Management Archives

Dan Heath’s Upstream: Book Overview & Key Takeaways

Do you feel like you have endless fires to put out—in your personal life, at work, and in society as a whole? What if you could work at the root of the problem instead, preventing crises from happening altogether? In his book Upstream, Dan Heath explains how reactive solutions (for which we have a bias) aren’t nearly as effective as proactive, long-term solutions. He calls these upstream solutions, and he provides advice on how to implement this type of problem-solving. Keep reading for an overview of this book that aims to help you solve problems before they happen.

Quick Tips for Delegating: Unloading the Necessary But Trivial

Do you have too much to do? What’s the best way to go about getting help with tasks? You’re busy doing big, important stuff. A certain category of tasks keeps getting in your way: necessary but unimportant. The lawn needs mowing, but you’re too busy making a living. This is where task delegation might be the right solution for you. Keep reading for a few tips for delegating that will help you focus on what matters most to you.

Mental Health and Leadership: The Link You Wouldn’t Expect

What’s the connection between mental health and leadership? How does mental illness affect management skills? Many of us consider good mental health to be an important quality for leaders. However, in A First-Rate Madness, psychiatrist Nassir Ghaemi argues that mental illness can make leaders better fit to lead during a crisis. Let’s break down why Ghaemi believes good leadership depends on the state of your mental health.

A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi: Overview

What is A First-Rate Madness about? What are the main takeaways of the book? For years, abnormal mental health has influenced successful leadership decisions during critical times of war and conflict. In A First-Rate Madness, Nassir Ghaemi uncovers the pitfalls of being a mentally well leader and how mental health treatment affects leadership. Read below for a brief overview of Ghaemi’s A First-Rate Madness.

Big-Picture Thinking: The Top 3 Methods (+ Examples)

Do you consider yourself a big-picture thinker? Do you try to understand every problem or situation holistically? When we’re faced with a problem or a difficult decision, we tend to resort to our usual cause-and-effect, detail-oriented type of thinking. While this type of thinking is useful in some situations, it can obscure the bigger picture. As a result, the optimal solution may evade us because it lies outside the range of ideas where we are looking for it. With this in mind, here are three ways you can apply big-picture thinking to solve problems and make decisions.

How to Be a Great Manager: Guiding People & Decisions Well

Do you tend to micromanage people? How should the type of decision impact the way you make a decision? What’s the best way to win over your company’s leadership? Entrepreneur Tony Fadell’s book Build is part career encyclopedia and part memoir. He draws on his years of entrepreneurial and corporate leadership to provide insights that can help you manage people and decisions more effectively. Keep reading to learn Fadell’s advice on how to be a great manager, which can be valuable regardless of where you are on your career path.

2 Surprising Benefits of Depression for Leaders

Are there any benefits of depression? How does depression improve your perspective on difficult situations? Depression is a mental illness that most try to avoid. However, leaders may find some benefits of depression that help them handle critical moments with the right insights. Continue reading to learn how depression can help you, according to A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi.

How to Be a Pro at Innovation Project Management

Have you incorporated innovation project management at your company? What is a disciplined approach to innovation? The authors of Ten Types of Innovation assert that many companies don’t know how to practice innovation as a formal discipline. They treat it as something almost magical that can’t be predicted, and it undermines their ability to execute innovation projects successfully. However, anyone can turn a mediocre project into an innovative masterpiece. Continue reading to learn how to manage innovation projects that will turn heads.

How to Be a Good CEO: Advice From Entrepreneur Tony Fadell

How does a CEO impact every level of the organization? What should a CEO’s attitude be toward other companies? How should you go about selling or merging your company? In his book Build, serial entrepreneur Tony Fadell offers advice for succeeding in every stage of your career, whether you’re just starting out or a CEO. He draws on his experience as CEO at Nest and Build Collective as well as the journey he took to get to the top. Continue reading to learn Fadell’s advice on how to be a good CEO.

What Is Depressive Realism? Definition and Example

What is depressive realism? Why do depressed leaders have a more realistic perception than mentally healthy ones? Depressive realism is a theory that people who are depressed make better decisions because they have a more realistic view of the world. A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi expands on this philosophy by showing how Winston Churchill’s depression helped him during World War II. Here’s how depressive realism works, and how it affected Churchill’s understanding of the Nazi threat.