It’s a question that troubled and pained me earlier in my life and career. Even as a young child, I suffered from Imposter Syndrome; I felt like I wasn’t as smart as adults thought I was nor as strong as my karate sensei believed. In college, I was enamored by the incredible intellect that surrounded…
In my experience, the most common obstacle holding back highly intelligent people from achieving their potential is that they’re so smart that they always think they’re right, but not quite humble enough to realize that they’re frequently wrong. It took me a long time to understand this, but it was a pivotal epiphany that changed…
Worrying isn’t inherently bad, but worrying about the wrong things is. I humbly share my reminders to myself: • Don’t worry about brand,worry about relationships. • Don’t worry about network,worry about community. • Don’t worry about detractors,worry about champions. • Don’t worry about outcomes,worry about progress. • Don’t worry about circumstances,worry about choices.
50 years ago, my parents were two ambitious young Egyptians living in Cairo, contemplating marriage, and trying to figure out how to better their lives and the lives of their future children. 40 years ago, I was an insecure, 7-year-old schoolboy trying to figure out the cultural norms in England, how to make new friends,…
I humbly share five life lessons I learned from my parents:
1. Seek to understand why you might be wrong, not to prove why you might be right. You aren’t as smart as you think you are, so find mentors who are A) smarter and more experienced in life than you, and B) have your best interest in mind and no reason to misguide you; then, consider their counsel seriously no matter how difficult it is to hear.
I know it’s hard for many of my friends to appreciate the severity of the tension and helplessness that many African Americans feel towards law enforcement. To Americans of European descent, especially those in the upper socio-economic classes, the fear and antagonism directed towards a police force that is, by and large, hard-working and committed…
I write to reflect. Nothing helps me think through an idea and reach a defensible position than composing an article on the matter. I write to escape. Some find intellectual and emotional escape in outdoor activities, watching a movie, or reading a book; for me, writing provides that mental escape. I write to endure. It…
Yes, I’m a computer scientist turned businessperson. Yes, I like the objective, the tangible, and the quantitative. But, as I’ve grown, I’ve come to appreciate the impact the qualitative has on the quantitative, the abstract on the tangible, and the subjective on the objective. As students of business, we think of the economy as…
Credit: IHME As I close out another incredibly long day, I decided to once again sit down for a few minutes and write to clear my mind. Today, as I bid farewell to what felt like the longest March in history, I realize that we are concluding the first chapter in this saga, a chapter…
Photo by Edwin Hooper I sometimes write because it makes me think clearly and feel better; this is one of those times. I’m going to be candid, and it’s not easy to admit this. The last 40 days have been an emotional and intellectual ride for me. I’m ashamed to admit it, but I started…
