The hottest Leadership Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top World Politics Topics

Vote for the stutterer, not the lying felonious rapist. It's important.

Lucian Truscott Newsletter • 3203 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Focus on what presidential candidates say intentionally, not on their gaffes or age.
  2. Consider the clear promises of presidential candidates, like Trump's plans to end the Affordable Care Act and privatize Medicare.
  3. It's crucial to vote based on candidates' declared intentions and actions, rather than personal characteristics or missteps.

Out of Gas

Doomberg • 7896 implied HN points • 03 Feb 25
🌍 World Politics Leadership
  1. Britain has faced a major decline in its global power and status over the years, driven by poor decisions by its leaders. This decline shows that just having a historic role doesn't mean a country is still significant today.
  2. Currently, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is trying to boost Britain's image by aiming to make it an AI superpower. However, investors are uncertain because of the country's bigger issues, especially in energy.
  3. The UK is struggling with low gas storage and high demand for energy, which makes its ambition for AI seem unrealistic. Without reliable and cheap energy, the goal to succeed in technology will be hard to achieve.

Commentator

Castalia • 639 implied HN points • 01 Jul 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Many Democrats feel that Biden should step aside for the next election, with polls showing a strong preference for a different candidate. The belief is that Biden's time as a leader may be coming to an end.
  2. Biden's team seems out of touch with public opinion and overestimates his connection with voters. They appear to believe that if they manage the media coverage well, it will change how people feel about him.
  3. There's a significant concern about Biden's age and health, with many questioning whether he can effectively lead. This has led to worries about who truly influences his decisions and whether his close circle is providing honest advice.

Joe Biden's final act is a message for boomers

Jeff Giesea • 638 implied HN points • 23 Jul 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Joe Biden's recognition of his age highlights the need for younger leaders in politics. It's important for the older generation to acknowledge when it's time to step aside.
  2. As demographics shift, more younger workers are entering the workforce, creating a chance for change in leadership. This can help keep America competitive and engaged in global issues.
  3. Trust in institutions is low, so reform is needed. Fresh ideas and perspectives from younger leaders can help rebuild trust and improve how things work.
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Il faut des discussions difficiles

L'Atelier Galita • 59 implied HN points • 06 Oct 24
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. Having tough conversations is important for personal success. The more difficult discussions you engage in, the more you can grow.
  2. Making good career decisions often comes with challenges. It's not always an easy path, but it can lead to greater autonomy.
  3. Growth and success are tied to your willingness to face uncomfortable topics. Embracing these conversations can lead you to better opportunities.

Young Men Are in Crisis Mode, Fox News Abandons Pretense of News, Southern Baptists Boot Women, School Superintendent Boots Education, AI Can Make You Lonely and Drink, Gerry & The Pacemakers Sing

kareem • 6230 implied HN points • 19 Jun 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Young men are facing challenges in society in terms of finding their identity and facing societal expectations.
  2. Income potential is still seen as a measure of worth for young men, impacting their views on attracting women.
  3. Many public figures may not be providing positive guidance for young men, perpetuating toxic masculinity and harmful behaviors.

Granted: The case for slow replies, and insights on facing fear and finding hope

Granted • 6149 implied HN points • 01 Jul 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Leadership
  1. Weekends and holidays are for rejoicing, not just for recovering from burnout.
  2. Anonymous gestures of hope, psychology of anxiety overcoming, and impact of daily interactions are key to finding hope and facing fears.
  3. Slow email replies do not indicate lack of care; it's often a result of overwhelming work demands in an 'always on' culture.

My Circus, My Monkeys

Polymathic Being • 42 implied HN points • 01 Mar 26
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. Don’t pretend complex problems aren’t yours — when teams shove issues into the seams between programs those “monkeys” become integration failures, so take responsibility and act like the ringmaster for the system.
  2. Use systems thinking with a simple mantra: Yes, and… So — acknowledge the issue, step back to see physical, logical, and human impacts, then decide what to own and what to hand to the right person.
  3. Embrace chaos intentionally: use practices like chaos engineering to test for resilience, balance disciplined execution with flexible processes, and look for innovation hiding in the seams.

CROSSPOST: MARCY WHEELER: Annals of Sanewashing: NYT Labels Trump’s Confession of Psychological Unfitness as Leadership

Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality • 269 implied HN points • 13 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Major media outlets often sanitize or reframe a leader's incoherent or dangerous remarks as normal leadership, which makes them seem less alarming to the public.
  2. Some leaders' policy talk can be driven by personal psychological needs, like a desire to 'own' territory, and that ego-driven approach can harm alliances and national security.
  3. Access journalism trades critical scrutiny for access, letting narcissistic or reckless behavior be presented as respectable policy instead of holding leaders accountable, which weakens democratic oversight.

