Scott Monty

Dignity and Respect

<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iq2KyRKCgnQ/YDaigYV3ANI/AAAAAAABSEQ/XvvSBLh6EFQUUgcS6Z27V_P7T1R--6ZtACLcBGAsYHQ/s956/John%2BWilliam%2BWaterhouse%2B-%2BThe%2Bfavourites%2Bof%2Bthe%2BEmperor%2BHonorius%2B1883.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="956" height="368" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iq2KyRKCgnQ/YDaigYV3ANI/AAAAAAABSEQ/XvvSBLh6EFQUUgcS6Z27V_P7T1R--6ZtACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h368/John%2BWilliam%2BWaterhouse%2B-%2BThe%2Bfavourites%2Bof%2Bthe%2BEmperor%2BHonorius%2B1883.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Favourites_of_the_Emperor_Honorius">The Favorites of the Emperor Honorius</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by John William Waterhouse, 1883 (public domain - Wikipedia)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="captioned-image-container" data-pm-context="[]"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"><br /></figcaption></figure></div><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“To forsake truth is to pay too high a price even for the priceless gift of life—for life thus purchased we could not live out in dignity and self-respect.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Ethel Rosenberg, 1953</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />We all deserve dignity.</p><p>It may not sound like an earth-shattering bit of wisdom, but it’s worth reminding ourselves of this fact.</p><p>Dignity, put simply, is self-worth. And it is inherent in each of us.</p><p>In <em><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/2GzZSpN">The Extraordinary Power of Leadership Humility</a></strong></em>, Marilyn Gist writes, “Dignity implies that each person is worthy of honor and respect for who he or she is, regardless of status or accomplishment.”</p><p>In 1486 Pico della Mirandola explored the idea that that humans could continually improve themselves through the exercise of their intellectual capacities in his groundbreaking <em><strong>Oration on the Dignity of Man</strong></em> (<em>De hominis dignitate</em>).</p><p>While this may not sound like news in the 21st century, it was a profound endorsement of the dignity of human existence in earthly life in the 15th century. It placed humans at the pinnacle of God’s creations.</p><p>The root of this dignity lay in Pico’s assertion that only human beings could change themselves through their own free will, whereas all other changes in nature were the result of some outside force acting on whatever it is that undergoes change. He observed from history that philosophies and institutions were always in change, making man’s capacity for self-transformation the only constant. </p><p>Dignity is a fundamental aspect of what it means to be human. When you disregard or even violate the dignity of others, you make them feel like nonentities.</p><p>What’s a violation of dignity? Name-calling, bullying, cutting people off, stereotyping, sexual harassment, taking credit—anything that shows you don't appreciate someone’s unique contribution or humanity.<br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“A snub is the effort of a person who feels superior to make someone else feel inferior. To do so, he has to find someone who can be made to feel inferior.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Eleanor Roosevelt, 1935</em></p><div><br /><hr /></div><p>As Eleanor Roosevelt indicated in her comment regarding an incident with a cabinet member, trying to make someone else feel inferior requires a sense of superiority. (In fact, it formed the basis of the quote commonly attributed to her: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”)</p><p>When we work together on common goals, whether we’re part of an athletic team, a corporation, or a community, we have expectations that we each have something to offer. Whether you’re a president or a plumber, your human contribution to an effort is worth something. And there’s dignity in it.</p><p>In my time at Ford, we all had badges that included the famous <strong>One Ford</strong> plan on the front, and a list of “Expected Behaviors” on the reverse. In the list of behaviors, there were a couple that implied that dignity was at the core of them:</p><ul><li><p>Include everyone: respect, listen to, help and appreciate others.</p></li><li><p>Enjoy the journey and each other; have fun—but never at others’ expense.</p></li></ul><p>We saw these behaviors exhibited by our leaders and by each other on a regular basis; such actions were a powerful reminder of the importance of dignity and the power each of us held to build a stronger team.</p><p>Over the last four years, we’ve seen public discourse take a drastic slide, where respect and dignity were all but eliminated from traditional behaviors from the most public personae as well as from people with whom we interacted online.</p><p>Part of this slide is due to the pseudo-anonymity that the web affords us. A Twitter username that’s a first name followed by a string of eight numbers effectively dehumanizes the dialog, and we feel no compunction in throwing digital punches.