Learn to Understand Your Own Intelligence

Three years ago I listened to a lecture on cognition that changed the way I think about intelligence. This is the crux. There are two types of cognition. The first is normal cognition. This is the ability to retrieve knowledge from memory. When you are asked a question on a test and produce an answer, that’s a display of cognitive ability. The second type of cognition is metacognition; the ability to know whether or not you know.Have you ever been asked a question that you knew the answer to, but you couldn’t find the right word? This is called the “tip of the tongue” phenomenon and I’m sure we’ve all experienced it. You know that you know the answer, but you fail to produce it. If someone said an answer, you would know instantly if it was correct or not. In these cases metacognition exists without cognition.In short, cognition is knowing, metacognition is knowing if you know or not. Both can exist together, but many times they don’t.

How Does this Affect Intelligence?

So what importance does this have and how is it relevant to self improvement? The fact that there are two different kinds of cognitive ability means that there are different types of intelligence.In traditional education, intelligence is measured by cognitive ability. For some people this is works well. They can easily produce everything they know on a test. But for others it doesn’t work out so well. The people that know something cold but can’t find the right words on a test are awarded with poor grades and considered inferior.But does this inability make them any less intelligent? They know the answer. If the question came up on a task, they could refer to a book or a quick Google search. In reality they’re just as effective as the people that aced the test. They just can’t prove it as easily.

The Importance of Knowing what you know

Unless you’re taking a test or playing Jeopardy, metacognition is more important to success than cognition. In real life, when you’re faced with a question the first decision is whether you know the answer or not. With strong metacognitive ability this is easy. If you know the answer, but can’t come up with it, you can always do a bit of research. If you know for sure that you don’t know, then you can start educating yourself. Because you’re aware of your ignorance, you don’t act with foolish confidence. The person who thinks they know something that they really don’t makes the worst decisions.A person with poor cognitive ability, but great metacognitive ability is actually in great shape. They might do poorly in school, but when faced with a challenge they understand their abilities and take the best course of action. These people might not seem intelligent at first glance, but because they know what they know, they make better decisions and learn the most important things.

Clever but mediocre people

At the opposite end of the spectrum are people with great cognitive ability but poor metacognitive ability. These people are proclaimed geniuses at a young age for acing every test and getting great SAT scores. Unfortunately, they’ve been ruined by poor metacognition; they think they know everything but they really don’t. They are arrogant, fail to learn from mistakes, and don’t understand the nuances of personal relationships; showing disdain for persons with lower cognitive ability.So who is superior? In a battle of wits the higher cognitive ability prevails, but life is not a single encounter. It is a series of experiments in succession, each building upon the last. Learning requires knowing what you don’t know, and taking steps to learn what you need to. People with poor metacognitive ability never realize that they don’t ‘get it’. They also don’t realize what’s important.This doesn’t preclude them from material success. But, perhaps that’s a poor measurement of intelligence as well. There are many people who become rich and successful by their cleverness and cognitive ability, but as human beings are quite mediocre. Is the man that makes a million dollars, but is cruel and abusive to his employees and family, really more intelligent than the poor man who lives a modest and loving life? I don’t intend to demonize wealth, only to state that it should not be the measure of virtue.

Use your metacognitive ability

So what do we know and what do we not? And how can we tell the difference? There is so much to know in the world that the most brilliant human minds can grasp only the tiniest fraction. For this reason we should always be in doubt of what we know. The closed mind is oblivious to its surroundings, while the open mind absorbs them. Like a sponge, it soaks up observations, becoming fuller and more robust.But we can’t live in total doubt. If we did we would never act, paralyzed by our inadequate knowledge. We must trust our intuition. If something makes you feel a certain way, that feeling is real and must be respected. Act based on your own convictions, not those of others, and keep an open ear for new ideas.The most important mental power is the ability to know what you don’t know. The recognition of a fault is the first step to improvement. Don’t try to hide a lack of knowledge. People will see through it and you’ll appear foolish and arrogant. If you admit your ignorance, people will help you learn and respect your humility. For intelligent people this is the toughest lesson to learn. We are used to being right, and consider being wrong shameful. We’re afraid to lose status by looking stupid. This vain arrogance is a great weakness and the source of many problems. To crush it and embrace humility is the mark of true wisdom.

by Editor in Chief, Pick The Brain

Kisah Air Kencing Anjing Hitam

Pada zaman Nabi Musa, ada seorang lelaki yang sudah berumahtangga. Dia tiada zuriat dan sangat menginginkannya. Lalu terdetik dalam hati dia (bernazar), “Kalau aku dapat anak, aku akan minum air kencing anjing hitam.”

