The Courage to Turn the Ship: distinguishing between grit and delusion
A guide for business owners on identifying when to pivot. Learn to distinguish between healthy persistence and dangerous stubbornness to save your business.
Ben Schmidt
8 minGeneral
112 posts
The Silence at the Top: Navigating the Structural Isolation of Leadership
A deep dive into the psychological toll of entrepreneurial loneliness, the science of decision fatigue, and practical strategies for building peer networks and leveraging technology to regain perspective.
Ben Schmidt
8 min
The Empty Chair at 5:30 PM: Why Your Team’s Overtime is a Sign of Failure, Not Dedication
An analysis of why long hours hurt productivity and how efficiency tools create work-life harmony. We explore the biology of rest, the role of automation in buying back time, and how leaders set the tone for leaving on time.
Ben Schmidt
7 min
The Silent Struggle: Why Your Best People Fail Quietly and How to Catch Them Before They Fall
A guide for managers on identifying early signs of employee training gaps using data and empathy. Learn to distinguish between behavioral issues and skill deficits to reduce turnover.
Ben Schmidt
8 min
The End of the Corner Office Perk: Why Executive Coaching Should Be for Everyone
An analysis of how AI is democratizing executive coaching. We explore the benefits of coaching for entry-level staff, the cost barrier of human coaches, and how technology can scale leadership development to the entire org chart.
Ben Schmidt
5 min
The Forensic Reference Check: digging up the truth before you sign the offer
Stop treating reference checks as a formality. Learn the psychological tactics and specific questions that reveal a candidate's true work ethic and potential.
Ben Schmidt
7 min
The Prison of Intuition: How to Scale Your Magic Without Losing Your Mind
An in-depth look at the challenge of translating founder intuition into scalable business systems. We explore the science of tacit knowledge and how to document your 'secret sauce'to ensure consistent quality.
Ben Schmidt
8 min
The Biology of Better Feedback: correcting without crushing
Learn the science and strategy behind constructive criticism. This guide helps managers deliver difficult feedback that builds trust, reduces anxiety, and fosters growth.
Ben Schmidt
8 min
The Fear of Feedback: Why Your Team Dreads Your 'Quick Chat'and How to Fix It
A deep dive into the psychology of feedback. We explore why traditional critique triggers fight-or-flight, and how to use the 'Radical Candor'framework to deliver correction that builds trust and performance.
Ben Schmidt
6 min
The Strategic Advantage of Saying 'I Don't Know': Why Certainty is the Enemy of Growth
An exploration of leadership vulnerability, explaining why admitting ignorance builds psychological safety, fostering a culture of trust, innovation, and high-performance in modern teams.
Ben Schmidt
7 min