Spencer Critchley

Spencer Critchley

The World’s Shortest How-To List for Leaders

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If you do a search for advice on leadership, you’ll find a lot of lists:

  • “Top 10 Things All Leaders Must Know”
  • “Leadership Advice from 5 Top Executives”
  • “The 7 Deadly Sins of Leadership,” etc, etc.

I almost always find these lists worth reading. But at the same time, I find that in one sense, they all completely miss the point.

That’s because by the very act of making a list about leading, you are making sure that whoever reads that list will not be thinking like a leader. A list is a formula, an algorithm. And the urge to follow a formula is the very opposite of what makes a leader. [Read more…] about The World’s Shortest How-To List for Leaders

Let’s watch Erato’s “Call Your Girlfriend” go viral, in real time

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On Facebook today I came across a video shared by a friend whose musical taste I respect, so I gave it a click, and had that wonderful experience of discovering something great and unexpected. It’s three members of a female Swedish choral group named Erato singing – beautifully – a cover of “Call Your Girlfriend”, by Robyn. The young women are sitting in underlit gloom around a kitchen table, accompanying themselves by using cottage cheese tubs as percussion instruments, with amazing, deadpan skill.

[Read more…] about Let’s watch Erato’s “Call Your Girlfriend” go viral, in real time

Don’t vote for anyone who looks like he should be president

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A great insight from Moneyball author Michael Lewis this morning on Fareed Zakaria GPS:

Maybe you don’t want to vote for the guy who looks like he should be president. Because the only reason he’s gotten as far as he’s gotten is because he looks like he should be president.

In studying rich and poor baseball teams for Moneyball, Lewis found that rich teams invested in the wrong players — in effect, the players who looked good, as opposed to the ones who actually were good.

It does sound like more than a few presidential candidates, not to mention much of the Senate.

A corollary: If there are two barbers in the shop, ask for the one with the bad haircut.

Literacy now includes not just language, not just media, but code, too.

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…as we’re reminded by CodeNow, featured at WhiteHouse.gov today:

CodeNow focuses on developing the next pioneers in technology by teaching underserved youth foundational skills in computer science and programming with the objective of narrowing the current digital divide. The organization teaches high school students the basics of computer programming and computer science in free, extra-curricular, off-campus trainings and boot camps. Each student who completes their program receives a netbook, mentoring and assistance finding internships.

…and by CodeAcademy.org, offering free programming lessons on the web:

Coding is not just for the chosen few. Anyone can learn with the right environment, resources and dedication.