Takdir Allah S.W.T., isteri si lelaki tadi telah hamil dan melahirkan anak.

Apabila dah dapat anak, lelaki ni pun runsinglah. Dia dah nazar nak kena minum air kencing anjing hitam. Bagaimana dia nak tunaikan nazar nya itu?

Syariat pada zaman Nabi Musa berbeza dengan syariat yang turun untuk umat Nabi Muhammad. Kalau umat Nabi Muhammad, nazar benda yang haram, maka tak payah buat tapi kena denda (dam) atau sedekah. Tapi kalau zaman Nabi Musa, barangsiapa bernazar, walaupun haram tetap kena laksanakan nazar tu.

Lalu, si lelaki yang baru mendapat anak, dengan susah hatinya pergilah

bertemu dengan Nabi Allah Musa dan menceritakan segala yang terjadi ke atas dirinya. Lalu, Nabi Musa menjawab bahawa lelaki tu tak perlu minum air kencing anjing hitam tetapi akan minum air yang lebih hina dari air kencing anjing hitam.

Nabi Musa perintahkan lelaki tersebut untuk pergi menadah air yang jatuh dari bumbung rumah orang yang meninggalkan solat (solat mengikut syariat Nabi Musa a.s) dan minum air tu.

Lelaki itu pun berasa senang hati dan segera menjalankan apa yang di perintahkan oleh Nabi Musa tadi.

Lihatlah, betapa hinanya orang yang meninggalkan solat, sampai dikatakan air yang jatuh dari bumbung rumahnya, lebih hina dari air kencing anjing hitam. Itu baru air bumbung rumah, belum air tangan lagi.

Jadi, kepada muslimat sekalian, peliharalah solat kerana kalau meninggalkan solat (kalau tak uzur), air tangan akan menitik ke dalam basuhan makanan; nasi, dsb. Anak-anak, suami pula yang akan makan makanan yang dimasak. Takkan nak biarkan suami dan anak-anak gelap hati minum air tangan orang tinggalkan solat. Tak gamak kan? Ker selamba dan tak kesah 

Apapun, yang paling patut kita fikirkan ialah perihal makan di luar, makan di restoran-restoran yang kita tidak kenal siapa tukang masaknya. Terutamanya makan di kedai mamak.

Saya pun pelik, kenapa la kita ni suka benar makan kat kedai-kedai mamat tu. Kadang-kadang, pagi petang, siang malam makan di kedai mamak!

“Teh tarik satu, roti canai satu.”

Bukanlah saya anti kedai mamak. Atau anti makan luar. Tapi kita kena fikir kesan daripada memakan masakan orang yang tak solat.

Saya percaya, ada ramai tukang masak yang tak solat. Kita pulak, pi makan bekas air tangan diorang. Maka, gelaplah hati kita. Sebab tu liat nak buat kerja-kerja yang baik.

Ingat saudara-saudari ku sekalian. Berhati-hati dengan apa yang kita makan.

Solat sangat penting. Betapa beratnya amalan solat ni hatta Allah syariatkan solat kepada Nabi Muhammad melalui Isra ‘ Mikraj sedangkan kewajipan-kewajipan lain disampaikan melalui Jibril as.

Ketika saat Rasulullah SAW sedang nazak, sempat baginda berpesan kepada Saidina Ali (dan untuk umat Islam), “As-solah! As Solah wa amalakat aimanukum”.

