The Art of Seeing What Others Miss
Grammar: the language of speculation and hedging
A Business English English lesson exploring leadership.
What's in this lesson
A Business English ESL lesson on leadership, practising the language of speculation and hedging. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary and discussion questions.
From the reading: The Art of Seeing What Others Miss
In 2004, Reed Hastings flew to Dallas to pitch a partnership to Blockbuster CEO John Antioco. Hastings offered to run Blockbuster's online division; Antioco passed. Within six years, Blockbuster had filed for bankruptcy, and Netflix had 20 million subscribers. But here is the part most people miss: Hastings was not predicting streaming. He was predicting that convenience would win. The specific technology was secondary. The underlying human behaviour — a preference for ease over effort — was the real bet.
Vocabulary
- at arm's length
- move the needle
- pass the buck
- set the bar
- 20-year
- convenience
- idealistic
- slow-moving
- underlying
Discussion questions
- Who is the most forward-thinking person you have ever worked with or for?
- Is being right too early the same as being wrong?
- What is one small change in your industry that most people seem to be ignoring?
The Art of Seeing What Others Miss
Grammar: the language of speculation and hedging
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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