Category: Other

Hard work matters, but science indicates that we have an unconscious bias–regardless of eventual level of skill–for people who possess innate talent.

Source: Inc.Africa

Many people ask me how they can be more respected.

They hate the pain of feeling ignored and disregarded.

But this always sets off a red flag for me, because it reminds me of how I used to be when I was depressed.

You instantly lose when you expect respect.

What I learned over many years of struggle:

To gain respect you must become someone who genuinely respects yourself.

This comes from a combination of doing things that bring self-respect and ‘acting as-if,’ which leads to an upward spiral of confidence.

Here are 10 tiny habits that will make you more respected than 98% of people:

1. Regularly do things that frighten you.

Fear isn’t always an indication of what to avoid.

Unless it’s a charging rhino, most fears you have are signs of what to do.

When you take courage, you feel the aliveness in your soul.

2. Slow down your speech and movements.

Here’s an example of one of the ‘act as if’ behaviors that has a powerful impact on your sense of self-respect.

When we consciously slow down, we silence the part of us that is rushing in fear.

We mold ourselves into the kind of person who takes their time because they are confident in their ability.

3. Make yourself occasionally scarce.

When we say yes to everyone and everything, we infringe on our personal space and freedom.

You might enjoy the brief high pleasing others, but ultimately you lose your self-respect, when the balance becomes skewed.

Honor yourself first, and have this reflected in the boundaries you set.

4. Become consistent in something useful.

Someone once said something that changed my entire thinking about fulfillment:

It’s about knowing you are becoming increasingly useful.

Consistency is how our usefulness becomes honed, expanded, and felt.

It’s also a powerful discipline that will make you feel good about yourself.

Become insanely consistent in at least one great thing.

5. Re-prioritize your ‘highs.’

Cut out habits that bring you shame.

You know what they are.

Many of us irrationally do things we feel bad about. We do it because of short-term pleasure.

But what if you saw that the high from bad habit avoidance is bigger than any short-term high?

6. Develop emotional control.

Ever gotten super angry and done something you regretted?

Exactly.

A lack of emotional control leads to self-disrespect.

Hone this skill by nurturing the gap between triggering stimulus and response.

Breathe when angry.

It’s a muscle like any other and it may even save your life.

7. Make peace with those you hate.

Many of us suffer tremendously because we allow others to disrupt our emotional balance.

We get jealous. We feel triggered. We get offended.

Our loss.

We can’t truly respect ourselves if someone is living in our heads rent-free.

What would it do for your self-respect if you found a way to let go?

What if you dropped the hostility and offered to shake the hand of he who wronged you?

You’re stronger when you take the higher ground of forgiveness.

8. Regularly do hard things.

This isn’t a green light to go out and be a straight-up reckless clutz.

Hard things that require grit, staying power, and discipline bring the best rewards of all. You know this.

What are they, and how can you bring more of them into your life?

9. Find a way to lead.

Few things stir up a sense of pride than leadership.

Who can you help?

How can you help?

Is there a way you can bring people together in a community that supports the common good and helps others overcome problems?

Become a leader in your life.

10. Become unreasonably upbeat.

I always say happiness is a choice.

How you feel needn’t be based on what’s happening in your world.

You create it.

Be upbeat, and you will infect those around you with your energy, which will — in turn — maintain your vibe.

Authors: Alex Mathers

The most celebrated genius in human history didn’t just revolutionize physics, but taught many valuable lessons about living a better life.

When it comes to living your best life, Albert Einstein — notorious as the greatest physicist and genius of his time, and possibly of all-time — probably isn’t the first name you think of in terms of life advice. You most likely know of Einstein as a pioneer in revolutionizing how we perceive the Universe, having given us advances such as:

• the constancy of the speed of light,
• the fact that distances and times are not absolute, but relative for each and every observer,
• his most famous equation, E = mc²,
• the photoelectric effect,
• the theory of gravity, general relativity, that overthrew Newtonian gravity,
• and Einstein-Rosen bridges, or as they’re better known, wormholes.

But Einstein was more than just a famous physicist: he was a pacifist, a political activist, an active anti-racist, and one of the most iconic and celebrated figures in all of history.

When it comes to living your best life, Albert Einstein — notorious as the greatest physicist and genius of his time, and possibly of all-time — probably isn’t the first name you think of in terms of life advice. You most likely know of Einstein as a pioneer in revolutionizing how we perceive the Universe, having given us advances such as:

• the constancy of the speed of light,
• the fact that distances and times are not absolute, but relative for each and every observer,
• his most famous equation, E = mc²,
• the photoelectric effect,
• the theory of gravity, general relativity, that overthrew Newtonian gravity,
• and Einstein-Rosen bridges, or as they’re better known, wormholes.

But Einstein was more than just a famous physicist: he was a pacifist, a political activist, an active anti-racist, and one of the most iconic and celebrated figures in all of history.

He was also known for his unconventional behavior in a variety of ways that flouted social norms, including his unkempt hair, his witty humor, and his unrelenting hatred of socks. But less well-known is Einstein’s freely-given life advice to many of his friends, acquaintances, and contemporaries, which are perhaps even more relevant today, in the 21st century, than when he initially doled out his words of wisdom and compassion. Taken from the book The Einstein Effect, written by the official social media manager of the Einstein estate, Benyamin Cohen, these rules for a better life go far beyond physics and are relevant to us all. Here are, perhaps, the best and most universally applicable lessons from Einstein himself.

Rule #1: Expend your efforts on the things that matter.

When you think of Einstein’s appearance, the word “disheveled” may come to mind. His overgrown, uncombed hair, his ratty, worn-out, often smelly clothing, his shoes without socks, etc., all were notoriously slovenly. But none of that bothered Einstein, who in his later years wore what could be considered almost a uniform: a signature grey suit, sans the traditional sport coat, with a leather jacket in its place. (And, of course, with shoes and no socks.)

This idea, of wearing simple but functional clothing that puts the wearer at ease with themselves, has been made famous in recent years by tech entrepreneurs who have their own signature style:

• Steve Jobs and his infamous blue jeans and black turtlenecks (a style copied by Elizabeth Holmes),
• Jeff Bezos, who wears blue jeans with short-sleeve, monochrome, collared shirts,
• Mark Zuckerberg, who prefers blue jeans and T-shirts,
• Satya Nadella, who typically wears slacks, polo shirts, and Lanvin shoes,
• and Jack Dorsey, whose all-black outfits often include a hat, hoodie, or jacket,

is prized for one reason above all others: efficiency.

If you have a lot of decisions to make each day, or a lot of work that requires mental effort in any sense, cutting down on your overall mental load is of paramount importance if you want to avoid what’s known as decision fatigue: where our ability to make good decisions degrades as we become more tired from relentlessly having to make choices.

