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To a certain point, cars are fantastic inventions making it easy to get to far-flung places, opening doors for new places to live or work or play. But there’s a tipping point when the built environment and our lives are arranged around motor vehicles where the benefits start to come undone. Building to prioritize space-hogging cars brings a long list of negative externalities. In Greek mythology, the god Dionysus granted King Midas his wish for the power to turn everything he touched to gold. Midas revels in the effortless wealthobjects, furniture, and even the ground beneath him turn to gold. The Midas touch was great right up until he wanted to eat or drink or just hug his daughter. Theres a King Midas aspect to motor vehicles, this technological gift that promised and delivered abundance until it became a curse. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"","headline":"Urbanism Speakeasy","description":"Join Andy Boenau as he explores ideas that the infrastructure status quo would rather keep quiet. To learn more, visit urbanismspeakeasy.com.","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.urbanismspeakeasy.com\/","colorTheme":"green","redirectUrl":""}} Personal cars expanded opportunities like never before. Post-World War II America saw vehicle ownership explode from 25 million in 1945 to over 100 million by 1970. Having access to a family car made far-flung places viable for living, working, and playing, fueling a middle-class expansion across previously rural areas. An entire car-oriented ecosystem emerged. The promise of freedom and wealth held until cities and suburbs began optimizing for vehicle throughput instead of local access and mobility. When Everything Turns to Asphalt Like Midas discovering he couldn’t eat golden food, we’re discovering that car-dependent places can’t sustain the human activities they were meant to enable. The same infrastructure that promised connection now isolates. What began as freedom morphed into obligation. American cities now dedicate somewhere between one-third and one-half of their land area to streets, parking lots, and garages. In downtown Los Angeles, parking occupies more space than all the buildings combined. We’ve paved over so many of the destinations cars were supposed to help us reach. The economic costs of car dependency are brutal at the household level. Transportation often ranks as the second-largest expense after housing, consuming up to 30% of household income. The “drive until you qualify” phenomenon pushed families toward affordable suburban housing, only to burden them with commutes that devoured time and money. Car loan defaults have jumped 50% in the last 15 years, and in 2024, car repossessions hit the highest number since 2009. Meanwhile, the infrastructure itself demands constant funding. Roads, bridges, and parking structures deteriorate faster than municipalities can maintain them. The American Society of Civil Engineers estimates a multi-trillion-dollar backlog in deferred transportation maintenance. Every lane-mile of road requires ongoing investment that property taxes in sprawling development patterns often can’t support. The Isolation Paradox Car dependence promised mobility but delivered immobility for anyone without a vehicle or unable to drive. Children lost independence because nothing is within walking or biking distance, and the elderly face isolation when they can no longer drive safely. People with disabilities, those who can’t afford vehicles, and those who simply prefer not to drive find themselves trapped in places without practical mobility alternatives. The distances themselves became barriers. When corner stores give way to big-box retailers miles away, when schools require driving rather than walking, when social spaces exist only as isolated destinations rather than chance encounters, community itself attenuates. Neighbors pass each other at 45 miles per hour on six-lane arterials rather than at 3 miles per hour on sidewalks. The “third places” that anchored community life (cafés, parks, plazas, etc.) disappeared into the car-oriented strip malls and shopping centers. The Health Toll The King Midas curse extends to our bodies. Vehicle-oriented development correlates strongly with obesity, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory illness. When walking becomes impractical and driving becomes mandatory, physical activity disappears from daily routines. Air pollution from vehicles contributes to asthma, especially in children living near major roadways. Traffic crashes kill 40,000 Americans annually, and injure hundreds of thousands more. Larger vehicles, faster vehicles, and inattentive driving create an increasingly deadly environment. Breaking the Curse King Midas eventually begged Dionysus to reverse his wish, washing away the golden touch. Like Midas, our situation is fixable. People are rediscovering that neighborhoods can be planned and designed at a human scale that welcomes motor vehicles without squashing the good life. Zoning reforms that allow mixed-use development are the single most important starting point. When someone can walk to a store, bike to work, or take transit to social activities, the car returns to being a useful tool rather than an iron requirement. But that only happens if a local government legalizes a variety of land uses in neighborhoods. Cars are fantastic inventions. The Midas predicament emerges when we optimize everything around them, when we mandate their use, and when we eliminate alternatives. A city where people can choose to drive, walk, bike, or take transit according to their needs is fundamentally different from one where driving is the only option. The Midas story ends with the king learning wisdom through suffering. Weve suffered quite a bit from the built environment. But even in real life, things can get better in the end. