Uber CEO Wants to Partner With Tesla, Musk on Autonomous Vehicles

Uber CEO Wants to Partner With Tesla, Musk on Autonomous Vehicles


During an earnings call last month, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the electric vehicle maker would start offering paid rides in June for its full self-driving robotaxi service. Now Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi is making it clear that he doesn’t want to compete with Tesla — he wants to partner with the company to offer robotaxi rides through Uber’s ride-hailing platform.

“Listen, no one wants to compete against Tesla or Elon if you can help it,” Khosrowshahi told technology analyst Ben Thompson in an interview published in Thompson’s newsletter Statechery on Thursday. “Their capabilities are pretty extraordinary, but I think the same economic laws apply to them.”

Related: Uber’s CEO Says Human Drivers Have About 10 Years Left Before They Will Be Replaced

Khosrowshahi said that Tesla would benefit by allowing its robotaxis to offer rides through Uber. Instead of riders accessing the robotaxis solely through the Tesla app, they could tap into rides with the self-driving cars through Uber too.

Working with Uber could help maximize Tesla’s profits by expanding its reach. Uber completed an average of 33 million trips per day, according to the company’s latest earnings report.

“That is going to create much, much more revenue,” Khosrowshahi stated. “Ultimately that’ll increase the value of the Tesla so that the residual value of that car improves.”

Khosrowshahi added that if Tesla puts their robotaxis on Uber’s network, the self-driving cars would join 150,000 other Tesla vehicles on Uber today, adding to an established presence.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg via Getty Images

This isn’t the first time Khosrowshahi has indicated an interest in partnering with Tesla. In an interview with the Financial Times that aired in October, Khosrowshahi said that he would “love” to bring Tesla’s robotaxis to Uber when the technology was ready. He said that he aimed to collaborate with the autonomous industry, pointing to partnerships announced in late 2024 with Alphabet’s Waymo and Cruise.

Uber already has robotaxis on its app in certain areas through its partnerships, including Phoenix, Arizona, and Austin, Texas. The company put its own dreams of building a self-driving car to the side in 2020 when it sold its autonomous vehicle research division to self-driving startup Aurora.

Related: Waymo’s Driverless Robotaxi Fleet Is Making 50,000 Trips Per Week — Here’s Where the Cars Are Headed Next

Khosrowshahi told the Wall Street Journal last month that autonomous vehicles would take over Uber rides in the next 15 to 20 years, putting human Uber drivers out of work.

Khosrowshahi took over Uber in 2017, leading the company to its first annual operating profit in 2023. After reporting a loss of $1.8 billion in 2022, Uber reported an annual profit of $1.1 billion in 2023 and $2.8 billion in 2024.



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Hot Tip: StackSocial Just Dropped the Price of a Babbel Lifetime Subscription

Hot Tip: StackSocial Just Dropped the Price of a Babbel Lifetime Subscription


Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

Being able to communicate across languages is a necessity for business owners who want to expand into international markets, manage a diverse team, or make connections around the world. Free options like Duolingo are available, but they’re free for a reason.

If you want a language learning platform that takes itself seriously, try Babbel. Developed by more than 100 expert linguists, Babbel provides 10,000+ hours of lessons across 14 languages. Plus, the price for a lifetime subscription just dropped. Instead of paying $599, it’s now just $129.99.

What makes Babbel a worthwhile investment?

Whether you’re aiming for fluency to negotiate with international clients or just need essential phrases for business travel, Babbel’s lessons are tailored to practical, real-world scenarios. Topics range from professional conversations and navigating meetings to cultural nuances.

Babbel gives you 14 languages to choose from, including

  • French
  • Spanish
  • German
  • Italian
  • Russian
  • Danish

Business owners don’t have much time to spare, but tight schedules still have room for a few language lessons when they’re only 10 to 15 minutes long.

The app works seamlessly on smartphones, tablets, or desktops, and your progress syncs to your account. Offline access also means your team can make productive use of travel or downtime without requiring Wi-Fi.

Babbel goes beyond traditional learning methods, incorporating speech recognition technology to refine pronunciation and cultural understanding. This helps make sure that users not only learn vocabulary but also communicate authentically, avoiding misunderstandings that can arise in cross-cultural interactions. That’s especially important in high-stakes conversations in the professional sphere. Personalized review sessions reinforce key concepts, making the learning process both efficient and effective.

Use code LEARN40 by February 17 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get a Babbel lifetime subscription for $129.99.

Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) – $169.99

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Automate Your Job Search and Get More Interviews for Only

Automate Your Job Search and Get More Interviews for Only $40


Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

If you’re trying to move up in your career with a new position, you can get up to three times more job interviews by using LoopCV, the company claims. A lifetime subscription to the Premium Plan is on sale for only $39.

Since you’ll have lifetime access to LoopCV, you can use it to search for jobs throughout your career. It’s connected to more than 30 platforms and job boards, including LinkedIn, Indeed, Monster Jobs, Workable and many more. There is even a LinkedIn Apply extension included.

The monthly allowances are 50 job title searches and 300 emails or applications. You can create a custom email address just for your job searches, label some applications high-priority, and even perform global searches for remote jobs worldwide.

First, create a profile and upload a resume or CV. Then choose your settings, including locations, job titles, and other options. Once LoopCV shows you jobs that fit your criteria, you can apply for them manually or let LoopCV apply for you.

LoopCV allows you to apply automatically to just the jobs you like best, via email or by filling out application forms. When the program applies automatically, it uses your resume or CV. You can literally apply to hundreds of jobs at a time.

LoopCV also provides you with data that can help you improve your odds of getting interviews. It gives you statistics on which resumes/CVs got the most attention, how many companies opened the emails you sent, how many replied, and more. This allows you to A/B test various email and resume/CV versions so you can use the one that works best.

Get a lifetime subscription to the LoopCV Premium Plan while it’s available for just $39.

LoopCV Premium Plan: Lifetime Subscription – $39

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Is Desire Sabotaging Your Leadership? Here’s How to Build Sustainable Success Beyond the Endless Chase For More

Is Desire Sabotaging Your Leadership? Here’s How to Build Sustainable Success Beyond the Endless Chase For More


Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Desire, while a powerful motivator, can also have negative impacts that limit emotional or existential well-being. However, desire serves and drives various aspects of human behavior, helping leaders set and achieve their visions. But the energy behind desire is rooted in always wanting more, which can lead to uneasiness and anxiety rather than sustainable fulfillment.

Desire-oriented leaders may be caught in a wild goose chase, where meeting one goal only leads to the need to achieve another that was not accomplished. It’s time for leaders to protect themselves from the turbulence of desire and embrace a more effective leadership style.

Related: How to See (Clearly) What You Want to Accomplish

Desire as a promoter for success

Desire operates at a higher energetic level than indifference, fear or other emotions, allowing movement and ambition. Leaders can pursue chances and strive to push them further when they are motivated by a specific desire to possess or own. Desire has the power to push people away from precarious situations and encourage them to actively seek out better living conditions. For example, exposure to certain lifestyles through the media can motivate people to reach such endeavors, forcing them to shift from inaction to action.

But for the majority of people, desire is a fundamental factor that propels them toward achievement and change, which also makes it the least appropriate for long-term growth. That may sound contradictory, but it is built into their blueprint to always strive for more and seek more — and they very rarely feel content with what has already been done. Thus aiming to satisfy drive-generated desires takes the form of a never-ending pursuit, with the satisfaction or attainment of one objective goal only paving the way to yet another. Consequently, the initial ambition would be channeled into obsessive purchases, leaving leaders dissatisfied with their capture regardless of their accomplishments.

The drawbacks of desire: Compulsive behavior and addiction

The futility of desires tends to manifest in obsession, which has its consequences. It can be quite destructive as it leads to a lifestyle that is based on needs and wants. It can be overwhelmingly bad as it gives rise to addiction and dependency, where individuals become fixated on something outside of themselves. In the case of leaders, this is most evident when they seek figures of attention, possess hierarchy or are in a position of power. Such behavior is biased, as it makes individuals constantly crave attention, own things or flaunt their wealth, bent on the destruction of their mental state or emotional ties with other people.

People tend to jump from one goal to another in the race of attaining wealth; in such cases, satisfaction becomes a foreign concept. An ongoing fear of loss and worry about acquisitions may take over their lives. Constantly wanting more might even result in actions that violate moral principles when the need to advance or get more prestige takes precedence over honesty.

Related: 12 Character Traits Exceptional Entrepreneurial Leaders Have In Common

The evolutionary foundations of desire and how it impacts behavior

The relationship between one’s desire and the struggle for survival is complex, with the compulsive factor driving an eccentric function due to the hunger for basic necessities. These relationships can serve admiration or a social reputation, which derives attention and recognition, which is now seen as a societal need. As society developed, so did the desires and attachments built within it, expanding through civilization and culture. The terms “want” and “need” resemble each other, as they have no clear boundaries. The latter focuses on maximizing satisfaction, while the former focuses on minimizing reality.