As fashion journalist Elyssa Goodman wrote, “Uniform dressing has roots in not just physical but mental efficiency. People who have to make immense decisions every day will sometimes choose a consistent ensemble because it allows them to avoid decision fatigue, where making too many unrelated decisions can actually cause one’s productivity to fall off.”

It’s a way to economize your efforts: to put them where they’re most needed, at the expense of not wasting them on spurious or unimportant matters. In other words, choosing not to put effort into the things that are superfluous to what’s actually important to you is a way to become more mentally efficient, which frees up your mind to focus on what actually matters most to you. Einstein’s lack of effort into his personal presentation extended to his disdain for going to the barber, as well as his often nearly-illegible penmanship. But the rewards, of focusing his mind on what was truly important to him, led him to a rich, fulfilling life.

Rule #2: Do things you love, even if you’re terrible at them.

While many of Einstein’s passions extended far beyond physics — including a love of baked goods and a penchant for playing the violin — perhaps the one he enjoyed the most was sailing. As Einstein wrote, “A cruise in the sea is an excellent opportunity for maximum calm and reflection on ideas from a different perspective.” His second wife (and cousin), Elsa, added that “There is no other place where my husband is so relaxed, sweet, serene, and detached from routine distractions; the ship carries him far away.” By focusing on something mundane, Einstein’s mind was free to wander, frequently leading him to exciting new ideas.

Einstein, however, was completely inept at sailing, and was at best a wildly inattentive sailor. He would frequently lose his direction, run his boat aground, or have his mast fall. Other sailing vessels frequently had to beware of Einstein’s ship, as he was a hazard to himself and others, refusing to wear a life vest despite being unable to swim. Boaters and even children routinely rescued him, and having his boat towed back to shore was a frequent occurrence. But the serenity Einstein experienced while sailing was unparalleled, giving him a mental freedom that we should all aspire to for ourselves.

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When it comes to living your best life, Albert Einstein — notorious as the greatest physicist and genius of his time, and possibly of all-time — probably isn’t the first name you think of in terms of life advice. You most likely know of Einstein as a pioneer in revolutionizing how we perceive the Universe, having given us advances such as:

• the constancy of the speed of light,
• the fact that distances and times are not absolute, but relative for each and every observer,
• his most famous equation, E = mc²,
• the photoelectric effect,
• the theory of gravity, general relativity, that overthrew Newtonian gravity,
• and Einstein-Rosen bridges, or as they’re better known, wormholes.

But Einstein was more than just a famous physicist: he was a pacifist, a political activist, an active anti-racist, and one of the most iconic and celebrated figures in all of history.

FEATURED VIDEOS

He was also known for his unconventional behavior in a variety of ways that flouted social norms, including his unkempt hair, his witty humor, and his unrelenting hatred of socks. But less well-known is Einstein’s freely-given life advice to many of his friends, acquaintances, and contemporaries, which are perhaps even more relevant today, in the 21st century, than when he initially doled out his words of wisdom and compassion. Taken from the book The Einstein Effect, written by the official social media manager of the Einstein estate, Benyamin Cohen, these rules for a better life go far beyond physics and are relevant to us all. Here are, perhaps, the best and most universally applicable lessons from Einstein himself.

Einstein, shown here in 1940 receiving American Citizenship, was known around the world for his disheveled appearance and always wearing the same few sets of clothes, perhaps even better than he was known for his scientific theories.

Rule #1: Expend your efforts on the things that matter.

When you think of Einstein’s appearance, the word “disheveled” may come to mind. His overgrown, uncombed hair, his ratty, worn-out, often smelly clothing, his shoes without socks, etc., all were notoriously slovenly. But none of that bothered Einstein, who in his later years wore what could be considered almost a uniform: a signature grey suit, sans the traditional sport coat, with a leather jacket in its place. (And, of course, with shoes and no socks.)

This idea, of wearing simple but functional clothing that puts the wearer at ease with themselves, has been made famous in recent years by tech entrepreneurs who have their own signature style:

• Steve Jobs and his infamous blue jeans and black turtlenecks (a style copied by Elizabeth Holmes),
• Jeff Bezos, who wears blue jeans with short-sleeve, monochrome, collared shirts,
• Mark Zuckerberg, who prefers blue jeans and T-shirts,
• Satya Nadella, who typically wears slacks, polo shirts, and Lanvin shoes,
• and Jack Dorsey, whose all-black outfits often include a hat, hoodie, or jacket,

is prized for one reason above all others: efficiency.

This 1937 photo shows Einstein in his New Jersey home with violinist Bronislaw Huberman. Einstein is wearing his favorite outfit: a suit with his Levi’s leather jacket and shoes with no socks.

If you have a lot of decisions to make each day, or a lot of work that requires mental effort in any sense, cutting down on your overall mental load is of paramount importance if you want to avoid what’s known as decision fatigue: where our ability to make good decisions degrades as we become more tired from relentlessly having to make choices.

TOP STORIES

As fashion journalist Elyssa Goodman wrote, “Uniform dressing has roots in not just physical but mental efficiency. People who have to make immense decisions every day will sometimes choose a consistent ensemble because it allows them to avoid decision fatigue, where making too many unrelated decisions can actually cause one’s productivity to fall off.”

It’s a way to economize your efforts: to put them where they’re most needed, at the expense of not wasting them on spurious or unimportant matters. In other words, choosing not to put effort into the things that are superfluous to what’s actually important to you is a way to become more mentally efficient, which frees up your mind to focus on what actually matters most to you. Einstein’s lack of effort into his personal presentation extended to his disdain for going to the barber, as well as his often nearly-illegible penmanship. But the rewards, of focusing his mind on what was truly important to him, led him to a rich, fulfilling life.

This 1930 photograph shows Albert Einstein sailing with his step-daughter Ilse and her husband Rudolf Kayser in Germany, less than 3 years before he fled his home country for the United States.

Rule #2: Do things you love, even if you’re terrible at them.

While many of Einstein’s passions extended far beyond physics — including a love of baked goods and a penchant for playing the violin — perhaps the one he enjoyed the most was sailing. As Einstein wrote, “A cruise in the sea is an excellent opportunity for maximum calm and reflection on ideas from a different perspective.” His second wife (and cousin), Elsa, added that “There is no other place where my husband is so relaxed, sweet, serene, and detached from routine distractions; the ship carries him far away.” By focusing on something mundane, Einstein’s mind was free to wander, frequently leading him to exciting new ideas.

Einstein, however, was completely inept at sailing, and was at best a wildly inattentive sailor. He would frequently lose his direction, run his boat aground, or have his mast fall. Other sailing vessels frequently had to beware of Einstein’s ship, as he was a hazard to himself and others, refusing to wear a life vest despite being unable to swim. Boaters and even children routinely rescued him, and having his boat towed back to shore was a frequent occurrence. But the serenity Einstein experienced while sailing was unparalleled, giving him a mental freedom that we should all aspire to for ourselves.

