Quoting Will Larson: extract the kernel
One of my most unexpectedly controversial posts is Extract the Kernel , which argues that executives are generally directionally correct but specifically wrong, and it’s your job to understand the overarching direction without getting distracted by the narrow errors in their idea. from executive translation : it reminds me of Shreyas Doshi antithesis principle : everyone can be effective with a good boss, but it's more interesting (and relevant as a hireable skills) to be effective even with a "bad" boss. This KP episode explains it in much more details . It's an alternate take on the old adage: “In calm waters, everyone looks like a good sailor, but in stormy waters, you want to be the one with the experienced captain.” The experienced captain is our ability to handle these situations in imperfect conditions.