How to Apologize

Remarkable People • 379 implied HN points • 24 Jul 24
🚌 Education Leadership
  1. A good apology has three key parts: saying 'I'm sorry', taking responsibility for what you did, and showing that you understand the hurt it caused.
  2. People often struggle to apologize because they think it makes them look weak, but admitting mistakes can actually make you stronger and more respected.
  3. Effective apologies should be followed up with actions to prevent the same mistakes, make amends, and ask for feedback to improve.

NOW FREE: The Monologue That Got Tucker Carlson Fired

Emerald Robinson’s The Right Way • 3412 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Politicians should not censor speech or control thoughts; citizens have the right to criticize leaders.
  2. There is opposition to violence, such as against violent crime, late-term abortion, and the war in Ukraine.
  3. Discussions around January 6th events and the characterization of violence are debated, including the actions of Ray Epps.

The Nvidia Way

The Chip Letter • 8736 implied HN points • 23 Dec 24
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. Nvidia became a leader in AI chip technology by focusing on developing powerful graphics processing units (GPUs) that meet market needs. This success was not just luck; it stemmed from smart investments and a clear strategy over many years.
  2. The company's culture, driven by CEO Jensen Huang, emphasizes risk-taking and execution. Nvidia's approach combines hardware and software innovation, allowing them to stay ahead of competitors and adapt quickly to market changes.
  3. While Nvidia has built a strong market position, questions remain about its future leadership and strategy. The book suggests that the company's core strengths and Huang's influence will be crucial in maintaining its success.

An Ace Up Your Sleeve

The Polymerist • 182 implied HN points • 20 Jan 26
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. Keep an “ace up your sleeve” by funding exploratory R&D separate from routine technical service so you can pull a big new product when you really need it. That dedicated runway gives a company a real chance to create breakout revenue instead of just marginal improvements.
  2. Senior leaders must protect long-term innovation funding and shield teams from short‑term investor pressure, while mentoring and rewarding experimentation. Creating trust and visible support lets scientists and engineers take big swings without fear of being punished for failure.
  3. Real innovation takes years, lots of failures, and close collaboration with operations and customers, not just optimistic projections. Treat failed experiments as learning and focus on commercialization discipline rather than signaling big future returns without the teams and time to deliver.

TBM 394: Imagine If a Restaurant Behaved Like Your Average Product Team (Extended Edition)

The Beautiful Mess • 647 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. Product teams need fast, frontline customer feedback like a restaurant’s servers provide; without immediate signals from users, teams can’t detect and fix problems quickly.
  2. Being busy isn’t the same as being effective: lots of meetings and tasks can hide low-impact work, often caused by misaligned leadership incentives and menu creep.
  3. Real outcomes require clear strategy, upstream discovery, and tight cross-functional coordination across Sales, Customer Success, UX and Ops, not just a busy engineering “kitchen.”

Revisiting Clarity of Thought

Investing 101 • 119 implied HN points • 31 Jan 26
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. Clarity of thought is the single most important trait for founders because it shows deep understanding and makes everything else—hiring, sales, and fundraising—work better.
  2. Clear thinking means starting from explicit assumptions, defining terms, and building a simple framework so ideas hang together and can be easily explained to any listener.
  3. Communicate the core idea quickly and distinctly, back it with evidence and a long-term narrative, and focus on the deliberate path you must take rather than a laundry list of possibilities.

16 Lessons on Selling (and Life) from My 5-Year-Old

Not Boring by Packy McCormick • 211 implied HN points • 18 Jan 26
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. Start selling early and learn by doing — every no is useful feedback, so write down what you hear and iterate on the product.
  2. Know who the buyer really is and price to match them — the kids wanted the toy but the parents had the money, so meet the payer where they are and be willing to adjust price.
  3. Small, practical details matter: pick the right time and place, use social proof, have cash/payment options, be friendly, and sometimes a kid’s pitch works better than an adult’s.

Growth Of a Startup

Points And Figures • 612 implied HN points • 10 Dec 25
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. Early-stage investing is as much about people as ideas. Backing founders early can pay off even if the initial product or market fails.
  2. The founders adapted after COVID destroyed their original ride-share insurance business, pivoted successfully, and raised follow-on VC. They also built a high-quality team and grew as leaders.
  3. Seel has scaled into major partnerships with big insurers and is hiring aggressively. They are addressing a massive market and look positioned for significant growth.