</p><p>Interestingly, the advent of real-time audio interaction (such as Clubhouse) has made things reverse course a bit. It seems more difficult to treat someone disrespectfully when you’re actually talking with them rather than slamming your thumbs onto your phone.</p><p>Another aspect of the decline of civility is simply due to not caring. Now we have CEOs, politicians, athletes, and other public figures who seem to think they can speak however they wish, consequences be damned. They just don’t care whom they offend.</p><p>When greeted with the consequences of their actions, they revert to calling it “cancel culture,” arrogantly avoiding what it actually is: accountability.</p><p>Howard Behar, a former executive at Starbucks, said:</p><blockquote><p>“Arrogance denigrates performance in any organization. People think arrogant, autocratic leadership enhances performance, but it doesn’t. You lose people—good people. There’s no trust. They worry about protecting themselves. So, it’s hard to have a dynamic organization. And turnover is high. People only stay out of fear. If the economy is bad, they may stay, but as soon as it improves, they are gone.”</p></blockquote><p>We see plenty of arrogance every day.</p><p>Great leaders understand that humility, not arrogance, is what will motivate people. And that helping their people to respect and honor the dignity of everyone will result in a more cohesive team for the purpose of working together.<br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p style="text-align: center;"><strong><br />In Friday’s newsletter for premium subscribers, we’ll be exploring how great ideas can come from anywhere. Don’t miss it! </strong><a class="button primary" href="%%checkout_url%%">Subscribe now</a><br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />President Biden is bringing dignity to the office of the president again. He told his staff, “<a href="https://flip.it/w68Tal">I will fire you on the spot</a>” for disrespecting others.</p><p>He has led a life of dignity and respect, so this is consistent with his character. When it was discovered that a White House deputy press secretary threatened a reporter, the staffer understood how it looked in light of the president’s pledge and <a href="https://twitter.com/tducklo/status/1360741646627913728?s=21">he resigned</a>.</p><p>There are plenty of people out there who are callous and disrespectful. <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaneAParrish/status/1364287638799339523">Shane Parrish</a> has a solution for that:</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet tw-align-center"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">The No Asshole Rule:<br /><br />If you can tell someone is an asshole, they shouldn't be in your life. <br /><br />Don't hang with them. Don't invest with them. Don't text them. Don't partner with them. Don't work with them. Don't date them. <br /><br />Remove the bad and you'll have more good.</p>— Shane Parrish (@ShaneAParrish) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaneAParrish/status/1364287638799339523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 23, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>This idea of omission is an important one. You can show respect for the dignity of others not only by what you choose to do, but also by what you choose <em>not</em> to do.</p><p>You don’t need to have an opinion on everything. You don’t need to lash out, even when you’ve been attacked. You don’t need to put others down to make yourself feel better.</p><p>Everyone deserves dignity.</p><p>Leaders maintain their own dignity and gain trust by respecting the dignity of others.</p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><h2><strong>Preview of Friday’s curated content:</strong></h2><p><strong>Timely link:</strong><br />“Overwhelmingly people will say, ‘You know, he looked me in the eye and shook my hand, and I’m a housekeeper.’ If you treat people like they deserve to be treated, as human beings with the same kind of dignity that you would treat senior people, it will flow through the organization.” Who is this inspirational leader? (<em><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">Become a premium subscriber to read this</a></strong></em>)</p><p><strong>Timeless story:</strong><br />As long as society subscribes to the notion that some individuals are fundamentally superior to others, people have a hard time feeling humiliated. (<em><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">Premium subscribers will learn more about this concept</a></strong></em>)</p><p><strong>This week’s book recommendation:</strong><br />This landmark book from an expert in dignity studies explores the essential but underrecognized role of dignity as part of good leadership. Most people know very little about dignity, the author has found, and when leaders fail to respect the dignity of others, conflict and distrust ensue. Learn three components of leading with dignity and how you can create a culture of dignity in any organization, whether corporate, religious, governmental, healthcare, or beyond. (<em><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">Unlock this book by becoming a premium subscriber</a></strong></em>)</p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. Join the club by signing up below:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p>

