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07.07.25
13 Habits of Highly Successful Risk-Takers
WE all take risks every day, but some people take it to a whole new level. These people make calculated risks. It requires a different mindset. In One the Edge: The Art of Risking Everything, Nate Silver explains what that entails: 1. Successful risk-takers are cool under pressure. They don’t try to be heroes, but they can execute when the chips are down. It doesn’t matter how well you execute in everyday situations—you’ll never reach the top of your craft if you choke when the pressure is on. Don’t try to be a hero-just do your job. 2. Successful risk-takers have courage. They’re insanely competitive and their attitude is: bring it on. 3. Successful risk-takers have strategic empathy. They put themselves in their opponent’s shoes. 4. Successful risk-takers are process-oriented, not results-oriented. They play the long game. But the long run can take a long time indeed—so in the meantime, we focus on our process. 5. Successful risk-takers take shots. They are explicitly aware of the risks they’re taking—and they’re comfortable with failure. But successful risk-takers are perpetually in search of +EV [expected value] opportunities and willing to pull the trigger. They don’t come along all that often. We probably don’t want everyone in society taking long-shot wagers. But we do want some people willing to risk everything on bets that can have a huge payoff to society. 6. Successful risk-takers take a raise-or-fold attitude toward life. They abhor mediocrity, and they know when to quit. The riskiest course of action is oftentimes just remaining passive. 7. Successful risk-takers are prepared. They make good intuitive decisions because they’re well trained—not because they “wing it.” Training, ironically, is often the best preparation to handle the situations that you don’t train for. 8. Successful risk-takers have selectively high attention to detail. They understand that attention is a scarce resource and think carefully about how to allocate it. The one thing you don’t want is to be consumed by the stakes of the mission; that’s a waste of bandwidth. You need your full attention on where you are and what you can do to help it to ensure it’s going right… and adapt and adjust if it starts to not go right. 9. Successful risk-takers are adaptable. They are good generalists, taking advantage of new opportunities and responding to new threats. As the world gets more complicated, it’s generally the generalists who rule the roost. They are more likely to adapt successfully to the unknown. 10. Successful risk-takers are good estimators. They are Bayesians, comfortable quantifying their intuitions and working with incomplete information. You also have to recognize that—as an outgrowth of Bayes’ theorem, which works by revising your probabilistic beliefs as you collect more information—your estimates will become more precise as you collect more data. But sometimes your edge comes from being willing to act on a relatively crude estimate to take advantage of an opportunity when other people are still mired in the fact-finding stage. 11. Successful risk-takers try to stand out, not fit in. They have independence of mind and purpose. 12. Successful risk-takers are conscientiously contrarian. They have theories about why and when the conventional wisdom is wrong. So be a conscientious contrarian—look for flaws in people’s incentives rather than their intelligence—and then seek out a place where your own incentives are well-aligned with your goals. 13. Successful risk-takers are not driven by money. They live on the edge because it’s their way of life. The physical risk-takers I spoke with also seemed to be motivated by some intrinsic desire to take risk and expressed a kinship with others who feel the same way.   Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 10:17 AM
07.04.25
Why the Most Powerful Leaders Play the Long Game
WE live in a culture obsessed with immediacy. Quick wins. Overnight success. Instant validation. But the truth is, the most meaningful growth—the kind that lasts—is built slowly and intentionally over time. The quality of your life is shaped by the clarity of your intentions. And the compound effect of those intentions is only visible when you play the long game. Playing the long game means committing to the version of you you’ve yet to become — and showing up for her today. How To Play the Long Game in Your Personal Life Here’s how to shift from short-term success to long-term impact in your personal life — and why your future self will thank you for it. 1. Clarify your intentions. Start with clarity. What do you actually want? Who are you becoming? What values will guide you there? When you set an intention with precision, you give yourself a filter for every decision that follows. 2. Know your strengths and patterns. Understand what drives you and also what derails you. The long game requires discipline. It means knowing when to pause, when to push, and when to pivot. Your self-awareness is your greatest asset. 3. Align your actions with your aspirations. It’s easy to get caught in busywork that looks productive but isn’t aligned. Audit your habits. Ask yourself regularly: Does this action serve my bigger goal, or just my current mood? 4. Build for staying power. Success isn’t about how you start — it’s about how you sustain. Develop rituals that keep you grounded. Protect your energy. Guard your focus. That’s what builds real momentum. 