Training Only Works When the Next Case Changes
What do Serena Williams practicing a serve, Mr. Miyagi teaching Daniel to wax a car, and a law firm owner training the team on a new client-update process have in common? It’s not that any of them need a 43-slide presentation. Although I would absolutely watch Mr. Miyagi explain “wax on” while someone from HR […]
The Secret to Better Delegation? Clearer Instructions.
What do The Bear, a NASA launch checklist, and me turning a $500 delegation mistake into a leadership lesson have in common? They help us realize that everything falls apart when the instructions only make sense inside one person’s head. In The Bear, the kitchen may be loud enough to make your Apple Watch ask […]
The Best Resume Can Be The Worst Hire
What do Warren Buffett, Captain America, and that employee I hired because they had an incredible resume, w ho was gone six months later, have in common? It’s not that all three prove skills don’t matter. They absolutely do matter. But it’s that character beats experience every single time. Let me be very clear. I […]
Your Employee Quit. Don’t Replace Them Yet
What does Nasa after the Challenger explosion, Batman, and the best law firm owners have in common? It’s not that all three involve people who are really good under pressure. (Although I’d happily trust Batman with my intake department before some law firm owners.) It’s that they ask the right first question when things go […]
Your Staff Probably Isn’t Quitting for Money
What do Richard Branson, Ted Lasso, and your best paralegal getting one more “quick question” at 4:58 p.m. have in common? It’s not that all three believe biscuits can solve workplace trauma. Though honestly, they might help. Instead, it’s about why staff quits. Richard Branson has talked for years about taking care of your employees […]
The “Parental Leave” Playbook Your Firm Actually Needs
What do Serena Williams, Jim Halpert, and the Ostroffs when our son was born in 2018 have in common? It’s not that all three of them have ever tried to answer an email with one hand while holding a baby, a coffee, and their sanity…well maybe it is… But it’s really about preparing for maternity […]
5 CEO Moves To Get Out of the Weeds
What do Michael Jordan , Michael Scott , and Jordan MICHAEL Ostroff in 2016 have in common? It’s not the Michael thing…and it’s not that all three are allergic to delegating. (Although two of us definitely were. And it’s not the guy with six rings…) Instead, it’s about getting out of the day-to-day and into […]
Org Charts
What do Nick Fury’s Avengers Initiative, a law firm where every decision has to run through the managing partner, and my old bullseye org chart have in common? They all look like leadership… but they quietly train everyone to wait for the hero (or want to be hero) to show up. The Avengers only thrive […]
Structural Ability
The Concept Structural ability is about whether the environment does the work for you. Not motivation. Not incentives. The physical setup, routines, defaults, and friction that quietly decide what happens when you’re tired, distracted, or on autopilot. If the environment makes the wrong behavior easy, it will win eventually. If the environment makes the right […]
Social Ability
The Concept Social ability is not about encouragement or accountability. It’s about whether the people around you practically make the behavior easier or harder to execute. Motivation is cheering. Ability is access, options, timing, and support. If the people in your orbit can’t help you even if they want to, social ability is missing. This […]