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"","headline":"Urbanism Speakeasy","description":"Join Andy Boenau as he explores ideas that the infrastructure status quo would rather keep quiet. To learn more, visit urbanismspeakeasy.com.","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.urbanismspeakeasy.com\/","colorTheme":"green","redirectUrl":""}}
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Below, Jon Levy shares five key insights from his new book, Team Intelligence: How Brilliant Leaders Unlock Collective Genius. Levy is a behavioral scientist. For the last 15 years, he has studied what makes leaders and teams succeed, working with everyone from Nobel laureates to Olympic captains and Fortune 500 executives. He is also the founder of The Influencers, a one-of-a-kind private dining club with thousands of members, many of whom are some of the worlds most respected leaders. Whats the big idea? Success isnt about raw talent or a single heroic leader. Its about how we align, focus, and unlock the resources within our teams. Intelligent teams create cultures that let people thrive together. Listen to the audio version of this Book Biteread by Jon himselfbelow, or in the Next Big Idea App. 1. Why star talent fails Weve been taught that the surest way to win is to gather the most talented people. But stacking a team with stars doesnt guarantee success. In fact, it often undermines it. Take the 1980 U.S. Olympic basketball team. They were just college kids, facing NBA All-Stars in a series of exhibitions. On paper, the pros should have crushed them. Instead, the college players won four out of five games, including one by 31 points. The less talented team consistently defeated the stars. Business tells the same story. Quibi was a short-form streaming platform, led by Disneys Jeffrey Katzenberg and eBays Meg Whitman. It raised nearly $2 billion, but leadership was so insulated and overconfident that they ignored feedback. The company shut down within months. Or DaimlerChrysler. In 1998, Mercedess parent company merged with Chrysler in what was billed as the perfect match of German engineering and American scale. Instead, cultural clashes and competing egos derailed the merger, wiping out billions in value. Psychologists call this the too-much-talent problem. When too many stars are in the room, cooperation breaks down and performance collapses. Skill is just the ticket to play. What really matters is how people work together. Teams win not because they have the best individuals, but because they combine their efforts into something greater than the sum of their parts. 2. The myth of the perfect leader When we think of great leaders, we often imagine someone charismatic, visionary, maybe even larger than life. But the surprising truth is that there are no universal traits of leadership. For more than a decade, Ive hosted a series of dinners. The format is simple but unusual: 12 strangers come together to cook a meal, and until we sit down to eat, nobody is allowed to talk about their careers or even share their last names. When we sit to eat, people reveal they are Nobel laureates, astronauts, Olympic captains, CEOs, and Grammy-winning musicians. Over the years, Ive connected with some of the most accomplished leaders on the planet, and what strikes me is that there is no single personality profile that is common to all these leaders. Some are introverts who prefer quiet reflection. Others are outspoken and brash. Some are methodical planners, while others thrive in chaos. If its not about personality, what makes someone a leader? The answer, by definition, is that they have followers. Leaders give us the feeling of a new and better future. So, why do we follow? The answer isnt something as easy to pin down as vision or charisma. Instead, its an emotional response. Leaders give us the feeling of a new and better future. When we interact with them, they cause us to feel that tomorrow will be better than today. But there arent any specific skills that cause this. Maybe youre brilliant at solving problems under pressure, or maybe youre the person who can think at scale and move fast. Its not about being well-rounded, it’s about your unique super skill being enough for people to believe that with you, the future is worth pursuing. Find the strengths that make you effective and use them to create a vision that others want to join. Thats what real leadership looks like. 3. The three pillars of team intelligence In the early 2000s, Lego was in serious trouble. The company had expanded into video games, clothing, and even theme parks, but in the process, it lost sight of what made it special. Lego was drowning in debt and close to bankruptcy. Thats when they brought in Jrgen Vig Knudstorp, a former McKinsey consultant with a background