Maknanya, “Solat! Solat! Jangan sekali-kali kamu abaikan. Dan peliharalah (pesan supaya suruh solat) orang-orang yang lemah di bawah tanggunganmu”

Kesimpulan 

Sama-samalah kita pelihara solat dari segi zahir & batinnya kerana amalan solatlah amalan yang mula-mula akan ditimbang di neraca Mizan kelak. 

Berhati-hati lah dalam memilih makanan. Elakkan memakan masakan yang dimasak oleh tukang masak yang tidak solat atau yang selalu meninggalkan solat. 

Para ibu, para isteri, tunaikanlah solat sebaik mungkin. Kerana air tangan mu memberikan kesan yang sangat besar kepada suami dan anak-anakmu. 

Sekian, semoga kita dapat sama-sama beringat dan mentaati semua perintah Allah. 

Buah Tangan Pada Hari Kelahiran Nabi SAW

Warkah Dari InsyirahAzhar(dot)com

Assalamualaikum dan salam kebahagiaan Kepada pambaca yang dirahmati Allah dan dikasihi Nabi. Mudah-mudahan para malaikat sudi mengaamiinkan doa saya agar  sentiasa dalam keadaan sihat, dipermudahkan urusan, dikurniakan rezeki dunia dan akhirat. Aamiin ya Rabb.