5. Revisit and refine your intentions. The long game isn’t rigid — it’s responsive. Keep checking in with your vision. Let your goals evolve as you do and recommit with new energy and insight. When you live this way, your growth becomes less about the outcome and more about the identity you’re cultivating every step of the way. How To Lead Others in the Long Game The long game isn’t just a solo journey — it’s a leadership practice. When you embed this mindset into your culture, you empower your team to operate with depth, clarity, and cohesion. 1. Start with shared vision. Invite your team to dream big. Ask: Who are we becoming together? What impact do we want to make? When everyone is aligned on purpose, commitment comes naturally. 2. Define collective values. Establish the principles that will guide your collaboration. Values like trust, accountability, and service aren’t just concepts — they’re behaviors. Make them actionable. 3. Establish cultural norms. Decide as a team how you’ll show up for each other. How will you communicate? Handle conflict? Celebrate wins? These norms create a container for high-functioning teamship — aligned values, shared vision, and mutual accountability. 4. Create accountability through intention. Encourage teammates to name their individual intentions and pair up as accountability partners. Celebrate alignment between intention and action. That’s where culture lives. 5. Check in and course correct. Regularly assess alignment. Are our actions reflecting our values? Is our effort aligned with our outcomes? Invite honest dialogue and make space to refine together. Playing the long game doesn’t mean delaying your joy or deferring your impact. It means committing to a deeper kind of success — the kind that’s aligned, sustainable, and purpose-driven. When you act with long-term intention, you stop chasing validation and start building legacy. And one day, not far from now, your future self will look back with pride and say: Thank you for not giving up.  Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 08:05 PM
07.03.25
Leading Thoughts for July 3, 2025
IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: Louis L’Amour on creative living: “If you want to be creative, go where your questions lead you. Do things. Have a wide variety of experiences and take field trips to distant places. Reach outside of your everyday sphere of influence; it keeps you being too provincial. We can’t learn anything from experiences we’ve never had. Life is too long not to do it right, not to participate — we end up dying before we live. There’s a lot of seconds between birth and death when you’ve withdrawn from the game. To die before we live is agonizing. Life is too long not to do it right.” Source: Mike Vance: Men at the Top TV Show 1964 Josh Axe on living by principle: “If you want to enjoy success in your relationships, career, and health, choose a path that is lined with principles. An unprincipled person is like a captain trying to steer a ship without navigation, lost at sea. Without any truth or standards to guide them, they lack wisdom. Without wisdom, they make poor choices. Making poor choices reinforces poor character.” Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 02:28 PM
07.01.25
First Look: Leadership Books for July 2025
HERE'S A LOOK at some of the best leadership books to be released in July 2025 curated just for you. Be sure to check out the other great titles being offered this month.
Have you ever wanted to create a business that's not only good but great? Have you ever felt as though you're destined to do something bigger and more significant with your life? If so, you should know that you don't need millions in funding, a marketing department, or influencer status. If you have an idea, the determination to bring it to life, a deep and abiding belief in your product, and a devotion to your customers, you already have the humble starting point behind one of the world's fastest-growing and most beloved brands: Beekman 1802. In this book, for the first time, Ridge and Kilmer-Purcell present the twelve principles that made the biggest difference in their entrepreneurial journey, and show how these principles are relevant for anyone ready to defy the odds and grow a brand that matters.
In Flow Leadership, Gaëlle Devins―experienced executive and founder of FlowFusion―delivers a groundbreaking approach to unlocking the full potential of your team. This book introduces the 3P Assessment & Model, a powerful framework built on years of hands-on leadership, workshops, and academic research, helping leaders balance the three essential elements of high-performing teams: People, Purpose, and Performance. When these three forces align, they create a sustained state of FLOW@WORK―where individuals, teams, and entire organizations thrive. Gaëlle Devins explains how to ensure the people you lead at work feel their best, are at their best, and produce their best work.
This book presents a game-changing synthesis of 50 years of leadership research as a comprehensive guide for seasoned and aspiring leaders, and anyone who wants to help their boss become a better leader. Authors Jeffrey Hull and Margaret Moore, translate academic research and their extensive experience in leading and coaching into a practical, self-coaching roadmap for your own growth in these times of exponential change and disruption. This book organizes the science of leadership (15,000+ studies and articles showing what improves individual, team, and organizational performance) into nine capacities which build upon each other. Each capacity is brought to life by real-life stories, a science overview, practices, and ways to deal with overuse.
