of a decision or action, and provides a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the situation.
Put Your Skills to the Test
Next time you have to give a public presentation or speech,
try casually workshopping some of the material beforehand by
weaving it into conversations with friends. You’ll likely be
able to tell when your audience seems disengaged and when
they’re enraptured—plus you’ll gain a level of comfort with
the material that’ll help you deliver your speech in a more
conversational tone.
Net promotor score
To determine your net promoter score all you need to do it ask your users, “On a scale of 1 to 10, how likely are you to recommend or tell your friends about this product?” and you take the promoters, a promoter being someone who ranks it at 8, 9, or 10, and subtract those from the detractors, or someone who says 1, 2, or 3.
I actually argue you shouldn’t subtract promoters from detractors because the only thing that matters is what percent of your users are promoters. Net promoter score allows you to quantify the number of customers that love your product enough to tell their friends about it.
This is incredibly powerful because customers don’t tend to lie in these kinds of surveys, so if at least 50% of your customers aren’t giving you an 8, 9, or 10, well guess what? Your product isn’t good enough.
If you now go out there and start spending money on marketing, what you’re literally doing is saying, “Potential customers, come check out my shitty product that you’re not going to tell your friends about.”
Empathy
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. Goodwin argues that this trait is essential for effective leadership, as it allows leaders to connect with their followers and create a sense of unity and purpose.
Empathy also helps leaders to make decisions that take into account the needs and concerns of others.
For example, Lincoln was known for his ability to understand and empathize with the struggles of ordinary Americans, which helped him to unite the country during the Civil War.
Read all your customer emails
There’s a pot of gold in them if you look closely enough. As companies grow, the decision makers and CEOs often become disconnected from their users, as layers of employees are hired to address issues. Make sure you remain connected to your users.
BUILD A RAPPORT - Bill Clinton - Negotiation
Being able to tell whether your counterpart is
bluffing? That’s more art than science. Still, you’ll
be better equipped to discern their true intentions if you convince your negotiation partner that you’re genuinely interested in what drives
them. Asking open-ended questions (like those
that start with “how” or “why”) is more likely to
elicit genuine responses, and you can work to
deactivate a counterpart’s negative feelings by
addressing whatever makes them suspicious,
aggravated, or distrustful. By building a natural
rapport and listening intently, you can identify
when they’re being honest with you (and when
they’re not)
Hanlon’s Razor
Hanlon’s Razor is a principle that states: “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.” The principle was named after Robert J. Hanlon, who was credited with coining the phrase in the 1980s.
The principle is a form of skepticism that encourages individuals to question assumptions and avoid making overly negative or cynical assumptions about the motivations of others. It suggests that before attributing a problem or negative outcome to intentional malicious behavior, it is important to consider other explanations, such as incompetence, lack of information, misunderstandings, or simple mistakes.
The idea behind Hanlon’s Razor is that in many situations, people are more likely to be acting out of ignorance or mistake rather than malice, and it is important to avoid jumping to conclusions about negative motives without sufficient evidence. By assuming the best about others and avoiding negative assumptions, individuals can avoid misunderstandings, improve relationships, and build trust.
In conclusion, Hanlon’s Razor is a principle that encourages individuals to question assumptions, avoid negative assumptions about the motivations of others, and to assume that mistakes and ignorance are more likely to be the cause of problems than malicious intent. It is a useful tool for promoting understanding and avoiding unnecessary conflict in personal and professional relationships.
“It is hardly an exaggeration to say that books were the chief building blocks of [Teddy Roosevelt’s] identity.” (p. 264)
“It is hardly an exaggeration to say that books were the chief building blocks of [Teddy Roosevelt’s] identity.” (p. 264)
EMBRACE AMBIGUITY - Bill Clinton - Decision Making
Ambiguity, or “a blizzard of conflicting facts” as
President Clinton puts it, can make a quandary
seem unsolvable. Getting comfortable with this
uncertainty is key to avoiding decision paralysis.
Researchers have found that in high-risk,
high-ambiguity professions—like firefighting—
leaders are able to successfully navigate uncertain situations by constantly recalibrating their
strategies and assumptions as new information
surfaces. They take pragmatic action and rely on
others’ expertise as the situation unfolds.
Budgeting:
Once you’ve calculated how much start-up capital you’ll need, double it. One of the most common mistakes people make is massively underestimating the amount of money they need to start a business and get traction.