For example, marketing in the cosmetics and fashion industries has thrived by promoting a standard of beauty and sex appeal to maintain consumption. Leaders may be inclined to emphasize the outside works rather than the inner, leading to a rat race of power and wealth with no satisfaction or direction.

The chronic ‘wantingness’ dilemma

The chronic pursuit of “wantingness” leads to pathological behaviors, often resulting from unresolved internal conflict. Overamplification of desires can lead to compulsive behavior, involving imagining what an individual wants constantly. This can extend beyond possessions to a sense of ownership, constant seeking of approval or dominating others.

People with low self-esteem develop compensatory patterns, where external success compensates for feelings of insecurity. This can lead to behaviors that are not true to core values and principles, such as the need to please people or have prominence without real relationships. The attempt to satisfy these intense cravings is hyperbolic, filled with dissatisfaction and restlessness, often defined by unbridled hunger. The stress of desire can be transferred into social form through fixation on social roles or power relations, where social control establishes social relevance. These behaviors, while self-sacrificial and beneficial to society, can also have self-serving narcissistic drives based on self-valuation.

Related: How I’m Unlearning the Toxic Pattern of Always Wanting More — and How You Can, Too.

Conclusion

Desire is a powerful emotion that encourages people to work towards their goals and improve their quality of life. It can lead to growth and achievement, but it cannot be a permanent destination. Desire often results in an endless pursuit of external appreciation and accumulation, leading to dissatisfaction.

However, once surpassed, it can lead to stronger emotions like courage, allowing individuals to control themselves and follow actions based on logic. Desire can even be the starting point for a more authentic leader. However, it is important to understand desire as a worthwhile emotion, not the endpoint in the quest for an authentic leader.



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In-Demand Jobs 2025: Accountant, Analyst, Nurse, Truck Driver

In-Demand Jobs 2025: Accountant, Analyst, Nurse, Truck Driver


If you’re looking to change careers, several fields will be growing well into 2025 and beyond.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that an average of more than 19 million jobs have opened or will open every year from 2023 to 2033. Jobs that are highest in demand have the most open doors or openings over time, giving job seekers ample opportunity to find work.

Resume Genius released a report earlier this week pinpointing the 15 most in-demand jobs in the U.S. based on data from BLS’ Career Outlook publication for 2023 to 2033. Jobs were given a weighted score based on three factors: highest projected job openings (50%), long-term job growth rate (30%), and salary above the 2023 median annual wage of $48,060 (20%).

Related: These Are the 10 Highest-Paying Jobs With the Lowest Stress, According to a New Report

Education requirements for these roles range from no formal education for truck drivers to a master’s degree for substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselors.

It’s important to note that some jobs, like software engineering, are poised for disruption with the introduction of AI to the workforce. For example, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated last month that Meta was working towards having AI code as well as a midlevel software engineer in 2025, leading to the possibility of Meta and other companies hiring fewer human engineers after implementing AI.

Here are the top 10 most in-demand jobs for 2025, according to Resume Genius.

1. General and operations manager

  • Median annual salary: $101,280
  • Projected annual job openings: 320,800
  • Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 6%

2. Nurse anesthetist, nurse midwife, and nurse practitioner

  • Median annual salary: $129,480
  • Projected annual job openings: 29,000
  • Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 40%

3. Software developer

  • Median annual salary: $130,160
  • Projected annual job openings: 125,100
  • Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 17%

4. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver

  • Median annual salary: $54,320
  • Projected annual job openings: 240,300
  • Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 5%

5. Registered nurse

  • Median annual salary: $86,070
  • Projected annual job openings: 194,500
  • Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 6%

6. Accountant and auditor

  • Median annual salary: $78,880
  • Projected annual job openings: 130,800
  • Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 6%

7. Management analyst

  • Median annual salary: $99,410
  • Projected annual job openings: 95,700
  • Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 11%

8. Business operations specialist

  • Median annual salary: $79,590
  • Projected annual job openings: 107,400
  • Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 5%

9. Market research analyst

  • Median annual salary: $74,680
  • Projected annual job openings: 88,500
  • Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 8%

10. Substance abuse, behavioral disorder, and mental health counselor

  • Median annual salary: $53,710
  • Projected annual job openings: 48,900
  • Estimated job growth (2023–2033): 19%

Click here for the full report.



