Arnold Kling: “Thomas Sowell wrote of the “unconstrained vision.” That is a vision that sees human society as perfectible. The problem is that when those with that vision obtain power, they get frustrated when perfection does not ensure, and they become increasingly authoritarian in their methods. The results only get worse. Milton Friedman and other twentieth-century economists were very articulate about the connection between capitalism and freedom. They pointed out that the attempt to engineer a perfectly equal society leads to dictatorship. Inequality remains, with the rulers on top of the heap.”
Mint: “When a top talent leaves the system, an organisation suffers losses at multiple levels: not only financially, but also in terms of losing out on expert knowledge and a ‘can-do’ attitude. A high-performer’s exit can erode the morale of colleagues, especially those who looked up to them, which may lead to even more attrition of talent and start a domino effect…It takes more than cosmetic tweaks to improve the health of your company. True leadership lies in your ability to see the toxic behaviours hiding in plain sight and then have the courage to root them out for good—even if it means getting rid of a CXO-level hire you’ve made at a steep cost. Instead of coming up with reactive strategies to stop your best talent from leaving, it is key to have more proactive check-ins, listen to what they are not saying, and notice more than what meets the eye. Don’t be blindsided by the person who has most to say during meetings. Hold space for the troopers and workhorses, who keep the home fires burning.”
WSJ: “If you’re hoping to solicit new ideas or feedback from your team during a meeting, you might think the best way to loosen people up and get the conversation flowing is to start things off yourself. But too often, the opposite happens: Bosses who don’t invite input from others before voicing their own ideas and opinions often discourage their employees from asking questions, providing dissenting views or pitching ideas of their own. If this dynamic becomes the norm—with you speaking first and/or the most during meetings—your employees are likely to disengage and perhaps even multitask their way through meetings, mindlessly agreeing with everything you say. Frustrated by the lack of response, you might find yourself speaking even more to compensate. Instead of improving efficiency, you end up hurting team morale and productivity—and create a bigger work burden for yourself.”
