THE ONE THING

1. How to Motivate Using the Kissinger Way

Henry Kissinger was known for being an uber-perfectionist politician, especially when it came to writing speeches.

He believed every word in a speech counted and didn’t consider one done until it was revised 20 times.

He also demanded the same level of perfection from his staff and colleagues.

Here’s the story of Ambassador Winston Lord handing Kissinger a report (from Walter Isaacson’s book Kissinger: A Biography):

The lesson from Kissinger is that everyone inherently puts self-inflicted psychological barriers on doing their best work.

This is probably why experienced bodybuilders need training coaches to push them to lift heavier weights.

But most times, those psychological barriers can be broken or at least raised to a higher level.

The takeaway

The next time you want to motivate someone and help them stretch their capabilities, ask them, “Is this the best you can do?”

INSIGHTFUL THOUGHTS

2. Why Your Employees Quit and What To Do About It

The Harvard Business Review recently published an article titled “Why Employees Quit,” which summarizes the core reason employees leave their jobs:

Employers are not providing gratifying experiences to their people.

The article highlights three recommendations for leaders to help retain their top employees:

1. People need meaningful work.

2. People need managers and colleagues who value, respect, and trust them.

3. People need opportunities to grow, excel, and advance in their careers.

These insights may not be surprising, but they serve as a valuable reminder of what matters most to your employees.

PRESENTED BY

3. Learn AI in 5 Minutes

This week’s newsletter is sponsored by the AI Tool Report, a newsletter that teaches you how to use AI to save time. More details below.

There’s a reason 400,000 professionals read this daily.

Join The AI Report, trusted by 400,000+ professionals at Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI. Get daily insights, tools, and strategies to master practical AI skills that drive results.

Sign up now for free and work smarter, not harder.

FUNNY WORDS

4. On Confirming Whether You’re Leading or Not

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 get genuine feedback on areas for improvement, avoid asking colleagues directly for critique. Instead, frame your questions around how you can improve.

• Why: Direct questions like “What do you really think about this?” often lead to guarded responses because people may feel uneasy being openly critical.

• Example: Use open-ended, collaborative questions like “How do you think I can make this better?” or “What would you do differently?” to encourage more honest and constructive feedback.