Great teams can sometimes feel like magic. So much so that it can be hard to pin down why they work so well. But such dynamics are explainable—and replicable. And at their heart is emotional intelligence. While much has been written about the power of emotional intelligence at the individual level, little has been said about the benefits of this concept for groups. And it's not as simple as putting a number of emotionally intelligent people together and expecting them to work cohesively. Instead, leaders need to build a team culture around agreed-upon norms and habits. This book combines thirty years of research and team development to present a model for building and leading emotionally intelligent teams.
As leaders, we all hit a point when things stop going well. A problem emerges that we think we can handle but discover we can't. The tools that got us this far somehow stop working. We don't understand; what are we missing? What we don't see is what we can't see: we have blindspots. It's a known fact that we're often not great judges of ourselves, even when we think we are. Sometimes we're simply unaware of a behavior or trait that's causing problems. Other times, where we see normal, effective behavior, others see tremendous deficits. Bottom line: until we uncover these blindspots, we can’t move forward or deliver on our goals as leaders. The good news is that you can learn to do your own blindspotting. Blindspotting provides a framework for understanding six types of blindspots.
   
“You can't think well without writing well, and you can't write well without reading well. And I mean that last "well" in both senses. You have to be good at reading, and read good things.” — Paul Graham, Y Combinator co-founder
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Posted by Michael McKinney at 06:02 AM
06.30.25
LeadershipNow 140: June 2025 Compilation
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Posted by Michael McKinney at 08:18 AM
06.27.25
Leading Through the Age of Disruption: Seeing Around Corners
IN today’s volatile and fast-paced world, disruption is no longer an exception—it’s the rule. Leaders are navigating an era defined by geopolitical uncertainty, technological innovation, supply chain challenges, and shifting societal expectations. The modern company, whether an agile startup or a Fortune 500 behemoth, exists amid and among an ever-shifting foundation of geopolitical uncertainty, volatile markets, supply chain challenges, and technological innovation that moves at whiplash-inducing speeds. To thrive in this environment, leaders must develop the ability to anticipate change, adapt quickly, and inspire their teams to do the same. They must in essence start seeing around corners. The Importance of Purpose and Authenticity Seeing Around Corners is the importance of leading with purpose and authenticity. In an age where stakeholders demand more than just profits, leaders must align their organizations with a clear and meaningful mission. This integration of purpose and action is not just a moral imperative; it’s a strategic one. Employees, customers, and investors are increasingly drawn to organizations that demonstrate a genuine commitment to their values. Leaders must go beyond mission statements and ensure that their actions reflect their stated purpose. As Viq Pervaaz, Partner and Health Sciences Leader at EY, notes, “Foundational leadership capabilities that we all possess and excel at — we truly need to integrate as we move into this new era.” This requires a deep understanding of one’s leadership capabilities and a willingness to adapt them to meet the challenges of the moment. Empowering Teams in Times of Uncertainty Disruption often brings uncertainty, and uncertainty can paralyze teams if not managed effectively. One of the most powerful tools in a leader’s arsenal is the ability to empower their people. Kristi Frank, VP for Procurement and Business Services at Novo Nordisk, emphasizes the importance of personal connection during times of change: “Reaching out to employees on a personal level is at least as important now as it was at the start of the pandemic. There was that period where — while it wasn’t great — we all understood and agreed we were remote, and that that meant some level of certainty for folks. Now we’re in this period of, 'Are we coming back? I’m not sure, can I come back?'" Frank’s insight highlights the need for leaders to provide clarity and support, even when the path forward is unclear. By fostering open communication and giving employees a sense of control over their work, leaders can help their teams navigate uncertainty with confidence. Setting a High Bar for Performance In times of disruption, maintaining high performance standards is critical. However, this requires more than just setting ambitious goals; it demands a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. Marc Effron, author of 8 Steps to High Performance, underscores this point: “Establishing a high bar for employee performance starts at the top, and failure to hold staff accountable can lead to disastrous fallout.” Effron’s advice serves as a reminder that leaders must model the behaviors they expect from their teams. This includes not only holding others accountable but also being willing to adapt and grow themselves. As Effron succinctly puts it, “B players can't evaluate A players.” Leaders must strive to be “A players” who inspire and challenge their teams to reach new heights. Building Resilience Through Integrity Resilience is another key attribute for leaders