In the depths of World War II, when so many young men were fighting abroad, women across the United States began receiving clandestine letters from the Navy. The military was recruiting smart women who were good at math and languages. As long as they could protect classified information—and didn’t have family members in enemy territory—they […]
Who’s the Boss?
We’re seeing a lot of discussion about Elon Musk’s unique management style at Twitter. With billions of dollars riding on his social media experiment, one thing seems clear: the company’s performance depends on its leader. Plenty of people believe in Musk’s ability to make Twitter profitable. But the first few weeks have been rocky, to […]
When to Make it Personal
Strong traders have a specific approach to the stock market, and you need to find yours. Your methods should be compatible with your personality, and you might have to try more than one before you find the right fit. Along the way, you should keep a trading journal where you make notes about each trade […]
Is the Internet Making You Miserable?
In theory, technology should make us all feel more connected and close. It’s easy to stay in touch with friends and family who live far away, and to meet new people who share our interests instead of just geographical location. We can like and subscribe, swipe right, leave a comment, or post a photograph from […]
How to Execute in 7 Easy Steps
Strategy sessions are great. But it’s easy to get so caught up in the details that you neglect to really get the job done. For better or for worse, your capacity to execute can you set you apart from your business rivals. Execution is the main predictor of success among big and small companies. It’s […]
How to Build Your Own Personal Assistant
Our brains are good at lots of things. But they’re not great at managing knowledge. With so much information coming at us from all directions, we need a system for capturing—and retrieving—information that’s important. Productivity expert Tiago Forte developed his “second brain” note-taking system to help him manage a complicated medical condition. It’s a method […]
The First Black American Millionaire
In 1841, in New Orleans, William Alexander Leidesdorff passed as a white man. (His father was Jewish and his mother was Black.) When his fiancée learned his secret and called off their engagement, William sold everything he owned and bought a ship. He traveled to California to start a new life. On the West Coast, […]