22 THE INVESTOR
frequently corrects coworkers on details in their areas of exper-
tise. (I didn’t ask him if he has been punched out for this yet.) Also,
he meets with lots of companies and attends conferences that
target technology developers. Thus, he seems to have a broad
perspective.
What about depth? Lu has excellent powers of concentration
and is soft-spoken, a common trait of introspective, deep thinkers.
He reads continuously. His capacity for independent thought is
remarkable, according to his colleagues.
He seems to cover both poles of the observation/creativity scale,
too. He has a photographic memory for details and openly states
that he likes the nitty-gritty. But—on the other extreme—he also
loves to be up on the latest innovations and newest trends.
Lu seems to have a clear preference for objectivity, as the presi-
dent of his high school computer club and an economics major in
college. But he also has a deep passion for learning and excellence,
which he attributes to his parents’ influence.
Finally, then, on the scale of discipline/flexibility, Lu is patient
and disciplined about the way he puts money to work. He doesn’t
trade often and he won’t throw new money at standard names
simply to get money in the market. Moreover, Lu has shut the fund
to new investors to keep it small and agile. On the flexible side, it
goes almost without saying that anyone who follows technology
has to be flexible, with technologies coming and going overnight.
With only one sensational year under his belt, it is hard to judge
Lu a master yet. Nevertheless, his use of complex thinking suggests
that he may be on track to achieve lasting success.
If complexity is the key to the masters’ success, then how does
one develop this quality of thinking? How do we strengthen our
mental backhands and forehands so that we can hit from both sides?
Or, to use a mechanical metaphor, how do we tune our engines so
that we can fire on all eight cylinders?
There is a well-known and researched tool from psychology
that can help.03 ware 22 1/19/01, 1:01 PM