Dignity and Respect

The Favorites of the Emperor Honorius by John William Waterhouse, 1883 (public domain - Wikipedia) “To forsake truth is to pay too high a...

Why We Love Clubs

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WDG1tDLAizg/YC1GHz3M17I/AAAAAAABR-Q/LjHhJRqXDRQYrMpL4L6UZF3R9Xm3Bu4vgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Interior%2Bof%2Ba%2BLondon%2Bcoffee-house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1401" data-original-width="2048" height="438" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WDG1tDLAizg/YC1GHz3M17I/AAAAAAABR-Q/LjHhJRqXDRQYrMpL4L6UZF3R9Xm3Bu4vgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h438/Interior%2Bof%2Ba%2BLondon%2Bcoffee-house.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/drawing-of-a-london-coffee-house-c-1690-1700#">Interior of a London Coffee-House</a></em><span style="text-align: left;"> by Unknown, c. 1690 (Shared via a </span><a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/" style="text-align: left;">Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike license</a><span style="text-align: left;">, © Trustees of the British Museum)</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“Clubs happen because of the elementary truth that we like to be with our own kind, with whom we can be ourselves and let our hair down.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p style="text-align: right;"><em>— Anthony Lejeune, 2012</em></p><p><em><br /></em></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />You’ve undoubtedly heard about the app Clubhouse.</p><p>The real-time social audio app has gained steam since launching last year, with a quick rise amid a number of competitors. The technorati were the first to catch on, and it spread from there.</p><p>While I joined last August, I found I was overwhelmed with the choices. The notifications were too frequent, I felt out of place without many connections on there, and I was stumbling into conversations (or “rooms”) that neither related to me nor interested me.</p><p>But then a funny thing happened that brought me back. More on that in a moment.</p><p>With Clubhouse (or any of the rising social audio platforms), one of my concerns is the time suck. We all have limited time and limited attention. With so many video calls, Slack messages, emails, and other mechanisms to stay connected (too connected!) to our colleagues, people are just burned out. But humans are social creatures; we need to connect and converse.</p><p>My friend and colleague Jeremiah Owyang called social audio “<strong>the Goldilocks medium</strong>: text is not enough and video is too much; social audio is just right.” (Read his <a href="The Future of Social Audio: Startup, Roadmaps, Business Models, and a Forecast" target="_blank">report on the social audio industry</a> that currently includes two dozen players.)</p><p>But even so, with synchronous audio, you need to be in the room where it happens. There’s currently no recording nor are there any transcripts. Which reminds me of the caution of this old Latin proverb:</p><blockquote><p><em><strong>“Vox audita perit, littera scripta manet.” <br /> (“The spoken word vanishes; the written word remains.”)</strong></em></p></blockquote><p>Once a moment is there and gone in synchronous social audio, that’s it. There’s no reclaiming it. This is the beauty of something like Twitter or YouTube; we can join in conversations asynchronously. (Although, I’m an early user of <a href="https://yac.com">Yac</a>, and they’re focused on asynchronous sound clips to avoid unnecessary meetings—kind of like email with a personality.)</p><p>The reality is that audio does provide an intimate connection unlike any other. Given the current situation of so many people working remotely, it’s an important and necessary medium. And Edison Research's latest <a href="https://www.edisonresearch.com/the-infinite-dial-2020/" target="_blank">Infinite Dial report</a> on audio consumption habits shows that, with the growth of podcasts and smart speakers, audio is just as important as ever.</p><p>But this isn’t simply an alternative to podcasting. The best analogy I can come up with is that social audio is akin to a conference: there are speakers in rooms, and they can invite people up to the stage as panelists. </p><p>Some rooms are huge, with big names drawing significant audiences of thousands of listeners, like a keynote address at a conference. Others are small and intimate affairs among a handful of friends, as a breakout room or a hallway conversation might do.</p><p>With each, there’s variability in the quality of the content, as you might imagine. And don’t doubt for a minute that the hustlebros aren’t there; oh, they’ve managed to push themselves to the front of the line, using yet another platform to sell their MLM schemes and drive their follower numbers up.<br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“Captain Willoughby was known at his club for a bore. He was a determined raconteur of pointless stories about people with whom none of his audience was acquainted. And there was no deterring him, for he did not listen, he only talked.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— A.E.W. Mason, 1902</em></div><br /><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />In many ways, what we’re seeing evolve is a parallel to how coffee-houses and clubs sprouted up from the 1400s in the Middle East to London in the 1600s. <br /><br /></p><h2><strong>History of the Coffee-House</strong></h2><p>The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/coffee" target="_blank">first coffee-houses</a> appeared in Mecca in the 15th century, spreading to the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century. They became popular meeting places where people gathered to drink coffee, have conversations, play board games such as chess and backgammon, listen to stories and music, and discuss news and politics. They became known as “schools of wisdom” for the type of clientele they attracted, and their free and frank discourse.</p><p></p><p>The first coffee-house appeared in London in 1652, and from 1670 to 1685, the number of London coffeehouses began to increase, and saw the first appearance of barmaids. In order to stand out from others, most proprietors engaged the most attractive women they could find to lure patrons. By the middle of the 18th century, coffee-houses became an integral part of London life.</p><p>These were years when newspapers weren’t widely available to citizens, so coffee-houses became places where someone with a newspaper would read to the other assembled patrons, informing them of the day’s news and opinion. Thanks to coffee-houses, we begin to see the democratization of information and ideas.