After Starmer

Comment is Freed • 124 implied HN points • 08 Feb 26
🌍 World Politics Leadership
  1. The Mandelson/Epstein scandal has badly weakened the prime minister’s authority, and any further revelations could force him out.
  2. Labour is hesitant to trigger a leadership contest because rules require a named challenger with 80 MP backers and there’s no consensus on a successor, so a messy, drawn-out fight is likely.
  3. Even a new leader would face the same fiscal pressures, struggling public services and sceptical voters, so a change at the top alone wouldn’t quickly produce a coherent new governing plan.

TBM 391: You’re Not Misaligned. You’re Thinking Differently.

The Beautiful Mess • 740 implied HN points • 27 Nov 25
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. People think differently: Some focus on details and concrete solutions, while others think more abstractly about purpose and possibilities. Understanding these styles can help improve teamwork.
  2. In workshops, participants have varying styles of engagement. Some jump right in with ideas, while others need clarity and examples. A good facilitator should help everyone find their comfort zone.
  3. Even if you know how you and others think, not everyone will care about self-awareness. It's essential to show up with good intentions and adapt as best as you can.

Announcing The Engineering Manager Survival Guide

Tech and Tea • 115 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
đź•ą Technology Leadership
  1. A new course helps engineering managers learn to handle the people side of the job and avoid burnout by teaching clearer mindsets and practical tradeoffs.
  2. It’s an 8-week, 4-module asynchronous program you can do in about 60–90 minutes a week, with frameworks, audio conversations, exercises, and personal feedback on your submissions.
  3. A cohort starts March 13, there’s early-bird pricing through the end of February, and there are options for corporate group discounts.

Has the EU president grown a spine?

Gulf Stream Blues • 39 implied HN points • 10 Oct 24
🌍 World Politics Leadership
  1. Ursula von der Leyen showed strong leadership in a recent speech, criticizing Hungary's leader directly. This marks a shift from her earlier deferential style.
  2. The EU needs a bold leader who can challenge national leaders and push for collective progress. Having a president who can be a 'bully' might help the EU gain strength on the global stage.
  3. There's uncertainty if this new assertiveness is permanent or just a one-time event. It's still unclear if von der Leyen will continue to act independently now that she's secured her position.

The Exquisite Irony of Claudine Gay's Downfall

Glenn Loury • 3630 implied HN points • 09 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Defenders claim that ousting Claudine Gay was more about race and ideology than academic integrity, but it still doesn't excuse plagiarism.
  2. Being a university president may require more than being a noteworthy scholar; skills like administration and fundraising could take precedence.
  3. The debate on affirmative action and academic standards for black students is complex, with implications for diversity, standards, and systemic corruption.

Where New Engineering Managers Fail

Diary of an Engineering Manager • 179 implied HN points • 15 Aug 24
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. New engineering managers often struggle with accepting their new role. It's important to embrace this change or else it confuses the team and weakens your leadership.
  2. Many new managers make the mistake of telling their team too much instead of listening. Encouraging team members to share their ideas leads to better solutions and shows that you value their input.
  3. It's common to hold on to tasks instead of delegating them. Letting your team handle their own work not only helps them learn but also frees you up to focus on management responsibilities.

One-on-one coaching moment for paid subscribers

Ageling on Agile • 39 implied HN points • 09 Oct 24
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. One-on-one coaching sessions are available for paid subscribers. These sessions allow for personal engagement on topics like Agile, Product Management, and Leadership.
  2. Each subscriber can have six half-hour coaching moments a year. These moments can help clarify work-related issues and provide guidance.
  3. Feedback from subscribers shows that the coaching is valuable. Many find the insights helpful for understanding their challenges and finding solutions.

A Conversation with Adrian Ludwig

Frankly Speaking • 203 implied HN points • 13 Jan 26
đź•ą Technology Leadership
  1. Security should be treated as an engineering primitive built into platforms so it enables products instead of acting as a compliance checkbox. Teams must adapt security approaches as scale and architectures change.
  2. AI and cloud platforms will accelerate how security is implemented and automate many defenses, but they also introduce new, non-deterministic threats that require rethinking traditional protections.
  3. The CISO role will likely merge into engineering, focusing on building secure infrastructure rather than policing users, and most user errors reflect design or security failures, not user ignorance.

Donald Trump, Pagan King

KERFUFFLE • 63 implied HN points • 11 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. An opinion piece titled "Donald Trump, Pagan King" ran in the New York Times.
  2. The article builds on themes previously explored on the Substack called Social Studies.
  3. A linked post directs readers to the NYT piece and encourages them to check it out.