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Want to Make Money With AI? Here Are Easy Steps to Unlock Explosive Profits in 2025

Want to Make Money With AI? Here Are Easy Steps to Unlock Explosive Profits in 2025


Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

In 2025, it’s not enough to simply use AI; you need to leverage it strategically to make serious money. This video reveals a powerful, three-step framework for turning Google AI Studio (a free tool!) into your personal, profit-boosting machine.

Using a data-driven approach to marketing, you’ll learn how to succeed where others fail in monetizing AI technology. You’ll discover how to train an AI chat window to become your top sales and marketing analyst, uncovering hidden opportunities and maximizing your returns.

This isn’t about vague theories; it’s about actionable steps you can take today. We’ll cover how to gather your crucial business data, teach AI to analyze it like a pro, and then translate those insights into real-world strategies for boosting sales and profits.

Download the free “AI Success Kit” (limited time only). And you’ll also get a free chapter from Ben’s brand new book, “The Wolf is at The Door – How to Survive and Thrive in an AI-Driven World.”



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How a 27-Year-Old’s ‘Crazy’ Side Hustle Hit ,000 a Month

How a 27-Year-Old’s ‘Crazy’ Side Hustle Hit $30,000 a Month


This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Angel Rodriguez, 27, of Miami, Florida. Rodriguez uses the peer-to-peer boat rental platform Boatsetter to run his yacht rental side hustle.

Image Credit: Courtesy of Angel Rodriguez

What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle?
I started my career as a car salesman at South Motors Honda, where I worked for three years. That experience helped me develop my skills in sales and marketing. From there, I launched my first business, Xperience Miami, a jet ski rental company.

Related: This 31-Year-Old Spends 2 Hours Per Week On His $3,000-a-Month Passive Income Side Hustle: ‘Trust Your Vision’

When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?
I launched my boat rental business in June 2023 — not out of inspiration, but out of necessity. At the time, my jet ski rental company was being forced to shut down due to new regulations in Miami Beach. I had two young kids to support, so I took a leap of faith. I maxed out my last bit of credit to finance my first yacht, hoping this venture would take off.

What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground?
After purchasing my first yacht, I asked myself: How can I stand out? I spent hours researching the market and came across Boatsetter, which I saw as a major opportunity. Instead of using Boatsetter to fill gaps in my schedule like many other charter operators, I went all in. I built my entire business model around their platform, applying a strategy similar to Airbnb arbitrage — but for boats. That decision made all the difference.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while building your side hustle, and how did you navigate them?
One of the biggest challenges was breaking the industry narrative. At the time, many in the Miami boating community viewed Boatsetter as just an add-on to traditional charters. When I told people I was dedicating my full schedule to the platform, I was called crazy. But I believed in my vision and trusted the platform. That trust paid off.

How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn?
Within two to three months, I started seeing consistent revenue. By my third month, I hit $20,000 in earnings. By the end of 2023, I was averaging $30,000 per month.

Related: ‘My Brain Thrives on Variety’: His Side Hustle Inspired By ‘The 4-Hour Workweek’ Led to $600,000 in 16 Months

Image Credit: Courtesy of Angel Rodriguez

What does growth and revenue look like now?
Today, I own six yachts and partner on two more. My business has generated over $3 million in sales, with approximately 70% of that revenue coming from Boatsetter. Our fleet is now valued at over $4 million, and every investment — including the first yacht I financed as a leap of faith — is fully paid off.

What do you enjoy most about running this business?
I love the people I meet and the fact that we get to be the highlight of someone’s vacation. For many travelers, renting a yacht in Miami is a dream experience, and I take pride in making those moments unforgettable.

Related: ‘Over $100,000 a Month’: His Spicy Side Hustle Became a Full-Time Business and Hit 7-Figure Revenue — Here’s How He Did It

What’s your advice for others hoping to start successful side hustles or full-time businesses of their own?
Build a strong team and create a family-like culture. None of this would be possible without the incredible people around me. My partner Henry, along with Celine, Chris, Jorge, Amanda and many more, have been instrumental in this journey. From the very beginning, I didn’t have much, but I had determination — and I credit a lot of my success to Boatsetter, which gave me the platform and the tools to grow.

Above all, bet on yourself. I had my first child at 17 and my second at 19, and I knew failure wasn’t an option. Everything I’ve built has been for my kids, Angelina and Alexander. They are my greatest motivation and my biggest “why.”



