chowyonghan Author

Don’t let ambition distract you from the job at hand

(Excerpt from The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger) I’ve been asked a lot over the years about the best way to nurture ambition—both one’s own and that of the people you manage. As a leader, you should want those...

September 13, 2020| People Read More

BCG Growth Share Matrix

(Excerpt from The Star Principle by Richard Koch) There is a branch of business theory called strategy , which was invented by a new consulting firm, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), in the 1960s. BCG’s most famous...

September 6, 2020| Investing, Matrix, Strategy Read More

The Four Quadrants of Conformism

(Excerpt from The Four Quadrants of Conformism by Paul Graham and Diagram by Joscha Bach) The kids in the upper left quadrant, the aggressively conventional-minded ones, are the tattletales. They believe not only that...

September 1, 2020| Matrix Read More

The ruler needs to decide what’s best for the country, even with unpopular decisions

(Excerpt from Han Feizi translated by Burton Watson) those who do not understand how to govern invariably say, “You must win the hearts of the people!” If you could assure good government merely by winning...

August 30, 2020| Politics Read More

High context communication

(Excerpt from Han Feizi translated by Burton Watson) If the person you are trying to persuade is out to establish a reputation for virtue, and you talk to him about making a fat profit, then he will regard you...

August 30, 2020| Machiavellian, Strategy Read More

Humans cannot be trusted – Legalism

(Excerpt from Han Feizi translated by Burton Watson) Legalist thought in general, and that of Han Feizi in particular, is marked by a drastically low opinion of human nature. Some scholars detect in the latter case the...

August 30, 2020| China, Machiavellian Read More

Expressways = wealth pyramid

Typically, there are three lanes on the expressways. Rightmost = Lane 1 – sports cars Middle = Lane 2 – majority of the passenger cars Leftmost = Lane 3 – trucks, lorries and slow moving vehicles The...

August 30, 2020| CYH Read More

There will be resistance to speak up even if the boss is open

(Excerpt from Extreme Leadership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin) A common misperception among military leaders or corporate senior executives, this was an example of a boss who didn’t fully...

August 30, 2020| People Read More

Leaders must first believe

(Excerpt from Extreme Leadership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin) In order to convince and inspire others to follow and accomplish a mission, a leader must be a true believer in the mission. Even when others doubt...

August 30, 2020| People Read More

You get the standards you tolerate

(Excerpt from Extreme Leadership by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin) … they must recognize that when it comes to standards, as a leader, it’s not what you preach, it’s what you tolerate. When setting...

August 29, 2020| Execution Read More

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