Eric Yeo

Remember that your goal is to put the right people in the right design. First understand the responsibilities of the role and the qualities needed to fulfill them, then ascertain whether an individual has them. When you're doing this well, there should almost be an audible "click" as the person you're hiring fits into his or her role. #principleoftheday

Most people seem much more eager to put out (convey their thinking and be productive) than to take in (learn). That's a mistake even if one's primary goal is to put out, because what one puts out won't be good unless one takes in as well. #principleoftheday

So I certainly don’t want to dissuade you from going after whatever you want. At the same time, I urge you to reflect on whether what you are going after is consistent with your nature. Whatever your nature is, there are many paths that will suit you, so don’t fixate on just one. Should a particular path close, all you have to do is find another good one consistent with what you’re like. #principleoftheday

Make sure you’re following the suggestions made in previous principles, like building meaningful relationships and constantly getting in sync. Most importantly, you have to encourage people to speak up about how things are going for them. Ensuring that their personal development is proceeding appropriately is important too. Close advice from an active mentor should last at least one year. #principleoftheday

If you're not generous with others and others aren't generous with you, you won't have a quality relationship. #principleoftheday

So I certainly don’t want to dissuade you from going after whatever you want. At the same time, I urge you to reflect on whether what you are going after is consistent with your nature. Whatever your nature is, there are many paths that will suit you, so don’t fixate on just one. Should a particular path close, all you have to do is find another good one consistent with what you’re like. #principleoftheday

For example, if you come up with something the world values, you almost can't help but be rewarded. Conversely, reality tends to penalize those people, species, and things that don't work well and detract from evolution. #principleoftheday

The basic picture has not changed — if the US doesn’t cut the deficit to 3% of the GDP, and soon, we risk facing an economic heart attack in the next three years. The good news is that these cuts are possible. If we change spending and income (tax returns) by 4% while the economy is still good, the interest rate will go down as a result and we’ll be in a much better situation. And we know this kind of balance is possible because it happened between 1991-1998. My fear is that we will probably not make these needed cuts due to political reasons, and will have even more debt and debt service encroaching on our spending that will ultimately lead to a serious supply-demand problem.

Put your insecurities away and get on with achieving your goals. Reflect and remind yourself that an accurate criticism is the most valuable feedback you can receive. Imagine how silly and unproductive it would be to respond to your ski instructor as if he were blaming you when he told you that you fell because you didn't shift your weight properly. It's no different if a supervisor points out a flaw in your work process. Fix it and move on. #principleoftheday