Love Your Job and Team, Reach True Success
Warren Buffett: "You want to enjoy every day. You want to have a job you love — and you want to work with people you like and admire and trust. If you've got that, you are a long way home." https://t.co/0txRZowazz
Avoid Hiring Candidates with Inflated Egos
This has been going on since VDL was selected, maybe a good idea not to select someone with this type of ego.
Consistent, Mundane Execution Beats Occasional Brilliance
We tend to mythologize breakthrough moments—the IPO, the product launch, the decisive pivot. But ask any seasoned operator what actually separates high-potential talent from high-impact leaders, and they rarely mention raw intelligence or creativity. They mention consistency. The market doesn’t reward...
CEOs Stay Silent on Democracy Out of Fear
America’s CEOs aren’t acting in the interest of shareholders by staying silent about democracy and the rule of law, they’re acting out of fear.
Vulnerability Beats Perfection: Trust Grows Through Honesty
Rule 5: Show vulnerability. Nothing builds trust faster than honesty about your failures. Audiences don't connect with perfection. They connect with authenticity. 07/12
Hire Reliable Talent: The Rare Asset Founders Need
Being extremely reliable is a trait that others notice even if they don’t say so out loud. Highly prized, both because it is rare and because it is valuable. It’s something founders rarely are, but hiring people like that can help make...
Criticism Sticks, Praise Fades: Deliver Feedback Deliberately
Criticism is sticky. Praise isn't. Our brains hold on to critiques. What that means: We need to be very deliberate and intentional in how we deliver it. Four research backed ways to do so better: https://thegrowtheq.com/what-makes-criticism-so-sticky/
AI Success Starts with People, Not Just Technology
Thoughts on my weekend read...I’ve read plenty of AI books that are heavy on hype and light on reality. Andreas Welsch 's 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙐𝙈𝘼𝙉 𝘼𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝘼𝙄 𝙀𝙙𝙜𝙚 is not one of them. What I appreciated most is that Andreas keeps...
Solving Real Pain, Community Focus Drives HashiCorp’s Success
9 interesting observations from my conversation with Mitchell Hashimoto (@mitchellh, creator of Ghostty, founder of HashiCorp): 1. Vagrant was created because dev environment setup was an unbillable time sink at a consultancy. At the Ruby on Rails shop where Mitchell worked, jumping...
Close Your AI Experience Gap in Four Weeks
You're making decisions about AI every day. But you've never built anything with it. That's not a knowledge gap. It's an experience gap. And it changes how you lead. Our 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗜 course closes it in 4 weeks. ...
Nine Strategies to Unlock Gen Z Leadership Potential
If you want practical ways to recognize the strengths, motivations, and leadership potential inside Generation Z, my new book The Future Begins with Z offers nine strategies to help you lead this generation well as they reshape the workplace. Available now...
Mediocrity Is Rewarded; Excellence Is Pushed Out
Mediocrity gets promoted. Excellence gets managed out. Competence threatens. The high performer is a mirror nobody wants to look into. So they hire the one who makes them feel safe instead.
Productivity: Measure Finished Assets, Not Hours Worked
Most people “work” all day. But very few complete meaningful outputs. I think it's time we stop measuring by hours spent and instead measure by finished assets. Did you ship something concrete? If not, you were busy, not productive.
Bybit Co-CEO Helen Liu Resigns, Leadership Remains Steady
🚨BYBIT CO-CEO HELEN LIU TO RESIGN ON 30 APRIL Helen joined the exchange in 2020 and has served in many roles, including Chief of Staff, Chief Operating Officer, and Co-CEO Bybit CEO and Co-Founder Ben Zhou said that the company will...
Three AI Leadership Moves to Safeguard Teams
RT Layoffs, hiring freezes, and AI agents everywhere - your teams are anxious. Learn three practical AI leadership moves you can make now to protect people, elevate skills, and deliver outcomes. #AI #CIO @Star_CIO https://t.co/O0K0QkTUyt
True Leadership Thrives on Relentless Coachability and Self‑honesty
Being coachable means you're willing to be honest with yourself. It means receiving feedback without defensiveness, sitting with discomfort, and staying open to seeing your blind spots. It means trading your ego for growth. The best leaders I know never stopped...
Leadership Delayed $100M SAP Upgrade, Prioritizing Readiness
A company nearly spent $100M on S/4HANA. Instead, strong leadership and clarity led them to stick with ECC until ready, avoiding a premature SAP overhaul. Focus on readiness, not just the upgrade. #SAP #ERP #TechStrategy https://t.co/XHzPBKjZZ4
All‑Hands Meetings Turn Collaboration Into Real Output
I reject this premise. If we agree that management is work done with people, and that a manager’s #1 responsibility is results, then meetings aren’t overhead. They’re the work. My most-used design: The All Hands Meeting. Built to do three things simultaneously: → Teach...
Fresh Insights on AI, EdTech, and Education Leadership
🌱 March has arrived. The daffodils are trying their best, the sun is making the occasional guest appearance… and education is still moving at about 100 miles an hour. 😅 This latest newsletter rounds up what’s been catching my attention across...
Tim Pernetti Emerges NFLPA Executive Director Finalist
Tim Pernetti, American Conference commissioner just talked at the White House college round table, he is reportedly one of three finalists for NFLPA executive director job that should have a winner shortly
Leaders Reflect: Develop Teams, Remove Barriers, Recognize, Recharge
As we end the work week, a couple of questions for the leaders on the timeline. This week: 1) What actions did you take to develop your team members/staff? 2) What obstacle(s) did you seek to move out of your teams’ path? 3)...
Clear Outcome Storytelling Secures Leadership Opportunities
When roles are at risk, the leaders who can clearly tell their outcome story win the next opportunity. #DigitalTransformation https://t.co/O0K0QkTUyt
Redefine Success: Prioritize Impact, Fulfillment, and Happiness
Success metrics often ignore important aspects like impact, fulfillment, and happiness. Redefine what success means to you and ensure it aligns with your personal values and goals, not just conventional standards. 💡
Founders Brag Revenue, Ignore Churn; I Expose the Full Picture
AI company founders: Love sharing monthly revenue Love multiplying it by 12 for an annual run rate Hate talking about churn I contribute to this culture by building Senja in public But I’ve tried to paint a more complete picture by talking about the challenges...
Culture Mirrors Team Feelings: Get 10‑Ingredient Guide
Culture is a reflection of how the team feels about the workplace. It’s an output, not an input. I created a free PDF resource for leaders that dive into the 10 ingredients for a high-performance culture. Comment “CULTURE” and I’ll send it...
Judgment and Adaptability Outweigh Titles in Leadership
What matters far more is judgment, adaptability, and the ability to lead through uncertainty, not just where someone has worked or which titles theyve held. #Hiring #CIO #CHRO https://t.co/5Ohw7w5l2f
Play to Your Strengths, Not to Be Well‑Rounded
People always ask how @tobi and I split the job of running @Shopify. The answer is simple. Tobi builds the instruments. He is one of the best product minds in commerce. My job is storytelling. Championing merchants and explaining why what we’re building...
Listen to Complaints, Keep 95% of Customers
Most businesses lose customers after one complaint. Not because of the problem, but because no one listened. Use this rule: listen, validate, ask “What can I do to make this right?”, then fix it and document it. Research shows 95% of unhappy customers...
CEOs Must Delegate to Avoid Micromanaging Trivial Decisions
As the CEO, if you’re constantly answering trivial questions, making little decisions, you have a problem of your own making. Is it because you're not allowing others to decide? They think they're not empowered? It's a bad sign and you have to...
Master Workplace Politics and Influence Without Permission
Stoked to bring @jesseddy live to teach how to navigate politics, influence decisions, and showcase your value without waiting for permission. RSVP @ https://t.co/pAN8O82Upl
Skip VP Hires Until $10M ARR, Stay Hands‑on
If you're under $10M ARR and you have a VP of anything, that’s a mistake. > You hire a VP of Sales > Now you need a VP of Marketing > Now you need a VP of Product Suddenly, you're managing executives instead of...
Cut Toxic Envious Friends; Small Circles Fuel Success
The saddest thing about success is realizing how few people actually wanted to see you succeed. They smiled to your face but secretly hoped you’d fail. Learn to recognize quiet envy. Cut those people from your life. Small circles create...
Lighter Operations Empower Women Leaders to Thrive
It’s InternationalWomenDay, and I’ve been thinking about the weight many women in business carry. On paper, our work at OBM Associates is operational - systems, teams, strategy. But what actually happens is deeper. When the operational weight lifts, founders change. They stop firefighting and...
Credentials Open Doors; Personality Lands the Job
Your credentials got you in the room. They were never going to get you the job. Everyone in the final round has credentials. Stop leading with credentials. Your credentials are table stakes, not a differentiator. The interview starts where the resume...
Middle Management: The Hidden Glue Companies Lose
#TimTalk - Many organisations “lean out” by removing middle layers. What is the cost to a company when they remove this “middle” glue? with Gary Cookson https://t.co/fW8twRPAgo via @DLAIgnite #SocialSelling #DigitalSelling #Sales #SalesLeader #Leadership #Culture #Management #HumanResources #HR
Compliance Beats Excellence: Why the Best Stay Unpromoted
The most qualified person in the room rarely gets the title. They ask too many questions. They flag the problems nobody wants to see. They care more about results than optics. Meanwhile the one who smiles, nods, and never rocks the boat? Corner office. This isn’t...
Icon AI's Downfall: Bad Execution, Ignored Feedback
What caused this? To early? Poor execution? Bad leadership? A bit of everything IMO. We tried it and used it - it was a mediocre product at times and was okay other times. But their support and unwillingness to implement feedback is what killed them. I...
From Player to Coach: Team Accelerates Product Delivery
It's hard for me to describe how different things are than they were a week ago. I'm moving into more of a player coach role, and in the last 7 days, my team of PMs have been: - creating a "Cash...
Target Underserved Customers and Tailwinds for True Success
You can have a great product, team, plan, and pricing. But if you’re pursuing the wrong opportunity, none of it matters. Two questions define a great opportunity: Are there valuable underserved customers? Is there a tailwind? Strategy starts there. #BusinessStrategy #Entrepreneurship #StartupStrategy #Innovation #LeadershipDevelopment
Isolation, Not Intensity, Drives True Focus
You can't force focus with intensity. But you can restrict distractions with isolation. - One task. - One window. - One defined outcome. Anything else is diluted effort pretending to be work.
More Activity Doesn’t Guarantee More Results
“Just because you’re doing a lot more doesn’t mean you’re getting a lot more done.” Denzel Washington
Modern CIOs Prioritize Transparency Over Control to Build Trust
#CIOChat Q4: Endgame: Modern CIOs are shifting from control to credibility: Transparency, shared roadmaps, product operating models, and visible tradeoffs. What current or new practices are working for you to build durable trust between IT and the business today? https://t.co/pO7J5Oaktf
Leadership Secrets for Consistently High‑Performing Sales Teams
I recently spent some time with Jason Williams at Ramsey Solutions. Really good conversation about leadership, coaching reps, and what it takes to build a sales team that performs consistently. Sharing a quick behind-the-scenes shot from the studio. Full podcast episode drops tonight.
Honored with ISCEA Top 10 Influencer Award
Thank you very much, @ISCEA - International Supply Chain Education Alliance, for honouring me with the ISCEA Top 10 Influencer Award 👉 https://t.co/M2FGbFLBge Congratulations to respected thought leaders Yossi Sheffi, @RaduPalamariu , @Lora Cecere, Richard Wilding OBE (Professor), @mvollmer1 ....
When Your Business Feels Like a Prison
Your business is a prison if: You make all the decisions. You can't take breaks. You're always online.
Coinbase Builds Infrastructure for Agent Economy, Base Powers On‑chain AI
At Coinbase: - We’re building the infrastructure for the agent economy - Base is quickly establishing itself as the onchain home for AI
No‑code AI Agents Abstract Engineering, Not Eliminate It
🚫 “No-code AI agents” is not about skipping engineering. ✅ It’s about abstracting it. This visual captures a critical shift: AI agents are becoming products assembled from capabilities, not systems engineered from scratch. Here’s the executive breakdown 👇 1️⃣ Start...
Matt Anderson Poised for Smooth NASA Deputy Confirmation
NASA may soon get a deputy administrator. Matt Anderson is before a Senate committee today. Barring surprises his confirmation in the coming weeks should be non-controversial.
Hire as Fast as You Train, or Fail
Most startups fail at hiring, not product. They scale headcount faster than they scale training. Lean teams stay small, ship MVPs, track metrics, and fix root issues with Five Whys before adding people. Amazon runs teams small enough to feed with two pizzas...
Pitch UX as Risk Reduction, Not Just Experience
I was talking with a designer at a large heritage organization recently. He's the only UX person on the team, and he's been struggling with something I see all the time: getting product owners and business analysts to see the...