Week of October 31, 2016
“This is the true joy in life;
being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one;
being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap;
being a force of Nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod
of ailments and grievances complaining that the world
will not devote itself to making you happy.”
George Bernard Shaw
1856-1950
Philosopher and Playwright
Are You Becoming a Professional Wrestler?
Someone once said that “the only two areas of American life that were devoid of honest passion were politics and professional wrestling.” As long as the “sport” of professional wrestling was confined to the “wrestlers” (in the ring or those we elected), promoters and the fans, the rest of us could watch from afar and feel safe from infection.
Marketing guru Seth Godin fears that the psychological contagion of professional wrestling may be impacting our politics to an unprecedented level. Will it subsequently infect the general population, and will you be among its victims? Check out his one page musing “Decoding Professional Wrestling.”
The Eventual Millionaire
Every person’s experience is a sample size of one (which is why every C-Level person should be in a Vistage group). One man, James Altucher, is a hedge fund manager bestselling author, and podcaster. He has founded or cofounded more than 20 companies, including Reset Inc. and StockPickr and says he failed at 17 of them.
In short, he’s got a better sample size to extract lessons from than most of us. The following graphic recaps what he observed in the leaders of the companies he worked with. It’s never too late to form a new habit, or help a young person in your life to avoid a bad one.
Look For Work, Not a Job- Part 2
Last week in this space a brief HBR article by Diana Mulcahy who teaches a course for MBA students on the “Gig Economy” in which she advised them “stop looking for a job and join the gig economy.
Ms. Mulcahy has followed up with another article for everyone else about what to expect in the Gig Economy. Will you or yours be affected? Take a few minutes for this short article “Who Wins in the Gig Economy, and Who Loses.”
Econ Recon:
A Long Way from Tight: Many executives are worried by the constant chatter in the economic press regarding what they fear are imminent interest rate increases by the Fed. Not to worry, says economist Brian Wesbury in his most recent Wesbury 101 video. Take five minutes to find out why, as Dr. Wesbury says, that the Fed is a long way from tight.
The Year Ahead: Many companies are beginning work on budgets and strategic plans. If you want to check your assumptions on the economy, I suggest you participate in the ITR Economic Insights Webinar for the Year Ahead and Beyond. Get your planning team together and listen to Alan and Brian Beaulieu share their thoughts for what’s ahead for the economy and your industry . (There is a nominal charge).