Josh Linkner's Blog, page 22
March 29, 2015
The Six-Month Rule
While studying jazz composition and performance at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, a weathered professor taught me a valuable lesson. With the wisdom of a Tibetan Monk, this sage jazz cat whispered to me with understated confidence, “What you learn today, you’ll play in six months.”
He was referring to an idea gestation period, a natural time frame to go from initial learning to muscle memory. I may have understood the scale, riff or chord he happened to be teaching that day, but it t...
March 22, 2015
Irresistible
In just 60 seconds, Taylor Swift sold out all 18,200 seats at Madison Square Garden. Her music, and the experience she creates for fans, is irresistible.
Fistfights have broken out as eager customers battle it out to get a pair of Nike limited editions kicks.
In contrast, think about the cover band in the lobby of the nearby hotel, playing to a half-full room of apathetic listeners who offer neither money nor applause. Or the wide selection of athletic shoes available and readily in stock for...
March 15, 2015
A Surprisingly Simple Competitive Advantage
My flight landed in Norfolk, Va., 45 minutes late. On that bright and sunny day, I’m told by the airline it was “Due to a delay from the inbound aircraft.” Oh thanks, that made me feel much better.
Anyway, I had a car service scheduled to meet me at baggage claim. They knew I was coming, could easily track my inbound aircraft, and yet … they don’t bother to show up for 20 minutes. Next, I’m scolded for having the nerve to even ask why they’re running late.
The next day, on a flight from Atlan...
March 8, 2015
Your Partner In Crime
Batman and Robin. Ernie and Bert.Han Solo and Chewbacca. Powerful duos have been a success formula throughout history.Lennon and McCartney.The Wright Brothers.Sergey and Larry (Google founders).Progress often comes in pairs.
Today many of us are our own islands.We build our personal brands, focus on self-improvement, and remain staunchly loyal to our own goals. The challenge is that going at it alone can actually be a recipe for disappointing outcomes. In contrast, teaming up can be a powerful...
March 1, 2015
Rising From Rejection
Jack Ma is China’s richest man. He’s also the 12th-wealthiest person in the world, with a net worth of $29.7 billion, according to Forbes. Ma is the founder of Alibaba, an e-commerce company that’s the equivalent of Amazon.com in China.
He launched a multibillion-dollar company and became one of the most financially successful people alive, so you might imagine he was always a superstar. Not by a long shot. As a young man, Ma failed the college entrance exam three times in a row. He applied fo...
February 22, 2015
Herds Are For Animals
“Our company offers great service and affordable pricing.”
“We really care about our customers.”
“One call does it all!”
Perhaps platitudes that lack specificity and depth worked 20 years ago. But in our fist-fighting competitive arena, these flimsy claims say nothing at all. Your customers and prospects want to know, need to know: What truly makes you different? In a world full of options, unless you can answer this question with precision, you may soon be in the very difficult position of sys...
February 15, 2015
15 Powerful Ideas
“You cannot look in a new direction by looking harder in the same direction.”
~ Edward deBono
“Out there is an entrepreneur who’s forging a bullet with your company’s name on it. You’ve got only one option – to shoot first.”
~ Gary Hamel
“All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident.”
~ Arthur Schopenhauer
“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s cre...
February 8, 2015
Think Like a Beginner
Imagine taking up a new hobby such as playing the guitar or learning tennis.
You’d begin this process lacking any previous knowledge, so you’d be completely open to learn. With no preconceived notions, you are bound by no tradition and thus fully able to embrace the possibilities.
In contrast, getting an “expert” to take a fresh approach is about as difficult as getting someone to change his or her position on politics or religion.
Achieving success in a profession or craft yields many benefits,...
February 1, 2015
The Secret to Beat the ‘Big Decision Trap’
Making decisions can be downright scary. What if you make the wrong call? What if the new initiative turns out to hurt more than help (remember the launch of New Coke?)
“I’d better be careful not to screw things up,” you tell yourself. “Don’t push the envelope. Just keep it safe.”
Think how much effort it takes to pass a new law. Months of sub-committee meetings, political back channeling, public hearings, voter polling. The result? A system that sorely lacks innovation and agility.
As we make d...
January 25, 2015
Tough + Love = Great Leadership
Teachings of the Far East explain the concept of yin/yang. In order to achieve balance, and ultimately success, we need to have oppositional forces present and equal. This is obvious in our relationships, as oftentimes opposites attract – personalities, talent areas, skill sets, hobbies, etc. This differentiation between partners is what keeps things interesting and dynamic. Functionally, the same thing happens as you build a team – it doesn’t make sense to have people who all can do the same...
