Top Highlights

• Moses’s ability to recognize subtle ways of acquiring power is a useful reminder that not all authority arrives via standard routes. And, by becoming an expert in a specific area, anyone can build a reputation that soon allows them to take on more and more responsibility,
• It was from Smith that he learned the phrase “goo goos” as a way of describing political figures who shelter in their unshakeable ideals, disconnected from what’s required to actually get anything done.
• And it was from Smith that he learned to despise this approach and recognize that, as noble as it may be to rail against injustice and to insist that there are no compromises, the refusal to amend legislation or change your proposals will ultimately prevent you from achieving your aims.
• Finally, under Smith’s tutelage, Moses learned a lesson we can all benefit from: while idealists might hold the moral high ground, it’s those who get their hands dirty and exert a little power and influence that actually get things
• Moses’s legacy is a lesson in getting things done: never afraid of a challenge, he shaped every aspect of the “Big Apple,” from highways and bridges to playgrounds and swimming pools. And while we might not be “master builders” like Moses, we can learn from his habit of aiming big and refusing to be daunted by ambitious, even seemingly impossible p...