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From Boardrooms to Virtual Calls: Your AI Meeting Coach Is Here

From Boardrooms to Virtual Calls: Your AI Meeting Coach Is Here


Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners.

Some might say that meetings are the heart of business. They are where decisions happen, deals are made, and ideas take shape. But in fast-paced conversations, critical insights can slip by, strategic moments can be missed, and crafting the perfect response on the spot isn’t always easy.

That’s why Hedy AI is your ultimate real-time meeting companion, designed to help professionals stay sharp, contribute confidently, and never miss an important detail.

With Hedy’s AI-powered support, you’ll gain access to real-time insights, instant transcripts, and AI-generated talking points that give you an edge in business meetings, interviews, lectures, and more. Whether you need help crafting the perfect response, summarizing key takeaways, or identifying strategic opportunities, Hedy ensures you’re always prepared.

For just $29.99 (reg. $69.99), this exclusive one-year Pro subscription is the best deal online—better than buying directly from Hedy AI.

For executives, entrepreneurs, and team leaders, Hedy AI acts as a personal strategist, note-taker, and communication coach all in one. Instead of scrambling to remember key points or struggling to articulate your ideas on the spot, Hedy listens, processes, and delivers the insights you need to make an impact.

Imagine being in a high-stakes meeting and needing to challenge a proposal, summarize key takeaways, or craft a diplomatic response to a tough question—Hedy has you covered. Simply ask, “Can you help me respond to that point about project deadlines?” or “How can I professionally challenge this perspective?” and Hedy will generate a polished, strategic answer instantly.

For global teams and multilingual professionals, Hedy’s real-time translation and multilingual support in 19 languages ensure you stay engaged, regardless of the language spoken in the room.

With AI-powered analysis, instant transcripts, and post-meeting summaries, you can focus on leading the conversation instead of scrambling to keep up.

Don’t miss this exclusive offer on a 1-year subscription to Hedy AI Pro for just $29.99 (reg. $69.99).

Hedy AI: Real-Time Meeting & Class Coach: 1-Yr Subscription (Pro License) – $29.99

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Amazon’s RTO Mandate Complicated By Lack of Desks, Space

Amazon’s RTO Mandate Complicated By Lack of Desks, Space


Amazon issued a return-to-office (RTO) mandate in September calling its corporate employees back to the office by January 2. Over a month has passed since the mandate, and some Amazon employees have yet to see the office — because Amazon can’t find enough desks to hold its 350,000-person workforce.

According to a Thursday report from The Wall Street Journal, Amazon has postponed RTO for staff assigned to dozens of U.S. offices, including New York City, Houston, and Atlanta, due to a lack of space. Amazon employees assigned to some locations are still working remotely as they wait for further instructions about when they should be in the office full-time.

The San Francisco Bay Area is especially short on space. Amazon has 18 offices in the region, but it lacks desks for at least 800 employees. In response last month, an internal group submitted a proposal to Amazon’s facilities division asking for a new office to open in the area. According to the WSJ report, a spreadsheet supporting the proposal has drawn signatures from close to 600 Amazon employees.

Related: JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

An Amazon spokesperson told the WSJ in an email that “the overwhelming majority” of corporate employees have desks and that only “a relatively small number” of Amazon’s “hundreds of offices” are “not quite ready” for fully in-person work.

Even in offices with desk space, there have been logistics issues with the RTO mandate, such as where employees should park. Jeff Ferris, principal technologist at Amazon Web Services Cloud, posted on X last month that when he tried to park his car in the office garage, he was turned away by security.

“2,000 people, 900 parking spaces,” he wrote.

Some Amazon employees who are back in the office report not having teammates who work from the same location, challenging the objectives of in-person work.

When Amazon CEO Andy Jassy first announced the RTO policy in September, he stated that it would be “easier for our teammates to learn, model, practice, and strengthen our culture; collaborating, brainstorming, and inventing [is] simpler and more effective; teaching and learning from one another are more seamless; and, teams tend to be better connected to one another.”

He reiterated the message at a leaked all-hands meeting in November, telling employees that the RTO mandate was about “strengthening our culture” and fostering collaboration.

Amazon employees have been working in-person at least 3 days per week since May 2023. Other companies with five-day in-office policies include Salesforce and Walmart. Amazon laid off dozens of employees in its communications and sustainability departments last month.