Alhamdulillah, selawat ke atas Nabi SAW atas hari kelahiran baginda. Semoga bibir kita sentiasa terbiasa dengan selawat ke atas baginda.  Daripada Tuan Khir Ariffin Amalan-amalan ini menjadi sebab Allah limpahi hamba-Nya dengan keluasan rezeki dan rasa kaya dengan pemberian-Nya. Berdasarkan konsep rezeki yang telah diperkatakan, Allah memberi jalan buat setiap hamba-Nya untuk memperolehi rezeki dalam pelbagai bentuk yang boleh menjadi punca kebaikan dunia dan akhirat. Di antaranya: 1. Menyempatkan diri beribadah Allah tidak sia-siakan pengabdian diri hamba-Nya, seperti firman-Nya dalam hadis qudsi: "Wahai anak Adam, sempatkanlah untuk menyembah-Ku maka Aku akan membuat hatimu kaya dan menutup kefakiranmu. Jika tidak melakukannya maka Aku akan penuhi tanganmu dengan kesibukan dan Aku tidak menutup kefakiranmu.” (Riwayat Ahmad, Tirmizi, Ibnu Majah dan al-Hakim dari Abu Hurairah r.a.) 2. Memperbanyak istighfar Istighfar adalah rintihan dan pengakuan dosa seorang hamba di depan Allah , yang menjadi sebab Allah jatuh kasih dan kasihan pada hamba-Nya lalu Dia berkenan melapangkan jiwa dan kehidupan si hamba. Sabda Nabi s.a.w.: "Barang siapa memperbanyak istighfar maka Allah s.w.t akan menghapuskan segala kedukaannya, menyelesaikan segala masalahnya dan memberinya rezeki dari arah yang tidak disangka.” (Riwayat Ahmad, Abu Daud, an-Nasa'i, Ibnu Majah dan al-Hakim dari Abdullah bin Abbas r.a.) 3.Tinggalkan perbuatan dosa Istighfar tidak laku di sisi Allah jika masih buat dosa. Dosa bukan saja membuat hati resah malah menutup pintu rezeki. Sabda Nabi s.a.w.: "… dan seorang lelaki akan diharamkan baginya rezeki kerana dosa yang dibuatnya.” (Riwayat at-Tirmizi) 4. Sentiasa ingat Allah  Banyak ingat Allah buatkan hati tenang dan kehidupan terasa lapang. Ini rezeki yang hanya Allah beri kepada orang beriman. Firman-Nya: "(iaitu) orang-orang beriman dan hati mereka menjadi tenteram dengan mengingati Allah . Ingatlah, hanya dengan mengingati Allah hati menjadi tenteram.” (Ar-Ra'd: 28) 5. Berbakti dan mendoakan ibu bapa Dalam hadis riwayat Imam Ahmad, Rasulullah s.a.w. berpesan agar siapa yang ingin panjang umur dan ditambahi rezekinya, hendaklah berbakti kepada ibu bapanya dan menyambung tali kekeluargaan. Baginda s.a.w. juga bersabda: "Siapa berbakti kepada ibu bapanya maka kebahagiaanlah buatnya dan Allah akan memanjangkan umurnya.” (Riwayat Abu Ya'ala, at-Tabrani, al-Asybahani dan al-Hakim) Mendoakan ibu bapa juga menjadi sebab mengalirnya rezeki, berdasarkan sabda Nabi s.a.w.: "Apabila hamba itu meninggalkan berdoa kepada kedua orang tuanya nescaya terputuslah rezeki (Allah ) daripadanya.” (Riwayat al-Hakim dan ad-Dailami) 6. Berbuat baik dan menolong orang yang lemah Berbuat baik kepada orang yang lemah ini termasuklah menggembirakan dan meraikan orang tua, orang sakit, anak yatim dan fakir miskin, juga isteri dan anak-anak yang masih kecil. Sabda Nabi s.a.w.: "Tidaklah kamu diberi pertolongan dan diberi rezeki melainkan kerana orang-orang lemah di kalangan kamu.” (Riwayat Bukhari) 7. Tunaikan hajat orang lain Menunaikan hajat orang menjadi sebab Allah lapangkan rezeki dalam bentuk tertunainya hajat sendiri, seperti sabda Nabi s.a.w.: "Siapa yang menunaikan hajat saudaranya maka Allah akan menunaikan hajatnya…” (Riwayat Muslim) 8. Banyak berselawat Ada hadis yang menganjurkan berselawat jika hajat atau cita-cita tidak tertunai kerana selawat itu dapat menghilangkan kesusahan, kesedihan, dan kesukaran serta meluaskan rezeki dan menyebabkan terlaksananya semua hajat. Wallahu a'lam. 9. Buat kebajikan banyak-banyak Ibnu Abbas berkata: "Sesungguhnya kebajikan itu memberi cahaya kepada hati, kemurahan rezeki, kekuatan jasad dan disayangi oleh makhluk yang lain. Manakala kejahatan pula boleh menggelapkan rupa, menggelapkan hati, melemahkan tubuh, sempit rezeki dan makhluk lain mengutuknya.” 10. Berpagi-pagi Menurut Rasulullah s.a.w., berpagi-pagi (memulakan aktiviti harian sebaik-baik selesai solat Subuh berjemaah) adalah amalan yang berkat. 