Concentration of force
Concentration of force means massing combat power at a single point, instead of spreading it thinly over many points. The idea is to have a decisive advantage over the enemy at the most important location.
Concentration of force is an important principle to keep in mind, because dispersion of force is what happens when troops maneuver. When on the march, troops get dispersed because roads have capacity limits, making it necessary for some troops to take a different route. Terrain can also make it hard to maneuver large bodies of troops through, making it necessary to have several paths of travel for a large force. So, the trick is to maneuver effectively and quickly, probably using different approach routes, but still having the troops mass at the same place and time for a decisively overwhelming attack.
Add in the factor that all the troops on the march need supplies (food, fuel, ammunition) and you start to see how complicated this can get.
II - Waging War
Thus, though we have heard of stupid haste in war, cleverness has never been seen associated with long delays.
In all history, there is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare.
Variation in Tactics
A general who understands the advantages that coincide with numerous tactical approaches knows how to manage their troops. Those unversed in a variety of tactics will be doomed to defeat. There are five possible faults a general may fall prey to that will affect their chances of being victorious:
Recklessness, which leads to destruction.
Cowardice, which leads to capture.
A quick temper, easily provoked by insults.
A thin skin, sensitive to shame.
Over-solicitude for their army, which leads to excessive worry.
- Be the smartest in the world at something.
- Be the smartest in the world at something.
ENSURE DIVERSITY - BECOMING A
BETTER LEADER - Bill Clinton
“It’s valuable to have a diverse set of opinions if
you have a diverse set of challenges,” President
Clinton says. Studies by academics have found
that companies with diverse management made
more money, while studies by psychologists have
found that diverse juries were better able to size
up a defendant’s guilt or innocence. Diverse
teams also tend to process facts more carefully
and are more innovative. When putting together
a team, President Clinton recommends aiming
for the widest variety of experiences, perceptions, and preferences.
Vision - Bill Clinton - Speech making
Craft a clear, compelling story about
how your organization
will evolve over a
predetermined length
of time. You could
include the key
results you’d like to
achieve, the expected
benefits to your
stakeholders, and the
strategies your organization must embrace
in order to get there.
For that same STEM
organization, a
vision statement
might say something
like, “Within three
years, our programs
will be inclusive,
equitable, and
nationally acclaimed.
We will provide an
environment that
holds students in
high regard while
fostering academic
excellence.”
Bill Clinton - EMPOWER PEOPLE
TO DISAGREE
If the people you’ve hired are reluctant to challenge your opinions, “then you may be losing their most creative contributions,” President Clinton
says. He recommends making it clear to your team
that they won’t face retaliation for speaking their
mind. Consider President Clinton’s very first staff
meeting at the start of his presidency in 1993: He
remembers sitting down with his team and telling
them, “I want you to know that you will never be
fired, transferred, iced out, [or] in any way hurt by
disagreeing with me or anybody else.”
In fact,
President Clinton sees good-spirited debate as key
to a team’s success. “If you don’t want that,” he
says, “then you might as well run your operation
with a computer and artificial intelligence.”
First Principles thinking
“First principles thinking” is a problem-solving and decision-making approach that emphasizes the importance of understanding the fundamental building blocks of a problem or situation. It involves breaking down complex problems into their most basic components and then reasoning from there, rather than relying on assumptions, rules of thumb, or conventional wisdom.
The approach is based on the idea that, by understanding the first principles or fundamental truths that underlie a problem, one can arrive at a deeper and more accurate understanding of the problem and potential solutions. This allows for a more rigorous and systematic approach to problem-solving and decision-making, as opposed to relying on intuition or heuristics that may not be applicable in every situation.
First principles thinking has been popularized by Elon Musk, who has credited the approach as a key factor in his success in fields as diverse as electric vehicles, rockets, and solar energy. In these fields, first principles thinking has allowed Musk and his teams to challenge conventional wisdom and develop innovative solutions to complex problems.
In essence, first principles thinking is a way of thinking that prioritizes a deep understanding of the fundamentals over assumptions and conventional wisdom, and encourages rigorous and systematic thinking in problem-solving and decision-making.
An example of first principles thinking can be seen in the field of renewable energy. Conventional wisdom in the energy industry for many years was that renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power would always be more expensive and less reliable than traditional fossil fuel sources. However, some companies and individuals who were committed to the idea of renewable energy took a first principles approach to the problem.
