2-mins Tuesday: Top 5 Thoughts - 27 Aug 2019

Topic #1: Top 5 Thoughts

Gonna pen my thoughts under "2-mins Tuesday" theme. Why 2 mins? Crisp posts - quick & easy to read in 2 mins like Maggi. Why Tuesday? Today is Tue and tomorrow never comes.

Keeping my first post theme-less and sharing the top 5 thoughts that influenced me recently thanks to my friends, mentors and the books.

1) Be a Coffee Bean

When an external adversity hits you (the analogy of boiling water), you can behave like (a) a carrot - becomes soft & weak (b) an egg - becomes hardened, or (c) a coffee bean - uses its inner power to transform the environment positively. All of us have choices to be a coffee bean - we can't change the external situation but can choose our response. A short book with a simple & powerful message and a even shorter video.

2) The 20-mile March

Walking 3000 miles has 2 options: (A) marching 20 miles everyday irrespective of weather & terrain with an upper & lower threshold (B) doing 40 on 1 day and zero the next day based on one's comfort. Jim Collins says that option A is the strategy of 10x companies - they thrive during chaos & unfavourable externalities and are 10x better in long term. Success comes to those who are consistent, disciplined and makes progress every single day, week, month & year. What is your 20-mile march?

3) The Genius of AND

Another gem from Jim. We will have to live with seemingly contradictory forces. My favorite is balancing between short AND long term goals. Most companies and individuals over-index on one over the other. But there is no future without long term thinking and no life without short-term thinking. Successful startups & leaders balance both. Compartmentalising our time, thoughts and teams help balancing both.

4) Have An Addiction

Who says addictions are all bad? Some addictions are great. Are you addicted to meditate daily? To hit the gym everyday? To serve your customer obsessively? To check your company's sales frequently? To pursue your vision passionately? Being extra-ordinary needs addictions. They will propel us into the positive habit loop.

5) The Trillion Dollar Coach

Even the most revered leaders like Jobs, Larry, Sandberg and Eric Schmidt rely on coaches. Eric shares the leadership lessons of Bill Campbell, the Trillion $ coach of silicon valley in this excellent book. While there are 30+ practical advices, 2 key takeaways: (a) All of us need coach / mentor / guide - both in good & bad times (b) Power of First principles thinking: future value creation & innovation belongs to first principles thinkers. Got >2 mins, more here & here

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