Stuck between mediocrity and excellence

When you get hired in an executive / leadership / management capacity, it doesn't matter how many business books  you've read or online courses that you've taken.  Just be glad that you've read those books or taken those classes.   It's an entirely new ball game when you actually have to practice what's been written.  Culture, values, communication, purpose, motivation, conflict resolution-- all of it will hit you as fast Manny Pacquiao can jab.  And you better be ready to bob and weave hoping that you don't get knocked out.  As much as I have opined about what I would do if put in a situation where I could actually do it-- being faced with it is an entirely new reality.  Here's to the start of the journey. 

The Hard Things About Hard Things is the book I'm currently reading by Ben Horowitz , cofounder and general partner of Andreessen Horowitz. I'm also listening to Zero to One by Peter Thiel. It's safe to say that I'm getting my Silicon Valley technology startup fix taken care of at the moment. I'm always intrigued by those that think differently. By different, I mean in the "business acument genius off the chart" type of way. In both of these books, I've realized that you will never learn enough about how to start, run, and manage a business. To me, good advice is something that you don't want or need to hear, but you know deep down that it's right. Both of these books tell it like it is and there is some great substance in both of them. Check them out if you have the time.