The hottest Leadership Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top World Politics Topics

High Agency: The Mindset of Successful Leaders

The Engineering Leader • 218 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership Mindset Personal Development Human Resources Decision-making
  1. High Agency means taking control of your life and making decisions without waiting for perfect conditions. It helps you be proactive and responsible for your outcomes.
  2. People with High Agency are resourceful and resilient, able to turn challenges into opportunities. They thrive on taking calculated risks and learning from their experiences.
  3. You can develop High Agency by taking initiative, accepting responsibility, and being adaptable. It's all about having the mindset to overcome obstacles and create your own path.

It’s Not About Me — That’s The Point

moontower: a stoner dad explains options trading to his kids • 235 implied HN points • 14 Jan 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Investments Career development Leadership Mentorship
  1. Focus on being altruistic and a positive presence in the world, putting in the work and solving real problems.
  2. Believe in yourself to become the best version of yourself, even when faced with doubts.
  3. In a competitive investment landscape, understanding the job's challenges and rewards can help determine if it's the right fit for you.

Think like a Plumber, not a CEO | LSW#58

The Leading Sapiens Weekly • 40 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
💼 Business Work Culture Productivity Leadership Creativity Mindset
  1. Knowledge work shouldn't just rely on inspiration or perfect conditions. Showing up consistently, like a plumber, leads to real progress.
  2. Instead of waiting for creativity to strike, focus on making a routine and setting clear goals. This structure helps reduce stress and improves productivity.
  3. It's important to value practice and effort over perfection. Producing more often can actually improve the quality of your work over time.

Modern Leadership.

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 56 implied HN points • 20 Oct 24
💼 Business Leadership Management Human Resources Workplace culture Career development
  1. Anyone can be a leader; it's about how you act, not just your job title. Being a boss isn't the only way to show leadership.
  2. Good leaders focus on their influence and connections rather than just controlling everything. They see the big picture and adapt to change.
  3. For leaders to grow, they need to be open to learning and transforming themselves. This process needs support and new ways to encourage growth.
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The Most Important Meeting of Your Year

DruGroup • 79 implied HN points • 14 May 24
💼 Business Leadership Management Diversity Meetings Organizational Culture
  1. The nominating committee is super important because it decides who will lead in the future. The people you choose will shape the agenda and priorities for your group.
  2. Having a diverse group of nominees is crucial. It helps ensure that the leadership reflects different backgrounds and perspectives, making the organization stronger.
  3. Leading a nominating committee well can make a big impact. If you prepare properly and focus on the right issues, you'll set your organization up for success for a long time.

Vitamin B for Engineering Teams: Psychological Safety

The Healthy Engineering Leader • 59 implied HN points • 04 Jun 24
💼 Business Team Dynamics Leadership Psychology Performance
  1. Psychological safety in teams is really important. It helps everyone feel safe to share ideas, make mistakes, and ask questions without fear.
  2. There are four stages of psychological safety: inclusion safety, learner safety, contributor safety, and challenger safety. Each stage builds on the previous one to help teams grow and work better together.
  3. Just like vitamins are essential for our health, psychological safety is essential for a healthy and effective team. When teams feel safe, they can innovate and succeed.

TBM 319: Surfing Inertia and Pendulum Swings

The Beautiful Mess • 158 implied HN points • 03 Nov 24
💼 Business Organizational Behavior Leadership Agility Change Management Strategy
  1. Companies struggle with finding the right balance between team independence and overall coordination. Too much focus on one can harm the other.
  2. Inertia can make it hard for companies to adapt, leading to bigger problems in the future if they're not addressed. Leaders should recognize this and take action.
  3. Being open to change and adjusting how teams work can help organizations respond better to challenges. Setting the right incentives also supports a flexible mindset.

How to drive me crazy 🤯

Venture Prose • 379 implied HN points • 28 May 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Leadership Failure Progress Mindset
  1. Ownership is key: Acknowledge mistakes, apologize, reflect, and avoid blaming others. It's important to take full responsibility.
  2. Increase awareness: Connect and interact with others, understand their needs, and reflect on yourself. Being self-aware is crucial for healthy relationships.
  3. Embrace progress over success: Failure is part of the journey, and the ability to grow and evolve is vital. Avoid getting stuck in a fixed mindset and strive for continuous improvement.

«Я не боюсь понести ответственность, если это необходимо»

Faridaily • 373 implied HN points • 17 Feb 23
🌍 World Politics Government Conflicts International relations Leadership Foreign Policy
  1. Robert Shlegel, a former Russian politician, spoke out against the war in Ukraine after years of silence.
  2. Shlegel expressed regret for past decisions and is unafraid of facing consequences for his current actions.
  3. He believes that change in the current regime in Russia may only occur over time due to internal and external pressures.

Eric Yuan: The Rise Of Zoom

Category Pirates • 373 implied HN points • 13 Feb 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Technology Innovation Category Design Leadership
  1. Eric Yuan, founder of Zoom, had a vision to make the world a better place through seamless communication.
  2. Yuan's category design philosophy focused on prioritizing customer happiness and building a product that customers truly love.
  3. Zoom's success in dominating the video conferencing market was attributed to Yuan's vision, tenacity, and focus on end-user satisfaction.

TBM 205: "Process" vs. Systems & Habits

The Beautiful Mess • 1613 implied HN points • 12 Mar 23
💼 Business Management Processes Systems Habits Leadership
  1. Team A focuses on rushed, performative annual processes, while Team B prioritizes continuous improvement and thoughtful feedback.
  2. Team A's lack of customer-centricity and reactive approach leads to institutionalized mediocrity, while Team B's positive habits and systems drive effectiveness.
  3. Breaking the loop of reactive processes and establishing human-centric systems and valuable habits is crucial for better ways of working in organizations.

150+ Product Management Resources and 50+ ChatGPT Prompts: Your Complete 2025 PM Toolkit 🚀

The Product Channel By Sid Saladi • 16 implied HN points • 01 Jan 25
💼 Business Product Management AI Tools Resources Strategy Leadership
  1. There are over 150 useful resources for product management that can help professionals navigate topics like strategy, leadership, and AI integration.
  2. The toolkit includes more than 50 ChatGPT prompts designed to enhance productivity and creativity for product managers.
  3. New tools like ProductGPT can help product managers get customized answers and streamline their workflow, making their jobs easier.

Managing cancer, an agency and building SaaS products

Kenny’s Sub • 99 implied HN points • 14 Apr 24
💼 Business Entrepreneurship SaaS Startups Health Leadership
  1. Managing a business while dealing with serious health issues like cancer requires clear delegation and smart prioritization. It's important to have a supportive team that can share the workload.
  2. Building a business with multiple co-founders can offer different strengths and perspectives. Sharing a common dream and working closely together helps in navigating the challenges of starting a company.
  3. Balancing client work with developing your own products can be tricky but is essential for long-term success. Treating internal projects like client projects with clear goals can help maintain focus and ensure progress.

Stocks; Xi Thought; Nukes

Sinocism • 176 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics China Leadership Military
  1. Stock market in China dropped sharply but recovered after regulatory intervention and state buying.
  2. Xi Jinping Thought campaign has ended, but uncertainty remains about its impact on cadres.
  3. Ousted PLA officials faced removal for 'serious violations of discipline and law', with more detentions occurring.

Pod Against America

The Carousel • 43 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership Media Election Authenticity Public Opinion
  1. Trump's approach to leadership focuses on genuine beliefs rather than manipulation. This contrasts with elite strategies, which often prioritize how to present ideas rather than what those ideas actually are.
  2. Elites are trained to understand what people want to hear, leading to a lack of authentic engagement with their actual beliefs. They aim to control narratives rather than truly lead.
  3. For the left to regain authenticity in today's media, they need to clearly express their principles instead of just trying to gain power. They should focus on why their ideas matter, rather than simply trying to be liked.

The Hero Culture Trap | Sowmya Subramanian

Dev Interrupted • 9 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Engineering Culture Metrics Business Leadership
  1. Building a good team means moving from putting out fires to being proactive. Focus on planning ahead so your team doesn’t always have to deal with emergencies.
  2. Rushing to ship new features isn't always best. Sometimes, following others and quickly adapting ideas can work better in the long run.
  3. When writing code, clear instructions lead to better results. If you’re vague, your code might end up messy and confused.

Reflections on Four Years at Notion

startupdiaries • 354 implied HN points • 02 Aug 23
💼 Business Startups Leadership Personal Growth
  1. Find what keeps you hungry: Hunger and drive were crucial in navigating the world, from childhood struggles to succeeding at startups like Notion.
  2. Adaptability wins: The ability to reinvent value and adapt amid constant change, especially in hyper-growth environments, is key to success as an early startup employee.
  3. Ultimately, look inwards: The soul and warmth of a company like Notion stem from its vision, courage to be different, and ambition, all nurtured from within.

Management Rituals: Quarterly Check-ins

QUALITY BOSS • 79 implied HN points • 04 May 24
💼 Business Management Leadership Performance Growth Feedback
  1. Quarterly check-ins help managers stay updated on their team's accomplishments and goals. They create space for important conversations about progress and development.
  2. The check-in process includes asking six questions that focus on both past achievements and future aspirations. This backward and forward approach ensures a comprehensive view of performance.
  3. These meetings do not replace regular feedback but complement it by providing a dedicated time for discussing growth and performance over a longer timeline.

What does extreme ownership really mean?

Arpit’s Newsletter • 176 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
💼 Business Career growth Engineering Leadership Education Technology
  1. Extreme ownership means taking initiative and completing tasks without waiting to be told what to do.
  2. Keeping everyone on the same page by proactively sharing progress and potential roadblocks is crucial for success.
  3. Extreme ownership does not mean working twice as hard, but rather taking complete ownership and ensuring delivery of assigned tasks.

TBM 226: Stuck In The Valley of "Doing OK"

The Beautiful Mess • 1190 implied HN points • 15 Jun 23
💼 Business Company performance Organizational dynamics Change Management Innovation Leadership
  1. Being stuck in a state of 'doing ok' is dangerous for a company.
  2. Companies can be in a 'doing ok' basin where they neither thrive nor fail, leading to eventual decline.
  3. To disrupt the 'doing ok' situation in a company, try seeding new behaviors, increasing connectivity, and introducing disturbances.

Burning

Venture Prose • 339 implied HN points • 11 Jun 23
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startups Management Growth Leadership
  1. Companies in the startup world face the risk of 'burning out' due to various reasons like lack of product-market fit, slow growth, or unsustainable economics.
  2. Entrepreneurs fall into categories like 'High Flyers' who start strong but need to sustain hype, and 'The Burn-Outers' who struggle to manage work-life balance while pushing their companies forward.
  3. Running a company successfully requires a balance of fundamental work, intense focus, and clarity of vision, along with surrounding oneself with a supportive team to navigate challenges.

AFTER BIDEN

Seymour Hersh • 45 implied HN points • 07 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Elections Foreign Policy Political parties Public Opinion Leadership
  1. Many voters preferred Trump over a flawed Democratic candidate. They want a change in direction, especially regarding foreign policy.
  2. The past Democratic leadership choices are criticized for lacking strong vice presidential candidates. This may have weakened their political position.
  3. There’s a belief that Trump may persist in some of Biden's policies, particularly regarding support for Israel, despite wanting to change the approach towards Ukraine.

TBM 229: Winnable and Unwinnable Games (Part 3)

The Beautiful Mess • 1110 implied HN points • 07 Jul 23
💼 Business Management Decision-making Leadership Problem Solving Organizational Behavior
  1. Hierarchy creates a chain of communication in which information gets oversimplified as it moves up, leading to an unwinnable game
  2. Passing information up the chain results in details being shaped and possibly distorted based on audience and perceived urgency
  3. The ideal conditions for a 'good game' are challenged in scenarios where goals become unclear, feedback loops are long, and motivations are dwindled

Exclusive: Healthcare CEO refuses to resign or provide proof of doctorate following Karlstack investigation

Karlstack • 510 implied HN points • 13 Mar 24
📰 News Investigative Journalism Healthcare Education Ethics Leadership
  1. Questions regarding honesty and qualifications of top executives can severely impact an organization's reputation.
  2. Verification of educational credentials is crucial, especially in sensitive sectors like healthcare.
  3. Investigative journalism plays a vital role in uncovering potential misconduct and ensuring transparency in professional environments.

The cult of positive thinking comes for academe

The Recovering Academic • 356 implied HN points • 14 Feb 23
🚌 Education Academia Leadership Student experience Critical Thinking
  1. Positive thinking originated as an antidote to Puritanism and is about trying to think positively as a practice or discipline.
  2. In academia, positive thinking can enable gaslighting where university leaders may manipulate or undermine faculty concerns to align with their personal visions.
  3. Negative thinking, while often seen in a bad light, can be essential for seeking truth and survival by challenging assumptions and serving as a tool for vigilantly assessing reality.

Why Did Trump Prevail Again?

Journal of Free Black Thought • 29 implied HN points • 15 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Elections Political strategy Public Opinion Racial Issues Leadership
  1. Trump's appeal seems to come from his connection with everyday people. Many feel he cares about their struggles, especially during tough economic times.
  2. The Democrats might be missing the point by focusing too much on race and gender as reasons for their losses. Many voters are more concerned about economic issues.
  3. There's a need for the Democratic party to listen better to the experiences and concerns of working-class voters. If they don’t, they risk continuing to lose elections.

Beware the Weak Man

Thinking about... • 538 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Policy Leadership Democracy Republicans Fear
  1. Identify weak men by their actions, like avoiding real issues and spreading fear rather than facing challenges head-on
  2. Weak men consume the energy of others, pushing for inaction, spread fear, and normalize fear in institutions, leading to harmful consequences
  3. Courage is essential in times of crisis, like supporting Ukraine and democracy, and standing up against the weak men who drive a politics of fear

Vitamin C for Engineering Teams: Building Resiliency through Compassion

The Healthy Engineering Leader • 39 implied HN points • 20 Jun 24
💼 Business Leadership Teamwork Communication Emotional Intelligence Workplace culture
  1. Compassion helps build strong and resilient teams, especially during tough times. Just like Vitamin C boosts our health, compassion boosts team spirit.
  2. Good communication is crucial for leaders. By talking openly and listening to team members, leaders can create a safe space where everyone feels valued.
  3. Giving teams time and freedom to recharge can make a big difference. Leaders should encourage breaks or fun activities to help everyone cope with stress better.