</p><p>German philosopher <a href="https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/myth-fourth-estate" target="_blank">Jürgen Habermas suggested</a> that the newspaper was one of several institutions (together with the coffeehouse, the literary salon, the novel, and more) that served as the basis for the “<b>bourgeois public sphere</b>,” a space of rational-critical debate that changed the very possibilities of politics.<br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“The history of coffee houses, ere the invention of clubs, was that of the manners, the morals, and the politics of a people.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Isaac D'Israeli, 1791</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><h2><strong>From Coffee-House to Market</strong></h2><p>These very public places gave rise to a number of cultural and industrial developments. Because they were places for like-minded people to gather and share their views, in addition to the bourgeois, they attracted some of the brightest minds. </p><p>One of the most famous coffee-houses in London was <em>The Grecian</em>. Classical scholars and members of the Royal Society gathered there, and it became the leading penny university, as many coffee-houses were called, due to the price of admission being a penny, giving pupils access to books, newspapers, and lectures, including from some major figures of the time.</p><p>Edmund Malone, writing to his father in 1776, shared his observation from a coffee-house:</p><blockquote><p>“I am at present writing in a coffee-house, in the midst of so much noise and bustle—the celebrated anti-Sejanus (Mr. [James] Scott) on one side and Mr. [Charles] Macklin [the actor] on the other—that I can't add anything more at present.”</p></blockquote><p>These intellectually-stimulating settings gave rise to ideas and industry:</p><ul><li><p>Scientists like Sir Isaac Newton, Sir Hans Sloane, Edmund Halley and James Douglas, and the poet and statesman, Joseph Addison gathered at <em>The Grecian</em> to discuss ideas that flowed from their work.</p></li><li><p>Lloyd’s Coffee House provided the venue for merchants and shippers to discuss insurance deals, leading to the establishment of Lloyd's of London insurance market, the Lloyd's Register classification society, and other related businesses.</p></li><li><p>In 1698, Jonathan’s Coffee House was the site of what eventually evolved into the London Stock Exchange.  </p></li><li><p>Other coffee-houses had salesrooms attached to them which were the origins of the great auction houses of Sotheby's and Christie's.</p></li></ul><h2><br />The Social Audio Coffee-House</h2><p>This brings us back to Clubhouse. If you pop into Clubhouse rooms, you’ll find similar situations: entrepreneurs testing their ideas and looking for inspiration; big names from music, entertainment, and tech; and yes, the occasional bore who’s found the latest platform for selling hustle.</p><p>After sitting out the conversation for a few months, I was enticed to re-enter the scene. I discovered a more robust space—one that can be classified into Business Clubhouse and Nighttime Clubhouse. On the business end, we see discussions of entrepreneurship, writing, speaking, branding and more. In the evening, things turn more casual, like a cocktail party: jazz clubs, music venues, cultural discussions, etc.. The serendipitous nature of the Explore feature can surface just about anything you might be interested in.</p><p>Here’s what drew me back in: I saw a friend post elsewhere (email, Twitter, Facebook) that he was planning a talk. He outlined the theme and highlighted the two co-hosts. Between the three of them, I recognized expertise and quality, and joined because of that.</p><p>What we’re witnessing is a natural sorting. The good ideas are rising to the top—the lesser ideas or individuals are still there, but there’s a filter happening that is making things more relevant and trusted. Individual recommendations over algorithm. It’s what we’ve been missing on social platforms in recent years. </p><p>Because that’s what we yearn for in our social interactions. Whether the people with whom we interact are like-minded or are diametric opposites, a spirited debate comes from those who enter into a discussion with their goals and objectives up front.</p><p>When we have an experience that matches our expectations, we’re more likely to trust.<br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><h4><em><br />I’m considering doing a weekly audio discussion on the topic of this newsletter. Would you be interested? Just <a href="http://smonty.co/3s36aRg">answer this one question</a>. </em><a class="button primary" href="http://smonty.co/3s36aRg">Yes</a> / <a class="button primary" href="http://smonty.co/3s36aRg">No</a><br /><br /></h4><div><hr /></div><h2><strong>Preview of Friday’s curated content:</strong></h2><p>Where is this headed? In the follow-up essay in <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">Friday’s newsletter for paying subscribers</a>, we’ll trace the rise of clubs from coffee-houses, looking at what exclusivity does to us. An excerpt:</p><blockquote><p>“Coffee houses led to clubs. Towering over the rest was Dr. Johnson’s, which met at the Turk’s Head in Gerrard Street. It included Joshua Reynolds, Edmund Burke, Oliver Goldsmith, Edward Gibbon, actor-managers like Garrick and Sheridan, the musical historian Charles Burney, and the later President of the Royal Society, Sir Joseph Banks.”</p></blockquote><p>In addition to name-dropping, the early adopters or those who have exclusive access usually like to show off their status. According to one tech reporter,</p><blockquote><p>“Nearly every early Clubhouse user I speak with brings up their follower count unprompted.”</p></blockquote><h2></h2><h4 style="text-align: left;"><strong>A timely link:</strong></h4><p>Clubhouse, which centralizes creation and consumption into a feedback loop, will do for audio what Twitter, Stories, and TikTok did for text, images, and video. (<em><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">Link for premium subscribers</a></strong></em>)</p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><strong>This week’s book recommendation:</strong></h4><p>In 1763, the painter Joshua Reynolds proposed to his friend Samuel Johnson that they invite a few friends to join them every Friday at the Turk’s Head Tavern in London to dine, drink, and talk until midnight. Eventually the group came to include among its members Edmund Burke, Adam Smith, Edward Gibbon, and James Boswell. It was known simply as “the Club.” This book conjures up the precarious, exciting, and often brutal world of late eighteenth-century Britain, telling the story of an extraordinary group of people whose ideas helped to shape their age, and our own. (<em><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">Link for premium subscribers</a></strong></em>)</p><p>Thanks, and I’ll see you on the internet.</p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. Join the club by signing up below:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p>

