Clear Thinking

the space between stimulus and response, one of two things can happen. You can consciously pause and apply reason to the situation. Or you can cede control and execute a default behavior.

In the space between stimulus and response, one of two things can happen. You can consciously pause and apply reason to the situation. Or you can cede control and execute a default behavior.

One reason people find it hard to empower others at work is that having them depend on us for every decision makes us feel important and indispensable.

If you do what everyone else does, you’ll get the same results that everyone else gets.[*] Best practices aren’t always the best. By definition, they’re average.

The people executing established practices say they want new ideas, but they just don’t want the bad ones. And because they so want to avoid the bad ones, they never deviate enough to find new good ones.

The “zone of average” is a dangerous place when it comes to inertia. It’s the point where things are working well enough that we don’t feel the need to make any changes.

Kind people will tell you things a nice person will not. A kind person will tell you that you have spinach on your teeth. A nice person won’t because it’s uncomfortable

One effective question to ask yourself before you act is, “Will this action make the future easier or harder?”[*] This surprisingly simple question helps change your perspective on the situation and avoid making things worse.

“If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you need to do is stop digging.”

The real test of a person is the degree to which they are willing to nonconform to do the right thing.

you want to better understand your level of self-knowledge, ask yourself how many times a day you utter the phrase “I don’t know.” If you never say, “I don’t know,” you’re probably dismissing things that surprise you or explaining away outcomes instead of understanding them.

Understanding what you do and don’t know is the key to playing games you can win.