At The Right Five and The Pathfinder Company, we know that it’s a balancing act between showing confidence and having practical humility. This is especially true when talking to bosses, funders, or potential clients. Like an attorney, you often have to put your best face forward. That doesn’t mean ignoring challenges or problems with products—or your own skill set—it just … Read More
How many relationships have hinged on this question? Can addicts stop using, mean people become nice, a conservative a liberal or vice versa, an atheist a believer, an extrovert an introvert, a couch potato athletic, a follower a leader, a bad negotiator a good one? Can people become a Pathfinder? Neuroscience and Psychology, along with a lot of anecdotes, say … Read More
I listen to a number of podcasts, including a few by comedians. It is fairly common for comedians to have grown up in dysfunctional households and/or have had to overcome their own demons of addiction to drugs and/or alcohol. What often strikes me is that once they have stopped using, many shift their addictive personalities towards work—which often leads to … Read More
Business leaders need to understand their team’s personality, drivers, and skills to optimize team dynamics, enhance communication, and foster a productive work environment. Personality and skills assessments can serve as valuable tools for business leaders to gain insights into their own and their team members’ unique traits and characteristics. When considering a personality assessment, it’s essential to differentiate between those … Read More
Business is often more art than science. The art of building a team can be likened to that of conducting a choir, where the conductor must harmonize various components to create a unified and powerful performance. The conductor of a choir and a team leader share a similar vision and purpose. The conductor’s primary role is to guide the choir … Read More
I asked a lawyer acquaintance if he had ever lost an argument with his wife. He had to think about it. He eventually answered “yes,” but it wasn’t convincing. I figured as much. He’s a bit of a narcissist. We’ve run into them throughout our careers. The people who genuinely think the world revolves around them. Like many personality types, … Read More
Forgetting an anniversary might get you in trouble with your significant other. Ignoring that your employees or clients observe religious holidays can be catastrophic. Whatever your personal religious tradition, or lack thereof (all of which works for us), it’s important to take into account major religious holidays when doing sales and business planning. While most of the business world understands … Read More
No, not that kind of jerk, I mean the dreaded office a-hole. When getting a university degree in business, computer science, engineering, or most subjects, the soft skills that are foundational for relationship building—and for much of a person’s success in life—are often ignored. Not only do we not spend much time studying how to build and maintain relationships, but … Read More
Like a lot of startups, we looked at our banking situation with the news that Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) and Signature Bank in the United States went belly up. The failures highlight our complicated relationship with banks and bankers but provide valuable lessons for tech startups and business leaders. There is now concern about more bank failures and the overall … Read More
March 15 is the ides of March. It’s the day in 44 BCE that Julius Cesar met an unceremonious end at the pointy part of Roman senators’ sharp daggers. Around 60 to 70 senators are thought to have been in on the plot. William Shakespeare made the whole thing famous, along with the quote, E tu Brute, which you are … Read More
