Let me say this simply. Complexity is the biggest villain in business. It is a kill or be killed proposition. Complexity is more Loki than Bane. It’s sneaky, shifty, and has different forms. It hides in the cracks of your business, growing more disruptive and indelible with every minute people fail to notice. Complexity kills…
MadBum MVP but Giant Teamwork
Right after the SF Giants won the 2014 World Series, I tweeted the following: Tens of thousands of words will be written about this #WorldSeries. The only ones that matter: #MadBum MVP #SFGiants At the beginning of the post-season, very few people expected the Giants to win. Consider the situation at the time: The Giants…
How To Avoid Getting Sick
For the first time in a few years, I made it through last winter without getting sick. What was my secret? Like the title of the best-selling book, almost everything I need to know I learned in kindergarten. Here’s my 6-pronged advice to avoid getting sick this winter: 1. Wash your hands Yes, germs are…
The Kardashian Index
I am concerned that phenomena similar to that of Kim Kardashian may also exist in the scientific community. I think it is possible that there are individuals who are famous for being famous. Writing in Genome Biology, Professor Neil Hall of the University of Liverpool suggests that too many researchers get invited to present at…
I’m Listening: Engage an Audience of One
Along with 70,000 fans, I recently watched my San Francisco 49’ers defeat a tough Chiefs team in Levi’s Stadium. Amid the din of the stadium, the cheers and boos, I foolishly tried having a conversation with a friend. Despite my best efforts to maintain a conversation, I was no match for Colin Kaepernick, stadium music,…
18 Minutes to Higher Productivity
A few weeks ago I read “18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done” by Peter Bregman. 18 Minutes is a business self-help entertaining book based on his blog and weekly Harvard Business Review columns. The book suggests a process for prioritizing your day in 18 minutes over a nine-hour…
Gladwell vs Vonnegut on Change Specialists
You say you want a revolutionWell, you knowWe all want to change the world Many readers will recognize these lines as the opening to the Beatles’ 1968 song Revolution. More than just a catchy tune, the song is notable because it was the first time the Beatles expressed political views so publicly. We might all…
Keep an Open Mind
Keep an open mind but not so open that your brain falls out. As part of a recent talk around creating a culture of innovation, I included this quote which is commonly attributed to physicist Richard Feynman. After the talk, a reporter asked me for the source of the quote to use in an article….
Great Leaders Think Simply
Those of us who are privileged to be leaders understand how difficult it is to lead people. Not assets, not resources. People. Early in my career, I spent a lot of time thinking about what it meant to be a leader. I talked to more seasoned leaders, I read books on management theory, and –…
Blue Juice, Tarmac, and Other Air Travel Slang
We’re still sitting on the tarmac… Given how much I travel, I’ve used that phrase countless times over the last several years but never thought much about the word tarmac. It turns out it’s short for tarmacadam, or tar-penetration macadam. Macadam is named for John Loudon McAdam who invented an effective and economical road construction method…