11. Menjalin silaturrahim Nabi s.a.w. bersabda: "Barang siapa ingin dilapangkan rezekinya dan dilambatkan ajalnya maka hendaklah dia menghubungi sanak-saudaranya.” (Riwayat Bukhari) 12. Melazimi kekal berwuduk Seorang Arab desa menemui Rasulullah s.a.w. dan meminta pedoman mengenai beberapa perkara termasuk mahu dimurahkan rezeki oleh Allah . Baginda s.a.w. bersabda: "Sentiasalah berada dalam keadaan bersih (dari hadas) nescaya Allah akan memurahkan rezeki.” (Diriwayatkan daripada Sayidina Khalid al-Walid) 13. Bersedekah Sedekah mengundang rahmat Allah dan menjadi sebab Allah buka pintu rezeki. Nabi s.a.w. bersabda kepada Zubair bin al-Awwam: "Hai Zubair, ketahuilah bahawa kunci rezeki hamba itu ditentang Arasy, yang dikirim oleh Allah azza wajalla kepada setiap hamba sekadar nafkahnya. Maka siapa yang membanyakkan pemberian kepada orang lain, nescaya Allah membanyakkan baginya. Dan siapa yang menyedikitkan, nescaya Allah menyedikitkan baginya.” (Riwayat ad-Daruquthni dari Anas r.a.) 14. Melazimi solat malam (tahajud) Ada keterangan bahawa amalan solat tahajjud memudahkan memperoleh rezeki, menjadi sebab seseorang itu dipercayai dan dihormati orang dan doanya dimakbulkan Allah . 15. Melazimi solat Dhuha Amalan solat Dhuha yang dibuat waktu orang sedang sibuk dengan urusan dunia (aktiviti harian), juga mempunyai rahsia tersendiri. Firman Allah dalam hadis qudsi: "Wahai anak Adam, jangan sekali-kali engkau malas mengerjakan empat rakaat pada waktu permulaan siang (solat Dhuha), nanti pasti akan Aku cukupkan keperluanmu pada petang harinya.” (Riwayat al-Hakim dan Thabrani) 16. Bersyukur kepada Allah  Syukur ertinya mengakui segala pemberian dan nikmat dari Allah . Lawannya adalah kufur nikmat. Allah berfirman: "Demi sesungguhnya! Jika kamu bersyukur, nescaya Aku tambahi nikmat-Ku kepadamu, dan demi sesungguhnya jika kamu kufur, sesungguhnya azab-Ku amat keras.” (Ibrahim: 7) Firman-Nya lagi: "… dan Kami akan memberi balasan kepada orang-orang yang bersyukur.” (Ali Imran: 145) 17. Mengamalkan zikir dan bacaan ayat Quran tertentu Zikir dari ayat-ayat al-Quran atau asma'ul husna selain menenangkan, menjenihkan dan melunakkan hati, ia mengandungi fadilat khusus untuk keluasan ilmu, terbukanya pintu hidayah, dimudahkan faham agama, diberi kemanisan iman dan dilapangkan rezeki. Misalnya, dua ayat terakhir surah at-Taubah (ayat 128-129) jika dibaca secara konsisten tujuh kali setiap kali lepas solat, dikatakan boleh menjadi sebab Allah lapangkan kehidupan dan murahkan rezeki. Salah satu nama Allah , al-Fattah (Maha Membukakan) dikatakan dapat menjadi sebab dibukakan pintu rezeki jika diwiridkan selalu; misalnya dibaca "Ya Allah ya Fattah” berulang-ulang, diiringi doa: "Ya Allah , bukalah hati kami untuk mengenali-Mu, bukalah pintu rahmat dan keampunan-Mu, ya Fattah ya 'Alim.” Ada juga hadis menyebut, siapa amalkan baca surah al-Waqi'ah setiap malam, dia tidak akan ditimpa kepapaan. Wallahu a'lam. 18. Berdoa Berdoa menjadikan seorang hamba dekat dengan Allah , penuh bergantung dan mengharap pada rahmat dan pemberian dari-Nya. Dalam al-Quran, Allah suruh kita meminta kepada-Nya, nescaya Dia akan perkenankan. 19. Berikhtiar sehabisnya Siapa berusaha, dia akan dapat. Ini sunnatullah. Dalam satu hadis sahih dikatakan bahawa Allah berikan dunia kepada orang yang dicintai-Nya dan yang tidak dicintai-Nya, tapi agama hanya Allah beri kepada orang yang dicintai-Nya saja. (Riwayat Ahmad, Ibnu Abi Syaibah dan al-Hakim) Bagi orang beriman, tentulah dia perlu mencari sebab-sebab yang boleh membawa kepada murah rezeki dalam skop yang luas. Misalnya, hendak tenang dibacanya Quran, hendak dapat anak yang baik dididiknya sejak anak dalam rahim lagi, hendak sihat dijaganya pemakanan dan makan yang baik dan halal, hendak dapat jiran yang baik dia sendiri berusaha jadi baik, hendak rezeki berkat dijauhinya yang haram, dan sebagainya. 20. Bertawakal Dengan tawakal, seseorang itu akan direzekikan rasa kaya dengan Allah . Firman-Nya: "Barang siapa bertawakal kepada Allah , nescaya Allah mencukupkan (keperluannya) .” (At-Thalaq: 3) Nabi s.a.w. bersabda: "Seandainya kamu bertawakal kepada Allah dengan sebenar-benar tawakal, nescaya kamu diberi rezeki seperti burung diberi rezeki, ia pagi hari lapar dan petang hari telah kenyang.” (Riwayat Ahmad, at-Tirmizi, Ibnu Majah, Ibnu Hibban, al-Hakim dari Umar bin al-Khattab r.a.) Kesemua yang disebut di atas adalah amalan-amalan yang membawa kepada takwa. Dengan takwa, Allah akan beri "jalan keluar (dari segala perkara yang menyusahkan) , dan memberinya rezeki dari jalan yang tidak terlintas di hatinya.” (At-Talaq: 2-3) Pendek kata, bagi orang Islam, untuk murah rezeki dalam ertikata yang sebenarnya, kuncinya adalah buat amalan-amalan takwa. Amalan-amalan ini menjadi sebab jatuhnya kasih sayang Allah , lalu Allah limpahi hamba-Nya dengan keluasan rezeki dan rasa kaya dengan pemberian-Nya. Terima kasih dan kredit kepada: khirariffin.blogspot.com Akhir kata, selawat ke atas Nabi SAW; اللهمَّ صلِّ على سيِّدنا محمَّد وعلى آلِه وصحبِه وسلِّم

