Feeling aren't facts. Not all the “intuition” you feel is actually your inner wisdom. Some is just baseless fear or anxious craving. Notice the difference in your breath. Intuition makes us breathe slowly and deeply. Fear and craving, by contrast, create shallow, faster breaths.

In the 70's, we started regulating "environmental externalities" - the unintended impacts businesses had on the planet. Pollution, erosion, etc. It's time to start talking about "emotional externalities" - the unintended fears and traumas poor leaders inflict on their people.

Sometimes the kindest thing you can say to someone is, “You’re not ready, but here’s how you can get there.” Whether it’s taking on a new role or skiing more dangerous terrain, eagerness is not always a substitute for experience. Leaders help others get ready to level up.

Victimhood says, “Why does this keep happening to me?” Responsibility says, “What am I doing that allows this to keep happening?” Choose wisely.

Successful communication requires us to take responsibility both for seeking to understand and for being understood. Seeking to understand sounds like, "I'm hearing you say X, is that right?" Being understood sounds like, "What are you hearing me say?" and trying again if wrong.

If you work in an organization where “the real work happens behind the scenes,” you likely have a problem with conflict avoidance. Great teams hash things out together in real time. Each member has to be be more interested in finding the right answer than in being right.

Four simple things to do more of today to get better results from your teams: 1) Thank them regularly for quality, on time work 2) Recognize them publicly for exceptional work 3) Coach them privately for subpar work 4) Celebrate incremental progress It’s really that easy.

Clarity is kinder than ambiguity. When invited somewhere, saying “I’ll try to make it” when you have no intention of going might help you avoid an awkward conversation, but it just makes planning harder for the host. Be kind. Say yes when you mean yes, and no when you mean no.

Great leaders step down when they are no longer fit to serve. Abdicating power when it is in the best interests of the country is an act of humility, courage, and service. Holding on to power when it no longer serves the nation is one of arrogance and narcissism. #Biden2024

The primary goal of public service should be to serve the public, not stay in office. As soon as you are no longer fit to serve the public, you should leave the office.

Wall Street analyzes companies based on public information, market dynamics, financials, the pedigree of the board, etc. They never account for the hidden forces inside companies that create flow or friction, and often have even more influence on performance. It’s time they do.

You can’t have innovation without focus. Leaders say they want more creativity, but then fill every hour of the day with meetings and constant Slack interruptions. Breakthroughs come from boredom, space, and silence. Create focused work time for your team. Protect deep work.

If your team never fails, they’re not taking enough risks. Safe bets = slow growth. Failure isn’t wasted effort. It’s data. Reward curiosity, risk-taking, and the courage to experiment. Those are the basic ingredients of innovation.

You can’t plan major breakthroughs, but you can protect curiosity, clarify purpose, and give your team space to explore. Pressure can kill creative performance. But the right conditions can turn creativity into major discoveries.

In a crisis, authenticity beats polish. When leading in difficult times, it’s best to be open about what you know and what you don’t. You’ll build much more trust, engagement, and energy with honesty and authenticity than with spin and polish.

Your team doesn't need perfection on most decisions; they just need direction. Most decisions are low-risk, two-way doors. Make the best call you can with 70% clarity and move forward. That's how you build momentum and learn how to make even better decisions the next time.

Scaling a startup isn’t just about adding fuel. It’s about reducing friction. Edward Sullivan recently told our founders: Organizational velocity = fuel – friction. Hiring fast & raising capital won’t help if decision bottlenecks, messy delegation, and weak accountability drag

Avoiding a tough conversation to "protect" your team? They already know something's off. You're just making it worse. Real psychological safety comes from honesty, not avoidance.

Most first-time founders have a hard time trusting anyone with important decisions. They hold the company so close that they run the risk of suffocating it. Instead, build a strong team, and let them show you what they're capable of.

Most companies try to go faster by adding more: meetings, tools, process. Sailboats don’t work that way. Speed isn’t about more wind. It’s about less drag. Hydrofoils cut friction and 3× performance. So what’s your company’s hydrofoil?