AI developers are struggling with a new challenge: Getting AI to “unlearn.” There are myriad circumstances where you might want AI to unlearn: new privacy laws, intellectual property issues, disinformation from right-wing or left-wing nuts, Krap from the Kremlin, etc. I guess once AI internalizes a “belief” or “fact,” it’s difficult to change—just like humans […]
I recently read the book “Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East and West” by Calder Walton. A good read that covers a broad swath of history, especially if you’re interested in spycraft. The Bay of Pigs disaster was one of many events covered. You may recall that the Kennedy administration sent a handful of […]
I’m working with a few executives who’ve been tagged as possible CEOs. This is fun for them and me. All are highly motivated and self-aware. With these assignments, I typically conduct a 360-degree feedback session with the coachee’s boss, peers, and those who report to them so that we can develop a list of priorities […]
If you’re a senior leader and serious about not breathing your own exhaust, not becoming the smartest person in the room, and getting too big for your britches, there’s only one vaccine available: willingly take some abuse. If you’re more Putin than Gandhi, it’s already too late. There’s no antidote, only a vaccine. However, if […]
A client recently recommended the book “The Ride of a Lifetime” by Robert Iger, the CEO of The Walt Disney Company. It’s a fascinating story with some good lessons. One interesting subplot occurs during his tenure as COO, working for longtime CEO Michael Eisner. Eisner built a “strategic planning group” (called Strat Planning) that reported […]
Does the ability to control human behavior by creating mistrust, unhealthy competition, possible jail time, or even death excite you? If so, you’re the perfect candidate for my new class, “Lead Like Vladimir Putin!” Coming soon to a Gulag near you! There are leadership books with titles that include “Lead Like Jesus,” “Lead Like a […]
A recent piece on Colorado Public Radio about the aerospace industry caught my ear. Apparently, 500 companies focused on aerospace reside in Colorado. Mildly interesting, but what was more insightful came from the perspective of Justin Cyrus, the founder of Lunar Outpost. He had a beautiful explanation of why small companies can compete with larger […]
A recent report from Stanford’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes based on millions of students and 14 years of data highlights that “most charter schools produce superior student gains despite enrolling a more challenging student population.” (If that makes you squirm, I get it. My mother was a school teacher, and she’d have a […]
I had an interesting conversation about expectations with a thoughtful CEO whom I work with. I’ve had similar conversations with many. Clients often ask, “Shouldn’t I be able to expect ____?” In other words, should a leader be able to expect certain behaviors from his team members without clearly stating the expectation? The short answer […]
If you don’t watch the NBA, you may not know who Nikola Jokić is (often called “The Joker”). He plays for the Denver Nuggets and is arguably the best player in basketball as I write this. Although his game is impressive, as a fair-weather basketball fan, I find his persona even more so. He isn’t […]