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Be Unapologetically Focused: Why Having a Great Strategy Matters. We will never have enough time or resources to solve all the problems we want to solve. To be successful, we need to focus, and that’s why great organizations have strategies. Strategy is a chronically overused word, thrown around with such regularity that its meaning is nearly lost. (When you are told you should do something because it is “strategic,” be skeptical: it is too often code for “just do what I say.”) Yet a strategy, when properly understood and implemented, focuses the team on a core problem and gives you a framework to prioritize limited resources. Think of when you’re hammering a nail: when you hit the nail on its head, you focus all the force of the hammer’s swing onto a single point – the sharp end of the nail.

By focusing on fewer things, you reduce the surface area where your forces (time, money, people) are applied, creating greater pressure without needing more resources. The origin story of most great companies clearly shows this power of focus. 1. 2. 3. 4. The Key To Great Feedback? Praise the Process, Not the Person. Giving good feedback to team members is quite possibly the most important – and most difficult - part of any leader’s job. Here’s the problem: very often, the feedback that we end up giving doesn’t seem to be all that effective. Even with the best intentions, feedback can easily backfire. The praise you give doesn’t lead to greater confidence. Your expert advice seems to take the wind right out of his sails. You decide to “go easy” on her, only to find her growing more anxious by the minute.

And you are far from alone if you’ve had a hard time figuring out why. Fortunately, scientific studies of motivation have identified clear, principled reasons why some types of feedback work, and others don’t. Rule #1: When things go wrong, keep it real. It’s not easy to tell someone that he screwed up, knowing it will cause him anxiety, disappointment, or embarrassment.

Rule #2: When things go wrong, fight self-doubt. Make your advice specific. Rule #3: When things go right, avoid praising ability. The Most Important Interview Question of All Time - Part 1. What's the best way to give feedback?