The hottest Leadership Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top World Politics Topics

Trust & Integrity

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 27 implied HN points • 15 Jun 25
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Trust is key in any relationship or career. It helps people work together quickly and confidently.
  2. Integrity means being honest and consistent in your words and actions. When what you say, believe, and do align, you create a trustworthy image.
  3. To earn trust, be clear about your intentions, share data, be transparent in your processes, and fix mistakes when they happen. These habits can help you build strong relationships.

Applying Socratic Wisdom to Engineering Management

The Healthy Engineering Leader • 39 implied HN points • 08 Nov 23
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Humility is important in engineering. Recognizing that you don’t know everything helps create a culture where everyone feels valued and can share ideas.
  2. Being a leader means being a lifelong learner. It’s vital to keep learning about your team and technology to support them effectively.
  3. Taking time to reflect on actions and decisions can lead to better results. Regular team retrospectives can help improve processes and boost team morale.

Burning Time

The Radar • 19 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Unpaid time theft from employees is normalized in business culture, but it's essentially stealing from them.
  2. Leaders need to proactively manage and respect their employees' time to avoid burnout and ensure mutual respect.
  3. Time is a valuable asset for everyone, not just senior leaders, and should be honored and acknowledged in all aspects of work.

American Heroes, 5: The Niagara Movement

Journal of Free Black Thought • 19 implied HN points • 31 Jul 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. The Niagara Movement, started in 1905, pushed for full civil rights for black Americans. It was a response to the slow progress of racial equality and aimed for immediate change rather than gradual improvements.
  2. W.E.B. Du Bois and other leaders of the movement believed in the power of educated black individuals to lead the fight against inequality. They wanted to challenge stereotypes and show that black Americans have the capability and moral quality to demand their rights.
  3. The movement emphasized activism and direct action, encouraging black Americans to confront injustice openly. This bold approach influenced future civil rights groups, including the NAACP, which continued the mission of fighting for equality.

Safe vs ALL-IN Engineering Management

Leading Developers • 70 implied HN points • 26 Nov 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. There are two main styles of engineering management: Safe and All-In. Safe managers stick to the rules and like a structured work environment while All-In managers push for change and challenge the status quo.
  2. All-In managers are seen as demanding and sometimes annoying by others, as they constantly seek improvement and advocate for their team's needs. They care deeply about their team's success and fight for resources.
  3. The big clash happens because Safe managers prefer a calm, methodical way of working, while All-In managers bring energy and chaos. Both styles can struggle to cooperate effectively.
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Smaller meetings are more productive than larger meetings

Respectful Leadership • 54 implied HN points • 25 Jan 25
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Smaller meetings are better than larger ones because they keep people engaged. In big meetings, many attendees often feel bored or have nothing to contribute.
  2. You should only invite the people who are essential for the meeting. This helps everyone stay focused and avoid distractions from their actual work.
  3. Frequent large meetings can waste a lot of time. It's more effective to communicate via email or messages for announcements instead of gathering everyone together unnecessarily.

June 7, 2025

Letters from an American • 28 implied HN points • 08 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. The Secretary of the Navy, John Phelan, was appointed despite having no military background. His nomination came from being a significant donor to Trump’s campaign rather than military experience.
  2. There are concerns about how history is taught and remembered in America. Trump’s administration aims to erase certain narratives and promote a version of history that aligns with their agenda.
  3. A new video series called 'Journey to American Democracy' is being created to make U.S. history more accessible. It focuses on the struggle for democracy and equality throughout American history.

The Hagakure #85: In The Trenches

The Hagakure • 61 implied HN points • 28 Dec 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. The author recently took a new job as a startup CTO and is sharing his real experiences in this role. It's a change from coaching others to being hands-on again.
  2. He wants to provide honest insights about the challenges he faces instead of polished advice. It's about showing the true ups and downs of the job.
  3. The author invites readers to join him on this journey and share what they want to learn about being in a leadership position. It's a way to connect and engage with everyone interested.

Who Should Run Gaza After the War?

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 162 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Leadership
  1. Consider new leadership for Gaza post-Hamas destruction to promote a positive change in politics and society.
  2. Reconstruction aid for Gaza should empower a new elite who adhere to donor-set conditions, like not promoting hatred and funding civilian projects.
  3. Prioritize recruiting capable Palestinians with integrity to lead and spend aid properly for the benefit of the people, not extremist agendas.

First jobs of 11 successful entrepreneurs.

Jon’s Newsletter • 99 implied HN points • 15 Jan 23
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Many successful entrepreneurs started off doing simple jobs that taught them valuable lessons. For example, Jeff Bezos learned about customer service while working at McDonald's.
  2. Starting young helped these entrepreneurs understand the importance of hard work and finding opportunities. Richard Branson sold birds at 11 years old and learned about the challenges of running a business.
  3. First jobs can shape one's future career and mindset. Elon Musk worked as a boiler room cleaner, which taught him the value of hard work and persistence.

