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No, We’re Not Out of the Woods Yet
Leadership December 16, 2021/Leadership Communities across America are re-opening for business. This is great, but we still need to be smart. Months of quarantines and lockdowns have served a great purpose. We’ve learned a lot about this virus, how it spreads, who is at risk, and how to contain it. And most people would agree,…
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For Real Estate (And Politics), You Need To Think Local
Leadership December 16, 2021/Leadership The coronavirus pandemic and nationwide protesting are two major challenges that America faces. This is a moment in history that will be written about for years to come. There are still many chapters left to be written on how America rose to the challenge. It’s natural to pontificate on ‘how to…
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The Vision Fund Is Entering The Danger Zone
Investment December 16, 2021/Investment SoftBank’s Vision Fund will very likely end up becoming a cautionary tale. All investors can take valuable lessons from their mistakes. For those who aren’t familiar, Vision Fund is a $100 billion investment fund based in Japan. They’ve made a name for themselves by placing huge bets on tech companies, who…
Read More >>Personal Responsibility, Now More Than Ever
Leadership December 16, 2021/Leadership Personal responsibility is a concept that is sometimes thrown around like some kind of slogan. But it’s a real thing, and in these trying times, it has never been more important. Sometimes, I see the concept of personal responsibility interpreted as everybody is on his own, or we get what…
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You Cannot Cut Your Way to Success
Leadership December 16, 2021/Leadership In these difficult times, many business leaders have no choice but to cut costs to survive. These executives face wrenching decisions that require a dispassionate organization-level view of what roles, products, and other investments are truly essential. But business leaders should be cognizant that the current downturn will pass. It…
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Yes, Sports Should Come Back
Lifestyle December 16, 2021/Lifestyle In this time of hardships, America needs sports. Sports have a special place in our society. They offer us compelling drama, role models, novelty, and bring a community together. These last few months of lockdown are a reminder not to take any of that for granted. It has been months since…
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No Free Lunches, Beware Moral Hazard
Financial December 16, 2021/Financial The federal government is dishing out trillions in stimulus dollars. So much money is practically impossible to imagine. But these debts belong to us all. We need to think carefully about how this money is being utilized. I’m not saying this spending isn’t needed. It’s quite possible that we need every…
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No Easy Solutions to Hard Problems
Leadership December 16, 2021/Leadership How do we get back to some kind of normal? This is the trillion dollar question everybody is debating. One of the first lessons in investing is that risk and returns are like two sides of the same coin. From childhood, our parents warn us to watch out for things that…
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Investors Focused on Loss Aversion Fall Behind
Investment December 16, 2021/Investment Financial markets have been volatile recently. That might not change for a while. What is a savvy investor to do? To understand the right moves in challenging times, we need experience, discipline, and some knowledge of psychology too. The human mind is full of cognitive biases that make us all prone…
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Any Treatment Must Address the Disease in Our Economy
Financial December 16, 2021/Financial Most of us had never heard of a cytokine storm before a few weeks ago. For those unfamiliar, many patients with coronavirus suffer a “double whammy” when their immune system reacts to the virus too slowly at first, and then far too aggressively. Potentially causing more damage than the virus itself…
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Orchids Only Grow in Perfect Conditions, Not You
Leadership December 16, 2021/Leadership Social distancing is a challenge. It has disrupted more than the daily rhythm of life. It has put life goals and plans on hold. But there’s opportunity in this struggle for a new direction. Disruption also creates an opportunity to rethink what we want, make new goals, or rededicate ourselves to…
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Constructing Successful Teams Remotely
Leadership December 16, 2021/Leadership Resourceful and fortunate companies are remaining productive. Determining how to structure teams fit for purpose is a challenge for business leaders even in non-pandemic times. Different challenges call for groups that are bigger and more creative, or smaller and more decisive. Who can bring the right kind of expertise or specialized…
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After Wildfires New Healthy Forests Grow
Investment December 16, 2021/Investment In the midst of the current crisis, we can get ahead of ourselves thinking about the long term. Now is a time to largely focus on the here and now as we look to mitigate the worst case scenarios. My heart goes out to everybody who is suffering. As an investor,…
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“S**t Happens” Isn’t How To Manage Risk
Financial December 13, 2021/Financial Many people had never heard of force majeure before a few weeks ago. It’s often buried towards the back of legal contracts, and typically viewed by business leaders as a check-the-box, legalese section of the contract rather than something to thoughtfully review. For years now, executives have told their procurement…
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Social Distancing Shouldn’t Risk Your Team’s Culture
Leadership December 13, 2021/Leadership Social distancing is going to temporarily change the way we work, socialize and travel. In time, we all expect the crisis will pass… and schools, stores, restaurants, hotels, airports will all again be filled. And the stock markets will recover with newly instilled confidence. But I don’t believe the way we…
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