This 1934 photograph shows Einstein in front of a blackboard, deriving special relativity for a group of students and onlookers. Although special relativity is now taken for granted, it was revolutionary when Einstein first put it forth, and it isn’t even his most famous equation; E = mc² is.

Rule #3: Have a puzzle mindset.

Think about the problems that we face, both as individuals and collectively, as a civilization. These could be financial, environmental, health-related, or political, for example, as those arenas affect us all. Do you view these problems as crises? If you do, you probably feel despair at them, as there’s very little that’s empowering about facing a crisis. But if you view them as a puzzle, you might be inclined to think about a fresh approach to solving them. In this regard, Einstein was pretty much the prototype individual for someone who viewed every difficulty he faced as a puzzle to be solved: in physics and beyond.

Consider his oft-misunderstood but most famous quote, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” While many people had looked at the puzzle of objects moving near the speed of light before — including other geniuses like FitzGerald, Maxwell, Lorentz, and Poincaré — it was Einstein’s unique perspective that allowed him to approach that problem in a way that led him to the revolution of special relativity. With a flexible, non-rigid worldview, Einstein would easily challenge assumptions that others couldn’t move past, allowing him to conceive of ideas that others would unceremoniously reject out-of-hand.

Einstein was no stranger to having strongly held convictions about both life and physical reality, but each of his opinions, even those he was most certain of, were no more sacred to him than a mundane hypothesis. When one has a hypothesis, or idea, the goal isn’t simply to find out whether that hypothesis is right or wrong; in some sense, that’s the least interesting part of the endeavor. The search for the answers, including figuring out how to perform the critical test and interrogate the Universe itself in an effective manner, was what truly got Einstein excited.

His thought-experiments were among the most creative approaches ever taken by physicists, and that line of thought has been adopted by a great many scientists ever since who wish to avoid what’s known as cognitive entrenchment. What would a light-wave look like if you could follow it by traveling at the same speed it traveled at? How would the light from a distant star be deflected by the Sun’s gravity during a total solar eclipse? What experiments could one perform to determine whether our quantum reality is pre-determined by variables we cannot observe directly? Unlike a preacher who claims to be infallible, a prosecutor who wants to convince you of their perspective, or a politician who just wants to win your approval, having a puzzle mindset — i.e., the mind of a scientist — is the only one that can lead you to novel discoveries, including quite unexpected ones.

Rule #4: Think deeply, both long and hard, about things that truly fascinate you.

Over the course of his long life, Einstein received many letters: from those who knew him well to perfect strangers. When one such letter arrived on Einstein’s desk in 1946, asking the genius what they should do with their life, the response was as astute as it was compassionate. “The main thing is this. If you have come across a question that interests you deeply, stick to it for years and do never try to content yourself with the solution of superficial problems promising relatively easy success.”

And if you fail to arrive at the solution you’ve been chasing, don’t despair. As Einstein wrote to his friend David Bohm, “You should not be depressed by the enormity of the problem. If God has created the world, his primary worry was certainly not to make its understanding easy for us.” Although Einstein was most famous for the problems he did solve, there were plenty whose solutions eluded him all his life: from finding a deterministic explanation for the observed quantum behavior to the attempt to unify all of physics (including gravity and the other forces) into one overarching framework.

Although many have tried-and-failed (and continue to try-and-fail) to solve these and other puzzles, the greatest joy and fulfillment is often to be found in the struggle itself.

Rule #5: Don’t let politics fill you with either rage or despair.

Einstein kept up with many friends and members of the public, but also with his extended family. In correspondence with his cousin Lina Einstein, he offered a lesson that many of us would do well to heed. “About politics to be sure, I still get dutifully angry, but I do not bat my wings anymore, I only ruffle my feathers.”

How many of us have seen a friend, acquaintance, or even total stranger make a statement that filled us with outrage, and flew off the handle, filled with righteous indignation, and launched into a tirade as a result? While that might fulfill some primitive need in us to speak our mind and challenge what we see as an unacceptable narrative, how often was such a response actually effective in achieving any of our goals?

Sometimes, it truly is important to intervene and go all-out: what Einstein refers to as “batting our wings.” But at other times, in a lesson that King Bumi from Avatar: The Last Airbender would heartily approve of, sometimes the best response is to sit back, observe, think, and wait for the opportune, strategic moment to take action down the road: “ruffling our feathers” for the time being. It’s often a wise course of action, although for Einstein’s ill-fated cousin, Lina, it’s worth mentioning that she died in the Nazi gas chambers in 1942. (Update: That was a different “cousin Lina” to Einstein. The Lina he gave the advice to, his cousin Carolina, left Europe in the 1930s and emigrated to Uruguay, where she lived out the rest of her days.)

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When it comes to living your best life, Albert Einstein — notorious as the greatest physicist and genius of his time, and possibly of all-time — probably isn’t the first name you think of in terms of life advice. You most likely know of Einstein as a pioneer in revolutionizing how we perceive the Universe, having given us advances such as:

• the constancy of the speed of light,
• the fact that distances and times are not absolute, but relative for each and every observer,
• his most famous equation, E = mc²,
• the photoelectric effect,
• the theory of gravity, general relativity, that overthrew Newtonian gravity,
• and Einstein-Rosen bridges, or as they’re better known, wormholes.

But Einstein was more than just a famous physicist: he was a pacifist, a political activist, an active anti-racist, and one of the most iconic and celebrated figures in all of history.

FEATURED VIDEOS

He was also known for his unconventional behavior in a variety of ways that flouted social norms, including his unkempt hair, his witty humor, and his unrelenting hatred of socks. But less well-known is Einstein’s freely-given life advice to many of his friends, acquaintances, and contemporaries, which are perhaps even more relevant today, in the 21st century, than when he initially doled out his words of wisdom and compassion. Taken from the book The Einstein Effect, written by the official social media manager of the Einstein estate, Benyamin Cohen, these rules for a better life go far beyond physics and are relevant to us all. Here are, perhaps, the best and most universally applicable lessons from Einstein himself.

Einstein, shown here in 1940 receiving American Citizenship, was known around the world for his disheveled appearance and always wearing the same few sets of clothes, perhaps even better than he was known for his scientific theories.

Rule #1: Expend your efforts on the things that matter.

When you think of Einstein’s appearance, the word “disheveled” may come to mind. His overgrown, uncombed hair, his ratty, worn-out, often smelly clothing, his shoes without socks, etc., all were notoriously slovenly. But none of that bothered Einstein, who in his later years wore what could be considered almost a uniform: a signature grey suit, sans the traditional sport coat, with a leather jacket in its place. (And, of course, with shoes and no socks.)

