AI does not primarily have an intelligence problem. It has a reward problem. Reading The Alignment Problem by Brian Christian forced me to confront something uncomfortable: Systems don’t become dangerous because they are intelligent. They become dangerous because they optimize what we reward. And what we reward is often a proxy. We measure engagement instead...
Sam Dryburgh, my father, gave me two little life lessons when he wrote in my journal when I was 5 years old: Look before you leap! The early bird gets the worm! I have heard that your answer to the question, “Is the universe a friendly place?” positions you as an optimist or a pessimist and...
Most organizations we work with today consider themselves a turnaround or they are transforming to a newer more responsive version of themselves to avoid the label “Turnaround”. What’s happening: Customers are demanding new products, solutions and business and partner processes Organizations acquire or divest their parts Organizations need to improve financials to free cash for...
About 6 years ago I got a “Jolt” from a Tony Robins article. I realized that the choice of words I used inside my head dramatically affected my emotions and ability to work with others and see things clearly. Whenever I am faced with a negative and challenging situation I focus on the word “Peeved.”...
Are you accelerating your career and life journey? One of my great joys is getting feedback after a few sessions with a client that their confidence has grown and how good it feels to have someone focused on helping them improve and get clarity on their goals. They usually thank their manager and the company...
In 10 years, will you be working for a company that does not exist today? Could that company be focused on segment that is not recognized today? What would make you ready for that leadership challenge? Much of our work is with helping leaders successfully craft a career made of steps or assignment lasting 2-3...
A foundational corporate athlete skill is Confidence generation. If you can build it in yourself and in others you are ready for whatever challenges your world throws at you. This is because all capabilities have confidence as a foundation. Without confidence you will likely fail regardless of all your skill and preparation. For others, confidence...
Virtually no one I know would answer that question positively without some humor or qualification. The reality is that life is about trade-offs we make to achieve what we want. It is about having clear, powerful goals and executing the activities that achieve them. But then why do we come up short? I could have...
Super successful people tie together a series of assignments that stretch them and engage their capabilities; allowing them to advance to whatever level they want. We observe the super-successful master the capabilities to quickly onboard new assignments and make an early impact on their organization. All jobs are now roughly 2-3 year assignments. For example,...