Why We Love Clubs

Interior of a London Coffee-House by Unknown, c. 1690 (Shared via a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike license , © Tr...

Improvisation as Inspiration

<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmoKeoNFDis/YCPyc2cjwlI/AAAAAAABR2o/-u1-tyTBaX4AsRalpOMpWULjBz6da0j3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1199/Wassily%2BKandinsky%2B-%2BImprovisation%2B27%2B%2528Garden%2Bof%2BLove%2BII%2529%2B1912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1199" height="546" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fmoKeoNFDis/YCPyc2cjwlI/AAAAAAABR2o/-u1-tyTBaX4AsRalpOMpWULjBz6da0j3gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h546/Wassily%2BKandinsky%2B-%2BImprovisation%2B27%2B%2528Garden%2Bof%2BLove%2BII%2529%2B1912.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Improvisation_27_(Garden_of_Love_II)_MET_DP236124.jpg" target="_blank">Improvisation 27 (Garden of Love II)</a> by Wassily Kandinksy (public domain - Wikimedia Commons)</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><div class="captioned-image-container" data-pm-context="[]"><figure><figcaption class="image-caption"><br /></figcaption></figure></div><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“We start then, with the Muses, who delight / With song the mighty mind of father Zeus / Within Olympus, telling of things that are, / That will be, and that were, with voices joined / In harmony.” </strong></em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Hesiod, c. 700 BC</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />When you’re stuck for an idea, where do you go? </p><p>If you’ve ever watched <em>Mad Men</em>, you saw Don Draper, the consummate creative director, try to hammer out his ideas by taking a nap, or leaving his office to head to a matinee at a nearby theater.<br /><br />Some people choose to listen to music. Others open a book. And yet others take a walk.<br /><br />Whatever it is, we make those choices to break up the monotony or try to jolt our thinking.<br /><br />In all of those moments, opportunities present themselves: opportunities to take in and appreciate the creative work of someone else. It might be something centuries old. Or it might be a creation from this morning.<br /><br />When you reflect on something beautiful, something deep, something funny—you never know where it might lead.<br /><br />As a professional, you needn’t be consumed by your industry and your industry alone; you should be able to find inspiration everywhere.<br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><h2>All that jazz</h2><p>I was recently reading a biography of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Shepherd">Jean Shepherd</a> titled <em><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3aOlt9K">Excelsior, You Fathead! The Art and Enigma of Jean Shepherd</a> </strong></em>by Eugene B. Bergmann. You may not know Shep, other than his crowning achievement to pop culture: the now-classic holiday film <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3rEyObh">A Christmas Story</a></em> was based on Shepherd’s semi-autobiographical stories in his 1966 book <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3rCDz5a">In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash</a></em>, with some elements from his 1971 book <em><a href="https://amzn.to/3aM7vFe">Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories</a></em>.<br /><br />For years, Shepherd had a radio show on WOR in New York, where he was on the air on Sundays from 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. and nightly from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. During the span of those four hours, he told stories.</p><p>Perhaps “told” is too mild a word. He wove ornate tapestries out of little details he seemed to take from his childhood, placing his listeners with him some 30 or 40 years before. Or, as he described his father’s (the Old Man) invective in <em>A Christmas Story</em>:</p><blockquote><p>“My father worked in profanity the way other artists might work in oils or clay. It was his true medium, a master.”</p></blockquote><p>Shep also liked jazz. And from his apartment in Greenwich Village, he had access to some of the best jazz bars in the city. He found inspiration in jazz.</p><p>Recognizing the wonder and power of the improvisational style in the music, he used the same concept to hone his storytelling: find a central concept and build on it, creating new sounds and feelings, wildly departing from the main theme but eventually returning to it.<br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“Music sweeps by me as a messenger / Carrying a message that is not for me.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— George Eliot, 1868</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />Soon he was improvising on topics in the booth, adding details and getting into side stories that embellished his main topic. His monologues were “a slow, casual, laid-back, free-floating association of ideas, philosophy, and bemused commentary,” according to Bergmann.</p><p>In essence, Shepherd became the jazz artist of the monologue. And like jazz, he had committed fans who understood and spoke his language.</p><p>And this him to pull one of his greatest practical jokes—the <em>I, Libertine</em> hoax.<br /></p><p><br /></p><h2>Night people and the literary hoax</h2><p>The power of his impact was directly tied to the relationship Shep had with his audience, whom he affectionately called “night people.” These aren't just those who work the third shift; John Crosby in <em>The New York Times</em> in 1956 quoted Shepherd on night people:</p><blockquote><p>“There’s a great body of people who flower at night, who feel night is their time. Night is the time people truly become individuals, because all the familiar things are dark and done, all the restrictions on freedom are removed. Many artists work at night—it is peculiarly conducive to creative work. Many of us attuned to night are not artists but are embattled against the official, organized righteous day people who are completely bound by their switchboards and their red tape.”