tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460005.post2767577856660700919..comments2023-11-05T04:28:29.961-08:00Comments on Adventures in Capitalism: Trust In Process, Not PeopleChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00927628412285314176noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460005.post-16081074662478202672015-01-07T09:16:57.623-08:002015-01-07T09:16:57.623-08:00Paul, you're absolutely right that "great...Paul, you're absolutely right that "great men" (and women) do have a huge impact. Jobs was a genius. Bezos remains a genius. But as you point out, even geniuses aren't infallible.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00927628412285314176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460005.post-38733751142545574992015-01-06T20:38:39.249-08:002015-01-06T20:38:39.249-08:00As a scientist, I believe in generating hypotheses...As a scientist, I believe in generating hypotheses and testing them by looking at evidence. But often, especially when innovation is involved, relevant evidence doesn't exist.<br /><br />In spite of long training in decision theory, logic and reasoning and even tho it is possibly unscientific I believe in intuition. Steve Jobs deemed intuition "more powerful than intellect."<br /><br />At the risk of going a little ways back in the direction of the "great man" theory, I believe that great leaders are great because they are able to inspire other people to help them do great things<br />and they have exceptional intuition about great things to do and/or how to do them.<br /><br />Great leaders don't do anything in a vaccuum or by themselves but great leadership makes a crucial difference.<br /><br />Both people and processes are important. In the Bezos example it's important that Amazon find ways to contradict him forcefully when it's appropriate and keep him from running the company into the ground while taking advantage of his great leadership. It's important that he not be surrounded by "yes" men, for example.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05496291531944120413noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460005.post-58968727592196927132015-01-06T19:50:27.112-08:002015-01-06T19:50:27.112-08:00McDougall, while well-intentioned, is not an oncol...McDougall, while well-intentioned, is not an oncologist or cancer expert. He is a former internist who has developed his own set of beliefs about the ability to treat degenerative diseases with diet alone.<br /><br />I can either believe a wide array of cancer experts with specific training, or Dr. McDougall. While it is certainly possible the McDougall is right and the consensus is wrong, that seems unlikely to me.<br /><br />Many people (my mother included) like to cite the tendency for medical science to get things wrong (fats versus carbs, etc) as license to believe whatever they want. I could not disagree more.<br /><br />As my post states, evidence, not provenance.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00927628412285314176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2460005.post-37350281851958182072015-01-06T17:50:31.513-08:002015-01-06T17:50:31.513-08:00The overall consensus was, and still is, that Jobs...The overall consensus was, and still is, that Jobs acted selfishly, stupidly, and irresponsibly when he refused surgery in October of 2003, at the time of his original diagnosis. Based on the natural history of his disease, Jobs acted in none of these ways. The cancer had spread many years BEFORE his diagnosis, and was unstoppable by any means, including surgery. https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2011nl/nov/jobs.htmDananoreply@blogger.com