Nassim Taleb, thought-provoking, bestselling author of Fooled by Randomness, Black Swan, and Antifragile, always pokes fun at MBAs, economists, and academic types.

Is there anything we can learn from him given his seeming evident contempt for the path you are planning to take?

Sense of Humor

Well, to put things in perspective, Taleb himself is a Wharton MBA, and has served as an NYU professor. So first lesson for everybody would be: Don’t get too attached to titles and distinctions, let’s have a sense of humor about ourselves!

Aside from enjoying life more, doing so reduces our biases, making us more conscious of “unknown unknowns”. It helps us keep our eyes open to experiences and ideas outside the defined “knowledge” in our specific fields.

Expert problem

Related to this, Taleb humanizes “experts”; no matter how distinguished they are in their fields, their error rates are higher than what you would expect. Thus, as you make your career-defining decisions, manage the downside for yourself if the expert predictions fail.

Credentials, jargon, and expensive suits can make gurus, economists, and military analysts look like real experts, even with their poor track records of success and predictive abilities. Beware of relying blindly on these “empty suits” who can be anywhere, including CEOs, senior management, and classmates. With no exceptional ability to achieve results, “empty suits” focus on looking and sounding credible, rather than providing real substance. As a professional, it would help you to develop both the ability to detect BS, and learn effective communication skills.
Thus, observing them closely, allows you to consider adapting what works and integrating them into your (hopefully!) sound reasoning and solid plans. This will help you present your ideas and win over people to help achieve your projects’ objectives and personal goals.

Domestication of Employees?

In an excerpt from Taleb’s new book, Skin in the Game, he shares perspectives on the power structure between employers and employees.

Drawing from his personal experiences and observations, Taleb discusses the evolution of the “company person” into a “companies person”. As a high potential employee, you will no longer be only concerned about your reputation within the company, but now the times dictate to make sure you will be attractive to other companies once you have to move on, whether dictated by circumstances or by choice. Caring so much about this reputation and performance evaluations by your direct superiors is a form of slavery, Taleb argues. Expats relocated with their entire family in an outpost of the company, also falls into the trap of having their whole lives hanging by the whimsical thread of the boss at headquarters. Thus, they cannot be expected to make any radical decisions that will displease their bosses. The employees with the most freedom would be the salespeople, as they possess the threat of taking customers with them when they move, strengthening the competitor.

Knowing what you are getting into within the power structure of your role, organization and industry could help serve as an additional guide on how to handle your own expectations and how to plan for your next moves.

You may not completely agree with Taleb’s conclusions but do consider his thoughts as you navigate your career. Being aware of these concepts and lessons will help your professional life.