in organizational behavior. Knudstorp didnt try to rescue Lego by chasing bold new ideas or hiring more star executives. Instead, he focused on building the conditions that allowed the teams they already had to succeed. What he put in place mirrors what I call the three pillars of team intelligence: Reasoning: Alignment around clear goals Knudstorp got everyone back to Legos core mission of inspiring creativity through play, not distracting side ventures. Attention: Knowing when to collaborate and when to focus Lego teams had to learn when to come together intensely on critical decisions, and when to step back so designers and engineers could innovate without constant interference. Resources: Unlocking and empowering the talent already inside the company Lego had world-class designers and engineers, but their best ideas were being buried under corporate bloat and scattered priorities. By elevating and focusing those creative resources, the company rediscovered the very expertise that had always been its greatest strength. Knudstorp sold off the theme parks, cut the side businesses that drained attention, and redirected investment back into the bricks. Most importantly, he gave designers and engineers the freedom to create again. That shift produced runaway successes like Lego Star Wars, Lego Harry Potter, and Bionicle. By aligning goals, sharpening focus, and empowering internal talent, Knudstorp rebuilt Lego from the brink of collapse into the worlds most valuable toy company. Individual talent matters, but what really makes teams thrive are the systems that guide how people align, communicate, and unlock the resources they already have. 4. The super chicken problem If youve ever worked on a team full of high achievers, youve probably seen this play out. People compete for airtime, ideas clash, and collaboration takes a back seat to ego. The assumption is that more talent should always mean better results, but research shows the opposite is often true. Decades ago, biologist William Muir at Purdue University ran an experiment with chickens to test productivity. At the time, the most productive egg-laying chicken was the Dekalb XL. This was like the Ferrari of chickens. It could outlay anything, ut the focus on pure productivity during breeding led it to become violent. After all, the only way to become more productive at a certain point would be to peck other chickens to get their resources. Muir believed that you could have chickens that were very productive and humane. So, he took an average crossbred chicken, created 200 coops, and would have them work together in small groups to lay eggs. Those that laid the most eggs were rebred generation after generation. The assumption is that more talent should always mean better results, but research shows the opposite is often true. After six generations, Muir set up an experiment to see who was more productive: a coop of the super chickensthe Dekalb XLsor his kinder, gentler birds. Muirs kinder, gentler birds, bred both for prosocial behavior and productivity, beat the DeKalb XLs by a long shot. Mostly because, due to pecking each other to death, only three Dekalb XLs remained at the end of the experiment. When you stack a team entirely with stars, competition overwhelms cooperation. Studies in sports also show that teams overloaded with superstar players often underperform. The same holds true in business: Companies built around celebrity CEOs or elite hires often stumble because the team dynamic collapses under the weight of competing egos. Success is about creating conditions where people can thrive together and collaboration, trust, and shared purpose matter more than individual stardom. 5. The Miami Heat and the power of culture In 2010, the Miami Heat pulled off what looked like the greatest talent coup in NBA history. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Boshall superstarsjoined forces. At the announcement, LeBron famously promised multiple championships. But then, they lost. Raw talent wasnt enough. The Heat had assembled the crew, but they hadnt figured out how to make them work together as a team. That changed when Shane Battier joined the roster. To this day, it would be easy not to notice that he was on the team. Battier wasnt flashy, he didnt dominate the highlight reels, and his stats looked modest. But his teammates called him a no-stats all-star because he had a unique ability to elevate everyone elses game. Even in teams stacked with stars, its often the glue players, the ones who make everyone else better, who determine success. Battier studied opponents obsessively, knew when to set the perfect screen, and often took on the toughest defensive assignments. He was even nicknamed Lego, because when he was on the court, everyone else clicked into position. His presence allowed LeBron, Wade, and Bosh to maximize their talent, and the championships followed. Even in teams stacked with stars, its often the glue players, the ones who make everyone else better, who determine success. Dont just chase superstars. Value the people who connect the pieces, create trust, and turn potential into performance. Theyre the difference between a team that stumbles and one that builds a dynasty. Enjoy our full library of Book Bitesread by the authors!in the Next Big Idea App. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.