This idea, of wearing simple but functional clothing that puts the wearer at ease with themselves, has been made famous in recent years by tech entrepreneurs who have their own signature style:

• Steve Jobs and his infamous blue jeans and black turtlenecks (a style copied by Elizabeth Holmes),
• Jeff Bezos, who wears blue jeans with short-sleeve, monochrome, collared shirts,
• Mark Zuckerberg, who prefers blue jeans and T-shirts,
• Satya Nadella, who typically wears slacks, polo shirts, and Lanvin shoes,
• and Jack Dorsey, whose all-black outfits often include a hat, hoodie, or jacket,

is prized for one reason above all others: efficiency.

This 1937 photo shows Einstein in his New Jersey home with violinist Bronislaw Huberman. Einstein is wearing his favorite outfit: a suit with his Levi’s leather jacket and shoes with no socks.

If you have a lot of decisions to make each day, or a lot of work that requires mental effort in any sense, cutting down on your overall mental load is of paramount importance if you want to avoid what’s known as decision fatigue: where our ability to make good decisions degrades as we become more tired from relentlessly having to make choices.

TOP STORIES

As fashion journalist Elyssa Goodman wrote, “Uniform dressing has roots in not just physical but mental efficiency. People who have to make immense decisions every day will sometimes choose a consistent ensemble because it allows them to avoid decision fatigue, where making too many unrelated decisions can actually cause one’s productivity to fall off.”

It’s a way to economize your efforts: to put them where they’re most needed, at the expense of not wasting them on spurious or unimportant matters. In other words, choosing not to put effort into the things that are superfluous to what’s actually important to you is a way to become more mentally efficient, which frees up your mind to focus on what actually matters most to you. Einstein’s lack of effort into his personal presentation extended to his disdain for going to the barber, as well as his often nearly-illegible penmanship. But the rewards, of focusing his mind on what was truly important to him, led him to a rich, fulfilling life.

This 1930 photograph shows Albert Einstein sailing with his step-daughter Ilse and her husband Rudolf Kayser in Germany, less than 3 years before he fled his home country for the United States.

Rule #2: Do things you love, even if you’re terrible at them.

While many of Einstein’s passions extended far beyond physics — including a love of baked goods and a penchant for playing the violin — perhaps the one he enjoyed the most was sailing. As Einstein wrote, “A cruise in the sea is an excellent opportunity for maximum calm and reflection on ideas from a different perspective.” His second wife (and cousin), Elsa, added that “There is no other place where my husband is so relaxed, sweet, serene, and detached from routine distractions; the ship carries him far away.” By focusing on something mundane, Einstein’s mind was free to wander, frequently leading him to exciting new ideas.

Einstein, however, was completely inept at sailing, and was at best a wildly inattentive sailor. He would frequently lose his direction, run his boat aground, or have his mast fall. Other sailing vessels frequently had to beware of Einstein’s ship, as he was a hazard to himself and others, refusing to wear a life vest despite being unable to swim. Boaters and even children routinely rescued him, and having his boat towed back to shore was a frequent occurrence. But the serenity Einstein experienced while sailing was unparalleled, giving him a mental freedom that we should all aspire to for ourselves.

This 1934 photograph shows Einstein in front of a blackboard, deriving special relativity for a group of students and onlookers. Although special relativity is now taken for granted, it was revolutionary when Einstein first put it forth, and it isn’t even his most famous equation; E = mc² is.

Rule #3: Have a puzzle mindset.

Think about the problems that we face, both as individuals and collectively, as a civilization. These could be financial, environmental, health-related, or political, for example, as those arenas affect us all. Do you view these problems as crises? If you do, you probably feel despair at them, as there’s very little that’s empowering about facing a crisis. But if you view them as a puzzle, you might be inclined to think about a fresh approach to solving them. In this regard, Einstein was pretty much the prototype individual for someone who viewed every difficulty he faced as a puzzle to be solved: in physics and beyond.

Consider his oft-misunderstood but most famous quote, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” While many people had looked at the puzzle of objects moving near the speed of light before — including other geniuses like FitzGerald, Maxwell, Lorentz, and Poincaré — it was Einstein’s unique perspective that allowed him to approach that problem in a way that led him to the revolution of special relativity. With a flexible, non-rigid worldview, Einstein would easily challenge assumptions that others couldn’t move past, allowing him to conceive of ideas that others would unceremoniously reject out-of-hand.

The identical behavior of a ball falling to the floor in an accelerated rocket (left) and on Earth (right) is a demonstration of Einstein’s equivalence principle. If inertial mass and gravitational mass are identical, there will be no difference between these two scenarios. This has been verified to ~1 part in one trillion for matter, and was the thought (Einstein called it “his happiest thought”) that led Einstein to develop his general theory of relativity.

Einstein was no stranger to having strongly held convictions about both life and physical reality, but each of his opinions, even those he was most certain of, were no more sacred to him than a mundane hypothesis. When one has a hypothesis, or idea, the goal isn’t simply to find out whether that hypothesis is right or wrong; in some sense, that’s the least interesting part of the endeavor. The search for the answers, including figuring out how to perform the critical test and interrogate the Universe itself in an effective manner, was what truly got Einstein excited.

His thought-experiments were among the most creative approaches ever taken by physicists, and that line of thought has been adopted by a great many scientists ever since who wish to avoid what’s known as cognitive entrenchment. What would a light-wave look like if you could follow it by traveling at the same speed it traveled at? How would the light from a distant star be deflected by the Sun’s gravity during a total solar eclipse? What experiments could one perform to determine whether our quantum reality is pre-determined by variables we cannot observe directly? Unlike a preacher who claims to be infallible, a prosecutor who wants to convince you of their perspective, or a politician who just wants to win your approval, having a puzzle mindset — i.e., the mind of a scientist — is the only one that can lead you to novel discoveries, including quite unexpected ones.

Niels Bohr and Albert Einstein, discussing a great many topics in the home of Paul Ehrenfest in 1925. The Bohr-Einstein debates were one of the most influential occurrences during the development of quantum mechanics. Today, Bohr is best known for his quantum contributions, but Einstein is better-known for his contributions to relativity and mass-energy equivalence. Both were known for thinking long and hard about the most difficult puzzles the Universe had to offer.

Rule #4: Think deeply, both long and hard, about things that truly fascinate you.

Over the course of his long life, Einstein received many letters: from those who knew him well to perfect strangers. When one such letter arrived on Einstein’s desk in 1946, asking the genius what they should do with their life, the response was as astute as it was compassionate. “The main thing is this. If you have come across a question that interests you deeply, stick to it for years and do never try to content yourself with the solution of superficial problems promising relatively easy success.”

