Bias for action. Gets things done. Go-getter. Traits companies big and small look for. And for good reason, you're being hired to do things! However, action is a secondary step that often overshadows the primary step, direction. Clear direction is the foundation that enables our actions to takeoff. Without it, we're stuck in the mud. Striving for clarity is an underrated skill. Having the courage to ask ( seemingly ) obvious questions, and to check in, making sure we're all on the same page. "O bvious " questions are a low risk, high reward way to add value. At worst, you'll add confidence to our actions. At best, you discover a misalignment that saves us from a dead-end. The more people, the more clear we need to be. The bigger the initiative, the bigger the risk of reaching the finish line, only to realize expectations were off. Success is always uncertain. But we can be certain about what we want and what everyone's job is. Things that can be clea
Life is about timing. Graduating in 1999 would've placed you into a booming economy with jobs galore. Graduate a year later and you'll struggle for an interview (post-tech crash). Through no fault of your own, a full 180 in your life trajectory. Timing can be the sole difference between success and failure. Retirees know this all too well. As investors, we face the risk of retiring into a down market, known as sequence of returns risk. Positive returns in the early years of retirement equals a larger nest egg to withdraw and grow from. Retiring into a bear market would mean withdrawing and growing from a depleted position - kicking your portfolio while it's down. Even the same returns could lead to starkly different outcomes depending on the order (20%, 10%, -30% Vs. -30%, 10%, 20%). The sequence matters. Returns compound and how you start will be the difference between an upward or downward spiral. A strong start in football could mean the difference between winning and