THE ONE THING

1. How to Turn Around a Failing Company: Three Envelopes

There’s a classic story about a newly hired CEO who walks into a failing company.

As the outgoing CEO leaves, he quietly hands over three sealed envelopes labeled “1,” “2,” and “3” and says:

“Open these only if you run into trouble you can’t fix.”

A few months later, sales fall and the new CEO is under fire.

Panicking, he opens the first envelope. The note reads: “Blame your predecessor.” So he holds a press conference, explains that he inherited a terrible mess from the previous CEO, and the heat dies down.

Not long after, the company hits another slump. The CEO opens the second envelope: “Reorganize.” Immediately, he reshuffles teams, cuts costs, and announces bold changes. Everyone is happy.

Later, trouble strikes again. So the CEO reaches for the final envelope.

It reads: “Prepare three envelopes.”

INSIGHTFUL THOUGHTS

2. Five Leadership Lessons from Dying Patients

Bronnie Ware was a nurse who looked after dying patients.

She worked in palliative care and learned a lot about what patients regretted before they passed away.

She then published a book about the top 5 regrets of the dying

Here's a summary:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier

A few years ago, I turned those regrets into action-based phrases, printed them out, and framed them above my desk.

They're the only guidelines that I try to factor in when I’m making big-picture decisions.

PRESENTED BY

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WORDS I LIKE

4. Jeff Bezos: Anecdotes > Data

Jeff Bezos said this on the Lex Fridman podcast:

THE 80/20

5. An 80/20 Tip You Can Apply Today

Here’s a low-effort, high-impact tip you can use with your team today:

• What: To increase email open rates, include everything you need in the subject line

• Why: People are overwhelmed with emails, so to stand out, explain what you want (and by when if there’s a deadline) in the subject of your email message

• Example: Instead of “Status update deck ” try, “Need your input on this by tomorrow @3pm”