The Power of Symbolic Logic
Mark Rapier CMAS, ALC
Trusted Guide | Author | Lifelong Learner | Corporate Diplomat | Certified M&A Specialist | Certified Life Coach
Today's second topic is a review of "Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success."
Word Count: About 1,400 words, with an approximate reading time of 5 to 7 minutes. ?Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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Two recent articles combined to remind me of two of the most valuable courses I took in college – Symbolic Logic I and II.
Symbolic logic enables us to develop arguments using variables to replace natural language.? This replacement removes emotion and ambiguity.? The variables and logical symbols are used to create algebraic equations that represent the structure of the argument.
Argument often has a negative connotation.? This is the third-level definition in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary; the first two descriptions are more important:
Working out the formula of an argument is the first step in creating support for a point of view.? When the language is reinserted, the focus shifts from the logic to the emotional reactions.? Logic will not always carry the day, but managing emotional discussions from a sound, logical foundation provides a framework for building consensus.
Related Articles
Book Review - Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success by Ron Friedman
In Decoding Greatness, Ron Friedman explores how understanding the success of others is an essential key to individual success.? Studying the successes and failures of others, deconstructing their journey, and applying those lessons to ourselves drives our outcomes.
There are many things that great leaders have in common.? The more you read, the more remarkable examples you have to analyze.? With quantity, it becomes easier to see underlying patterns.? You can adapt and apply those patterns to your own way of working.
This reengineering effort allows us to focus our attention in the right places. ?There are only so many hours in a day, and we have only so much energy to spend.? Learning what not to pay attention to is crucial.? Theodore Sturgeon once said, "Ninety percent of everything is crud." We need to identify the ten percent that matters quickly.? This allows us to embody Shunryu Suzuki's mantra, "In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's there are few."
"Knowledge only comes about when we reflect on our experiences, revise our beliefs, and test our assumptions."
Friedman's book shows us many ways to help us through this learning process.
What I'm Up To
My wife and I recently watched two shows that I highly recommend.
This is the story of Detroit's fall into bankruptcy.? We were living in Southeast Michigan when this happened, and this documentary did an excellent job of capturing the feelings at the time and shared the long history of decline that led to the collapse.
I was disappointed that two things were not addressed.? It would have been nice to spend time talking about Detroit's renaissance.? Since emerging from bankruptcy, Detroit has made a lot of progress.
The documentary failed to address one key aspect—political corruption. ?Detroit and many of its related entities have a history. ?Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick best exemplified it. ?He was mayor from 2002 until he resigned in 2008 after convictions for perjury and obstruction of justice. ?In 2013, Kilpatrick was convicted on 24 felony counts.
The title comes from Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises.
"How did you go bankrupt?" Bill asked.
"Two ways," Mike said, "Gradually, then suddenly."
I believe this description applies to most business failures.
Based on the book of the same name, this limited series tells the story of Lale Sokolov.? During his years in the concentration camp, he was forced to tattoo ID numbers on prisoners.? It depicts the suffering felt by all and the feelings of guilt of those who were forced to work for the Nazis.
Here is a link to a great interview with Heather Morriss, the author of the book, at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.?
领英推荐
Earlier this year, we watched The Zone of Interest.? This movie depicts the daily life of the camp commandant?? Rudolf H?ss's family, who lived just outside the gates of Auschwitz.? This is a haunting movie.? Netflix recently added The Commandant’s Shadow, a documentary about Hans Jürgen H?ss and his personal journey to reconcile his fond memories of his father with the war crimes he committed.? We have not watched this yet.
On a lighter note, consider these two shows.
We watched IF on Netflix.? If you have kids or grandkids, watch it with them.? If not, watch it anyway.? It is an enjoyable story.
My Lady Jane on Amazon Prime is a hilarious, fictionalized tale of Lady Jane Grey, who was Queen of England for nine days.? Kate O'Flynn plays Queen Mary and she chews up scenery with the best of them.? She was my favorite character in the show.
Chips and Salsa: Snack-sized news and posts
All you have to do to determine if you live in an urban heat island is check your local weather maps.? If the temperature in the center is regularly higher than in the surrounding rural areas, you are there.? There are interesting experiments with coatings that prevent concrete from retaining so much heat.
Regardless of generation, being late tells everyone who waits that they are not an important priority.? When the person is late because the previous meeting ran long, the organizer of the previous meeting is at fault.? They did not respect the needs of the attendees.
It is much harder to start a business than most articles let on.? In addition to high costs, the time commitment is much higher.? Opportunity knocks only when you get out there and invite them to come over.
For our economies to grow, they need people at all levels. ?History shows us that the children of immigrants are the most valuable. ?Steve Jobs is one of the best examples of this.
Many people who have been fortunate to travel into space find the experience profound.? I wish I could experience space travel.
Virtual meetings are good, but nothing is better than face-to-face meetings.
The challenge with DEI is that it evolved into a quota system.? The real goal should be to build an organization with a diversity of thought.
You cannot plan for a black swan.? You can develop a response plan that allows you to quickly assess and effectively respond when one starts swimming in your waters.
Retirement planning is an issue around the world, not just in the US.
This article misses two important ideas.? The first is to set a deadline for making the decision; analysis will expand to fill the available time.? The other is not to pursue perfection.? Make the decision, assess the results, make adjustments, and make progress.
The headline sets a false premise.? There was never something for everyone on TV.? There was something for everyone that advertisers wanted to reach.? Today, the objective is to create content that attracts and retains subscribers.
This is an interesting article on the emotional aspects of economics.
Quotes
"There is no knowledge that is not power."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"I try not to leave any conversation without learning something from somebody else."
- Celeste Headlee
"An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail."
- Edwin Land
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You can order The Leader With A Thousand Faces on the Recommended Reading Page of my website.
My goal is to make this newsletter as interesting and valuable as possible. ?Please share your thoughts and suggestions for improvement. ?If there are specific topics in leadership you would like me to focus on in future issues, please send them my way.