And if you fail to arrive at the solution you’ve been chasing, don’t despair. As Einstein wrote to his friend David Bohm, “You should not be depressed by the enormity of the problem. If God has created the world, his primary worry was certainly not to make its understanding easy for us.” Although Einstein was most famous for the problems he did solve, there were plenty whose solutions eluded him all his life: from finding a deterministic explanation for the observed quantum behavior to the attempt to unify all of physics (including gravity and the other forces) into one overarching framework.

Although many have tried-and-failed (and continue to try-and-fail) to solve these and other puzzles, the greatest joy and fulfillment is often to be found in the struggle itself.

This political cartoon, published in 1933, shows Einstein shedding his pacifist wings to roll up his sleeves and take up a sword labeled “preparedness.” Einstein would at this point call upon the friends of civilization all across the world to unite against Nazi militarism.

Rule #5: Don’t let politics fill you with either rage or despair.

Einstein kept up with many friends and members of the public, but also with his extended family. In correspondence with his cousin Lina Einstein, he offered a lesson that many of us would do well to heed. “About politics to be sure, I still get dutifully angry, but I do not bat my wings anymore, I only ruffle my feathers.”

How many of us have seen a friend, acquaintance, or even total stranger make a statement that filled us with outrage, and flew off the handle, filled with righteous indignation, and launched into a tirade as a result? While that might fulfill some primitive need in us to speak our mind and challenge what we see as an unacceptable narrative, how often was such a response actually effective in achieving any of our goals?

Sometimes, it truly is important to intervene and go all-out: what Einstein refers to as “batting our wings.” But at other times, in a lesson that King Bumi from Avatar: The Last Airbender would heartily approve of, sometimes the best response is to sit back, observe, think, and wait for the opportune, strategic moment to take action down the road: “ruffling our feathers” for the time being. It’s often a wise course of action, although for Einstein’s ill-fated cousin, Lina, it’s worth mentioning that she died in the Nazi gas chambers in 1942. (Update: That was a different “cousin Lina” to Einstein. The Lina he gave the advice to, his cousin Carolina, left Europe in the 1930s and emigrated to Uruguay, where she lived out the rest of her days.)

Albert Einstein (right) is shown with physicists Robert Millikan (left) and Georges Lemaître (center) several years after admitting his biggest blunder. If you think that modern critics are harsh, one can only imagine how Lemaître must have felt to receive a letter from Einstein calling his physics abominable! Fortunately, just as Einstein was not dissuaded by the prevailing authorities of his time, Lemaître and others were not deterred by Einstein’s declarations of unsoundness.

Rule #6: Blind obedience to authority is the greatest enemy of the truth.

Many of us, upon hearing something that we are certain is either absurd, flawed, or hopelessly corrupt, immediately and vociferously make up our minds to oppose them, regardless of what the full suite of evidence actually indicates. Once we abandon our critical thinking faculties because we are certain we know the answer, we tend to simply go along with those who agree with us and oppose those who espouse anything different. To Einstein, this represented the death of the rational mind, which he called “collective insanity” or a “herd mind.” Today, we would likely call it groupthink, and Einstein noted that it was often driven by a prominent figure spouting propaganda.

Scientists, including formerly reputable ones like Johannes Stark (Nobel Laureate and founder of the Stark effect), formed an anti-relativity society that discredited Einstein and his theory. Fueled by nationalism and anti-semitism, Einstein and his ideas became a target, with one line of attack claiming relativity was wrong and dangerous, and another line claiming it was brilliant but that Einstein stole the idea from “real” (non-Jewish) scientists. It was this course of action that eventually led to Einstein having a bounty placed on his head, leading to him fleeing Germany for the United States. While Einstein initially thought these machinations were silly, ridiculous, and harmless, he later concluded that “Blind obedience to authority is the greatest enemy of the truth.” In the era of fake news, this lesson is more important to assimilate than ever.

Rule #7: Science, truth, and education are for everyone, not just the privileged few.

Einstein was often very critical of the United States Government, even after emigrating in the 1930s and gaining his citizenship in 1940. The history of slavery and ongoing segregation and racism, in particular, resonated with him the same way that anti-Semitism did: as fundamentally dehumanizing as it was baseless. The FBI began a file on Einstein in 1932, and it had burgeoned to more than 1400 pages by the time Einstein died in 1955, and Einstein’s anti-racist actions were deemed fundamentally un-American by many (including Senator Joseph McCarthy), but Einstein would not be deterred.

In 1937, Einstein invited black opera star Marion Anderson to stay at his house when she was refused lodging at the local (segregated) hotel in Princeton. In 1946, Einstein took the revolutionary action of simply visiting Lincoln University — the first degree-granting black college in the United States — and lectured, speaking with students and answering questions. Delivering an address to the student body, Einstein said:

“My trip to this institution was on behalf of a worthwhile cause. There is a separation of colored people from white people in the United States. That separation is not a disease of colored people. It’s a disease of white people.”

In 1953, Einstein defended the academic freedom of William Frauenglass, a teacher who taught about easing interracial tensions, in a letter published by The New York Times. The following year, he further pushed for “the right to search for truth and to publish and teach what one holds to be true.” In this day and age, we can be certain that Einstein would have pushed for science, truth, and education to be available to everyone. While certain physical properties may be relative, like space and time, the joys, knowledge, and truths uncovered by science belong to no one race, nation, or faction, but rather to all of humanity.

Source: Big Think

Want to improve your marketing content? Looking for a proven, data-driven content strategy model that’s simple to apply?

In this article, we’ll explore a social content strategy.

Why is a Social Content Strategy so Important?

In today’s crowded online marketplace, simply having a social media presence is no guarantee of business success. While creators often fixate on vanity metrics like followers and reach, genuine growth depends on forging meaningful connections.

According to social media strategist Allie Mason, the path to profit starts with understanding your audience and positioning yourself as an authority worth trusting. Allie draws from over a decade of working with personal brands, small businesses, creators, and other online entrepreneurs to map a framework for crafting an effective social media marketing strategy.

Most people posting content on social media platforms have a specific goal in mind, whether it’s gaining followers and engagement or driving traffic and conversions. With a concerted strategy tied to business objectives, creators can maximize opportunities to optimize performance and tap into valuable market research, allowing them to keep an audience long-term.

A strategic, iterative approach examines content resonance across metrics like reach, profile visits, and conversion actions. This enables creators to determine what’s working, what’s not, and how to improve.

The key is being strategic with your content and community-building to convert your social media growth (followers, engagement) into actual business results (profits, customers).

Crafting an effective content strategy relies on a nuanced understanding of audience needs and brand identity. Rather than copying what seems to succeed for others, creators have to determine what will work best for their unique goals.