Salam syukur Alhamdulillah,

Steal This Lesson: White Space Enhances Productivity

For some people, it’s hard to come up with ideas, to think of ways to be more creative, to find time to nurture a passion.For Pick the Brain readers though, a different type of problem presents itself: how to regulate the output of all those creative processes going on in your head. Make it sustainable. Make sure you don’t go crazy. Corral all those voices in your head before they become a problem. Here’s where borrowing from another discipline helps. You know, like ballet for football players?The fact is, we all want to be productive, operating at our peak. When the quantity of work increases and becomes unsustainable, however, productivity actually decreases. How do we fix that?White space? I had been hearing about “white space” in different contexts lately, and I wanted to see what the big deal was. Turns out its fame is warranted. White space is a concept used by graphic designers that fulfills several functions, some of which can be turned to good use in other disciplines, to whit, the following themes culled from NaldzGraphics:

White Space Creates a Balanced and Harmonious Layout

If your layout is your life, this is an easy metaphor. You want action some of the time, but not  all of the time. A balance of the yin and the yang. Give yourself some blank spots in your schedule to allow for your body and mind to recover from your awesome productive sessions!

White Space Improves Readability

If you want other people to read your message and act upon it, white space allows you to better communicate your core purpose, your driving passion, to others. For example, if you talk a-mile-a-minute to someone you just met about all your passions, they will leave the conversation (running!) without understanding what your core message is all about. Edit. Edit Edit!

White Space Gives Focus and Emphasis to an Object

By setting apart the colored, active space, you emphasize its importance. Consider a blackboard that has 4 quadrants of paper on it with writing. Compare that to a blackboard alongside that has one paper with writing, stuck in the middle. It makes you lean in to read it, doesn’t it? How much better would that work when the blackboard is your business, and the paper is your elevator speech, clear and concise? Another one for the edit pile.

White Space Acts as a Separator

Are you juggling a lot of balls in the air? Then honor each project, and instead of yoinking your brain out of one plane and jabbing it into another, let the thoughts and energies from one conclude and subside before tackling a different project. Setting aside a specific time slot, where you’re not rushing in, and you’re not rushing out of it to other responsibilities will make each activity more enjoyable. Switch it up, but in a civilized fashion! This will free up more creative engines for getting stuff done during those time slots.

Overall, making room for white space in your life helps you achieve your goals, meanwhile giving you balance, clarity, focus, and freedom from pressure. Not a bad way to organize!

by Margaret Pinard

Change is Good—But First, Know What Should Never Change

Fortune by Jim Collins November 1995

Imagine a President of the United States wrestling with the challenges of a rapidly changing and increasingly chaotic world—among them, new global competitors rising in both the East and West, fickle and unpredictable voters, government bureaucracies whose systems are fast becoming outdated, information technologies fomenting upheaval in virtually every aspect of the society. At a Cabinet meeting, the President's top advisers are handed a memo that begins:We no longer hold these truths to be self-evident. We can no longer afford to hold the belief that all men are created equal …The Commander-in-Chief then speaks: 

"We need to take a hard look at the Bill of Rights. We certainly can't let those outdated values get in our way. Nothing is sacred anymore—not freedom of religion, not freedom of the press, not the right to trial by jury. We're in the third wave now. We must change." 

