Provide transparency to people who handle it well and either deny it to people who don’t handle it well or remove those people from the organization.

Don’t share sensitive information with the organization’s enemies.

Meaningful relationships and meaningful work are mutually reinforcing, especially when supported by radical truth and radical transparency.

Cultivate Meaningful Work and Meaningful Relationships

Be loyal to the common mission and not to anyone who is not operating consistently with it.

Be crystal clear on what the deal is.

Make sure people give more consideration to others than they demand for themselves.

Make sure that people understand the difference between fairness and generosity.

Know where the line is and be on the far side of fair.

Pay for work.

Recognize that the size of the organization can pose a threat to meaningful relationships.

Remember that most people will pretend to operate in your interest while operating in their own.

Treasure honorable people who are capable and will treat you well even when you’re not looking.

Create a Culture in Which It Is Okay to Make Mistakes and Unacceptable Not to Learn from Them

Recognize that mistakes are a natural part of the evolutionary process.

Fail well.

Don’t feel bad about your mistakes or those of others. Love them!

Don’t worry about looking good—worry about achieving your goals.

Get over “blame” and “credit” and get on with “accurate” and “inaccurate.”

Observe the patterns of mistakes to see if they are products of weaknesses.

Remember to reflect when you experience pain.

Be self-reflective and make sure your people are self-reflective.

Know that nobody can see themselves objectively.

Teach and reinforce the merits of mistake-based learning.

Know what types of mistakes are acceptable and what types are unacceptable, and don’t allow the people who work for you to make the unacceptable ones.

Get and Stay in Sync
