Michael Jackson

The Mentor's Parallel Background: The mentor grew up in what he calls the "Inglewood of Topeka, Kansas." He felt a desperate need to escape his environment, eventually attending Penn ( $\text{University of Pennsylvania}$ ). He noted that he had never been on an airplane before that time and that many of his peers from home ended up in jail or living lives far below his aspirations.

Hyper-Independence as a Defense Mechanism: Jonathan admits to an inability to depend on others, describing dependency as the " $2^{nd}$ worst drug in America" (citing heroin as the $1^{st}$ ). This stems from a childhood where adults/elders often let him down (e.g., lack of help learning to shave, tie a tie, or ride a bike).
Feedback from Mentors: Colleagues in the investment banking division and corporate side have noted that while Jonathan’s work is great, he needs to be more of a "team player" and more open to delegation.
Reframing Dependency as Codependency: The mentor reframes "dependency" as "working together to accomplish a goal." He uses the metaphor of a basketball team: a player is not "dependent" on the other $4$ teammates—they are all codependent.
Trust in the Workplace: In a professional environment, one must assume that colleagues are as smart and hard-working as oneself. The mentor advises assuming people's hearts are in the right place and that they will uphold their end of the bargain until they prove otherwise.

The Choice of Effort: While someone might be the smartest person in the room, they can always choose to be the hardest working person in any room.
Avoiding "Dumb Stuff": Hard work is wasted if spent on "dumb stuff." Professionals must identify where they have a comparative advantage.
Economic Strategy:
- Every country and person has something they are slightly better at.
- One should lean into personal strengths and find others to assist with tasks that do not require those specific talents.
- Doing work that does not require your highest level of talent is a waste of the "currency" of time.

The Fallacy of Judgment: It is a professional trap to believe you are the only one fighting a difficult battle.
The Bus Story: A man on a bus ignores his children as they misbehave and act chaotic. Other passengers judge him for being a poor father. When confronted, the man explains: "I’m sorry. We just came from the hospital. Their mother died."
Moral Application: Everyone is going through something—cancer, a sick child, or a deceased parent. One should give others the benefit of the doubt rather than assuming they are lazy or incompetent.

Pacing and Foot-Off-the-Gas: Colleagues advised Jonathan to pace himself. The mentor clarifies that this doesn't mean working less, but allocating energy differently.
Delivery Timing: Delivering work too early can be a waste of your time if the recipient won't look at it until a specific deadline. If a task is due Thursday, save the time between Monday and Wednesday for other work.
The Goal of "Managing Up": This involves taking initiative to clarify expectations and delivery.
- Question 1: "What is the best day/time that works for you for me to get this to you?"
- Question 2: "How are you going to use this?"
The Reliability Rule: If you commit to Thursday at $4:00$ , deliver it by Thursday at $3:00$ . Never deliver it at $4:01$ .
The Intern’s Role: The mentor notes that during an internship, a student is often "qualified to do nothing" because they lack licensing and experience. The best way to impress is not by "recreating the wheel," but by asking questions and requesting examples of past work (e.g., revenue memos).

Jonathan asked about specific traits of successful interns: "Was there any specific traits or characteristics that they brought in here?"
- Response: Success comes from asking a lot of questions and admitting weaknesses. Being nice, humble, and wanting to be part of the team is superior to trying to act like an industry legend (e.g., "the next Jim Reynolds") on day one.
Jonathan asked for a final piece of advice for his younger self: "If there was one key thing… advice that you would give either your younger self or an intern?"
- Response: Ask a lot of questions. Do not take any opportunity for granted. Do not assume things about people (e.g., assuming a "white kid with a nice suit" has it easy, when he might have an abusive home life). Assume the best in people and let them prove you right.