Allie’s core philosophy holds that social platforms mirror real-world spaces rather than treat social media growth as a pure numbers game. As brick-and-mortar owners know regular customers individually, digital creators should nurture relationships by responding to questions and remembering personal details.

How to Turn Followers Into Customers: Social Media Content Strategy for Building a Loyal Audience

By taking the time to understand your audience and establish trust, you can create a sustainable business supported by brand loyalty. Allie shares her expertise in using engaging content to build loyal and profitable audiences on social platforms.

#1: Audit Your Social Platforms

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to social content strategy. This kind of slow, steady growth requires custom strategies based on you, your goals, what you’re comfortable with, and how your personality comes through.

Before creating a strategy, audit what you’re already posting and how your profile looks to strangers—would it make them want to follow you or learn more about your business?

Your content (posts, pinned posts, carousels, memes, Stories, Reels, Highlights, hashtags, captions, etc.) and profile (your bio, use of keywords in your about section, etc.) should clearly convey how you solve problems so the right people know you can support their needs—it should make you more discoverable.

You want to attract your people, not just any followers. So take stock of what’s working and what’s not, then create a strategy tailored to you and your business goals. The goal is sustainable growth through strategic, personality-infused content that connects you with your ideal community.

When auditing your social content, first post a variety of content types—Stories, Reels, carousels, static images, Lives, etc. While talking directly to your phone’s camera feels unnatural for many people, Allie urges you to do so because Stories and Lives are underutilized.

Next, look beyond just reach/views. See how many people visit your profile from that content. If it’s low compared to the reach, your content might be going to the wrong people, no matter how high the view count.

Then, really dig into the data on what content types and topics perform best. See what’s working and double down on that. Take what you learn and apply it to other content to see if you can improve performance across the board.

Allie says to think of your content strategy as an ongoing science experiment to refine based on data, not a one-and-done strategy. The goal is to connect with the right people by consistently providing your best-performing content.

#2: Conduct Market Research

You don’t need formal focus groups for market research. Use the valuable insights your social platforms give you.

For example, remember when Instagram said they’d stop letting people share feed posts in Stories? People got mad. But Instagram had data showing that when people saw a feed post in their Stories, they exited it or the app altogether.

Instagram uses that kind of data to understand how different content impacts behavior. Allie suggests doing the same with the insights you get.

First, notice what content types, themes, designs, captions, etc., your audience tends to engage with more. Then, track it in a spreadsheet—look for similarities or common themes in your top-performing posts. Why do certain posts do better than others? Connect those dots.

For example, Allie noticed that text-heavy Instagram Stories tend to beat videos for her and her clients. People engage longer to read, signaling value to the platform’s algorithm.

For Instagram, you must have enough followers to gain complete insights (100+). Allie recommends looking at 30 or 90-day ranges—more data is better. Then, screenshot top posts for followers gained, interactions, shares, saves, and website clicks. Other platforms, like Facebook, give you a content report that breaks down their most popular content to see what performed well each quarter.

You want to find those key themes, hashtags, designs, topics, formats, etc. that drive your best content. Was something newsworthy or an unusual take? For example, Allie has noticed people respond well when you give your opinion on new social media updates or features—will this work or not? It saves them effort figuring it out. Keep an eye out for those kinds of innovative posts.

Then, you can optimize future posts based on actual data—what you know your audience responds to most. Keep digging into your data patterns—all your top content you can repeat and expand on. Let your audience’s engagement guide your content instead of guessing what they might like.

#3: Build a Social Community: The Social Selling Staircase

According to Allie, struggling creators often focus excessively on vanity metrics like reach instead of relationship-building. Her three-step “Social Selling Staircase” presents a framework for converting content into sales:

Step 1: Build Relationships With Your Audience

The “staircase” is built on the foundation of your valuable content—the content you know resonates with your target audience. But absent genuine relationships, even stellar content can fall flat.

Building relationships online should be like in real life—get to know people little by little. You still encounter real people on social media channels, whether you have 10 or 10,000 followers.

Think of it like owning a small shop that gets regulars and new customers daily. You’re friendly and share info without pushy sales tactics. Over time, you create trust. If someone visits your page, introduce yourself and your offerings just like at the counter. You don’t want to immediately push products on strangers or comment on competitors’ posts to promote yourself —you’d never do that standing in their actual store!

Approach your social media strategy by building rapport with consistent, helpful content at first. For example, Stories highlighting everyday experiences like raising kids or pursuing hobbies enable your followers to relate to you. Sales will follow more easily when you have established relationships.

Step 2: Build Trust With Your Audience

Building trust and a social media business takes time. It’s rare that someone goes viral overnight and earns five figures a month. For most, building trust is a slow process that starts by generously sharing your expertise.

If someone DMs you a question, give help if you can or general guidance, even if you’d usually charge for it. Use it as market research—what do people ask for? Also, reply to comments; don’t just “heart” them. Personalized responses or remembering personal details make people feel seen. Show up on Stories, too, with professional and personal updates.

Allie recommends spending 20–30 minutes daily commenting and responding to questions from your followers. This helps foster connections and trust with your audience and transform followers into potential customers.

Think of it like regulars at your coffee shop—you learn about their lives bit by bit. The more you share as a real person, not just a business, the more people relate to and trust you.

For example, one of Allie’s clients went viral when he posted asking people to guess his son’s birthday cake flavor. It was his top Story ever. People connect with the person first. Then, when you offer something paid later, they will already know and trust you.

Additionally, gaining recognition as a trusted voice opens doors to sharing opinions, recommendations, and insights. Followers weigh creator perspectives when making their own business decisions.

Step 3: Establish Authority With Your Audience

The final step is to position yourself as a go-to authority. You can be popular on social media but still need to convince people to hire or buy from you. You have to establish your authority—why you’re the best fit for their needs.

What establishes authority? Social proof—share client stories and transformations from working with you. Even little wins are essential, not just viral ones. For example, Allie has clients who have under 5,000 followers but make 6 figures, and she shares those stories with her followers. Your followers need to see benefits directly translating to people like themselves.

When you consistently position yourself as the expert in your work, people trust you more, and you become the first person they think of when needing that service.

It’s not just about being liked or having followers—it’s getting followers to see you as the authority they can rely on when ready to buy. Tell your expertise story clearly so people know you’re the leader in your niche.

#4: Sustainable Growth Takes Patience

For Allie, the most important takeaway is that loyal customers and real influence take time to develop. While viral success occasionally happens overnight, slow and steady relationship-building is far more realistic for most. Instead of trying to engineer shortcuts, she encourages creators to embrace social media’s fundamentally personal nature.

The rewards come to those who persist. Allie now posts less frequently while still attracting clients and sales because she carefully laid the foundation of her business over years of nurturing her community. This affords her space to develop educational offerings, like her Something Greater School of Social membership.

