Entrepreneurs
3 Ways Entrepreneurs Can Slow Things Down for Greater Success

Entrepreneurs understand that their world is accelerating. Growth is exponential. Technologies are converging. Business lifecycles are collapsing. Communication is instantaneous. But consider this, in a race between a 1920 Model T Ford, whose top speed is 45 miles per hour, and a new Mercedes-Benz sedan going 100 miles per hour, the Mercedes will win. There’s no question that the Mercedes can travel more quickly. Yet, which driver is more comfortable, more in control? Which driver is sipping a latte and listening to Enya?
Absolute speed is important, but relative speed is everything. Similarly, professional football has gotten undeniably faster in the last generation. The players are bigger, stronger, and more agile. Yet, after ten years in the league, star linebacker Ray Lewis said, “Nowadays the game has slowed down so much. When I sit and watch film from ten years ago, and I watch now, I think, wow, why would I take that step, or why would I even go that way?”
“It’s all about angles,” Lewis added, and “all about knowing where the players are going to go before they even think about doing it. It’s about recognizing the formations.”
For Ray Lewis, experience and constant study slowed the game. He never claimed to know the future. Only, that if he paid attention, he could anticipate how events might unfold just a little bit before his opponent.
There’s a word for this ability to read angles and recognize formations. It’s not “smart” because Lewis was always a smart player. It’s called “wisdom,” and it’s about reacting to things faster than others because you can recognize the shape of the near-future a second, a day, or a month before others do. It’s about finding ways to turn absolute speed into relative speed—so you can enjoy that latte even as the world passes by at 100 miles per hour.
Hacking Speed for Entrepreneurial Wisdom
As an entrepreneur, wisdom normally accumulates one day at a time. But if you could hack this pace, one-day-of-experience for one-day-of-work, you might be able to slow the world down even as it accelerates. And that ability, as Ray Lewis discovered on the football field, would be a game-changing competitive advantage.
Below are three ways you can hack speed and accumulate entrepreneurial wisdom:
1. You need to embrace speed
If you are a skier, do you complain that the snow is cold? Of course not. You dress for the weather. You recognize cold as the thing that makes skiing possible, even enjoyable. On a mountain slope in winter, cold is a given. For a twenty-first century entrepreneur, speed is a given. Choosing to embrace it is the first step in slowing things down and creating an advantage.
“Slow down and everything you are chasing will come around and catch you.” – John De Paola
2. Be a student of today
If the entrepreneurial world is accelerating, so too is our ability to analyze, forecast, predict, integrate, and disseminate information. Take advantage of all the smart people helping us to make sense of the world. Read the blogs. Listen to the podcasts. Follow your industry on social media. Take some quiet time every week to study the angles and check the formations.
3. Seek wisdom in experience
That’s what Ray Lewis did during his career and what other great players do today. That’s what smart entrepreneurs do, too. I’ve spent the last few years writing about the history of American innovation. It’s been an eye-opening and productive journey. Nothing puts events in perspective and slows the world down better than “studying the videos” of the entrepreneurs who preceded us.
For example, one of America’s first serial entrepreneurs, Eli Whitney, saved his bankrupt musket business with a spectacular (and maybe deceptive) product demo; wouldn’t it be good to understand how that entrepreneurial “formation” came together?
Alfred Sloan of General Motors found himself more than 40 points behind Henry Ford in market share, yet, less than a decade later, GM had passed Ford, never looking back. As a modern entrepreneur, that would be a very helpful “video” to watch.
Likewise, J.K. Milliken’s use (and overuse) of employee benefits to create a loyal workforce and John Merrick’s leveraging commercial success to fight for social justice both have modern applications, as does Elizabeth Arden’s ability to sense and then shape consumer needs.
“Trade your busy life for a full one.” – Courtney Carver
These stories are reminders that, while others might focus on absolute speed, you can manage the relative speed of change. Be a student of today, study the historic formations and angles and learn from experience. Enjoy the latte.
What part of this article resonated most with you? Share your thoughts with us below!
Entrepreneurs
The Leadership Shift Every Company Needs in 2025
Struggling to keep your team engaged? Here’s how leaders can turn frustrated employees into loyal advocates.

