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9 Timeless Leadership Lessons from Cyrus the Great. Why Should One Act on Principle? | Ayn Rand, Objectivism, and Individualism. A person of "principle" is commonly thought to be one who cleaves to his moral ideals and shuns "expediency" and compromise. Objectivism, by contrast, holds that principles, when properly understood, are extremely expedient because a person who thinks in principles makes himself aware of the most practical means of achieving his ends in the full context of his life. Nevertheless, Objectivism recognizes the essential connection between a person's principles and his moral integrity. Such a connection is possible because the traditional dichotomy between the realm of morals and the requirements of one's own life and happiness is false. Happiness in life is the highest moral goal we can achieve. The moral is the practical, and moral principles are essential to achieving our happiness in practical terms. Concepts and Principles According to Objectivism, a principle is a proposition that integrates one's knowledge of an important subject.

Principles put the power of abstraction to work. The Happiness Project. The Energy Project. HBR - Accomplish More by Doing Less. By Tony Schwartz | 7:40 AM December 13, 2011 Two people of equal skill work in the same office. For the sake of comparison, let’s say both arrive at work at 9 am each day, and leave at 7 pm.

Bill works essentially without stopping, juggling tasks at his desk and running between meetings all day long. He even eats lunch at his desk. Sound familiar? Nick, by contrast, works intensely for approximately 90 minutes at a stretch, and then takes a 15 minute break before resuming work. Bill spends 10 hours on the job. By 1 pm, Bill is feeling some fatigue. It’s called the law of diminishing returns. Nick puts in the same 10 hours. Nick takes off a total of two hours during his 10 at work, so he only puts in 8 hours. Because Nick is more focused and alert than Bill, he also makes fewer mistakes, and when he returns home at night, he has more energy left for his family.

It’s not just the number of hours we sit at a desk in that determines the value we generate. 10 Proven Strategies of High-Performance Teams [INFOGRAPHIC] Ronald Brown is a successful startup CEO with an extensive background in technology and consumer marketing. His new book, Anticipate. The Architecture of Small Team Innovation and Product Success is available via iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. Who drives product innovation? The answer is small, entrepreneurial development teams — better known as "agile teams" in the high-tech industry. These types of teams are obviously essential for startups, but many large companies approach team-building in the same way, especially those that lead the industry in terms of product revenue.

What are the essential elements — the genetic structure, if you will — of a high-performance team? Image courtesy of iStockphoto, francisblack.