Related: Starbucks’ New CEO — Who Lives 1,000 Miles from HQ — Will Not Tell Employees What Specific Days to Come Into the Office





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Why The Wisest Leaders Listen First Before They Act

Why The Wisest Leaders Listen First Before They Act


Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Ten years ago, I stood on the edge of a tall, craggy rock with waves crashing dramatically around me. Three or four feet away, surrounded by foamy ocean surf, rose an even taller, craggier rock. The sun was hot, the air refreshingly cool. I was enjoying some much-needed downtime in Seychelles, and I’d climbed the rock because I wanted photographic evidence for my six daughters back home in California.

It occurred to me that it’d look even better if I could somehow make it to the second, more impressive rock, so I immediately set about trying to figure out how. I noticed a series of stones between the two that might serve as a sort of bridge; the problem was that my current perch was too slippery to simply climb down. I’d have to jump.

I was nervous but determined. I felt strong — a little athletic. Any doubts were overridden by a sudden surge of confidence, which instructed me to go for it. Then I heard my wife of 15 years, Rachel, who was filming from the shore, say, “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Related: The Only 2 Answers You Need to Figure Your Next Move

The video evidence of the disaster that followed will never see the light of day. Suffice it to say that I didn’t quite reach the second rock. Back at the hotel that night, as I lay in bed contemplating my painfully gashed leg, battered body and bruised self-esteem, it occurred to me that there was probably a leadership lesson in here somewhere.

I could think of my accident in one of two ways. The first was that my loving wife had fatally undermined my confidence at the moment of truth; otherwise, I’d have landed nimbly as a cat. The moral for aspiring business leaders is: Be bold. Don’t listen to naysaying voices. Believe in yourself, and success will follow.

The second perspective was that Rachel had asked precisely the right question. At nearly 40 years of age and not quite in my svelte prime, I should have understood that assaulting the second rock was a less-than-stellar idea. In fact, I probably had understood it. What I’d taken for confidence was actually bravado. I knew I was talking myself into a bad deal, but by then, it was too late to retreat.

After carefully considering the available evidence for a millisecond, I chose door number two. In my experience, leadership isn’t always about boldly preceding others over dangerous terrain. Often, it’s a matter of listening to all sides and thoughtfully accepting the best advice. Did I take time to listen to input from all directions as I ran my business?

Related: Are You Ready to Start a Company? Ask Yourself These 6 Questions.

Did I value other points of view to the point that I allowed them to alter outcomes?

In no particular order, here are some thoughts that occurred to me over the next 24 hours as I sat on the beach (poor me, I know) nursing my injured leg instead of scuba diving:

  • Having a strong, competitive personality in any walk of life has its advantages, but humility doesn’t usually top the list. Being known for good ideas can cloud your memory of all the many, many bad ones that preceded or even accompanied the former. I’ve gotten okay at not emotionally investing personally in my own ideas over the years, but there are times when my king-of-the-hill side can take charge and propel me toward an unpleasant tumble. These are the times when I need as many people as possible to question my wisdom.
  • If Rachel had asked her question ten seconds earlier, there’s a chance I would have thought it over and concluded that no, monkeying around on slick, hard, uneven surfaces was probably better left to climbers much more agile than myself. I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if she held back like she did because she doubted that I’d take the hint anyway.
  • In the future, shaving off even a second or two of that hesitant doubt could mean the difference between a smooth, unmarred shin and the complete opposite. And the only psychological razor at my disposal in this scenario is to train and retrain myself to listen to people — especially people who know me well. There’s a very fine line between a leap of faith and a leap of hubris, and sometimes, you need partners with perspective to help you judge.
  • Sparing room in your personality for approachability is exactly that: a conscious decision followed by practice. When it comes to sports, school, creativity, etc., we accept the relationship between practice and improvement without much fuss. With moral, ethical and temperamental matters, our approach is less precise. If I can train myself to climb, I can train myself to listen.
  • Sometimes, you’re going to be wrong regardless. Rachel had a different view than I had as I crouched there precariously with waves crashing into me. A little exercise and training on my part, though, will probably alter her view if we find ourselves in similar circumstances in the future. Being wrong once doesn’t mean that I have to choose the less scenic spot from now on; it just means that I have to prepare better.

Albert Einstein reportedly said, “Any fool can know. The point is to understand.” I’ve known about the virtue of listening since I was a child, but how deep is my understanding? You might ask yourself the same question. Take it from a battered well-wisher: a warning that comes ten seconds too late is really a prophecy, and it sucks being at the wrong end of one of those.



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