navigating disruption. This resilience is built on a foundation of integrity and trust. Sophie Bechu, a contributor to The Five Keys to Operational Success, offers a simple yet powerful mantra: “Quality and Integrity Always.” She elaborates, “So you do the right thing—always.” This commitment to integrity is not just about avoiding ethical missteps; it’s about creating a culture where employees feel safe to innovate and take risks. When leaders demonstrate integrity, they build trust within their organizations, which in turn fosters resilience in the face of challenges. The Role of Innovation in Disruption Finally, no discussion of leading through disruption would be complete without addressing the role of innovation. Disruption often creates opportunities for those who are willing to think differently and challenge the status quo. Leaders must cultivate a culture of innovation that encourages experimentation and rewards creative problem-solving. As Nancy Lurker, CEO of Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals, observes, “The ability to adapt and innovate is what separates the leaders from the laggards in times of disruption.” Lurker’s perspective is particularly relevant in industries like healthcare, where rapid advancements in technology are reshaping the landscape. Leaders must not only embrace innovation themselves but also empower their teams to do the same. Conclusion: Leading with Vision and Courage Leading through disruption requires vision, courage, and a willingness to embrace change. It demands that leaders align their organizations with a clear purpose, empower their teams, maintain high performance standards, act with integrity, and foster a culture of innovation. The lessons shared in Seeing Around Corners provide a valuable resource for leaders seeking to navigate these challenges. As you reflect on your own leadership journey, consider how you can apply these insights to your organization. What steps can you take to anticipate change, adapt to new realities, and inspire those around you? By doing so, you can not only see around corners but also lead your team to success in the age of disruption. Over 80 thought leaders have contributed to conversations with Ken Banta and the Vanguard Network. These are captured in Seeing Around Corners and include insights from executives, such as: Fred Hassan, Director at Warburg Pincus, who led Pharmacia, Schering Plough, Bausch & Lomb; Tal Zaks, Partner, OrbiMed who was the chief medical officer at Moderna; Dave King, former CEO of Labcorp; Thomas Sabatino, Former Chief Legal Officer at Rite Aid, Aetna, Hertz, United Airlines; and Art Caplan, NYU Bioethics Professor who helped launch Viagra. Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 06:50 AM
06.26.25
Leading Thoughts for June 26, 2025
IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: Peter Senge on personal mastery: “Personal mastery goes beyond competence and skills, though it is grounded in competence and skills. It goes beyond spiritual unfolding or opening, although it requires spiritual growth. It means approaching one’s life as a creative work, living life from a creative opposed to reactive viewpoint. When personal mastery becomes a discipline—an activity we integrate into our lives—it embodies two underlying movements. First is continually clarifying what is important to us. The second is continually learning how to see current reality more clearly.” Source: The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization Liz Wiseman on growth: “The most valuable players are never finished. They are continually adapting, adjusting to hit the mark. How might the smallest adjustment to your approach lead to greater performance?” Source: Impact Players: How to Take the Lead, Play Bigger, and Multiply Your Impact Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 04:51 PM
06.23.25
Don’t Build an Organizational Culture They Like. Build One They Won’t Leave
ORDINARY doesn't cut it in organizations. It never did. But today, the market punishes average. Leaders who cling to comfort, who delay bold decisions, who tolerate mediocrity—these leaders don’t manage growth. They direct decline. The top 5% of your people create 95% of your value. These high performers expect more—and deliver more. They don’t wait for permission. They don’t require handholding. They demand direction, opportunity, and a culture that accelerates contribution. They move fast, think clearly, and act decisively. And they expect the same from leaders. Exceptional organizations know this. They don’t hoard talent; they magnetize it. They don’t manage strategy; they drive it. They don’t react to change; they provoke it. And here’s the paradox: the same forces that drive high performance also threaten to destabilize the organization if someone strong doesn’t take the helm. Top talent demands a high-octane culture. Strategy must flex, not fracture. Execution must speed up, not stall. When you shoot for excellence, you walk the razor’s edge. If you want to win big, you must lead with nerve, not nostalgia. When I wrote Challenge the Ordinary in 2024, I predicted that the road that took most companies to success would not be the same one that defined future success. Now, the road has turned into an interstate with no exits and no speed limits. Five Forces Killing Average Here are five forces you need to keep in mind as you lead: Top talent walks faster than you promote: Recruiters don’t knock—they text, direct message, call, and Zoom your stars out from under you. In the meantime, your HR playbook