Brad Keywell

Category: Entrepreneurship

  • Why Utility Procurement Must Be Treated as Infrastructure

    Why Utility Procurement Must Be Treated as Infrastructure

    Utility execution depends on procurement decisions that determine supplier readiness, risk acceptance, approvals, and accountability. This article explains why procurement should be treated as infrastructure and how reusable supplier information, independent utility judgment, and governed workflows create a stronger foundation for capital programs and operations.

  • Sam Zell, My Mentor (and His Two Final Gifts to Me)

    Sam Zell, My Mentor (and His Two Final Gifts to Me)

    Sam Zell was an iconoclastic risk-taker, adventurer, contrarian, industrialist, and quite simply one of the great entrepreneurs of our time. For me, Sam Zell was my mentor. And less than two months before his passing, he gave me two precious gifts.

  • 9 Takeaways from 9 Years of Chicago Ideas

    9 Takeaways from 9 Years of Chicago Ideas

    The foundational design of Chicago Ideas is in sync with these times in which we find ourselves.

  • How We Overcomplicate Getting Better

    How We Overcomplicate Getting Better

    I’d like to propose playing a game at work. For the sake of naming it, let’s call it the “Get Better At” game. The rules are simple: 1. Find a specific area/activity in which you or the team you’re a part of can get better. 2. Immediately develop a plan to get better. 3. Get…

  • 5 Tools to Learn How to Learn

    5 Tools to Learn How to Learn

    It’s been said that teaching is the art of awakening the natural curiosity of the mind. But how to teach best, and what lessons are the most valuable? Winston Churchill said “I am always ready to learn although I do not always like being taught.”

  • Beware of the Apostrophe Ts

    Beware of the Apostrophe Ts

    I’ve been in the groove of a morning habit. For a few minutes when I wake up, I try to just sit in bed and think. Not that long — but enough time to give some consciousness to my unconsciousness (a/k/a my dreams) and see what comes to mind as I greet the new day.…

  • Interview Someone You Love

    Interview Someone You Love

    Of course, you should also interview your colleagues (whether you love them, like them, or barely know them). And there are lots of other people in your life, I’m sure, with whom an interview would open your mind, open their heart, and open new possibilities. But let’s start with an interview — your interview of…

  • 9 Decision Biases & How to Control Them

    9 Decision Biases & How to Control Them

    I can tell you one thing for sure — I have made lots of mistakes. Lots and lots of them. And that’s where the fun really happens — as an entrepreneur, the fun is trying to figure out which moves are mistakes, and which are logical and rational steps towards something valuable and important.

  • Why You Must Prioritize a Quick No

    Why You Must Prioritize a Quick No

    No. That’s right, “no.” And quickly. Ok — I know I’m in Jeopardy format. So, the question is this: “What’s the next best thing to a quick yes?” A quick “no” is not easy, but it’s necessary. To be impactful and purposeful with collaborators, prioritizing a quick “no” is the next best thing to a…

  • What Is Your Mindset?

    What Is Your Mindset?

    You’ve heard it over the years from parents or perhaps from teachers: “you can do anything you set your mind to.” It’s interesting that the reference in the saying is literally about “setting” your mind.