</p></blockquote><p>One evening, as he was talking to the night people, he observed how day people liked lists, because lists conferred a sense of authority, direction, or truth. Bestseller lists were overrated, Shep thought. Merely a construct made up by the day people.</p><p>So what if, he pondered, the night people were to go to a bookstore and ask for a book that wasn’t on any list? Not just a book that wasn’t on a bestseller list; a book that wasn’t on any inventory lists. A book that didn’t even <em>exist</em>.</p><p>Listeners called in with suggestions for titles, and eventually <em>I, Libertine</em> was selected, by fictitious author Frederick R. Ewing, a “former British commander and civil servant in Rhodesia, known for his BBC broadcasts on eighteenth-century erotica.”</p><p>He and the audience together improvised this book and then listeners went to bookstores in droves, asking for the title. Bookstore managers checked with distributors, distributors checked with publishers, but no one could find it. They were perplexed, since so many people were asking for the same title, yet that title didn’t appear on any lists.</p><p>Demand became so great that Shepherd teamed up with science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon to write the book as nom de plume Frederick R. Ewing under the Ballantine Press imprint. <em>The New York Times</em> called it a “bebop minuet” and <em>Publisher’s Weekly</em> termed it, “the hoax that became a book.”</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qAkdFIM-rRw/YCP5J8VwT6I/AAAAAAABR20/n2BHH10AJVc1z0TCDOmWaadzCoNCGisRwCLcBGAsYHQ/s384/I%252C_Libertine_%2528book_cover%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="218" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qAkdFIM-rRw/YCP5J8VwT6I/AAAAAAABR20/n2BHH10AJVc1z0TCDOmWaadzCoNCGisRwCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/I%252C_Libertine_%2528book_cover%2529.jpg" /></a></div><p></p><p><br />It’s that kind of cross-pollinating of concepts and ideas that leads to creative breakthroughs. Where polymaths use their knowledge of vastly different subjects to bring together the unusual or unexpected to produce results.</p><p><br />As you can imagine, it doesn’t happen without the prerequisite inspiration. And you’ve got to want to seek out other sources to inspire you. What does that take?<br /><br />Nothing less than curiosity.<br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” </strong></em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Ellen Parr, 1980</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><h2>Applied curiosity</h2><p>The curious are constantly wondering “Why?” or “How?” or “What else?” You want to expand your sphere of knowledge, wide or deep. You want to understand the weak connections, the conditions in which an artist worked, the inner workings of the human mind.<br /><br />Adam Bryant has interviewed 525 chief executives through his years writing the ‘Corner Office’ column in <em>The New York Times</em>. Over those 525 interviews, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/27/business/how-to-be-a-ceo.html">here's what he has learned</a> about those CEOs:</p><blockquote><p>“[T]hey share a habit of mind that is best described as ‘<strong>applied curiosity</strong>.’ They tend to question everything. They want to know how things work, and wonder how they can be made to work better. They’re curious about people and their back stories.”</p></blockquote><p>Isn’t it time that we took a step away from the screen or the desk, like Don Draper did? Maybe we can immerse ourselves in art, music, or literature that pierces the very heart of human nature—that evergreen and immutable part of ourselves that is consistent from generation to generation, century to century.<br /></p><p>If you’re curious enough to spend time digging into the past, you may find you have a whole course charted out for your future.<br /><br />And who doesn’t need more of that? Taking ourselves away from the digital distractions and looming pressures of life. A chance to be inspired. </p><p>And perhaps to inspire others as well.</p><p><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><hr /></div><h2 style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", serif, sans-serif; font-size: 22.4px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"></h2><h2 data-pm-context="[]" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", serif, sans-serif; font-size: 22.4px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><strong><br />A Preview of Friday's Curated Content:</strong></h2><div><h4 data-pm-context="[]">One Timeless link</h4><p>A recent patent filing related to music shows how one platform is trying to jump on the coattails of another rising star. (<em><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">Link for premium subscribers</a></strong></em>)</p><h4><strong>A Timeless story</strong></h4><p>Jazz singers have the ability to take command of the present moment, seemingly bending reality to their will. It’s a combination of complex cognitive and psychological processes that drive the ‘real-time’ spontaneous creation of music. But it’s also a lesson for how we can improvise through life itself. (<em><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">Link for premium subscribers</a></strong></em>)</p><h4><strong>Further reading: Friday's book recommendation</strong></h4><p>The rules for leadership and teamwork have changed, and the skills that got professionals ahead a generation ago don’t work anymore. This week’s book recommendation is a new toolkit for individuals and organizations to thrive in a world increasingly shaped by speed, social communication, and decentralization, based on principles of improvisation. (<em><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">Link for premium subscribers</a></strong></em>)</p></div><div><strong><br /></strong></div><div><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br />👉 Members receive an additional related essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. Join the club by signing up below:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p>