loads your talent down with lengthy interviews, generic job descriptions, meaningless assessments. Throw them out. Today’s stars want clarity, challenge, and growth. Not policies. Not forms. The best talent doesn’t chase perks—they hunt results. If you can’t offer it, your competitors will. Strategy need speed, not slogans: Five-year plans offer illusions, not outcomes. What worked last year no longer applies. Strategy must evolve quarterly. You don’t need consensus. You need courage. Ask better questions: What must we solve now? What creates value fastest? If we weren’t already doing this, would we now decide to do it? What would we do instead? Strategy without speed equals stagnation. The global tilt won't wait: Emerging economies outperform their past—and threaten your future. While you run scenarios, they launch startups, cut costs, and scale talent. Capital moves fast. Talent follows faster. You no longer compete across town. You compete across continents. Stop assuming your market position protects you. The next unicorn already launched—and they don’t know your name. Fear chokes decision-making: Media-driven anxiety seeps into boardrooms. Leaders freeze, stall, or hedge. Meanwhile, courageous competitors steal market share. Fearful cultures build silos. Exceptional ones build solutions. Your job isn’t to risk elimination—it’s to risk selection. Fortune rewards movement, not caution. Change no longer waits for buy-in: Change doesn’t ask for permission. It shows up with a wrecking ball. You can’t manage it—you lead through it. The best organizations disrupt themselves. They redesign teams, rebuild strategy, and relaunch product lines before they face pressure. They train people to thrive in motion. They coach decisiveness, not compliance. What Exceptional Organizations Do Differently To lead an exceptional organization takes a different approach. These examples show how pace, culture, excellence and talent come into play: Netflix drives strategy with urgency. When streaming disrupted traditional media, Netflix didn’t hesitate. It pivoted from DVD rentals to digital streaming, then again to original content production. During COVID, it accelerated its global expansion and localized programming. In 2023, when subscriptions dropped, it responded within a quarter with ad-supported tiers and password-sharing crackdowns—moves that reversed its fortunes. Netflix doesn't plan in decades. It reacts in quarters, guided by customer data and real-time feedback. Microsoft engineers cultures that reward contribution. You don’t need a culture everyone likes. You need a culture your best people won’t leave. Under Satya Nadella’s leadership, Microsoft reinvented its internal culture, prioritizing a growth mindset and cross-functional collaboration. Nadella replaced a toxic, competitive environment with a performance culture rooted in shared learning. Microsoft invested heavily in retaining and upskilling top talent through its AI push and hybrid work policies—resulting in a talent-driven resurgence in innovation and market value. Toyota defines excellence—and enforces it. Excellence isn’t aspirational. It’s operational. It shows up in your hiring, performance management, promotions, and client interactions. In 2023, Toyota became the world’s top automaker again—without compromising its manufacturing philosophy. Toyota continues to apply its legendary Toyota Production System with near-fanatical consistency. When global supply chains buckled in 2021–2022, Toyota outperformed by enforcing its just-in-time excellence model. Leaders gave every worker authority to stop the line. Quality trumps speed, and continuous improvement (kaizen) remains non-negotiable—even 70+ years in. Palantir attracts elite talent—and keeps it challenged. Palantir has grown from a niche intelligence tool to a high-impact AI-driven data platform powering global infrastructure—driven by talent that would rather fail at bold problems than succeed at routine ones. Palantir recruits elite engineers and data scientists who want to solve global-scale problems—national security, epidemiology, financial crime. It offers tough missions and big autonomy. Employees work on “forward deployed” teams embedded with clients like defense agencies or energy grids. They solve complex problems under pressure and adapt constantly. Making the Shift Although they want to be paid fairly, great people don’t just want more compensation—they want to grow and contribute. They want to build, innovate, and influence. Give them room to move. Skip the endless onboarding rituals and the we’ve-always-done-it-this-way promotion strategies. Provide targets, support, and room to stretch. Then get out of the way. Stars find momentum when leaders stop interfering and start trusting.
Markets don’t reward intent. They reward execution. You no longer win because of who you are—you win because of what you do, how fast you adapt, and how ruthlessly you eliminate drag. Exceptional organizations think boldly, act quickly, and hire wisely. They know talent wins markets. Speed wins attention. Clarity wins decisions. Are you brave enough to empower? Are you bold enough to step aside so others can step up? The measure of exceptional leaders isn't found in what they do, but in what others can do because of them. Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas.
Posted by Michael McKinney at 10:45 AM
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G.O.A.T. Wisdom
Flow Leadership
The Science of Leadership
The Emotionally Intelligent Team
Blindspotting
Here is a selection of 
