it worries me that I want so much in life but yet I cant bring myself to put that amount of effort into it.

 Procrastination is real, and its May 17th and I am posting about April. Seems like things are returning back to the wild side again with the whole pandemic rearing its ugly head again. One thing I really dislike about the covid situation is how everyone seems to think they are in the worst situation as compared to others. And in that sense, I think it applies to myself as well, that I think that because I can handle the downsides of this pandemic, that I expect others to handle it as well. But I don't know if people agree with me enough or not, but after knowing foreigners that are stuck in Singapore for well over a year, and knowing doctors who are going to work in the hospital despite being pregnant, strangely, the inability to eat out, to go to zoom classes, and to have to work from home seems pretty damn mild to me. But I guess still, what we all need is just a little more empathy for each other.

Well, on the bright side, I read a really good book for April so that's nice. The Ride of a Life Time by Robert Iger. Cant decide if he wrote it himself or someone wrote it about him, or he provided the points for someone to write, etc. But it's really a fantastic book, almost equally good as No Filter: the inside story of instagram, just that this time, its about Disney. To see the changes Disney moved through and the inspiration and story behind such a magnificent leader such as Robert Iger, already inspires me for the road ahead.

Some key learnings from the book:

Off the top of my head, I definitely remember this one: Innovate or die. Such a simple phrase but so, so difficult to do. Highlighted across many instances in his book.

-Innovate or die. If you fear the new, you will die to those that don't fear it. its not about playing it safe, its about creating space for greatness

-The relentless pursuit of perfection. Its not about blinding pursuing perfection, but to never accept an inch of mediocrity and creating an environment where mediocrity is not accepted. its about the will to push against the voice inside us that says "this is good enough"

-take responsibility when you screw up. People will respect you more for it if you own up and learn. Rather than shirk responsibilities.

-Create an environment of fairness and empathy. its about being fair and hearing people out. To allow people to make mistakes but not the same mistakes twice.

-True integrity, to always stand by your integrity and morals and know the lines you will never cross.trust your instincts of right and wrong and the company will steer in the direction of similar moral values.

-Value ability more than experience. Trust that ability will bring them experience and put people in positions where more of them is required than what they know they have in them

-Ask the questions you have to ask, dont have to apologize about them. but at the same time, do the work you will need to understand everything about anything you are doing

-managing creativity is an art not a science. dont just think of the dollars and cents but also think of the amount of heart and soul they poured into it

-dont start negotiations pettily

-dont let amibition get ahead of opportunity. When you have an existing opportunity, dont use it focusing on the next one. Do what you do and do it damn well and let others see and rely on you and you will naturally get ahead

-dont invest in small projects that will take up alot of time and resources. you can be the best trombone oil seller but the world only consumes a few quarts of it a year

-when the people at the top of a company have a dysfunctional relationship, it will be translated down into the company

-As a leader. if you dont do the work, people around you will know. Your job IS to sit through meetings you dont want to sit and learn things you might otherwise, not want to learn about

-good leadership isnt about making yourself indispensable but part of it is also about making sure your shoes can be filled when you leave, giving people opportunity, lessons, and even open, honest feedback

-we cannot always protect old models of business. sometimes we have to understand that it has to go and sometimes, even have to undermine them, or cannibalize on them.

-a Leader has to always be outwardly optimistic and never lead from a pessimistic view or  you will lose the morale of the company. Optimism on the other hand, isnt about blind faith and saying "things will work out". Its about choosing the right people and knowing their abilities and believing in said choice and abilities.

-Take big swings. sometimes people think that something is impossible and they wont bother thinking about it. but if you plan and commit, you just might do it.

-articulate your priorities clearly so that everyone knows. will take the guesswork out of people and it will save them alot of uncertainty which is very underrated. This is what we want to do and this is how we will get there.

-its easy to be optimistic when everyone is telling you how great things are but not so easy when your sense of self is riding on the line

-You definitely have to do all the homework for an acquisition but at the end of it, its still down to one person's instincts

-if something doesnt feel right to you, its prob not right FOR you

-When you acquire a company, be sensitive about what you are acquiring. its not just tools, IP, and stuff, its the people.

-As a leader, what you do reflects on your company. It doesnt matter how big the company is but you will represent your company

-If you respect a person, be very straight forward when letting him go. with sound explanation, theres no way to say it that it wont hurt. but theres a way to do it to show you are honest yet resepctful

-Hire people who are good at what they do and are genuinely Good

-When negotiating, be clear about where you stand from the start, never go back on your words or standpoint

-Dont project your anxiety on your team, show them you are in this WITH them

-when disrupting a business model, be aware that you will be changing things and shifting priorities in the companies and that people will be affected. lay out your strategies clearly so that everyone on the ground knows

-Its not good to have too much power for too long. people tend to listen to you more and not object to you. you need to actively work against power's corrosive effect.

-as much as alot of your success is down to your hardwork and qualities, be humble and know that alot of it is based on things outside of your control as well.

-hold on to th awareness of yourself no matter how big or small youve grown. the moment you let a title define you, then you have lost yourself.