Book Titles

Wise bosses are devoted to knowing what they don’t know. They act boldly on facts they have right now, but search for signs they are wrong – seeking a healthy balance between courage and humility.

…wise bosses have strong opinions that are weakly held – so they can update when confronted with contrary facts. – Paul Saffo

…the attitude of wisdom: being confident enough to act and humble enough to doubt your actions.

Psychological safety is the key to creating a workplace where people can be confident enough to act without undue fear of being ridiculed, punished, or fired – and be humble enough to openly doubt what is believed and done.

…when people don’t feel safe – let alone obligated – to point out concerns, jump in, and correct their boss’s mistakes, then learning and error correction grind to a halt.

…the best leaders… use failure as an opportunity for learning rather than finger pointing.

…creativity requires generating many ideas – most of which are bad.

…even the nicest bosses unwittingly reward followers who shield them from bad news.

Wise bosses like a good fight. A pile of studies shows that when people fight over ideas, and do so with mutual respect, they are more productive and creative.

If people can’t fight without acting like assholes, it is better not to fight at all. But the best bosses ignite constructive battle over ideas.