Improvisation as Inspiration

Improvisation 27 (Garden of Love II) by Wassily Kandinksy (public domain - Wikimedia Commons) “We start then, with the Muses, who delight...

When We Speculate, We See What We Want

<p> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3RIjLLwzPPQ/YBrYHqLeOgI/AAAAAAABRwA/iI2EUeHXEBwNS60l_AP7Mj761rK0YhN3gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1024/Edvard%2BMunch%2B-%2BAt%2Bthe%2BRoulette%2BTable%2Bin%2BMonte%2BCarlo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="666" data-original-width="1024" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3RIjLLwzPPQ/YBrYHqLeOgI/AAAAAAABRwA/iI2EUeHXEBwNS60l_AP7Mj761rK0YhN3gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h416/Edvard%2BMunch%2B-%2BAt%2Bthe%2BRoulette%2BTable%2Bin%2BMonte%2BCarlo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table></p><figcaption class="image-caption" data-pm-context="["captionedImage",null]" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edvard_Munch_-_At_the_Roulette_Table_in_Monte_Carlo_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg">At the Roulette Table</a></em> by Edvard Munch, 1892 (public domain - Wikimedia Commons/Google Art Project)</span></figcaption><figcaption class="image-caption" data-pm-context="["captionedImage",null]" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></figcaption><figcaption class="image-caption" data-pm-context="["captionedImage",null]" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></figcaption><figcaption class="image-caption" data-pm-context="["captionedImage",null]" style="text-align: left;"><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“Everything that deceives does so by casting a spell.”</strong> </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Plato, 380 BC</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />Can you intimately explain games of chance? That is, can you quote the odds of getting a specific number on a roulette wheel, a roll of the dice in craps, or a hand in poker?</p><p>Odds are you understand how each ranks in relation to other options in a particular game—more likely, less likely, etc.—but you can't explain the exact statistical odds.</p><p>When we find ourselves involved in these situations and emotions run high as the stakes grow and fortune continues to smile on us, we stop thinking rationally. As if the good times have to continue and Lady Luck is in our corner.</p><p>In many ways, the stock market reflects the same kind of thinking. In a bull market or a frenzy, we see people falling over themselves to buy in and be part of the trend that is gripping the investment community. It's the ultimate in FOMO.</p><p>We’ve seen the results of this play out numerous times in memorable history, such as the Dot Com bubble in 2000 and Black Friday in October 1929. But go even further back, and we find the Dutch Tulip Craze of the early 17th century and the Mississippi and South Sea bubbles of the early 18th century.</p><p>It’s tempting to think that we’re living in unprecedented times (we hear that quite a bit these days). A global pandemic, a stock market seemingly without a ceiling—as if humans have never experienced such events.<br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br /></strong></em></p><div style="text-align: center;"><em><strong><em><strong>“Not to know what happened before one was born is always to be a child.”</strong>  </em></strong></em></div><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: right;"><em>— Cicero</em></div><em><br /></em><p></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />While it’s true we may not have personally experienced such events, we must be unimaginative indeed if we think humanity has never grappled with them.</p><p>We have no further to look than <strong>Washington Irving</strong> for perfectly encapsulating the Mississippi Bubble in his essay “A Time of Unexampled Prosperity” in 1819. See if this doesn’t sound familiar to you:</p><blockquote><p>“Speculation is the romance of trade and casts contempt upon all its sober realities. It renders the stock jobber a magician and the exchange a region of enchantment. It elevates the merchant into a kind of knight-errant, or rather a commercial Quixote. The slow but sure gains of snug percentage become despicable in his eyes: no ‘operation’ is thought worthy of attention that does not double or treble the investment. No business is worth following that does not promise an immediate fortune.”</p></blockquote><p>How curious it is that we use the term <em>speculation</em> for investing: the dictionary defines this usage as <em><strong>“investment in stocks, property, or other ventures in the hope of gain but with the risk of loss.”</strong></em></p><p>The primary definition of speculation? <em><strong>“the forming of a theory or conjecture without firm evidence.”</strong></em></p><p>Hope is not an investment strategy. Putting money behind ideas without firm evidence is an invitation to potential ruin.</p><p>This is exactly what we've witnessed over the last week with GameStop.<br /><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p><em><strong><br />In Friday’s essay for <a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">premium subscribers</a> of Timeless & Timely, we’ll go deeper on the issue of trust behind the GameStop fracas: specifically how there are multiple points where trust was broken or was already lacking in multiple actors in this drama. (Don’t miss out on this, plus the best curated content for you every Friday.)<br /><br /></strong></em></p><div><hr /></div><p><br />The GameStop incident is something of a Rorschach test. We’ve all watched this play out, almost in slow motion, getting uglier by the day and moving from opaque to somewhat clear and then back again. And in doing so, we can stamp upon it that which matters to us or is most familiar to us.</p><p>Part of my research material for the newsletter is the journal <em>Lapham’s Quarterly</em>. Filled with examples from history and literature, there is nary a subject that isn’t covered. As the morality tale of financial sleight of hand plays out, I have a hard time choosing which issue will inspire this week’s theme.</p><p>Looking at the players (Reddit, hedge funds, the stock market, Robinhood), my thoughts swing from the function of the market and currency, and how investors got whipped into a drunken frenzy of trading.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 image2-393-524" href="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1260826c-51b1-45a3-9954-daa57767f936_1119x839.jpeg" style="height: 0px; padding-bottom: min(74.9777%, 392.883px); width: 100%;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-attrs="{"src":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1260826c-51b1-45a3-9954-daa57767f936_1119x839.jpeg","height":839,"width":1119,"resizeWidth":524,"bytes":null,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":null,"href":null}" src="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1260826c-51b1-45a3-9954-daa57767f936_1119x839.jpeg" style="max-height: 392.883px; max-width: 524px;" /></a></figure></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>I consider how the stock market can be viewed as nothing more than a sophisticated casino, where Lady Luck smiles on those whom she deems worthy.