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Work Smart, Lead Better

Ideas on strategy, collaboration, mental fitness.

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Steve Jobs' sunk cost

Poker reminds me of the sunk cost fallacy. It can be a tough decision to fold your cards after making a big bet. On the one hand, you don't want to lose the money you already put into the pot. On the other, you want to save your resources to continue playing the game. Like a poker bet, a sunk cost is a price that has already been paid and should not control future actions. Experienced leaders stay aware of the sunk cost fallacy. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple, he focused the company's...

about 2 years ago • 1 min read

I've always admired the effortlessness of the expert pianist. As their hands glide fluidly from side to side, each finger knows when to press a black or white key. It appears that the arms, hands, and fingers are independently and automatically acting on their own accord—yet they are totally in sync. To the spectator, the performance seems effortless. But it is the thousands of hours of repetition and practice that enable experts to achieve unconscious competence, the point where skill...

about 2 years ago • 1 min read

How do you change someone's mind? It's not easy. I'd argue it's not even possible. That's right, you don't change someone's mind. Only they can change their mind. I remember a meeting early in my consulting career where I was so prepared with stats and evidence and social proof that I thought I had "won" the decision before the conversation finished. Yet, in the end I didn't change their mind. It was as if each fact I provided had increased their skepticism and made them further dig into...

about 2 years ago • 1 min read

I'm back! Thanks for being a subscriber. You're receiving this email because you signed up for my newsletter, most likely at worksmartleadbetter.com or anthonypica.com. Okay, let's get to it: Most of the 50 ideas I wrote about last year for this newsletter came to me when I wasn't trying to think of them. It was when I was doing something else—cleaning the house, going for a walk, or reading a book—that I unexpectedly had the proverbial "shower thought." I realized that much of my newsletter...

over 2 years ago • 2 min read

Thank you for being a Work Smart, Lead Better subscriber 🙏 I appreciated all the email responses I received throughout the year 🙌 In January 2021, I launched this newsletter as part of a system to write consistently. Today marks a significant day as I achieved my 2021 writing goal: to share one idea every week that people can use to work smart and lead better. You might not have realized it, but you had a big impact on me achieving my goal. Just by being a subscriber and opening the emails,...

over 2 years ago • 1 min read

Most people think it's important to set goals. Start a business, lose weight, get a promotion, spend more time with family... At the turn of the year, it's common to hear people setting these kinds of generic goals. And if your company does annual performance reviews, it's time to document whether you were successful—and of course set new goals as you start the cycle all over again. But I don't think goal-setting is how people become successful. I believe success is a result of habit. Without...

over 2 years ago • 1 min read

My wife and I made a salad together. It was delicious: the crushed red pepper spiced up our homemade salad dressing. I'm not a good cook (yet), so my initial thought was, "we used red pepper, the meal tasted great, so I'll use red pepper flakes in the future." But using that same ingredient won't guarantee another positive outcome. Systems thinking helps you see how individual parts affect the whole. It's a strategy for analyzing not only how an outcome was achieved, but also why. When I...

over 2 years ago • 1 min read

Have you ever had an overbearing boss or client? It can be frustrating. People value autonomy. We all like to be creative in our own ways. And having the freedom to make decisions instills a sense of ownership. So how can team leaders tap into this human nature of wanting to feel in control? When influencing others, it's effective to give people the power of choice. At the start of winter, it was a hassle to go outside because my 2-year-old son refused to wear a jacket. Even putting on his...

over 2 years ago • 1 min read

It can be tempting to overexplain. Imagine you want your team to use a new project management tool. You want to convince them so you write down a list of reasons. To be thorough, you outline the details. You even think ahead about the questions they might ask, proactively addressing them in your communication. You were diligent in your research and planning, and to you it's clear that a different project management tool is the right decision, but how does your audience react to the...

over 2 years ago • 1 min read

I wrestle with gratitude expression. Leaders are responsible for helping others grow and achieve the mission. Yet when my team accomplishes its goals, sometimes I don't thank them enough. Through the hustle and bustle, gratitude slips through the cracks. Instead of celebrating success, sometimes we focus on what's next or what could be even better. It's unfortunate because gratitude makes us happy. Dr. Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at the University of California Davis, performed a...

over 2 years ago • 1 min read
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