Posts tagged Leadership
Second and third order consequences

Have you ever solved a problem... then realized you accidentally created five new problems?

This is why it’s important to think about second and third order consequences.

The goal is to accurately weigh the true cost and benefits of a proposed solution. By thinking about potential side effects upfront, you save time by preventing unintentional ripple effects—before they happen.

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LeadershipWes KaoLeadership
Be a perfectionist for customer-facing material

Cutting corners in the traditional sense is slimy and sometimes illegal. A construction company could cut corners by using cheap materials.

That’s really bad.

I hate the idea of lazy shortcuts. If the idea of cutting corners gives you a panic attack, I’m right there with you.

But why do people think about cutting corners in the first place?

Because most of us are under increasing pressure to do more, within the same time and budget constraints.

With more to do, but less time to do it, how do you manage to get it all done?

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Match your CEO’s pace—and they will think you’re the best hire

Meetings with CEOs can go in any direction.

Like doctors with bad handwriting, CEOs and founders are notorious for going off on tangents or unexpectedly changing the topic.

This is rightfully stressful for their teams. Especially if you went in with one idea, and within five minutes, they’re asking you about something else.

In the past 13 years, both in-house and now as a consultant, I’ve been in my fair share of meetings with CEOs. And I’ve been caught off guard enough times to develop a process for how to prepare.

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