The Role of a CEO

What is the role of a CEO? The role of a CEO is really simple. It’s really two things.  One is to set a clear direction or vision for where the company is going. And the second is executing behind that vision to make it a reality.  The vision usually entails explaining how the company solves a problem or provides a great customer service or product. … Continue reading The Role of a CEO

The Power of Negative Thinking

I just finished Annie Duke’s latest book, How to Decide. For those that don’t know who Annie Duke is, she rose to fame as a professional poker player in the United States having won over 4 million dollars during the course of her career. She stopped playing poker in 2012 and is now an author and successful consultant to businesses and entrepreneurs.   The purpose of the book … Continue reading The Power of Negative Thinking

My Top 2 Tips for New Year Resolutions

At the start of every new year, I am inevitably asked by someone if I have a New Year’s resolution. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with making New Year’s resolutions, I just don’t usually don’t make them. When it comes to setting goals at the onset of the new year (or any time for that matter) I think it’s far more productive to 1). focus … Continue reading My Top 2 Tips for New Year Resolutions

Using Game Theory to Think More Critically

My brother and I are about the same age and when we were younger, we often got in trouble together. We weren’t delinquents. I’m talking about kid-trouble like running in the house when we were told not to and we bumped into something and broke it. When our parents asked what happened we would never tell on each other. We never agreed beforehand that we … Continue reading Using Game Theory to Think More Critically

The Dip

I listened to a podcast this week called What You Will Learn where the hosts were discussing Seth Godin’s book, The Dip. The Dip is a figurative location that describes a low point in your personal or professional life where you either give up or keep going.  For any worthwhile endeavor, arriving at the dip is inevitable. The typical cycle begins with a strong start … Continue reading The Dip

Life Lessons for the New Year

Every year I like to read Byron Wien’s Top Ten (economic) Surprises for the year. I’ve written about Byron before, but for those who don’t know him, he is the Vice Chairman for Blackstone, a large wealth management firm with $554 billion in assets under management. While Byron’s list of economic surprises are interesting and helpful, I always find his “Life’s Lessons” commentary at the … Continue reading Life Lessons for the New Year

Gaining The Marginal Advantage in Today’s Competitive Environment

When Usain Bolt won the gold medal in the 2016 Olympics for the 100-meter sprint he did so at a time of 9.81 seconds. Justin Gatlin came in second at 9.89 seconds and the eighth-place finisher came in at 10.06 seconds. Usain Bolt is widely considered the best sprinter in the world, and justifiably so. He’s the first athlete to win gold in the 100-meter … Continue reading Gaining The Marginal Advantage in Today’s Competitive Environment

The Best Tip to Remember for Business Travelers

My partners and I just completed a two-day marketing trip to the East Coast to meet with prospective investors in New York City and Boston. The meetings went well, however what I want to write about is not the meetings but about some of the travel obstacles we encountered on this particular trip. I am a very positive person, but when it comes to travel … Continue reading The Best Tip to Remember for Business Travelers

Improving Your Critical Thinking Skills Will Make You a Better Leader

One of the skills I’m trying to hone are my critical thinking skills. I majored in civil engineering and have been formally trained on the process of solving complex problems. When I worked as an engineer, the problems I was solving needed to have a definitive answer. Otherwise, there could be catastrophic failure. But now that I work with venture capital firms, the process of … Continue reading Improving Your Critical Thinking Skills Will Make You a Better Leader