Dear A, 

We're in the fourth quarter of the year.  Let's get after it!    

Here's what I'm following this week...

ADVICE I'M FOLLOWING...

From Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, the intellectual Roman emperor wrote that in the morning he would often remind himself that "the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly." When you prepare yourself for potential interactions with people who engage in ugly behavior, you build resistance, as well as ensure you don't fall into the trap of responding in kind with ugliness. Basically, heed the advice of Ron Burgundy, "Stay classy."

STUDY I'M READING...

The Curious Connection Between Purpose and Lifespan. According to Science Direct, researchers tracked more than 13,000 adults aged 50 and above for eight years. They found that only 15 percent of people with the highest sense of purpose died during the study period, compared to 36 percent of those with the lowest sense of purpose...

Monday Security Memo

Intellectual Firepower for Professionals

Capability: Ted Williams and the Science of Hitting

“The greatest hitter in the world can fail two-thirds of the time and still be great.”

- Ted Williams

Dear A,

When discussing “Capability” in leadership, my father’s favorite baseball player, Ted Williams, provides a perfect example. Williams famously argued that hitting a baseball is the single hardest skill in all of sports - and he was probably right. Imagine the challenge: with a round bat, you must strike a round ball traveling 100 miles per hour, released from only sixty feet six inches away. On top of that, the pitcher can manipulate the ball with curves, sliders, knuckleballs, and even throw a high fastball at your head to keep you off balance.

Williams wasn’t just good at this nearly impossible task; he was extraordinary. In 1941, he accomplished what no Major Leaguer has done since - finishing a season with a .406 batting average, suc...

Dear A,

This month is almost over... the holidays will be here before you know it.

Here's what I'm following this week... 

AUDIOBOOK I'M LISTENING TO...

The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and Future of the West by Alexander Karp and Nicholas Zamiska. From the co-founder of Palantir - named one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2025 - and his deputy comes a critically acclaimed, sweeping indictment of the West’s culture of complacency. They argue that timid leadership, intellectual fragility, and Silicon Valley’s limited vision for technology’s potential have left the United States dangerously exposed in an era of escalating global threats. It's definitely more historical and academic than I would have guessed.

STUDY I'M READING...

How Writing Down Any Goals Helps You Achieve All Goals. Most people think goal-setting only matters if you’re writing about the exact thing you want to improve. But research shows it can boost every area of your life. I...

Monday Security Memo

Intellectual Firepower for Professionals

No Plan Survives First Contact

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

- Mike Tyson

Dear A,

In 1871, Prussian field marshal Helmuth von Moltke the Elder stated, "One cannot be at all sure that any operational plan will survive the first encounter with the main body of the enemy." Over time, that phrase has been simplified by the military into, "No plan survives contact with the enemy.” It’s one of those quotes that sticks because it’s so true - not just for war, but for business, sports, and life itself.

Without a doubt, plans are important. You wouldn’t start a business, coach a team, or train for a marathon without some kind of roadmap. But Moltke reminds us that the world is messy. The moment you “make contact”, whether that’s with competitors, opponents, or just life throwing you a curveball, your perfect plan is going to get tested.

And that’s where flexibility com...

Dear A,

It's football season and my Tampa Bay Bucs are 2-0, while the Michigan State Spartans are 3-0. Needless to say, I'm in an upbeat mood.

Here's what I'm following this week...

AUDIOBOOK I'M LISTENING TO...

Stay Sane in an Insane World: How to Control the Controllables and Thrive by Greg Harden. I’m really enjoying this audiobook. Every morning, I put it on while I run and during my commute, and it’s quickly become a highlight of my day.

Greg Harden rose to fame as the athletic advisor at the University of Michigan — best known for convincing a frustrated, bench-warming quarterback named Tom Brady not to transfer to USC, instead instilling him with the confidence to eventually become the starter.

But this book goes far beyond that one famous case study. Harden shares incredible stories of countless athletes he’s helped over the years, many of which are even more inspiring. At its core, the book is about “controlling the controllables” — learning to tune out outsid...

