Mastery Isn’t About the Skill—It’s About Mastering Yourself Discipline is just a habit. And the easiest way to build it is to start with what you love. When I was young and dumb, trying to make my way in the world, I was like most young men. Full of energy, fury, and potential. But very little utility, credibility, or capability. All I knew was that there were a few things I loved doing and exploring: Reading Martial arts Learning and growing And a few things I “had” to do to make my way in...
1 day ago • 9 min read
Why Being Simple Is the Smartest Move You Can Make (And Why Intelligence Without Wisdom Is Dangerous) The uncarved block doesn’t ignore complexity. It just refuses to be controlled by it. Often, being called “simple” has connotations of stupid, basic, not a person who seeks to accomplish much in life. But what if I told you that’s the exact opposite of the truth? What if being “simple” is actually the smartest move you can make? What if simplicity is a sign of great intelligence and wisdom,...
2 days ago • 7 min read
The Secret Geometry of Success: Why You Need to Be a Square, Circle, and Triangle (And Know When to Be Each) Not every strategy works in every situation. The key is knowing which shape to become. A few years ago, I was at a cafe I used to hang out at—before it was taken over by new owners who changed the whole vibe and lost most of the clientele that had been going there for years. The Meraki logo I saw a guy wearing a simple black cap with symbols on it: a triangle within a circle within a...
3 days ago • 8 min read
How Committed Are You to Getting Good? (Leaders Make Progress, Losers Make Excuses) If you want to know what matters to you, look at your calendar. Your discretionary time tells the truth. For almost two and a half years at Meraki, I’ve scheduled myself to be there six to seven days a week. I only miss my schedule if I’m sick and don’t want to share my germs, or if I have to schedule something over my training time. Other than that, I show up to “train.” Even if that means I’m beat up and...
4 days ago • 8 min read
Why Empathy Is the Most Underrated Leadership Trait (And How Hurt Leaders Hurt Everyone) Hurt people hurt people.Healed people heal people.Which one are you? You may have heard the meme: "Hurt people hurt people." I saw it all the time on the construction site. Journeymen and foremen who were treated like shit as apprentices—who endured toxic work culture, verbal abuse, and callousness—would turn around and treat those under their supervision the exact same way. Not knowing how to process...
5 days ago • 8 min read
Why Personal Leadership Matters More Now Than Ever: When 65% Would Rather Follow Orders Than Do What’s Right Time is long, but people’s memory is short. And that’s why history keeps repeating itself. There’s a saying: “Those who can't remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” And unfortunately, it’s true. Not because the lessons aren’t there. But because people’s memory is short. I remember when gas prices in LA were approaching $5 a gallon. I was driving a service truck for work, so I...
6 days ago • 9 min read
The Danger of Your Silo: Why the Best Leaders Learn From Everyone (Even People They Disagree With) If you want to be a good leader, learn to think for yourself.If you want to be a great leader, learn to think like others. It was 1995. I was just an intermediate student of hapkido, fresh off earning my blue belt and finally starting to take my training seriously. GM Han's dojang in Santa Monica I’d sometimes train by myself on the small mat after completing my evening classes. On Wednesday...
7 days ago • 8 min read
The Four Words That Make You a Better Leader: “I Made a Mistake” Ego Is The Enemy by Ryan Holiday Ego is the enemy. Humility is the advantage. And admitting you’re wrong is the fastest way to earn respect. In 1995, when Grandmaster Han first put me in front of a kids’ class as an instructor, I was both humbled and overwhelmed. I’d never been in front of a class before—unless you count all those times my grade school teachers made an example out of me before telling me to sit in the corner at...
8 days ago • 8 min read
The One Habit That Accounted for Most of My Success: Going to Bed Early Most disasters in life don’t happen at 2:00 p.m. They happen at 2:00 a.m. I guess I’m really lucky that I had a career in construction. The 6 a.m. start time forced me to change a bad habit that stemmed from growing up in Hawaii. My first real job after high school—making good money—was working at Orson’s Restaurant near Waikiki. Famous with the locals and packed with tourists. Especially when the chef had his "stuffed...
9 days ago • 7 min read