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 image2-407-542" href="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d9ff95b-17fd-4061-81e3-9b7b1e98a25f_1119x839.jpeg" style="height: 0px; padding-bottom: min(74.9777%, 406.379px); width: 100%;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-attrs="{"src":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3d9ff95b-17fd-4061-81e3-9b7b1e98a25f_1119x839.jpeg","height":839,"width":1119,"resizeWidth":542,"bytes":null,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":null,"href":null}" src="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3d9ff95b-17fd-4061-81e3-9b7b1e98a25f_1119x839.jpeg" style="max-height: 406.379px; max-width: 542px;" /></a></figure></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Then I wonder if the r/WallStreetBets redditors are using their sway and social media as something of a revolution, where the little guy sticks it to the man, or if we’re being hoodwinked by people pulling a scheme worthy of Charles Ponzi.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 image2-422-562" href="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd91115b4-3448-4139-b055-c850cf038379_1119x839.jpeg" style="height: 0px; padding-bottom: min(74.9777%, 421.374px); width: 100%;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-attrs="{"src":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/d91115b4-3448-4139-b055-c850cf038379_1119x839.jpeg","height":839,"width":1119,"resizeWidth":562,"bytes":null,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":null,"href":null}" src="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd91115b4-3448-4139-b055-c850cf038379_1119x839.jpeg" style="max-height: 421.374px; max-width: 562px;" /></a></figure></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>As this tale races toward its inevitable conclusion, I note that GameStop stock (NASDAQ: GME) was trading around $20 three weeks ago, reached a high of $483 last week, and now hovers around $90. It’s a disaster for all involved: day traders who bought in after the run, hedge funds that lost money shorting the stock, and Robinhood’s liquidity. There’s a palpable sense of fear as to what might come next, if not with GameStop, then with other vulnerable stocks.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 image2-447-596" href="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88e9debb-565c-4379-9528-c2d460429d58_1119x839.jpeg" style="height: 0px; padding-bottom: min(74.9777%, 446.867px); width: 100%;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-attrs="{"src":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/88e9debb-565c-4379-9528-c2d460429d58_1119x839.jpeg","height":839,"width":1119,"resizeWidth":596,"bytes":null,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":null,"href":null}" src="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F88e9debb-565c-4379-9528-c2d460429d58_1119x839.jpeg" style="max-height: 446.867px; max-width: 596px;" /></a></figure></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p>Finally, I imagine that this storm will blow over, and when it does, there will be plenty of debris remaining. It’s already a scandal, but as the authorities investigate the series of events, what more will be uncovered? Will those responsible be held accountable for their actions?</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 image2-443-590" href="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7022285c-b29a-465a-b1d3-0775ef159d4a_1119x839.jpeg" style="height: 0px; padding-bottom: min(74.9777%, 442.368px); width: 100%;" target="_blank"><img alt="" data-attrs="{"src":"https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7022285c-b29a-465a-b1d3-0775ef159d4a_1119x839.jpeg","height":839,"width":1119,"resizeWidth":590,"bytes":null,"alt":null,"title":null,"type":null,"href":null}" src="https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7022285c-b29a-465a-b1d3-0775ef159d4a_1119x839.jpeg" style="max-height: 442.368px; max-width: 590px;" /></a></figure><figure><br /></figure></div><div><hr /></div><h3><strong><br /></strong></h3><h3><strong>The Morality Tale for Leaders</strong></h3><p>All of this is to say that there will be moments in your company’s operations when speculation is rampant. When investors, employees, customers and the public make guesses based on a hunch or a rumor.</p><p>Each of these groups—even each individual within each of these groups—will draw their own conclusions and paint their own biases onto the situation. They will read into it what they wish, as the mind is notorious for filling in narratives when there is little to no information.</p><p>Your best defense in this scenario?</p><p><em><strong>Communication</strong></em>.</p><p>Transparency, frequency, and honesty. Whenever and wherever you can, apply these to your communication strategy.</p><p>The more people hear from you, the clearer you are in your communication, the more likely it is that you’ll give people a sense of stability and direction—two things that are essential in a crisis.</p><p>For in doing so, you’ll be building the one thing that a market can’t replicate:</p><p>Trust.</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><h2></h2><h2 data-pm-context="[]"><strong>A Preview of Friday's Curated Content:</strong></h2><div><strong><br /></strong></div><h4><strong>A Timeless story</strong></h4><p>We’re all familiar with the scheme that shares the name of Italian-American Charles Ponzi, but he was neither the first nor the last to attempt this particular form for swindle. The economist John Kenneth Galbraith noted “the man who is admired for the ingenuity of his larceny is almost always rediscovering some earlier form of fraud.” That was indeed the case with Ponzi (a Bostonian), as 50 years earlier, a woman in Boston created the Ladies’ Deposit to help invest money for women. (<em><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">Link for premium subscribers</a></strong></em>)</p><h4><strong>Further reading: Friday's book recommendation</strong></h4><p>Far from displacing religions, as has been supposed, capitalism became a religion of its own, with money as its deity. This week’s book recommendation reveals how mammon ensnared us and how we can find a more humane, sacramental way of being in the world. (<em><strong><a href="https://www.timelesstimely.com/subscribe">Link available to premium subscribers</a></strong></em>)</p><p><br /></p><div><hr /></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">👉 Members receive an additional essay, plus curated links and stories, and audio and book recommendations every Friday. Join the club by signing up below:</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="320" scrolling="no" src="https://scottmonty.substack.com/embed" style="font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; max-height: 450px; max-width: 100%;" width="480"></iframe></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><br /></figure></div></figcaption>

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Scott Monty - Strategic Communications & Leadership Advisor

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