The hottest Leadership Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top World Politics Topics

Learning from the Current Crisis

DruGroup • 59 implied HN points • 28 Sep 21
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Crises compound rather than just add up. When multiple crises happen at once, it’s much harder to cope than when dealing with them one by one.
  2. Distrust in leaders spreads easily. When people start to distrust one authority figure, they often end up distrusting others too, which can damage organizations.
  3. Misinformation is a constant challenge. Leaders need to communicate clearly and consistently to combat false information, despite some people believing the wrong things.

The Strong and Weak Leader

DruGroup • 59 implied HN points • 21 Sep 21
📖 Philosophy Leadership
  1. Good leaders should balance strength and vulnerability. Being strong means having authority, and being weak means being open and honest with others.
  2. Flourishing comes from having both authority and vulnerability in leadership. When leaders care for others, everyone benefits and grows together.
  3. Each leadership style leads to different outcomes. Ignoring vulnerability can lead to exploitation, while being too vulnerable without authority can result in suffering.

If Miranda Priestley Was Your Boss | LSW#45

The Leading Sapiens Weekly • 30 implied HN points • 29 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Recognize the importance of adjusting your approach based on who you're working with, especially dealing with power differentials in organizational settings
  2. Learn to identify leader stereotypes and their preferences to improve stakeholder interactions
  3. Understand that stakeholders have unique styles that require tailored approaches for effective communication and collaboration
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

Diya Jolly (Incoming CPO at Xero, ex-Okta)

The Takeoff • 19 implied HN points • 20 Mar 23
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Lagging indicators for product success include revenue, mid-level indicators involve usage metrics, and early indicators consist of feedback from target customers.
  2. Building a strong product culture involves deep customer empathy, a focus on business growth, a drive for learning, and a collaborative team culture.
  3. Success in product management is measured by revenue generation, usage metrics, and meeting target customer needs through strategic decision-making.

The Donkey, Fox, Sheep, & Owl | LSW#43

The Leading Sapiens Weekly • 30 implied HN points • 15 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Everyone has some level of political awareness in the workplace, but it varies in understanding and application.
  2. Reading involves understanding the external world and organization, while carrying focuses on ethical behavior versus manipulation.
  3. Owls are wise in politics, balancing awareness, integrity, and interpersonal skills.

Why Political Leaders Lean On Journalists and Sports Coaches Do Not

House of Strauss • 28 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Politicians often rely on writers and intellectuals for ideas, while sports coaches do not look to the media for advice.
  2. Political leaders delegate the ideas portion of their projects to others, like writers, as they seek power for its own sake.
  3. In contrast to politics, sports coaches consider the media intellectually useless and mainly rely on internal expertise within their team for strategic decisions.

The worst project manager ever: a total idiot

Respectful Leadership • 54 implied HN points • 22 Mar 23
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Qualities of a great project manager are qualitative and include moral convictions, confidence, and perceptiveness, rather than just formal credentials.
  2. Respect is key in achieving excellent project management: respecting time, understanding priorities, and communicating effectively define a good project manager.
  3. Dealing with changing priorities respectfully involves supporting the team emotionally, being transparent about costs and time estimates, and facilitating collaboration between different levels of staff.

Power

We're Gonna Get Those Bastards • 10 implied HN points • 05 Jan 25
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Being friendly with your boss is often more important than just working hard. It's good to build relationships at work instead of only focusing on your tasks.
  2. Life is about connections and asking for what you want. If you want a raise, it's okay to ask, but it helps if you're friendly first.
  3. Social media can be useful for staying in touch with people and celebrating their successes. A simple click of 'like' can show you care and can have a positive impact.

I'm still insecure

The Next Chapter • 4 implied HN points • 01 Jul 25
🎭️ Culture Leadership
  1. Feeling insecure can happen even after a lot of self-improvement work. It’s common to struggle with self-doubt no matter how far you think you've come.
  2. People often seek validation from others instead of trusting themselves. It's important to recognize your own strengths and feelings rather than relying solely on feedback from friends.
  3. Moving forward despite doubt is key. It's okay to have insecurities; what matters is continuing to pursue your goals and passions regardless of those feelings.

Do you Really Want to Be a Development Team Leader?

kelsey’s Substack • 2 HN points • 16 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Leadership
  1. Consider the responsibilities and changes in work-life balance when transitioning from a developer to a development team leader.
  2. As a development team leader, tasks like coding, documentation, meetings, communications, delegation, and mentoring become essential parts of the role.
  3. Having strong communication skills, enjoying the responsibility of delivering solutions, and being involved in the entire software development life cycle are crucial qualities for success as a development team leader.

Three Domains of Legacy, Part 1

DruGroup • 59 implied HN points • 29 Jun 21
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Leadership
  1. Leaders have influence through three main domains: ideas, people, and organizations. Understanding which domain you excel in can help you focus your efforts.
  2. Each person affects the world in a blend of these domains. It's common for someone to be strong in one area and still have an impact in the others.
  3. A leader's influence can be both intentional and unintentional. It's important to communicate clearly to avoid misunderstandings about the influence being exerted.

Clear Eyes , Full Heart

Venture Prose • 2 HN points • 14 Apr 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Launching a fund entails building a functional partnership, and realizing when it's not working is important.
  2. Committing to doing the right thing by stakeholders, even in difficult situations, is crucial.
  3. Maintaining optimism and dedication, and sharing the journey with like-minded individuals, is fulfilling despite challenges.

TWH#48: OKRs Are Not OK

The Hagakure • 53 implied HN points • 02 Mar 23
💼 Business Leadership
  1. OKRs are commonly used in startups but often fail to work effectively due to misuse and lack of context.
  2. Senior leaders typically use OKRs for control and predictability, focusing on execution rather than learning and exploration.
  3. The VC-backed startup model emphasizes predictability and control over complex systems, which can hinder innovation and adaptive learning.

Announcing: Re-launching "Impact through Influence"

The Caring Techie Newsletter • 9 implied HN points • 29 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Leadership
  1. The course 'Impact through Influence' focuses on helping tech professionals build their influence without needing formal authority. It's great for engineers who want to lead and motivate their teams.
  2. Participants will learn how to build their reputation, foster trust, and persuade others effectively. The course includes practical exercises to apply what you learn in real situations.
  3. This re-launch includes new features like hands-on exercises and cheat sheets for every module. It's designed to make the content more accessible and directly applicable to everyday challenges.

#30: Fear of failure

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 99 implied HN points • 27 May 20
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Fear of failure stops big companies from being creative and trying new things. They worry too much about losing their reputation.
  2. Innovation often leads to failure, but it is also essential for success. Big companies need to accept that some failure is part of the process.
  3. Leaders in large organizations know innovation is necessary but might hold back because they fear taking risks that could lead to failure. This can lead to less exciting results in their work.

#4: Strategic uncertainty

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 119 implied HN points • 27 Nov 19
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Recognizing and managing uncertainty is becoming a rare and valuable skill, both for individuals and organizations. Those who develop this 'uncertainty mindset' can gain a strategic advantage.
  2. To improve adaptability in uncertain environments, organizations should rethink job roles to allow for improvisation and flexibility. This means creating expectations for employees to explore and adapt their responsibilities.
  3. Real learning about managing uncertainty happens through real experiences, rather than traditional corporate training. Leaders need to create work cultures that encourage exploration to build the uncertainty mindset among employees.

Ignoring The Reward Matrix

Trying Truly • 32 implied HN points • 14 Nov 23
🎭️ Culture Leadership
  1. Rules are not always as important as they seem, and sometimes breaking them can teach valuable lessons.
  2. Seeing beyond existing incentive structures can provide a significant advantage in navigating reality.
  3. The ability to define your own incentives can lead to positive outcomes and allow for transformative change.

A Crowdsourced List of Books and Resources for New Venture Capitalists

Venture Reflections • 27 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. A crowdsourced list of books and resources for new venture capitalists was shared.
  2. The resources are categorized based on different aspects like VC business, technology innovation ecosystems, cautionary tales, finance, and more.
  3. The list includes various formats of resources like books, blog posts, podcasts, newsletters, and organizations for new VCs to explore.

The Biggest Challenges Ahead for Our Startup Ecosystem

Midwest Humble • 9 implied HN points • 20 Jan 25
💼 Business Leadership
  1. There is a need for more startup capital in Michigan. Founders and investors want to see faster progress, and having more options for funding can help.
  2. Building a strong community and culture is important for startups. Events and collaboration can help people connect and create new opportunities.
  3. Storytelling is essential for success. Sharing local achievements can improve recognition and support, helping to brand Michigan's startup ecosystem better.

Being in the details

The Engineering Manager • 11 implied HN points • 30 Nov 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Being involved in the details of your organization is crucial. It helps you make better decisions and keeps you accountable for your team's work.
  2. Good management means delegating responsibility but also staying accountable. You need to know what your team is doing and the progress of important projects.
  3. It's possible to be detail-oriented without micromanaging. Techniques like direct reports, regular deep dives, and collaborative work can help you stay engaged.

Lessons from the Ides of March

The Octavian Report • 49 implied HN points • 15 Mar 23
💾 History Leadership
  1. Julius Caesar's forgiveness towards his enemies ultimately led to his downfall.
  2. Caesar's policy of clemency humiliated his enemies and alienated his allies.
  3. Leaders should balance clemency with rewarding friends and displaying modesty to avoid creating dangerous power dynamics.

Fantastic Builders and Where to Find Them, 2nd Installment

Building the Builders • 12 implied HN points • 28 Oct 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Esther Crawford made bold choices in her career, like using her own savings to fund her startup. She felt confident doing this because she knew she could always find another job if it didn't work out.
  2. Her honesty with investors about tough decisions helped build trust and support. This showed that being truthful can strengthen relationships in business.
  3. Esther's journey highlights the importance of following your own path and interests rather than just fitting into societal expectations. Her choices were driven by personal goals and values.

The Brilliant Jerk vs. Team Performance - Problem #3

Fish Food for Thought • 11 implied HN points • 20 Nov 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Brilliant jerks might deliver great results, but their bad behavior can really hurt team morale and performance. Focusing on team success is way more important than tolerating toxic individuals.
  2. Toxic employees can create a fearful environment where others don’t share ideas or take risks. This stifles creativity and can lead to poor overall performance.
  3. Companies need to set clear behavior expectations and not let talented individuals hurt team dynamics. Prioritizing collaboration and respect helps everyone do their best work.

What Founders Teach Us

Perspectives • 3 implied HN points • 24 Jul 25
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Founders are fearless and willing to take risks. They believe in their ideas and work hard to solve problems, even when the odds are against them.
  2. Having a learning mindset is important for founders. They seek different opinions and adapt quickly to new information to strengthen their leadership.
  3. Great founders know how to attract and build strong teams. They focus on recruiting top talent, as the right people can significantly change a company's success.

The Hero Culture Trap | Sowmya Subramanian

Dev Interrupted • 9 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
🕹 Technology 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.

#17: Boris

The Uncertainty Mindset (soon to become tbd) • 99 implied HN points • 26 Feb 20
💼 Business Leadership
  1. In uncertain situations, traditional goal-setting doesn't work well because it assumes we can predict the right goals in advance. Instead, teams need a flexible approach that allows them to adapt to changing circumstances.
  2. The Boris method encourages teams to discuss trade-offs rather than focusing solely on specific goals. By understanding the limitations and constraints, team members can make better decisions and act more autonomously.
  3. When teams clarify what they can and can’t do through conversation, they become more effective. This practice fosters a deeper understanding of the resources available and helps everyone align their efforts toward innovation.

Can Anyone Multi-Task?

Tribal Knowledge • 19 implied HN points • 18 Sep 22
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Context switching is a focus killer, it interrupts deep work and takes time to get back into the right mindset.
  2. Multi-tasking is often just quick context switching between tasks, leading to partial effort on each. Focusing on one task at a time can improve efficiency.
  3. Transitioning between different levels of thinking - task, project, and owner level - is essential in startup environments, requiring adaptability and focus.

Why "bias for action" is not good enough

The Caring Techie Newsletter • 11 implied HN points • 12 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Leadership
  1. Having a 'bias for action' can be good, but it's not always the right approach. Sometimes, acting without enough thought can lead to bigger problems.
  2. In situations where you don't fully understand the problem, it might be better to wait and gather more information before jumping to conclusions.
  3. Instead of rushing into decisions, take a moment to think things through. Thoughtful action can help you make better choices.