Principles

Dalio summarizes the development of his principles as an effort to look for patterns and cause-and-effect relationships. He encourages people to be “hyperrealist” and deal frankly with situations. Open-mindedness and transparency will help people separate their beliefs about how things should be from the truth of what needs to be done, Dalio argues. He believes people should see the big picture but also keep a close eye on the particulars of specific cases.

Evolution is critical to the survival of organizations, Dalio writes. Organizations must not only react to change, but also expect it and aim to improve as a result of it. When outcomes do not align with goals, Dalio writes, organizations should reflect on what happened and adjust accordingly. Embracing this process improves an organization’s ability to think about “second- and third-order consequences” instead of just first-order ones (155). Dalio also urges readers to seek input from other people who are respected as a way of staying open-minded and balanced.

Dalio describes a five-step process of decision making. He notes that one’s goals must first be clearly identified. Any problems that stand in the way should be identified and then analyzed to determine why the problems exist.