Of course, this is an absurd scenario. But I've created it to drive home a point: Reengineering and other prevailing management fads that urge dramatic change and fundamental transformation on all fronts are not only wrong, they are dangerous. Any great and enduring human institution must have an underpinning of core values and a sense of timeless purpose that should never change. 

Give up the bedrock principles—the "what we stand for" and "why we exist"—of a great nation, and it will eventually cease to be great.The same lesson applies to corporations. I've found that the best of them—companies like Hewlett-Packard, Disney, and Boeing, which as a group have outpaced the stock market averages some 15-fold since the 1920s—have one thing in common. They have successfully adapted over the decades to a changing world without losing their core values. They have done so by grasping the difference between timeless principles and daily practices. 

Disney, for example, has almost religiously preserved a central ideology of wholesomeness and bringing happiness to people, yet it has continually changed its product strategy—from cartoons, to feature films, to the Mickey Mouse Club, to Disneyland, to videos. Boeing resolutely held tight its core philosophy of product integrity and leading-edge aviation, yet turned its business strategy upside down in the 1950s by betting the company on commercial jets at a time when 80% of its business came from military bombers.

At IBM, service to the customer above everything else was a core value; dominating the mainframe computer market was a business strategy; and compulsory white shirts an operating practice. IBM stumbled badly in the late 1980s because it drifted from its core values (which it should never have abandoned) while remaining too rigid in its strategies and operating practices (which it should have changed far more vigorously).

So how do you tell the difference between timeless principles and ephemeral practices? First—and this is vital—understand that a core ideology does not arise from the pursuit of competitive advantage. Valuing freedom might be a competitive advantage for the U.S., but that is not why we embrace this belief. A true core value is something you would hold even if it became a competitive disadvantage (although that seldom happens).

HP founders Bill Hewlett and David Packard didn't make respect for the individual a core value at their company for strategic advantage. Rather, they believed it was the morally right way to manage. At one point they passed up significant growth and profit opportunities by turning down big government contracts that would have forced them into a pattern of on-again, off-again, "hire and fire" employment. The decision paid off, though, by fostering greater loyalty among HP's workers.The critical question to ask is, if the world changed such that you were penalized for this tenet, would you continue to hold it? If so, then it is probably part of your core ideology. 

You will likely only find a handful of truly basic principles that you would want your company to hold forever—any more than five, and you're probably mixing up core ideals and business practices. Answer this question with clarity, and you'll know what you should not change. That crucial knowledge, in turn, will then free you to alter everything else.

10 Leadership Tips from Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs, founder of Apple(NASDAQ:AAPL) and Pixar (NYSE:DIS) was an iconic manager with a zest for taking on feats deemed impossible. He was able win over an entire planet. His Eastern beliefs set him apart from Western leaders. With an intense focus on what should be, he disrupted dysfunctional markets with simple elegant replacements. His Eastern wisdom encouraged focus and to “Think Different,” which may have meant to experience the moment.

The 10 Lessons of Steve Jobs are excerpts from Walter Isaacson’s, “The Real Lessons of Steve Jobs,” published in the Harvard Business Review, April 2012 (hbr.org/2012/04/the-real-leadership-lessons-of-steve-jobs/ar/1). Isaacson gives 14 lessons.

1. Simplify

For the iPod, Jobs’ Zen simplicity shinned through when he eliminated the on/off button. The device gradually powered down, and flashed on when reengaged. Jobs also developed complex systems with integrated hardware and software so the user devices could be simple and focused on a few tasks. An  ecosystem—an iPod connected to a Mac connected to an iTunes store—allowed for a division of labor. The MAC could handle system administration, freeing the portable devices play music or show videos. Later, Jobs aimed for mobile phones, and he would grab a competitor’s phone and rant that features could not be navigated, including the address book. His iPhone did not need a user’s manual. At the end of his career, Jobs rethought the television industry, so people could click and watch what they wanted. He dreamed up ways to make television simple and personal.

