Traction Heroes

How do you get useful information from people when the very act of asking might compromise the answer? Harry offers insights from a surprising source. Show notes: Confidential by John NolanClimbing the Ladder of Business Intelligence by James E. Cates, Sam S. Gill, and Natalie Zeituny Precision questioningEnlivenWork

An end of year reflection on what motivates us to do what we do. The Highest Goal by Michael RayEchelon FrontExtreme OwnershipThe Dichotomy of Leadership by Jocko Willink and Leif BabinSteve SieboldTHE SECRETThink and Grow Rich by Napoleon HillThe ONE Thing by Gary KellerThe Strangest Secret by Earl NightingaleFlow by Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiValues Clarification by Sidney Simon and Leland Howe Logical Levels modelMaslow's hierarchy of needsJohn CutlerTrimergence

A reading from an unexpected source leads to a discussion about the importance of having a clear vision. Show notes: Be Useful: Seven Tools for Life by Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold (Netflix series)StrengthsFinderPenny-farthingExtreme OwnershipLincoln (film)

Our running conversation goes meta after Harry reads from a book about how to listen better. You’re Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters by Kate MurphyThe Informed Life podcastDuly Noted by Jorge ArangoHow to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

Spurred by a reading from Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Jorge and Harry have a rambling conversation about building resilient businesses during times of disruptive technological change. Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder by Nassim Nicholas TalebPeak Prioritiesunfinishe_The Great Mental Models by Shane ParrishXenixCursorLovable

Harry brings to the discussion a four-part model for skillfully navigating change. Show notes: Thresholds of Change by Rebecca Borland Reynolds and Connolly FoxADKAR: A Model for Change in Business, Government and our Community by Jeffrey M. HiattPROSCIKübler-Ross Change Curve®Liminal Thinking by Dave Gray

Harry offers a taxonomy of five "social traps" that can keep us from gaining traction. Show notes: Social Traps by John Cross and Melvin GuyerSteve Jobs Stanford commencement addressMatthew PerryFrequency Illusion (the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon)

A reading from a famous director's memoir sparks a discussion about a key trait for gaining traction: boldness coupled with the ability to get things done. Show notes: Every Man for Himself and God Against All (audiobook) by Werner HerzogAguirre, the Wrath of GodComedian The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance by Rich Diviney

Harry offers a short reading from a surprising source about an important question: How do you decide when it's time to let go? Show notes: What Would Harry Do? by Juliana Sharaf Necessary Endings by Henry CloudThe Innovators Dilemma by Clayton M. ChristensenKodak Harry’s newsletter

Jorge and Harry discuss how to proactively shift your mental models to get unstuck. Framers by Kenneth Cukier, Viktor Mayer-Schönberger, and Francis de VéricourtBreakneck by Dan WangPrecision questioningIceberg model

Jorge and Harry discuss a classic book about how to avoid getting in your own way through overthinking. Show notes: The Inner Game of Tennis by Timothy GallweyStick (Apple TV show)Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. PirsigZen in the Art of Archery by Eugen HerrigelFlow by Mihaly CsikszentmihalyiEsther Dyson

Harry and Jorge discuss the implications of John Boyd's work beyond its original military context. Show notes: The Mind of War: John Boyd and American Security by Grant Hammond John BoydOODA loopBoyd: The Fighter Pilot Who Changed the Art of War by Robert CoramScience, Strategy and War: The Strategic Theory of John Boyd by Francis P.B. OsingaHoyt NgAlgorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions by Brian Christian and Tom GriffithsHow Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvb...

Jorge and Harry discuss a book focused on using AI to lead better — and has underpinnings that align with the show's themes. Show notes: More Human by Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline CarterThe Mind of the Leader by Rasmus Hougaard and Jacqueline CarterThe Glass Cage by Nicholas Carr

Harry reads a passage from a book by Robert Pirsig that raises questions about what authentic effort looks like — and the traps inherent in its trappings. On Quality by Robert PirsigZen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert PirsigLila by Robert PirsigTraction Heroes Ep. 11: Gall’s LawAtomic Habits by James Clear

Harry gives Jorge advice on how to focus on strategically important things. Show notes: The ONE Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasanunfinishe_ – Jorge's new consultancy with Greg PetroffThe Power of a Positive No by William UryThe Harry Max Boot-up Protocol (How to get going in the morning) by Christina WodtkeEssentialism by Greg McKeownImpro by Keith Johnstone

Harry explains a framework for learning and change that originated in the field of NLP (Neuro-linguistic programming) — just in time for the launch of Jorge's new consultancy. Show notes: unfinishe_ – Jorge Arango and Greg Petroff’s strategic AI consultancySam and Jony introduce ioTools for Dreamers by Robert B. Dilts, Todd Epstein, and Robert W. DiltsNeuro-linguistic programmingAwaken the Giant Within by Anthony RobbinsGeneral semantics

On the folly of designing complex systems in one go, from the top down. Show notes: Traction Heroes ep. 6: Chesterton's FenceTraction Heroes ep. 2: UnprecedentedThe Design SquiggleSystemantics by John GallA New Kind of Science by Stephen WolframWardley map

It's important to plan ahead when working on large, complex projects. Alas, some people's bias for action keeps them from undertaking what they perceive as wasteful exercise. In this episode, Harry shares an exercise that can help. Show notes: Planning for Everything by Peter MorvilleHow Big Things Get Done by Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan GardnerOn Grand Strategy by John Lewis GaddisHofstadter's lawPerforming a Project Premortem by Gary Klein

What keeps you from doing the things you know you need to do, when you need to do them? The answers go deeper than you think. Show notes: Meditations for Mortals by Oliver BurkemanInnovation Games by Luke HohmannNonviolent Communication Marshall Rosenberg

A discussion about the deep underlying causes of the turbulence we're experiencing, and how to think about our agency in the situation. Show notes: Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella MeadowsHarry’s TEDx San Antonio presentationCynefin frameworkMistakes Were Made (but Not By Me) by Carol Tavris, Elliot AronsonRich DivineyJocko WillinkLeif BabinExtreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin