Do you value individual contributors, or collaboration? Do you value people fitting in, or people belonging? Do you value integrity, or “whatever it takes”? Do you value sustainability growth, or does only the short term matter? Do you value doing what’s right, or doing what’s right for you? Act accordingly.
Category: leadership
“You’re Terrible”
When a leader is giving you negative feedback, and they start making it personal and/or start shouting, remember that it’s more about them than it is about you. The things that frustrate us most remind us of our own sore spots and weaknesses. While, yes, you probably should have double-checked […]
Authority, Freedom, Benefits, and Responsibility
Everyone wants the perks of being a leader. The respect, the authority, the freedom to “do what you want.” The performance bonuses, access to resources, the ability to hire and fire people. Not everyone is willing to take the responsibility for being a leader, though. Having to act in a […]
“This Is For Your Own Good”
Whenever anyone gives you advice and tells you “This is for your own good,” I assert almost in every case it’s actually for their own good. This is not to say that it isn’t for yours as well, but the very nature of the reasoning behind why you would say […]
I Was Wrong
People seem to have an allergic reaction to saying “I was wrong.” Well, I was wrong thinking Bitcoin would never go over $10k. I was wrong about when I thought the COVID vaccines wouldn’t be available in the US until July. I was wrong about thinking I would have kids […]
The Words Aren’t the Message
“Your feedback is important to us. Please leave a message.” “We’ll circle back on your feedback later, but in the interest of time, let’s go with what’s already proposed.” Just because you’re telling people you care about them doesn’t mean they’ll believe you if there isn’t demonstrated action that shows […]
Trusted and Trustworthy
Being trusted and being trustworthy are two different characteristics. If a leader is trusted but not trustworthy, you’re looking at a con in the making. If a leader is trustworthy but not trusted, they’ll be overlooked. To that end, you need to build up a reputation of both being trustworthy […]
Knowing vs. KNOWING
Often we know facts, inspirational sayings, and quotes from thought leaders. However, I’d posit we don’t often KNOW the lessons embodied by those pieces of information. This is because knowledge is helpful, but falls short if there is no context. As highlighted in the toxic culture that plagued Uber, “Do […]
May Day
Happy May Day. The need for labor laws and unions grew from the Industrial Revolution, where we saw people as mere meat-based cogs in a machine that was designed to grind them up as collateral damage in the pursuit of profit. While this has never been a smart way of […]
Mario Isn’t Janelle, Nor is he Kenta
The hardest part about leadership is the fact that you’re leading a group of people. Different people, not clones of each other. Each person has different personalities, dreams, hopes, fears, and different lives. While this diversity of human experience leads to innovation and creativity, it also means that you have […]