Apple has a new Industrial Design Leader, Molly Anderson

Apple Wire • 2 HN points • 04 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Leadership
  1. Molly Anderson is the new leader of Apple’s Industrial Design team. She aims to combine beautiful designs with practical use in Apple products.
  2. Anderson has experience working on the iPad Pro, which was made thinner and lighter than before. She focused on improving its structure and functionality.
  3. Her design approach seems to balance style and practicality, similar to Jony Ive, but with a stronger focus on how the product works.

getting stuff done

Midnight Musings • 19 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. It's really important for everyone on a team to be clear about what success looks like. When everyone understands the goals and expectations, it helps avoid frustration and saves time.
  2. Planning is key before starting projects. When people know their roles and the project scope from the beginning, things go smoother and it's easier to stay on track.
  3. Good communication can make a big difference. Sharing information openly helps build trust and keeps everyone on the same page, leading to better teamwork and collaboration.

How Serbian activists created a Revolution, and what we can learn from it to change things

Bold & Open • 19 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Leadership
  1. Principles behind successful peaceful revolutions can be universal, even if tactics need to be adapted to each specific situation.
  2. Start with achievable, small victories to show vulnerability of current powers and attract more support to your cause.
  3. Having a clear vision of tomorrow that appeals to the average citizen, understanding their needs, and uniting under a common goal are crucial for successful movements.

Evaluating Team Effectiveness with a Data-first Approach | Bhavini Soneji, Executive Leader (ex-Cruise, Headspace, Microsoft)

platocommunity • 19 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Empowering people to discover their strengths and amplify their impact is key in leadership.
  2. When measuring team effectiveness, consider the three buckets: what (strategic value), how (execution), and who (team dynamics).
  3. Combining measurement with follow-through techniques is crucial to determine if you're measuring the right things and drive continuous improvement.

Understanding Why so Many, Many False Starts in Sub-Saharan Africa...

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 153 implied HN points • 17 Feb 24
🌍 World Politics Leadership
  1. Sub-Saharan Africa faces challenges in creating successful governance systems that align with the population's needs and aspirations.
  2. Building functional and enduring states in sub-Saharan Africa may require reimagining the government structure from the ground up through inclusive conversations within communities.
  3. The ideal government model could be one that focuses on efficient administration and coordinates production processes, as seen in countries like Denmark and Singapore.

What if you couldn't fail?

Upon Reflection • 19 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Many people operate from a place of fear, but leaders should practice believing in themselves, their team, and their company for positive outcomes.
  2. Leaders need to embrace the mindset that challenges are opportunities for growth and success, not insurmountable obstacles.
  3. Acknowledging your ego, facing the truth even if it's uncomfortable, and falling in love with difficult tasks are key actions for leaders to evolve and improve their organizations.

Bad communication is always your fault

Sunday Letters • 199 implied HN points • 03 Apr 22
🚌 Education Leadership
  1. Effective communication is a shared responsibility. If someone doesn't understand you, it's worth examining how you can express your thoughts more clearly.
  2. People generally want to understand each other. If communication fails, it's important to explore what might be blocking the other person from grasping your message.
  3. Assuming good intent can help improve communication. If you treat every miscommunication as your responsibility, it can lead to better conversations.

Design Leaders Should Go “Founder Mode”

Jakob Nielsen on UX • 69 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
🪑 Design Leadership
  1. Design leaders should adopt a hands-on, founder-like approach rather than climbing traditional corporate ladders. This allows for more effective and quick decision-making.
  2. AI can greatly boost productivity in design teams, allowing smaller teams to achieve results that used to require larger departments. This leads to flatter organizational structures.
  3. Being a leader in design today means having a clear vision for the team's success and making sure that vision fits well with the rest of the organization.

Engaging Your Staff to Drive Success

Ruben Ugarte's Growth Needle™ • 19 implied HN points • 13 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Most strategies fail during implementation because the planning phase is fun, but putting plans into action is hard. Engaging staff is vital to convert plans into reality.
  2. Engaging staff before creating a strategy helps gather useful feedback and ideas. This can be done through surveys, townhalls, or one-on-one conversations.
  3. After a strategy is made, leaders should support staff by explaining how it benefits them personally and providing the tools they need. Keeping changes simple helps everyone adapt better.

The game theory of the Republican speakership crisis

Matt’s Five Points • 39 implied HN points • 18 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. The Republican Party is struggling to choose a Speaker because there are deep divisions within the party. This makes it hard to find a candidate everyone can support.
  2. The Freedom Caucus, a group of more extreme Republicans, has a lot of power and has been blocking proposals from the GOP leadership. They are willing to play hardball, which can hurt the party's ability to govern.
  3. Finding a new Speaker isn't just about winning a vote; it's about forming a strong coalition. Without a stable majority backing, the Speaker's power is weak, making it tough for any leader to move forward effectively.