In Allie’s experience, small accounts can absolutely gain traction and profit. The key lies in optimizing user-generated content for the right people rather than raw scale. Five thousand engaged followers who know, like, and trust you will generate far greater returns than a million indifferent observers.

Author:  MICHAEL STELZNER

Numerous resources are accessible for learning and growth in the field of Data Science. A well-liked option for free, high-quality instruction among them is YouTube channels for data science. In-depth training and insights on Data Science technologies may be found on 10 YouTube Channels, as this article explains.

Numerous information resources are available on these channels, enabling everyone to understand intricate Data Science ideas. Come along and let’s investigate these important resources. 10 YouTube channels that offer free data science lessons are listed below:

• 3Blue1Brown: Grant Sanderson’s 3Blue1Brown YouTube channel is well-known for its graphically clear presentations of challenging mathematical ideas. The channel makes studying interesting and approachable by using captivating animations to simplify subjects like calculus and linear algebra.
• freeCodeCamp.org: The popular YouTube channel freeCodeCamp.org offers free coding instruction. With its emphasis on lengthy, in-depth technical training, it is an invaluable tool for prospective programmers. A vast array of programming languages and ideas are covered by the channel.
• Sentdex: Beyond the fundamentals, Sentdex, a YouTube channel with over 1.28 million followers, provides Python courses. It includes web development, game development, robotics, finance, data analysis, and machine learning. The channel is renowned for providing concise, detailed explanations.
• Corey Schafer: Offering in-depth courses on Python, web programming, and databases, Corey Schafer’s YouTube channel boasts over 1.25 million followers. Corey, who is well-known for his intelligible instruction, covers a broad range of programming subjects, enabling everyone to learn.
• Tech With Tim: Programming, software engineering, machine learning, and other topics are covered in the lessons on Tech with Tim, a YouTube channel with more than 1.41 million followers. Free coding resources are available on the channel, with a focus on Python and JavaScript.
• Python Programmer: The YouTube channel Python Programmer belongs to data scientist Giles McMullen-Klein, a former physicist. Python is the main language used on the channel for data science and analysis. Giles makes learning Python interesting and approachable with his concise explanations and real-world applications.
• StatQuest with Josh Starmer: An easily digestible explanation of machine learning, data science, and sophisticated statistics may be found on the StatQuest with Josh Starmer YouTube channel. The channel, which Dr. Josh Starmer founded, offers thorough and understandable instruction in these areas.
• Krish Naik: Co-founder of iNeuron Krish Naik utilizes his YouTube channel to break down difficult concepts in AI, deep learning, and machine learning. Thanks to his more than ten years of industry experience, he makes learning interesting and approachable by using real-world examples and issue scenarios.
• Codebasics: Through over 920K followers, Dhaval Patel’s YouTube channel, Codebasics, was established. Code, AI, ML, and deep learning are among the tutorial subjects it provides. Offering excellent data education at no cost is the channel’s main objective.
• Analytics Vidhya: A YouTube channel called Analytics Vidhya teaches people how to become experts at concluding unprocessed data. It offers experts in Analytics and Data Science a learning platform. Data science and machine learning are the channel’s main topics.

Author: Harshini

Committing to a daily mental fitness regime will strengthen your cognitive abilities. The goal is to enhance your strategic thinking, which I see as the most important skill for leaders today.

Facing rapid advances in technology, economic uncertainty, and political instability, our current challenges require strategic thinking of the highest order.

In my new book, The Six Disciplines of Strategic Thinking, I identify the cognitive skills that are most important for leaders facing these challenges. They are pattern recognition, systems analysis, mental agility, structured problem-solving, visioning, and political savvy.

While it’s important to know what they are, leaders should also know how to cultivate them. For this, regular mental exercise is essential.

Here’s a daily mental fitness routine I developed as the best way to build and strengthen your cognitive abilities. Designed to be efficient to fit leaders’ schedules, activities can be spaced out over the course of a day.

Now that we have entered 2024, we bet you have asked yourself how to become successful in life.

It all comes down to how you define success.

According to The Britannica Dictionary, the definition of success is “the fact of getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame.”

Even with this definition, the interpretation of what makes a successful life depends on your perception.

For some, being a famous movie star is more successful than being a famous race car driver.

For others, the wealth of Elon Musk is the mark of success.

Some of us think of social rights leaders who have made great strides in making our world better, like Martin Luther King Jr., Women’s Rights Activist Dolores Huerta, and Greta Thunberg.

So, how do you become successful in life?

It is clear that how you view success would be dependent on your personal circumstances. A good start would be to define what success means for you.

Is it more about wealth, fame, respect or your impact on the world?

You must remember, though, that once you become successful, it does not mean that everything is smooth sailing.

How to become successful in life: Is success a double-edged sword?

Think of your favourite celebrities: Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Serena Williams, and Will Smith, for instance.

They have all climbed great heights in fame, wealth and respect.

However, they have all also been hounded by paparazzi and had their private lives become part of public debate.

Their actions are examined under a microscope, with less room for mistakes.

Remember when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock in a fit of anger at the 94th Academy Awards?

Netizens heavily scrutinised the lead actor of the films “Ali” and “The Pursuit of Happyness,” and there was a massive debate on whether his act of violence was warranted.

“Now I know to do what we do, you gotta be able to take abuse,” he says in a later acceptance speech for the Best Actor award for his portrayal of Venus and Serena Williams’s dad Richard Williams in King Richard.

“You gotta be able to have people talk crazy about you. In this business, you have to be able to have people disrespecting you. And you gotta smile and pretend that’s OK.”

With all his success, Smith still has to face the court of public opinion, which can make or break the future of his career and life.

Success can be a double-edged sword.

This is also applicable to technological advancements. The growth of AI means that so much more automation can happen.

This tool was created to help us with tedious tasks to free us up for more creative and fun pursuits.

However, there is an impending worry that AI will take over creative jobs and put people out of work.

It goes to show that while you are looking at how to become successful in life, it does not mean that life will be easy and breezy after.

5 tips on how to become successful in life

Forget the tired mantras about grinding relentlessly and hustling till you drop.

In 2024, unlock your success with a toolbox of uncommon strategies that spark joy, nurture resilience, and propel you towards a fulfilling life, not just frantic.

1. Find your north star – Define your “Why”

Imagine a ship without a rudder tossed about by every wave. That’s what life can feel like without a clear purpose.

Before you set sail, take time to define your “why.”

For Albert Einstein, it was cracking the secrets of the universe. For Malala Yousafzai, it was championing education for girls.

What does success look like for you? Is it the corner office, the six-figure salary, the viral video fame? Or perhaps it’s quiet moments of fulfilment, the joy of creating, the deep connections with loved ones?

