Business Bay
This is a curated garden of business insights. Like an English Walled Garden, I have spaced parts of the garden to peruse independently. A few plants are present in multiple sections of my garden.
Faith-Mixed Insights
- loss of social meaning drives overwork
- heavenly reward makes better workers
- corporate growth disperses spiritual foundations
- transactions create value
- debt is sometimes wise
- business perspective affects the poor
- leadership begins and ends at home
- educate to make better servants
- god has mercy for many methods
- apostles and entrepreneurs share characteristics
- expect divine strength and miracles
- a stunted view of god limits imitation
- learn to lead now
- scheduled priorities are kept priorities
- pride strikes at the pinnacle of success
- love protects a business from employment violations
- leaders win by continually dying
- leaders face pivotal moments that define their purpose on earth
- judgment of others is aroused by shared behavior
- balance is journey not destination
- generosity evidences faith in gods provision
- holiness starts in the heart
- money is a cruel master
- generosity builds kingdom equity
- blessing is contingent on generosity
- bible meditation offers the highest business wisdom
- justice is more than absence of harm
- pivots demand more forceful response to disobedience
- freedom from comparison produces humility
Entrepreneurial Insights
- encompass complex thought with diagrams
- entrepreneurial ability is more than creativity
- felt needs are startup opportunities
- corporation definition
- ventures need committed partners
- entrepreneurship happens in existing companies too
- perceived motivation affects social programs
- globalization demands leadership integrity
- non profits have unique markets
- non profits can easily explore new markets
- profitable business serves the poor
- owners must listen to help the poor
- vision leads to profit
- compelling vision unites employees
- convergence is a startup opportunity
- danger signals are outside customer base
- societal views on business are cyclical
- teams excel the best entrepreneur
- lean startups fit uncertain markets
- vanity metrics obscure true performance
- every venture needs a strong leader
- business discovery is uncomfortable
- startups produce models over solutions
- model validation can be part time
- innovate by model combination
- models make complex ideas sharable
- remote work supports global entrepreneurship
- remote workers blame themselves first
- job titles have unexpected consequences
- employment contract pitfalls
- retention depends on management growth
- dont underpay your employees
- benefits attract employees
- lean means efficient not alone
- love protects a business from employment violations
- employees have no privacy
- employees want their work to have impact
- companies need both innovation and maintenance
- employees need communication growth recognition and trust
- employee engagement definition
- compensating feedback happens when the root problem is not addressed
- process maps are tools for change
- flowcharts expose waste
- simplicity is empathetic
- customers want curation but ask for features
- reward managerial innovation
- customer contact builds empathy
- ownership encourages engagement
- use agile in uncertain environments
- lean startups live by the agile manifesto
- prepare for crisis
- business is responsible for most tax collection
- indirect taxes tend to be regressive
- lean startups leverage tax deductions
- choose a corporate identity carefully
- only assets generate value
- accounting describes measurable value
- greed undermines a business
- accrual accounting is the most accurate
- use the balance sheet to monitor health
- use the income statement to refine value creation
- favor generosity over profit margin
- financial analysis raises operational questions
- understand how financial accounts are related
- interview for swift culling
- blessing is contingent on generosity
- accounting is both story and science
- adopt financial models with caution
- bible meditation offers the highest business wisdom
- globalize your business name
- consider sole proprietorship for a lean startup
- organizational injustice is systemic
- choose insurance with both analysis and imagination
- contracts are the arteries of business
- launch your business with an exit plan
- offer equity and power with utmost caution
- include worse case in the contract
- pay taxes and honor the government
- both investors and entrepreneurs need equal motivation
- read the term sheet control clause carefully
- entrepreneurs will be judged first
- partner with a venture capital firm with care
- investors are partners long after the contract is signed
- corporations can oppress millions
Leadership Insights
- leaders focus on strengths
- humility excels confidence
- compelling vision unites employees
- globalization demands leadership integrity
- every venture needs a strong leader
- leadership growth requires vulnerability
- leadership begins and ends at home
- leaders develop over decades
- we need global leaders
- favor respect over positional authority
- leadership determines corporate size
- unteachable leaders are doomed
- leaders initiate relationships
- to be natural practice incessantly
- know and share your story
- learn to lead now
- employees want their work to have impact
- managers review goals give praise and offer redirects
- secure managers share their own tools
- leaders win by continually dying
- situational leadership applies to individuals and teams
- empathetic leadership follows the golden rule
- leaders face pivotal moments that define their purpose on earth
- ask individuals for feedback not groups
- leaders ask profound questions
- ask questions from a humble heart
- leaders hire at or below their own character
- ease into leading with questions
- decide who makes the final decision
- set high standards and show grace
- leadership books are not created equal
- set personal goals in public
- distribute mentorship among everyone
- foster trust with both performance and vulnerability
- define your team culture
- pivots demand more forceful response to disobedience
- leaders embody their core values
Culture-based Insights
- ease suspicion with direct contact
- outsiders are advantaged in cultural intelligence
- cultural collaboration needs insiders
- dominant culture affects corporate design
- pseudo cultural experience does not build cultural intelligence
- convergence is a startup opportunity
- corruption threatens international investment
- we need global leaders
- empathy exposes cultural bias
- clever programs cant change culture
- culture shapes effective inquiry
- know when to mimick the host culture
- customer facing roles need higher cultural intelligence
- assessments are made from the lense of your culture
- communicate at the lowest cultural context
- high context culture is sometimes direct
- ease into leading with questions
- philosophy affects what arguments are persuasive
- define your team culture