Introduction

Throughout history, philosophy has given us smart ways to deal with life’s challenges. Surprisingly, many ideas from different books can be distilled down to four simple principles. If we use them properly, they can help us meet any challenge – whether it’s in our personal lives or at work.

Principle 1. Teamwork

When we first hear about such ideas as:

• Doing the Right Thing,
• Effectiveness,
• Cover & Move,
• People Over Rules,
• Quality,
• Self-Trust & Trust,
• Belonging & Love,

they might seem like they come from totally different areas—like school, the military, business, or psychology. But if we look closer, they all share one big idea: people matter most. Instead of treating people like small parts of a big machine, these ideas remind us that human values should be at the heart of everything we do.

What Are These Human Values?

The most important values in life are Life, Liberty, and Property. If what I do makes me healthier, freer, and richer, then I know I’m doing the right thing.

• Self-Trust & Trust → If I always do what’s right, even when no one’s watching, I can trust myself – and others will trust me, too.
• Cover & Move → When I inspire my family, friends, or teammates to do the right thing (which means helping them become healthier, freer, and wealthier), we grow stronger together.
• People Over Rules → A team built on trust and a shared goal doesn’t need a bunch of rules or fancy tools to succeed. People naturally work well together when they are working toward the right thing.
• Belonging and Love → When we work toward the right thing and trust each other, we feel like we belong. That’s what creates real connection and love.

Principle 2. Urgency

All the ideas below:

• Doing things right
• Discipline 
• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) 
• Simplicity
• Efficiency
• Working Product over Comprehensive Documentation
• Respect & self-esteem 

converge on the idea of urgency – this is the second principle. You need to follow a clear, organized plan every day. And when you make your work simple (not easy), you make fewer mistakes and finish tasks faster. This way, you free up more time — kind of like having more freedom, just as the second idea of “Life, Liberty, and Property”.

Principle 3. Excellence

All these ideas:

• Independence 
• Innovation & creativity
• Prioritize and execute
• Responding to change over following a plan
• Self-fulfillment

help a team become really, really good at what they do. They show us how to be brave, try new things, and keep getting better.

How a Leader Helps the Team

A leader is like a coach who sets a very high goal for the team and helps everyone work together to reach it. Here’s how a leader makes a difference:

• Set a High Bar → The leader shows the team what the best can look like, just as a coach shows a winning play. The team must work hard to reach this goal, because the other teams (or problems) may be really strong, too.
• Watch for Weaknesses → A leader pays close attention to any problems or weaknesses in the team. This is important because if these weaknesses aren’t fixed, they can be used against the team by competitors.
• Encourage Big, Bold Moves → Sometimes the team needs to try something new or risky to get better, like taking a giant leap into the unknown. This can be scary because there’s a chance it won’t work, but it’s the only way to grow a lot.
• Make the Team the Best → By constantly improving, trying new ideas, and being flexible when plans change, the team becomes the best. When a team is strong and independent, people want to work with them, and success follows.

Principle 4. Watchfulness

All these ideas:

• Look at the problem from a different angle
• Decentralized command 
• Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
• Lean startup 
• Risk mitigation

show us that being vigilant, questioning, and thinking ahead is the best way to deal with problems.

Here’s what they show us:

• Think Differently → By looking at problems from new angles, we can discover smart solutions.
• Share Decision-Making → Letting people who are close to the work decide helps everyone move quickly.
• Have a Decisive Leader → Even when many can decide, someone needs to make the final call to keep the team on course.
• Work with Customers → When we listen and work closely with those we serve, our solutions really hit the mark.
• Test and Learn Fast → Trying out ideas quickly and adjusting them helps us improve without wasting time.
• Plan for Problems → By thinking ahead and reducing risk, we keep our team safe and ready for any challenge.

These four principles form the basis of a Kanban tool that we will develop. It will help us lead teams, achieve mastery, create innovation, and make decisions to ensure success in various areas of life.