Saturday Dad Reads Week of June 28

Leaders in any field are bombarded daily with complex scenarios that require them to think of novel solutions. However, coming up with novel solutions can require a mindset shift, a different way of thinking. In Think Like a Freak, Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, approach problem solving through the lens of how people respond to incentives and offer a way for leaders to reframe their approach to problem-solving. Levitt and Dubner use stories to highlight 8 keys to thinking like a “freak” with each story carrying a level of “stickiness” designed to stay with the reader and be easily applied to a leader’s daily routine. By the time the end of the book rolls around, readers and leaders will learn: the importance of saying '“I don’t know,” how to not just attack the “noisy part of the problem,” how to conduct a root cause analysis, the significance of being able to think with the sensibilities of an 8 year old, recognize what incentives really matter to people, teach their “garden to weed itself,” notice when people don’t want to be persuaded, and how to quit and walk away (read the book and this one will make more sense). In the end, readers and leaders are left with a fresh perspective through which to view and tackle their everyday conundrums.

Steven J. Levitt is an economics professor at the University of Chicago. His counterpart, Stephen J. Dubner is a journalist working in New York. Together, they are the minds that produced publishing phenoms Freakonomics and Superfreakonomics. If you haven’t read one or both, these 2 books aim to outline approaches solving problems through data and statistics. However, the books are written in a highly-engaging, anecdotal style that broadened the appeal of data analysis to the average layperson, causing the emergence of the pop-statistics and pop-economics genres.

Although their work has been challenged in terms of its validity and reliability, the fact that the Freaknomics books are on their 6th edition, speaks volumes to their approach and readability.

Check out freakonomics.com for more with Levitt and Dubner who have expanded their offerings to more than just books and now have a range of podcasts and the all-important merch shop!

As I mentioned in the review, Levitt and Dubner are great storytellers and do a wonderful job highlighting their key points with engaging and “off the beaten path” anecdotes. The stories truly stick with you, which is why I wanted to paraphrase one of my favorite in this week’s “Knowledge Bomb” because it’s not only a great story, but a factoid a dad needs to be able to deploy.

One of the keys to “thinking like a freak” is to devise ways to have your “garden weed itself.” I interpret this not as micromanagement but creating systems and structures in your team by which, along with extending trust, ensure that those you lead are doing their due diligence. Let’s face it, there are those who will do everything we ask of them regardless because that’s just who they are, but there are also others for whom the incentive to slack, cut corners, and be off mission is easier to obtain and more enticing than putting in work.

The story I’m about to paraphrase deals exactly with such a system.

When the band Van Halen was on tour, they put on a hell of a show. Their stage set ups were epic and their sound and lighting pulled immense amounts of electricity, placing immense strain on stadium and arena infrastructure. To make sure that the show went on without someone getting hurt in a stage collapse or having to cut a show short due to a power outage, the band and its management team put together an immense compendium that was exacting in its message to event staff and promoters. Follow these instructions to a “T” and be prepared to be blown away.

Now, because the document was so precise and large, the band need to ensure that event staff had done their part to thoroughly review it. So they slid a slight, “diva-ish” note into the text. According to the note, in the band’s dressing room, there was to be a large bowl of M&Ms for the band to snack on. However, all the brown M&Ms needed to be removed. Not one should remain in the bowl.

Upon arrival at the venue, the band would inspect the bowl to ensure there were no brown M&Ms. If there were no brown M&Ms in the bowl, they could be reasonably confident that the event staff were familiar with their show specifications and they could be assured of a smooth performance. If there were brown M&Ms present, that was a signal to the band that the staff did not do their due diligence and they could not be confident that their specifications were met and that the show would proceed smoothly. As a show of their displeasure, the band would destroy the dressing room post-show.

As leaders we have to trust our team to get the job done, but we also must input checks and balances to periodically monitor what is being done. Sometimes that requires us re-thinking our approach and finding a rather unconventional way to do so.

This week, I don’t really have a rant, but more of a reminiscence.

Western Pennsylvania has basically been the surface of the sun this past week, but despite the temps, I took time after work each day to walk in the local cemetery. It’s a great walk - quiet, and the layout of hills and paths actually makes for a decent workout, especially in the heat.

It was early in the week when I had this hit of nostalgia. As I walked, sweat pouring off of me, I kept thinking 1.) I forgot how good a getting in a solid sweat feels and 2.) I feel like it’s the summer of 2006 again.

It’s amazing how a sensory experience like dripping sweat and walking in oppressive heat can transport you to another place and time. In this case, I was 19 again, the summer just as hot, I was training for the upcoming college soccer season, working, and in the best shape of my life.

As I walked, not only was I 19 again, but I was loading trucks and filling customer orders from 7am-5pm, Monday-Friday in a warehouse with no A/C. I was getting my first real taste of being dependent on coffee and checking my brick-sized Nokia cell phone for messages from girls I was chasing and messages from friends with the night’s plans. I was running sprints and conditioning drills in my parents' yard, and playing in the Friday night men’s open league down at the SportsZone. I was coming home late and getting up early just to do it all over again the next day. What a time to be alive.

As I got in my car to head home, it hit me. I am just as far removed from that point in time now in June of 2025 as I was in June of 2006 from my own day of birth. And that one, my friends, stings just a little bit for a retired Division III athlete.