Stay Intellectually Curious.
Conflating luck and skill happens all too often, and the byproduct is an incrementally predictable set of decisions that compound ignorance. We must be in constant pursuit of ground truth, knowing that the next layer of detail will bring more questions than answers. Ultimately, there is no right or wrong; there is only learning.
Maintain High Integrity.
In our hyper-connected world, empathy is increasingly scarce. Kindness, honesty, and authenticity often lose out to speed and ego. We are owners of our reputation, our time and our capital, and when we choose to do something, we must remember that we’re allocating precious resources that aren’t easily replenished.
Always be Self-directed.
A world where you do what is necessary not because someone asks something of you but because your internal voice says so is a world where you are empowered versus managed. It happens when your actions and intentions are so consistently high quality that they can’t be ignored. It not only empowers you but also enables and motivates others.
Maintain an Appetite for Change.
If it were easy, everyone would do it. While we don’t know the future, we can increasingly know ourselves: the strengths and weaknesses that make up our character. When we know these, we can make even the most difficult decisions in ambiguity and have the courage to change our minds and course correct, understanding that the path to achieving our mission is non-linear.