Monday Security Memo

Intellectual Firepower for Professionals

The Power of Sua Sponte

“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.”

- Theodore Roosevelt

Dear A,

I was recently reading Admiral William McRaven’s book on leadership, The Wisdom of the Bullfrog.  In one chapter, he reflects on the Army Rangers’ motto, Sua Sponte - Latin for “Of Your Own Accord.”  It means doing what needs to be done without waiting for permission.

That idea immediately took me back to a remote CIA base in Iraq where I worked during the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  On the wall of our compound hung a simple sign that read: “If not us, who?”

Over time, you begin to realize that this is the essence of leadership: stepping up when others look away, taking responsibility when it would be easier to say, “That’s not my job.”

Admiral McRaven shares a powerful s...

Monday Security Memo

Intellectual Firepower for Professionals

Nike's New Slogan is Concerning

“The cowards never started. The weak died along the way. That leaves just us.”

- Phil Knight, Co-Founder of Nike

Dear A,

On Friday, my wife sent me a text saying that athletic apparel giant Nike was changing its slogan after forty years from “Just Do It” to “Why Do It.”

At first, I honestly thought it was a joke headline, something you’d see in The Onion or another satirical publication.  But when I went to Nike’s website, I saw it was true. Their press release proudly rolled out the new campaign, clearly aimed at Generation Z, which read in part:

“Designed to meet young athletes where they are, the campaign reframes greatness as a choice, not an outcome — handing ‘Just Do It’ to today’s generation and emboldening them to write the next chapter. The striking message speaks directly to today’s athletes, who are growing up in a world where trying, and failing, can ...

Dear A, 

Now that summer is behind us, it's time to move into my favorite season (and I don't mean hurricane season). 

Here's what I'm following this week...

AUDIOBOOK I'M LISTENING TO...

Swagger: Super Bowls, Brass Balls, and Footballs by Jimmy Johnson. Before he became the popular NFL Fox Sunday commentator, Jimmy Johnson was one of the most successful - and controversial - coaches in both college and professional football. Listening to his latest book makes me realize that his coaching style was actually forty years ahead of its time. There's a reason why coaches from all sports, as well as top CEOs, flock to his home in the Florida Keys year round, just to gain insight into his mental philosophies on coaching and on life.

BOOK I'M READING...

Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple (But Not Easy) by William H. McRaven, U.S. Navy (Retired). Once holding the title of "Bullfrog", which meant he was the longest serving Navy Seal on active duty, McRaven has ha...

Monday Security Memo

Intellectual Firepower for Professionals

The Spotlight Effect

“You wouldn't worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.”

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Dear A,

Ever walked into a room convinced that everyone noticed your mismatched socks, or spilled food on your shirt at a party and thought the stain was the evening’s main event?  That’s the Spotlight Effect at work.  It's our tendency to overestimate how much others notice and evaluate our actions, appearance, or behavior.

Psychologists call this the illusion of transparency.  It feels as though a giant spotlight is shining on us 24/7, exposing our every move.   But the reality is, most people are so preoccupied with their own problems that they rarely give more than a passing glance before returning to their own mental to-do list.

Why does this happen?  Much of it stems from egocentric bias, or our natural tendency to view the world only from our perspectiv...

Monday Security Memo

Intellectual Firepower for Professionals

Time to Get a Bigger Frying Pan

“Blame no one. Expect nothing. DO SOMETHING!”

- Bill Parcells

Dear A,

Nick Saban tells a story about a man who went fishing and kept tossing back the biggest catches. When asked why, the man replied, “My frying pan at home is only nine inches wide.”

It sounds absurd - but most people live exactly like that. They don’t expand their capacity. They don’t grow their mindset. They settle for what “fits” inside the limits of their excuses.

The truth is, too many people don’t know how to win. The moment life gets tough, instead of rising to the occasion, they fold like an old lawn chair. They’re deathly afraid of competition, pressure, and accountability. When the spotlight is on them, they don’t embrace the opportunity - they hide from it. They bury their heads in the sand like ostriches, hoping the pressure will pass.

Rather than being the adult in the room, they ...