Execution Jul 16, 2026
The latest issue
A Fingertip Feel
A fire lieutenant orders his crew out of a house seconds before the floor collapses, and for years he believed the decision came from ESP.
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The Framework
One lens. Four functions.
Every act of leadership is a combination of the same handful of functions. Our framework is the lens that runs through every issue, every episode, and the book.
01 Allocation. Deploy what is scarce where it matters most.
02 Information. Read the signals that tell you what is actually happening.
03 Motivation. Align personal purpose with the team’s mission.
04 Execution. Set the intent; let the people closest own the means.
Recent issues
Browse all →Execution · Jul 11, 2026
Incentives Are More Complicated Than You Think
Wells Fargo set a cross-selling goal of eight products per household, and employees met the number by opening millions of accounts customers never asked for.
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Information · Jul 2, 2026
A Heart in His Throat
Marching on an enemy camp in 1861, Ulysses Grant found it abandoned and understood the other colonel had been as afraid of him as he was of them. He had never before thought about the fear and uncertainty of the opposing side.
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Framework · Jun 28, 2026
The Leadership Economics Playbook
A field guide to the six economic principles behind good leadership decisions.
9 min read · Read →
The Podcast · Episode 6
The Only Deal Breaker Is Character
Rob Shaw, founding President and CEO of Echelon Bank and a 27-year Tampa Bay banker, on the soft information behind every good loan, the culture of a brand-new bank, and why character is the only hard no.
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