In workplaces around the world, there’s a growing gap between employers and employees and between superiors and their teams. It’s a common refrain: “People don’t leave companies, they leave bad bosses.”
While there are, of course, cases where management could do better, this isn’t just a “bad boss” problem. The relationship between leaders and employees is complex. Instead of assigning blame, we should explore practical solutions to build stronger, healthier workplaces where everyone thrives.
Why This Gap Exists
Every workplace needs someone to guide, supervise, and provide feedback. That’s essential for productivity and performance. But because there are usually far more employees than managers, dissatisfaction, fair or not, spreads quickly.
What if, instead of focusing on blame, we focused on building trust, empathy, and communication? This is where modern leadership and human-centered management can make a difference.
Tools and Techniques to Bridge the Gap
Here are proven strategies leaders and employees can use to foster stronger relationships and create a workplace where people actually want to stay.
1. Practice Mutual Empathy
Both managers and employees need to recognize they are ultimately on the same team. Leaders have to balance people and performance, and often face intense pressure to hit targets. Employees who understand this reality are more likely to cooperate and problem-solve collaboratively.
2. Maintain Professional Boundaries
Superiors should separate personal issues from professional decision-making. Consistency, fairness, and integrity build trust, and trust is the foundation of a motivated team.
3. Follow the Golden Rule
Treat people how you would like to be treated. This simple principle encourages compassion and respect, two qualities every effective leader must demonstrate.
4. Avoid Micromanagement
Micromanaging stifles creativity and damages morale. Great leaders see themselves as partners, not just bosses, and treat their teams as collaborators working toward a shared goal.
5. Empower Employees to Grow
Empowerment means giving employees responsibility that matches their capacity, and then trusting them to deliver. Encourage them to take calculated risks, learn from mistakes, and problem-solve independently. If something goes wrong, turn it into a learning opportunity, not a reprimand.
6. Communicate in All Directions
Communication shouldn’t just be top-down. Invite feedback, create open channels for suggestions, and genuinely listen to what your people have to say. Healthy upward communication closes gaps before they become conflicts.
7. Overcome Insecurities
Many leaders secretly fear being outshone by younger, more tech-savvy employees. Instead of resisting, embrace the chance to learn from them. Humility earns respect and helps the team innovate faster.
8. Invest in Coaching and Mentorship
True leaders grow other leaders. Provide mentorship, career guidance, and stretch opportunities so employees can develop new skills. Leadership is learned through experience, but guided experience is even more powerful.
9. Eliminate Favoritism
Avoid cliques and office politics. Decisions should be based on facts and fairness, not gossip. Objective, transparent decision-making builds credibility.
10. Recognize Efforts Promptly
Recognition often matters more than rewards. Publicly appreciate employees’ contributions and do so consistently and fairly. A timely “thank you” can be more motivating than a quarterly bonus.
11. Conduct Thoughtful Exit Interviews
When employees leave, treat it as an opportunity to learn. Keep interviews confidential and use the insights to improve management practices and culture.
12. Provide Leadership Development
Train managers to lead, not just supervise. Leadership development programs help shift mindsets from “command and control” to “coach and empower.” This transformation has a direct impact on morale and retention.
13. Adopt Soft Leadership Principles
Today’s workforce, largely millennials and Gen Z, value collaboration over hierarchy. Soft leadership focuses on partnership, mutual respect, and shared purpose, rather than rigid top-down control.
The Bigger Picture: HR’s Role
Mercer’s global research highlights five key priorities for organizations:
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Build diverse talent pipelines
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Embrace flexible work models
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Design compelling career paths
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Simplify HR processes
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Redefine the value HR brings
The challenge? Employers and employees often view these priorities differently. Bridging that perception gap is just as important as bridging the relational gap between leaders and staff.
Treat Employees Like Associates, Not Just Staff
When you treat employees like partners, they bring their best selves to work. HR leaders must develop strategies to keep talent engaged, empowered, and prepared for the future.
Organizational success starts with people, always. Build the relationship with your team first, and the results will follow.
Entrepreneurs
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