Wisdom in fragments

The brain doesn't make a distinction about whether it's work or home. The key is to practice, practice, practice so that the skills become spontaneous and automatic.

Psychologist who popularized the concept of emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence however is a skill that is learned and learnable. We learn it in life- and we can be trained in it. It's not enough to have someone come and talk to your team about why it's important however, it's something that needs practice, something that you have to work at.

Psychologist who popularized the concept of emotional intelligence

When Google (a very high IQ place!) looked into their highest performing teams, they found the hallmark of those teams was a sense of psychological and emotional safety.

Psychologist who popularized the concept of emotional intelligence

It's not enough to lead yourself, you need to tune into the people you work with- the people that you know- your family. You need to pick up non-verbal cues, facial expressions, tone of voice.

Psychologist who popularized the concept of emotional intelligence

Emotions are the brain's way of making us pay attention immediately to what is most important so that we can react as quickly as possible. In evolution, that meant 'survival' – the rustle in the bushes may be our next meal or may make us its next meal – something that we have to chase, or run away from – and in either case, we don't want to have to stop and think.

Psychologist who popularized the concept of emotional intelligence

I learned more from the people at those events – the community, the customer – than anyone in business.

Founder and CEO of Gymshark, fitness apparel company

I learn every single day from my girlfriend, my family, from graduates coming into the business… I try to learn relentlessly.

Founder and CEO of Gymshark, fitness apparel company

Entrepreneurs and founders have to learn to be the most adaptable people in their business- that's really important – otherwise, the business will outgrow the founder, or the founder will cause the business to stagnate or slow.

Founder and CEO of Gymshark, fitness apparel company

If you only listen to the voices around you, you'll amalgamate them into something that already exists… My view was that consensus isn't going to build something that will change the game.

Founder and CEO of Gymshark, fitness apparel company

I realised that athletes were my customers- they were the people I wanted to sell too. We wrote to them with a 15% discount offer, and the chance to become an agent to help fund their club. I must have got 200 agents signed-up and the business started to grow.

When I came back, it didn't take me and my brother long to see that this was a failing business. It had been making the same product since the 1930s. The business was dying.

I'd never even heard the word 'entrepreneur' growing up – I didn't know what that meant. If I go back to my grandfather – he was the real entrepreneur. He developed things… he made spiked running shoes when he was only 15 (in 1895!).

Building a business is about perseverance. When Jeff and I set off in late 1958, the sport of the world was football. Adidas had claimed that – and sports stores didn't need another brand in that category. We had to make customers and stores need our brand.

Whether it's real-life viruses, or dangerous ideas, they tend to be spread by super spreaders. We know that 20% of infected people do 80% of the spreading of COVID-19. We also know that on Facebook, there is a relatively identifiable cohort of super spreaders of disinformation and misinformation.

British historian and author specializing in financial and military history

Disasters keep coming along at random intervals, they are not normally distributed. They either come randomly (in the case of war) or they are governed by power-laws (pandemics and earthquakes). That's hard for our brains to deal with… we don't like the idea that history is just a lot of random shocks without any predictable features.

British historian and author specializing in financial and military history

We've built two great contagion machines. Firstly, international travel which has enabled vast numbers of people to fly over great distances. Secondly, the internet – and in particular, the way the internet has evolved... we saw the rapid growth of clickbait, sensationalist content, and the internet became a machine for disseminating contagious ideas.

British historian and author specializing in financial and military history