Just 5 average people

A sailor, a landlord, a CEO, an ex-CEO, and a guy with no pants. Plus, 7 other things worth your time.

The late motivational speaker Jim Rohn used to say that you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

I’d like to try something a bit different today: illustrate a theme, or even just a moment in time, through the experiences of five people.

Yes, it’s a bit of an experiment. I’m excited because it goes back to my original vision for Understandably.com:

• things worth understanding…

• explained well and interestingly…

• by people you can trust to know what they’re talking about.

Enough preamble. Let’s give it a try. I think today’s theme is modern technology and the pandemic.

(Feedback welcome, as always.) Here are five people worth knowing something about.

Matt Noland: Control in crisis

Commander Matt Noland is executive officer of the destroyer USS Kidd, which is the second U.S. Navy ship with a full-fledged Covid-19 outbreak. It arrived in San Diego yesterday with 50 sailors testing positive—a full month after the ship’s last port visit.

What do you do as a leader in tha…