Success is not a one-size-fits-all dish. It’s a bespoke recipe crafted with unique ingredients and seasoned with your values.

Forget chasing societal expectations, celebrity trends, or outdated definitions. Instead, ignite your inner flame this year and ask yourself:

• What brings me meaning and purpose?
• What makes me feel alive and engaged?
• What legacy do I want to leave behind?

Once you define your success on your terms, the “how” becomes a personalised roadmap, not a rigid blueprint.

2. Embrace the power of “Small, consistent steps”

Once you know your “why,” start doing.

You can’t achieve success if you haven’t done anything. There’s no big financial reward just for showing up. It would help if you put the time and energy into building something.

In his book “The Compound Effect,” author Darren Hardy echoes this sentiment: “You only need to take a series of tiny steps, consistently, over time, to improve your life radically.”

Instead of overwhelming yourself with grand goals, break them into bite-sized, achievable chunks.

Schedule daily or weekly micro-actions that inch you towards your dream. Read a chapter of your book, practise your instrument for 15 minutes, or network with one new person each week.

These seemingly insignificant steps, strung together with discipline, will form a ladder to your ultimate success.

On a side note, to make your goals tangible, grasp the reins of SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

This isn’t about rigid constraints; it’s about giving your aspirations a roadmap, a GPS to guide you.

For example, instead of wishing to “be a writer,” you can set a SMART goal: “Write and submit one short story to a literary magazine by March 1.”

Now, you have a clear destination and a deadline to fuel your journey.

3. Befriend “failure”

Think of failure as a bumpy road on your journey to success, not a dead end.

Every misstep and rejection is a valuable lesson waiting to be learned. Embrace failure as a chance to pivot, refine, and return stronger.

Example: J.K. Rowling, the creator of the Harry Potter series, faced countless rejections before her manuscript found a home.

But she used each rejection as fuel, refining her story and resilience. The rest, as they say, is magical history.

Nelson Mandela once said, “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

Grit is the fuel that propels you through setbacks, the resilience that keeps you chasing your dreams even when the sun dips below the horizon.

Reframe your failures as “learning experiences.” When you face a setback, ask yourself: “What can I learn from this? How can I improve next time?”

Embrace the growth mindset, and watch failures become stepping stones to triumph.

4. Get rid of distractions

Increased productivity is not guaranteed by working more hours.

Parkinson’s law says that “work tends to expand to fill the time we have available for its completion.”

Any remaining time is typically filled with distractions, as our minds are wired to conserve energy.

When not obligated to do something, there’s a high likelihood that we’ll fall to distractions like watching YouTube videos or playing games on our phones.

Conversely, we often experience a heightened, laser-like focus when facing a deadline and actively avoid distractions.

The awareness of needing to accomplish a task compels us to find ways to complete it efficiently.

To eliminate distractions and regain control of your time, consider the following examples for eliminating distractions:

• Shut off your phone for a few hours
• Give yourself a shorter time frame to finish your work
• Put your phone in a different room while you work

Take Philippe Wilson, founder of boilerbooker.com, for an example. He turns his mobile phone off for two-hour blocks in a bid for focus.

“I work well to deadlines, so I give myself less time to do things and take fewer but longer breaks, such as playing tennis, going to the gym or cooking food.”

Wilson also plans, so he knows precisely how his focused work blocks will be used.

“Every Sunday evening, I write down my goals for the year,” he says.

Goals give direction to blocks of time and create a compelling reason to stick to them.

5. Invest in relationships

Success isn’t a solo act. It’s built on the foundation of solid and supportive relationships — personal and professional.

In 2024, surround yourself with people who cheer you on, challenge you to grow, and believe in you even when you doubt yourself.

Find mentors who have walked similar paths and can offer guidance. Build a network of peers who inspire and challenge you to be your best.

Join online communities, attend workshops, and connect with people in your field.

Billionaire entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban once said, “In business, you’re the total of the people you spend the most time with.”

This means when you surround yourself with people who inspire and challenge you, you’ll develop a similar mindset, ultimately leading to your success in the professional world.

By investing in personal relationships, you’ll develop the key skills for effective business collaboration, communication, and problem-solving in a business setting  — all of which can lead to long-lasting partnerships, a robust professional network, and a thriving career.

Source: Study International

It’s the question we anticipate with dread the most: “Do you have any questions for us?” You’ve already expended a great deal of time and effort to prepare the answers for the questions the interviewer would ask you. Now surely, this part of the interview doesn’t require much thought?

Huge mistake! This is the time you have free rein to ask what you like and continue to sell yourself and shine in the process—so as a candidate for a leadership or management role, choose carefully.

Why Do They Ask ‘Do You Have Any Questions For Us?’

The questions you ask during the interview put you in the driver’s seat to explore and weigh up your options, helping you analyze if the company is one you would like to work with. Do their values align with your core values? Will accepting an offer to work here further your career goals and help you develop to be a better manager? How do they support their managers and leaders? These are all factors that need to be considered, and asking strategic questions provides eye-opening opportunities for you to get the answer, right from the horse’s mouth.

Additionally, the question, “Do you have any questions for us?” opens the opportunity for you to showcase more of your leadership expertise and strategic management thinking. This is because employers are looking to see you demonstrate your interest in the role and, especially in a management position, they want to see that you are committed for the long term.

What Are Good Questions To Ask At The End Of The Interview?

Let’s have a look at 12 excellent questions you can ask towards the end of your job interview for a leadership or management role:

1. Can you describe the composition of the team I will be leading, and what key roles do they play for this project/organization?
2. What are your key priorities and goals for this department in the coming year?
3. Where do you see this organization a year from now? Three years from now?
4. Can you tell me about a leadership initiative you are currently undertaking and how I will factor into this/what role will I play in it?
5. What are your expectations for what you’d like to see me achieve within the first 90 days? What would you like for me to have accomplished in this role six months from now?
6. How do you measure success in this management position? What will my KPIs be?
7. What avenues and resources do you offer managers for professional development, ongoing learning, and career progression?
8. What is your performance review and feedback process like for this position?
9. What are your growth plans for this year and next year?
10. Are there any new projects coming up that may impact my role in any way?
11. How does the company support work-life balance organization-wide, and especially for managers with demanding roles?
12. Is this a newly-created post? If not, what did the last person who filled this role do that you would like me to emulate in this role, or not do that you would like me to change/do differently?

There you have it! Ask these questions, and most importantly, ensure that they are tailored to the specific information you have gathered from your research on the company, and throughout the interview process. Be thoughtful about the questions you choose; for example, don’t ask about KPIs, if the information is already there in the job advert, or if they’ve already told you in the interview.

When you tailor according to the context and ask questions that are deep and insightful, you will leave a lasting positive impression on the interviewers, while gathering critical details to ensure you are making an informed decision.

Source: Forbes