1: “Most of what we know about human life we know from asking people to remember the past,” Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz write in The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness.

The only problem with this approach?

People’s “memories are full of holes,” the authors write.”  Just try to remember what you had for dinner last Tuesday, or who you spoke with on … continue reading

1: The best CEOs understand that they must have a “hands-on” connection with each individual on their leadership team, McKinsey consultants Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra write in CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest.

“You invest time and energy with each, recognizing they’re all individuals,” comments Michael Fisher, CEO of the nonprofit Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.  … continue reading

1: McKinsey consultants asked a CEO how much time he spent managing other people’s egos. 

Probably 20 to 30 percent of the time, he answered.

Then, they asked him what percent of time people spent managing his ego.

Silence.  

“Beyond the anecdote,” Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra write in CEO Excellence, “the research is clear: When CEOs are asked if they act as a … continue reading

1: “Most people reach for just a little bit more—a promotion, a little more money, a new personal record,” Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy write in 10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less.

“Going for incremental progress is a 2x mindset,” the authors observe, “which at a fundamental level means we’re continuing or maintaining what we’re already doing.”

2x is a linear mindset.  … continue reading

1: Yesterday, we analyzed the path Michelangelo took to create and sell his first sculpture, the Hercules.

Doing so “left him a qualitatively different person from his former 17-year-old self who began the project,” Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy write in 10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less.

“After selling the Hercules, he was now mentally and emotionally a different person, … continue reading

1: Michelangelo was 17 years old.

“He’d just begun working on his first life-sized, three-dimensional sculpture: a nine-foot Hercules, Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy write in 10x Is Easier Than 2x: How World-Class Entrepreneurs Achieve More by Doing Less.

Previously, Michelangelo had sculpted many smaller pieces.  But none were three-dimensional.  And he’d yet to sell a piece of his work.

But now, Michelangelo had made a decision that would … continue reading