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Few Zoom calls have made me quite as self-conscious as my chat with Robert Biswas-Diener. An executive coach and psychologist, he recently coauthored a book on radical listening. Like many people, Id assumed that I was a pretty good listener, but what if Ive been doing it all wrong? By the end of the conversation, my fears have been confirmedof the half-dozen skills he describes, I demonstrate only half. The good news is that we can all improve, and the advantages appear to be endless. By lending a more attentive ear to the people we meet, we become better negotiators, collaborators, and managers, while enhancing our own mental health. It can be an antidote to many problems, says Biswas-Diener. Better listeners = better on the job Being a good listener is a lot more than staying quiet and periodically nodding politely. Theres a practice called active listening, and research confirms its one of lifes most valuable skills. Consider a study from 2024 by Guy Itzchakov at the University of Haifa in Israel and colleagues. The team first asked 1,039 workers across various industries to judge their colleagues listening skills by rating statements such as, When my colleagues listen to me, they genuinely want to hear my point of view and They show me that they understand what I say. Over the following five days, they found that these scores predicted each participants commitment to their organization, their emotional resilience after stressful events, and their willingness to cooperate with other employees. Feeling heard may be especially important in times of uncertainty. A survey by Tiffany Kriz, an associate professor of management and organizations at MacEwan University in Canada, for instance, has shown that bosses with better listening skills are far more effective at soothing feelings of job insecurity following layoffs. It is not just the people around us who will benefit. Itzchakov has found that people with enhanced listening skills enjoy better mental health through their closer connections with their colleagues. They are less likely to suffer work-related burnout, for example. The question is, how do we go about improving the habits that we have always taken for granted? Thats why I called Biswas-Diener, whose book on the subject, Radical Listening: The Art of True Connection, came out earlier this year. Your step-by-step guide to becoming a better listener The first step is practical: Eliminate as many distractions as possible. Close the door to your office, put your cell on silent, shut your laptopwhatever you need to focus solely on the person in front of you. No one likes being phubbed (phone snubbed) as you check your notifications. (Hands up: Im guilty of this.) Nows the time for the mental work, which begins by establishing your intention for the conversation: Do you want to be entertained or to learn something new? That’s going to guide what you’re paying attention to, he says. At the same time, you should identify your conversation partners intentions: Are they looking for advice, practical support, or compassion? Each will require a different kind of response. This principle, called optimal support matching, should prevent those awkward moments that could lead to misunderstandings. Remember: Part of being a good listener is knowing the appropriate thing to say based on what you heard while you were listening. In many conversations, you will need to navigate disagreement. This means raising your intellectual humility so that you dont carelessly dismiss the other persons point of view. Its not posing as if you have less worth than another person, but recognizing that your opinion may be limited and biased, Biswas-Diener says. And if you don’t like what the person’s saying, you can always be curious about them, he says. Listen, instead of looking for a fight. The psychological research shows that small signs of genuine interest in others views can be incredibly disarming. It both defuses the potential for conflict and encourages the other person to acknowledge their own doubts, so they are more receptive to your point of view. That may be because people tend to overestimate how much others are intent on changing their mind, and any display of open-mindedness will allay those fears. Being a humble, active listener, and simply asking someone why they have come to a particular judgement, can lower their defences, thus potentially making the communication more successful. Whenever possible, you should also validate the qualities that you admire. Maybe you don’t like their personality, but you can always acknowledge how honest, forthright, or reflective they are, Biswas-Diener says. Listen carefully to find something you can compliment. Finally, and perhaps most counter-intuitively, Biswas-Diener suggests listening and then actively interjecting at apposite moments. While this may seem to run against all good-etiquette guides, a few ecstatic interruptionsyes!, I was thinking the same!, I didnt know that can raise the energy of the conversation and emphasize your interest in what they are saying. For similar reasons, you can feel free to finish someones sentence for them. Even negative feedbacksuch as cutting in to explain that you have already heard the story beforeoffers proof that you are listening, whereas patient silence can seem cold, distant, or distracted. The speakers reaction will all depend on your timing and how much airtime you expect to take: Remember to balance any interjection with the all-important listening. If I jump in and jump out, it’s a completely acceptable interjection, says Biswas-Diener. The only time they’re not comfortable is when you grab the podium. An entire mindset shift Ive been practicing these skills for the three weeks since I first spoke to Biswas-Diener, and I have already noticed some of the benefits. Despite some reservations, Ive been braver at interrupting people mid-flow, and was pleasantly surprised to see the energy of the conversation rise as a result. Changing the way I listen changed the way both my conversation partner and I act during the discussion, in really productive ways. By mentally clarifying my intentions, I ave found that work calls are much more efficient and rewarding, and by demonstrating more curiosity in alternative points of view, I have found that successful compromises are now far easier to find. Biswas-Diener suggests that, like our physical muscles, these empathic abilities should build over time. You can even practice it when listening to radio interviews, and ask what the interviewer is doing well. Those subtle signs of humility, curiosity, and acceptance will soon become far more obvious to you. Youll start hearing listening, says Biswas-Diener. And by emulating them, you will soon build stronger social connections.
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