tig | tig.log - Part 4

Taxonomy and Lexicon

November 1, 2025July 3, 2019 by tig

How many times have you been in a heated discussion only to find out that the two sides were talking past each other because they were reading from two different dictionaries? I bet you can also … Read more

One-Way and Two-Way Doors

November 1, 2025June 27, 2019 by tig

Effective decision-making starts with understanding; in the long-term, very, very few things actually matter. The vast majority of the decisions made day-to-day are either minutia or easily reversible and can be made quickly. However, a small number … Read more

Mental Models

November 1, 2025June 22, 2019 by tig

A secret to clear thinking and decision-making is to learn, invent, and adopt mental models. You’ve probably noticed effective leaders can frame complex ideas simply. They’ll lead conversations like this: “Well, I think there are three … Read more

Lead Without Authority

May 15, 2022June 11, 2019 by tig

There are two forms of influence in the world: Influence by authority Influence without authority When a ‘boss’ (a manager or someone with a big title) attempts to influence change or drive action using only their … Read more

Focusing on users is not Customer Obsession

February 1, 2021May 30, 2019 by tig

https://www.flickr.com/photos/findrehabcenters

Let’s talk Customer Obsession and how it is different than user obsession. My definitions: Customer: An individual (or entity) that pays you, directly or indirectly, for value you provide. User: An individual that is forced to use something … Read more

Debate Tenets

December 15, 2020May 23, 2019 by tig

I’ve long thought having a set of guiding principles for any project is important (see my blog post “the 5Ps”; Purpose, Principles, Priorities, People, Plan). At Amazon I learned there was a synonym to the word principle: Tenet. … Read more

The Tension is Intentional

February 1, 2021May 16, 2019 by tig

It is no accident many of the Amazon Leadership Principles seemingly contradict each other: they were carefully selected and crafted to encourage leaders to be thoughtful about the gray area. Bias for Action vs. Think Big … Read more

Good Intentions are Never Enough

September 25, 2023May 9, 2019 by tig

Everyone has good intentions… Everyone WANTS to do the right thing. But good intentions are never enough. Stuff doesn’t get done based solely on people’s good intentions. Change can’t happen based only on good intentions. What … Read more

Have Strong Opinions, Weakly Held

February 1, 2021May 2, 2019 by tig

The Are right, A Lot Amazon Leadership Principle reads: Leaders are right a lot. They have strong business judgment and good instincts. They seek diverse perspectives and work to disconfirm their beliefs. A great mnemonic for … Read more

Everyone’s a Leader

April 10, 2025April 26, 2019 by tig

The word leader is not a synonym for manager. Everyone can be a leader. Leader is defined as: leader noun a person or thing that leads. It’s entirely possible for a people manager to be a … Read more

Have a Plan (With Dates)

April 26, 2019April 18, 2019 by tig

I’ve written a lot on the importance of having a plan. This week’s Leadership Principle tip doubles-down on that. Consider a status update: Bad: “The team will investigate the issue.” Good: “The team will complete the … Read more

How Meeting/Not-Meeting Goals relates to Earn Trust and Insist on Highest Standards

May 15, 2022April 12, 2019 by tig

This week’s Leadership Principle tip is about how setting goals, and holding yourself accountable, relates to Earn Trust and Insist on Highest Standards.

Dive Deep != Micromanaging

May 15, 2022March 28, 2019 by tig

You’ve said it. You’ve heard others say it. You are not quite sure how you feel about it. “So-and-so is a micro-manager. He/she’s always in my shorts and doesn’t let me just do my job.” This … Read more

Just Right Porridge and Leadership Principles

February 21, 2021March 21, 2019 by tig

Last week I wrote about Have Backbone, Disagree and Commit. This week the topic is about how to get the balance right when living Leadership Principles. Just as it is possible to not live a leadership … Read more

Have Backbone, Disagree and Commit

March 27, 2025March 13, 2019 by tig

Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/genista/

Have Backbone, Disagree and Commit Leaders are obligated to respectfully challenge decisions when they disagree, even when doing so is uncomfortable or exhausting. Leaders have conviction and are tenacious. They do not compromise for the sake … Read more

Kindel’s Law

July 23, 2024December 21, 2018 by tig

Kindel’s Law – Every payment system eventually becomes an anti-fraud system. -Tig Kindel, 2013 I’m not sure how this law thing works. But I’m jealous of folks like Moore, Atwood, and Shannon. I think everyone should … Read more

A FAQ About Frequently Asked Questions

February 1, 2021November 18, 2018 by tig

A list of questions with answers written in English are a great way to drive clear thinking on all the stuff that surround the central idea presented in a narrative. This ‘stuff’ includes things like strategy, execution, technology, business, and resources.