Instead of accepting the conventional wisdom, they looked at the fundamental components of energy production, such as the cost of materials and labor required to build and maintain wind turbines and solar panels. They found that by optimizing these basic components and making improvements in technology, the cost of producing renewable energy could be significantly reduced.
This first principles thinking led to the development of more efficient and cost-effective wind and solar technologies, which have now become competitive with traditional fossil fuel sources. As a result, renewable energy has become a viable alternative to fossil fuels, and the renewable energy industry has grown rapidly in recent years.
This example demonstrates how first principles thinking can be used to challenge conventional wisdom and develop innovative solutions to complex problems. By focusing on the fundamental components of a problem, it can be possible to arrive at a deeper understanding of the problem and develop more effective solutions.
Anchor your leadership in genuine purpose and vision.
Assuming leadership in the depths of the Depression, FDR told Americans that they had not failed, and offered a new compact between government and citizens. (p. 278)
LBJ’s detailed vision for his presidential agenda coalesced as he sat with several aides on his bed the night that John F. Kennedy was assassinated. It was rooted in his core belief, instilled by his father, that government existed to help those who needed it. LBJ distilled his agenda to two initial goals: a tax cut to revive the economy and civil rights legislation, and used narrative stories to sell them to skeptics. (p. 317)
“‘Everyone likes a compliment,’ Lincoln observed; everyone needs praise for the work they are doing.” (p. 224)
“‘Everyone likes a compliment,’ Lincoln observed; everyone needs praise for the work they are doing.” (p. 224)
Power is Fragile
Adam Grant starts “Power Moves” making the case that “power has changed”.
It used to be hierarchical and it could last for a long time.
Today it’s much more fragile, much more distributed, and much harder to defend.
It’s easier for start-ups to acquire power, but it’s harder to hold onto it.
Today’s power is the power of networks and ideas.
A Snapchat star and an Instagram celebrity have more reach than a corporate VP of communication.
And the startups keep disrupting old businesses.
MAKE IT CONVERSATIONAL - Bill Clinton - Speech making
Use informal words, phrases, and sentences.
Write your speech for the ear, and read it out
loud to make sure it doesn’t feel clunky or jargon-heavy. And practice talking about sections of your presentation when you’re with friends
or family—it’s a good way of seeing how adept
you are at holding forth without access to
written notes and will help you discover your
natural voice.
If possible, leverage existing platforms:
Many of today’s billion-dollar companies succeeded by growing on top of other platforms. Are you testing integrations with emerging and established platforms? No matter how great your product is, you have to be able to guage how you’re going to grow faster. Having a unique product is great, but knowing how to leverage a highly visible marketing channel (like Facebook) to get it in front of a greater number of users is crucial.
Range: Summary
In a rapidly changing world, it is often more valuable to be a generalist who is able to adapt to new situations and learn new skills quickly, rather than a specialist who may be limited by their narrow focus.
Generalists are able to make connections between fields that specialists may not be able to see, leading to innovative thinking and problem-solving.
Exploration and interdisciplinary learning are important for developing a range of skills and knowledge.
The path to success is not always a straight line, and detours and side projects can lead to valuable learning experiences and opportunities.
The traditional model of education, which emphasizes early specialization and intense focus on a single subject, may not be the most effective way to prepare students for success in the modern world.
In some fields, such as sports and music, generalists have been shown to outperform specialists.
The benefits of being a generalist extend beyond just career success and can also lead to a more fulfilling and well-rounded life.
SELF-ASSESS - Bill Clinton - Speech making
President Clinton says he goes out of his way to
choose teams that know more than he does about
the subjects at hand. But in order to assemble such
rock-star groups, it helps to get a sense of your
own strengths and weaknesses as a leader. You
could try taking a self-assessment online that analyzes your strategic, ethical, and initiative-taking
qualities, or you could reach out to your colleagues
to help you understand your competencies (as
well as the skills you still need to hone). Requesting feedback may seem scary, but the more often
you do it, the less stressful it becomes. Try posing
specific questions, asking for examples, and reaching out to both peers and managers.
Emotion
If a message elicits a strong emotional response, such as awe or anger, it is more likely to be shared. Emotional content is more likely to be shared because it is more memorable and more likely to be talked about. Strong emotions can also drive people to take action, such as sharing the message with others.
An example of a message that elicits a strong emotional response would be a viral video of a heartwarming moment. This type of content is more likely to be shared because it elicits feelings of joy and positivity.