2. Control the Experience

Apple took end-to-end responsibility for the  user. From the performance of the ARM microprocessor to the experience in an Apple Store, everything was tightly linked. Part of Jobs’ compulsion for “the whole widget” stemmed from his controlling personality. But it was also driven by his passion for perfection. The strategy set Apple apart from competitors.

3. Innovate

Innovators don’t have to be pioneers. With the original iMac, Jobs focused on managing photos and videos, but not music. People were downloading music and then burning their own CDs. The iMac’s drive couldn’t burn CDs. Jobs said, “I thought we had missed it.” But instead of upgrading the iMac’s CD drive, he created an integrated system that transformed the music industry. The combination was iTunes, the iTunes Store, and the iPod, which allowed users to buy, share, manage, store, and play music better than any other way. After the iPod became a huge success, Jobs thought phone makers might displace it by adding music in the handsets, so he preempted them with the iPhone.

4. Ignore Reality

Jobs’ (in)famous ability to push the impossible was dubbed his Reality Distortion Field, after an episode of Star Trek in which aliens create an alternative reality through sheer will. An early example was when Jobs was on the night shift at Atari and pushed Steve Wozniak to create a game called Breakout. Woz said it would take months, but Jobs stared at him and insisted he could do it in four days. Woz ended up doing it.5. Have ConfidenceWith the iPhone, Jobs found plastic scratched easily and decided the face had to be glass. He met with Wendell Weeks, CEO of Corning (NYSE:GLW), who told him that Corning had developed a chemical process in the 1960s that led to “Gorilla glass.” Jobs said he wanted a major shipment of Gorilla glass in six months. Weeks said that Corning was not making the glass. “Don’t be afraid,” Jobs replied. A stunned Weeks, who was unfamiliar with Jobs’ Reality Distortion Field, tried to explain that a false sense of confidence would not trump engineering challenges. Jobs didn’t accept that premise. He stared unblinking at Weeks. “Yes, you can do it,” he said. “Get your mind around it. You can do it.” Weeks recalls his astonishment and then called the managers of Corning’s facility in Kentucky making LCD displays, and told them to convert immediately to Gorilla glass full-time. “We did it in under six months.”

6. Rethink Designs

Jobs personally spent time designing the jewel-like boxes for the iPod and iPhone and listed himself on the patents. He believed that unpacking was a ritual and heralded the glory of the product. For the iPhone, the initial design had the screen surrounded by an aluminum case. The problem was that the iPhone should have featured the display, not the case. The team changed it so the glass display was the phone.

7. Team with Winners

Jobs’ rudeness was packaged neatly with the diametrically opposed push for inspiration. He infused Apple employees a belief that they could accomplish anything. His rough treatment reflected a desire to work with the best and prevent “the bozo explosion,” in which managers are so polite that mediocre people feel comfortable staying. Jobs said, “Maybe there’s a better way—a gentlemen’s club where we all wear ties and speak in this Brahmin language and velvet code words—but I don’t know that way, because I am middle-class from California.”

8. Collaborate

Jobs believed creativity comes from spontaneous meetings. “You run into someone, and ask what they’re doing, you say ‘Wow,’ and soon you’re cooking up all sorts of ideas.” The Pixar building’s design promoted unplanned encounters around an atrium. He commented if a building didn’t encourage innovation, you lose the magic sparked by serendipity.

9. Vision + Details

Jobs’ passion was applied to issues both large and small. Some CEOs are great at vision; others know that God is in the details. In 2000 he came up with the grand vision that the personal computer should become a  hub for managing all of a user’s content, and got Apple into personal-devices. In 2010 he came up with the successor strategy—the hub would be consumed by the cloud—and Apple began building a huge server farm to upload and sync content to personal devices.

10. Rebel

Jobs asserted his counterculture personality in ads, proclaiming his hippie beginnings. When he returned to Apple, Jobs helped write the text for the “Think Different” ads: “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes…” If there was any doubt that, consciously or not, he was describing himself, he dispelled it with the last lines: “While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.” In his commencement address to Stanford, he admonished students to follow their own dreams, and not to get caught up in living someone else’s life.