Middle management lessons

Logos • 39 implied HN points • 17 Oct 23
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Relying on your gut feeling can sometimes be better than overthinking with too much data. Sometimes common sense leads to clearer, quicker decisions.
  2. Managing upwards is key; keeping your boss informed about your work helps them understand your efforts and successes better. Regular updates are more helpful than you might think.
  3. Hard work is usually more important than just being smart. At work, showing your effort often matters more than your natural talent or intelligence.

Joe Biden: Hoarder of Classified Documents, Dementia Patient, President of the United States of America

eugyppius: a plague chronicle • 155 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Joe Biden appears to have advanced dementia, evident from his struggles with memory and recent confusions.
  2. Special counsel Robert K. Hur's report highlighted Biden's memory limitations and cognitive defects.
  3. Biden's recent mix-ups, like confusing world leaders and dates, raise concerns about his mental state.

RDEL #29: Besides coding, how do software engineers contribute to the agile development process?

Research-Driven Engineering Leadership • 19 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Leadership
  1. Software engineers in Agile development contribute beyond just coding.
  2. Non-technical tasks such as process improvement, goal setting, and meeting attendance are crucial for software engineers in Agile development.
  3. Engineers play a vital role in correctly scoping, communicating, and completing projects in Agile development processes.

None of Us is As Dumb As All of Us

The Radar • 19 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Processes, rules, and policies should not be substitutes for leadership. Bureaucracies lead to inefficiency and hindrance in decision-making.
  2. Bureaucracies treat customers and adversaries the same, making it difficult to get requests handled efficiently. They drown common sense and generate unnecessary rules and policies.
  3. Leaders should rely on their presence and values rather than creating new structures as substitutes. Avoid bureaucracy as much as possible, as it can turn against its creators.

Keir Starmer, the Tortoise

The Ruffian • 282 implied HN points • 08 Apr 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Keir Starmer faced a tough challenge when he took over Labour party leadership after a series of defeats.
  2. Despite lacking a strong personal connection with voters, Starmer shows determination and slow but steady improvement in his leadership style.
  3. Starmer's upbringing shaped his reserved and emotionally guarded leadership approach, but he is working on being more open and confident in public.

How to Take Back Academia

Heterodox STEM • 277 implied HN points • 10 Apr 23
🚌 Education Leadership
  1. It's important to understand and challenge wokism in academia.
  2. Efforts should focus on promoting knowledge of race differences, changing the decision makers on campus, and leveraging political power.
  3. Taking radical action, implementing specific strategies, and not giving up are crucial to reclaim universities from wokism.

An unforced error for Donald Trump

Unreported Truths • 51 implied HN points • 31 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. It's important to show empathy and support for the families affected by tragedies, especially immediately after such events. Instead of discussing political topics, leaders should focus on comforting those in grief.
  2. Having a diverse workforce in fields like aviation is important, but safety and competency should always come first. Standards should not be lowered just to meet diversity goals.
  3. Making political comments during sensitive times can come off as insensitive. It's better to take a respectful approach than to push a political agenda when people's lives have been lost.

UPDATE: Iran fires missiles at a US base in Qatar - but gives advance warning

Unreported Truths • 24 implied HN points • 23 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Iran recently fired missiles at a US base in Qatar but warned them in advance. This shows they might not want to escalate the conflict.
  2. The situation is seen as a big win for Trump and Israel, as they've managed to push back Iran's nuclear ambitions without significant casualties.
  3. This event highlights a strategic game of patience, where both sides are trying to avoid a full-blown war.

What Right Looks Like

The Radar • 19 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Recognition is a powerful motivator in organizations, lifting spirits and incentivizing people to contribute more.
  2. Effective leadership involves recognizing and celebrating the contributions and achievements of individuals, fostering a sense of belonging and camaraderie.
  3. Leaders play a crucial role in shaping the culture of their organizations by what they choose to recognize and prioritize.

Communicating To Stakeholders

Become a Senior Engineer • 19 implied HN points • 08 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Identify stakeholders by knowing who they are and understanding their needs.
  2. Tailoring communication involves classifying stakeholders based on their power and interest in the project.
  3. Effective communication with stakeholders requires keeping them satisfied or informed based on their level of power and interest.

The Engineering Leader's Process for Continuous Improvement

Developing Leadership • 39 implied HN points • 25 Apr 23
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Engineering leaders have two main responsibilities: improving developer experience and delivering impact to end-users.
  2. The Engineering Leader's Process for Continuous Improvement involves identifying, discussing, deciding, aligning, acting, and measuring.
  3. It is important for engineering leaders to continuously loop through the improvement process, not just during times of issue.