Nov 19 • General discussion
Diary Of A CEO - My Thoughts
The myth of the self-made guru is exhausting.
You know the type. Up at 4:30, crushing a workout by 5:00, casually building million dollar enterprises between breakfast and lunch. Meanwhile, you are wondering if anyone at your work will notice you are making it up as you go.
Here is some relief, Steven Bartlett's Diary of a CEO is not written by someone pretending to have all the answers. It is written by someone still figuring them out, and that is why this book works.
After discovering Bartlett's podcast and being struck by is raw, curious interviewing style, I picked up his book expecting another productivity manual. Instead I found 33 "laws" organized into four pillars. The Self, The Story, The Philosophy and The Team. They read less like commandments and more like hard won realizations.
Three of these laws fundamentally changed how I approach learning and career growth. If you have ever felt behind, underqualified or uncertain about what you have to offer. These frameworks might do the same for you.
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Law # 2: To Master Something, Create an Obligation to Teach it.
"If you want to learn something, read about it. If you want to understand something, write about it. If you want to master something, teach it." - Yogi Bhajan
This deceptively simple framework exposes why most of us stay stuck at "learned" without ever reaching "Mastered"
Reading creates exposure. You encounter new ideas, frameworks or possibilities. But exposure is not understanding, it is merely just awareness that something exists.
Writing forces understanding. You can not write clearly about something you do not understand. The act of translating thoughts into words reveals gaps in your knowledge immediately.
Teaching demands mastery. When you commit to teaching something, whether through writing, speaking or mentoring you create accountability. You can not fake it. Questions always expose weak spots and you are forced to go deeper.
Why Social Obligation Matters. I was reading two books per week, becoming fully aware of the material presented but I was doing nothing with it. Books became another expensive entertainment than a transformative tool.
Then I read Law 2. And it clicked. I needed skin in the game.
So I started writing about what I read. Then I committed publicly to teaching these concepts through content. The moment I told others "I'll explain this book next week", I couldn't back out. That social pressure, the obligation, it forced me to re-read, research deeper and actually understand rather than consume.
From passive reader to a active learner to accountable teacher.
Pick one skill you are trying to develop. Commit to teaching it to one person this month, a colleague, a friend or an online audience. Watch how that obligation transforms your learning.
Law # 1: Fill Your Five Buckets (In Order)
Bartlett identifies five critical buckets everyone needs to fill
Knowledge - What you know
Skills - What you can do
Network - Who you know
Resources - What you have access to
Reputation - What others think of you.
Here is the insight that changed my perspective. The Order matters because the first two are portable. The last three are not.
At 18, I worked as a barista in a specialty coffee shop. I competed in latte art competitions , cup tasting challenges. I took classes on milk chemistry, the art and science of brewing a perfect cup. I felt like a minor celebrity in my nice. All five buckets were full.
Then life changed. I got married, and moved back near family. I left the coffee industry and suddenly found myself with only two buckets. Knowledge and Skills. My network, resources and reputation did not transfer to the new city or the my new industry.
But those first two buckets? They were everything.
The communication skills I developed explaining why a customer should spend $5 on a pour over? Those translated to cold calling for a pest control company. The ability to create experience and demonstrate value? That became sales leadership. Teaching myself to obsess over the details of grind size and water temperature? That became analytical thinking that eventually landed me in IT as a data analyst.
Each career pivot started with the same pattern. Knowledge and skills from the previous role became the foundation for rebuilding my network, resources and reputation.
You do not need the perfect network or established reputation to make your next move. You need the ability to see that your skills and knowledge can be transferred to your next venture. You can re build everything else.
Stop waiting for the five buckets to be full before taking action. Focus Obsessively on the first two and the rest will follow.
Law #6: Ask, Don't Tell
In 1980 U.S. presidential debate, Ronald Reagan had the perfect opportunity to dismantle his opponent Jimmy Carter. He could have listed the laundry list of failures, attacked his policies and showcased his own superiority.
Instead, he asked one question. "Are you better off now than you were four years ago?"
He let his audience decide. And they did.
Statements trigger defensiveness. They feel like conclusions being forced upon us. Questions trigger reflection. They invite us to reach our own conclusions, which we are far more likely to believe and act on.
This applies everywhere.
In Leadership: instead of "You need to clean up this project." try "What would make this project feel complete?"
In Sales: instead of "this product will solve all of your problems." try "What's your cost of not solving this problem?"
In Personal Development: Instead of "I should go to the gym today." try "Will I go to the gym today? If not, why?"
My kids won't clean their room when I tell them. Yelling doesn't work. Commands don't work.
But this does. "What would make this room feel so much better?"
They start their list. "A Slide, A cozy blanket fort! or if it was clean!"
BINGO!
"So why don't we make it better? Do you want my help or is this something you can handle?"
Suddenly they are bought in. The idea became theirs, not mine. And they want to show they are autonomous so I don't even have to help.
Questions disarm resistance and create ownership. They are the fastest path to clarity and commitment.
The Through-Line: Learning, Grow, Staying Human
These three laws share a common thread. They acknowledge that none of us have it figured out, and that is exactly the point.
You do not need to be the guru on the mountain top. You need to be willing to:
Commit to teaching what you are learning
Build a portable foundation to survive any pivot
Ask instead of tell to create buy in and create clairity
What makes Bartlett's book powerfull is not that he cracked some secret code. It is that he is honest about still being in the process and he has built frameworks that work Because they assume you are figuring it out as well.
Put it to Work
Pick one law and apply it this week.
IF you choose Law #2: Commit to teaching one thing you are learning to one person. Write a post, record a video, or just explain it to a friend. Notice what you realize, and let me know.
If you choose Law #1: Audit your five buckets. Rate each one 1–10. Then ask: If I lost buckets 3–5 tomorrow could I rebuild it from my Knowledge and Skills? If No, Why?
If you choose Law #6: Identify one place this week where you are tempted to just make a statement to create action. Rerame it as a question and ask it. Watch what happens!
You do not need the 13.5 million subscribers like Bartlett to have something valuable to offer. You just need to be one step ahead of someone else, and be willing to pull them forward.
That is enough.
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Diary Of A CEO - My Thoughts
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