Don't hide behind formality→

We’re breaking down the stranglehold of formality everywhere. No more personal secretaries, memos on official letterhead, meetings that must happen in person. There’s never been less mental mask switching between work and play. We wear the same clothes, use the same technology. It’s a liberation of the mind and it’s the new world order.

It is very easy to use formality, the need for formality, as an excuse to keep us from doing our best work. Formality is the cousin of "that's how we've always done it" and in many ways the enemy of progress. ​

Richard Branson Wants You To Be Good

The Bad Boy of Business Wants You to Be Good, by Chris Brogan, SUCCESS Magazine:

The first point you should realize when it comes to his leadership style is that Branson is fond of moving a strong brand and value DNA across all his pursuits, instead of keeping those concepts in a silo. This goes for all aspects of the business. The Virgin brand stands for many things, including a value for the money you spend, quality and fun. Branson has somehow mastered the ability to translate that sense of quirky not-quite-typical excellence across many verticals, from video games to mobile phones to airlines to health clubs. And now, more than ever, he is trumpeting his belief that business should also be a force for good and should help solve the world’s major issues.

​This is a great interview. Branson discusses his leadership style, ties as metaphors for what's wrong with management and his must-read book Screw Business As Usual. 

The Quest For Perfection

I don't believe in perfection. I think there is nothing more boring than perfect. It is the flaws, the human touch, the hand-made, mind-made of things that bring us back and connects us to good creative work. But if perfection is what you seek then you better remember that perfection is not something you add at the end, like an accessory, the cherry on top. If you believe in it then you better remember that perfection is doing lots of small things, at every step of the way, exceptionally well.

Merlin Mann: Broken Meetings (And How You'll Fix Them)

BROKEN MEETINGS (and how you'll fix them) TWITTER.COM Headquarters, 21 Sep 2010 MERLIN MANN, http://43folders.com, http://merlinmann.com ========================================= 43 Folders: http://i-0.us/fix-meetings There's a big elephant in the office today that's becoming harder to ignore—meetings. Even the best meetings can eat up massive person-hours, but those really awful ones will just kill you. You know the type. Those time-wasting, rudderless, repetitious, zombie meetings where "deep dives," "drill downs," and "face time" often mean much is debated, little is accomplished, and everybody leaves feeling broken--AND, often as not, late for their next meeting. In the premiere of this all-new presentation, Merlin Mann attacks Bad Meeting Culture with the same brand of practical, funny, and thought-provoking advice that his popular Inbox Zero talks brought to the topic of email. You'll learn: - what got us into this meeting mess - why meetings have special powers to waste time at scale - how "The 'Meh' Virus" propogates - why even scrums and one-on-ones aren't immune - how your meeting needs a parent - 10 insanely practical tactics for improving your own meetings--starting today

Recently discovered this presentation by Merlin Mann at Twitter a few years ago. Simply put Mann shares a few things we can do to improve the productivity of your meetings. 

Related:

Merlin Mann Makes You Wonder ‘Who Moved My Brain?’ 

Tony Fadell: Building With Atoms, Electrons, Frustrations & Constraints

iPod godfather and ALVA Award-winner Tony Fadell shares incredible insights on how to design, build, and ship disruptive products at Behance's 99% Conference.

From the iPod and the iPhone to the Nest Learning Thermostat, Tony Fadell’s incredible creations have disrupted industries, introduced beautifully designed solutions, and changed the way we live. Which is why The 99% Conference selected him as the inaugural winner of the ALVA Award, a new prize presented by Behance in partnership with GE to recognize remarkable serial inventors.

Tony Fadell is the founder and CEO of Nest Labs, Inc., the company that developed the Nest Learning Thermostat. Prior to Nest, Tony served as senior vice president of Apple’s iPod division, reporting to Steve Jobs. He was responsible for creating the first 18 generations of the iPod digital music player and the first three generations of the iPhone.

Tony is currently an advisor to and investor in several Silicon Valley startups in the mobile-Internet and green-tech industries. In his 20-plus years of experience in the consumer electronics industry, Tony has authored more than 100 patents.