The CTO’s Consulting Rate Calculator

The CTO Substack • 499 implied HN points • 29 Jun 24
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. Determine your consulting rate based on client revenue and C-Suite salaries. This helps set a fair price for your services.
  2. Consider the complexity of the company and its engineering team size. A larger or more complicated organization may require a higher fee due to increased work.
  3. Always get paid before starting the work. This ensures that clients respect your time and commitment right from the beginning.

Zohran’s high-risk, high-reward strategy

Silver Bulletin • 247 implied HN points • 12 Jan 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. He mixes outsider, risk-taking politics with a cosmopolitan, media-friendly persona. He proudly calls himself a democratic socialist while also looking like the kind of NYC striver many young professionals like.
  2. His coalition is a strange mix: big margins in Muslim, Black, Hispanic and gentrified neighborhoods but weak with many Jewish, East Asian, and fiscally conservative voters. He won by just over 50 percent, so his majority looks fragile and might be hard to expand.
  3. He’s promising bold, transformative policies and says City Hall will act audaciously. But city institutions and political polarization — from the council and state legislature to the police and media — create veto points that could limit what he can actually achieve.

Calendar of events: Spring of 2026

Respectful Leadership • 163 implied HN points • 18 Jan 26
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. Events focus on three industries driving change: health care, green sustainability, and AI.
  2. The schedule features panels and founders sharing real-world work across health‑tech, green‑tech, and AI — including AI and law — and health‑care sessions repeat by popular demand.
  3. The series also includes practical startup workshops on pitching, selling, team management, and delegation to help founders grow.

And in the juxtapositions may lie the meaning.

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 49 implied HN points • 15 Feb 26
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. Data and algorithms are powerful but can't capture human imagination and messy emotions, so decisions must blend math with empathy and creativity.
  2. True diversity is more than representation—it means actually hearing different voices, because varied perspectives drive innovation and fairness.
  3. People join jobs for pay but stay for connection, purpose, and growth, and businesses should also value older customers and employees since age and experience hold huge economic and creative power.

$20 Tabs

Perspective Agents • 21 implied HN points • 26 Feb 26
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. Frontline workers are skipping expensive corporate AI and getting real work done with cheap consumer tools, so formal platforms often sit unused.
  2. Top-down mandates and one-off programs don’t stick; find the people already using AI and build sandboxes and practices around their work so useful systems emerge.
  3. Investing in human readiness is essential because judgment, oversight, and experience matter as models drift; without that investment AI pilots will launch loudly and then fade away.

TBM 395: Words! Damned Words!

The Beautiful Mess • 476 implied HN points • 14 Dec 25
🎭️ Culture Leadership
  1. Terms like “initiative” naturally mean different things to different people and at different zoom levels, so don’t force one single definition; use a thin base meaning and allow different shapes or scales with clear rules and interfaces.
  2. Abstract labels become harmful when they harden into rigid governance or accounting rules, so anchor decisions on concrete events (milestones, releases) or intentionally work around or rewire those constraints to protect learning and impact.
  3. Use practical lenses — interaction, constraint, governance, and relational — and tactics like event storming, naming exceptions, fractal artifacts, and designing for many frames to see how things actually behave and keep the system resilient.

The Impact of Founder Personalities on Company Success

The VC Corner • 779 implied HN points • 25 May 24
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. Founders' personalities really affect how they make decisions. For example, some might be more open to new ideas, helping them find creative solutions, while others may prefer detailed plans to avoid mistakes.
  2. Different types of founders work best together. Having a mix of personalities, like a 'Hipster, Hacker, and Hustler' trio, can boost a startup's chances of success.
  3. A diverse founding team is important. Each member brings unique strengths, which can help the company adapt and grow in challenging situations.

When Power Corrupts Before It's Even Yours

The Stoic Journal • 55 implied HN points • 14 Feb 26
đź“– Philosophy Leadership
  1. Power and privilege can make people act cruelly even before they officially hold authority, treating others as obstacles or entertainment.
  2. Change is possible; your worst moments don’t define you, they just mark where you start and you can choose to grow.
  3. Real leadership means using power responsibly and caring for others instead of using them for amusement or advantage.

Match The Pipes

Software Design: Tidy First? • 1745 implied HN points • 13 Aug 25
đź’Ľ Business Leadership
  1. In a system, the capacity of the output is limited by the narrowest part, or pipe, so expanding other parts won't help if that part doesn't change. It's important to identify and address this bottleneck to improve overall performance.
  2. As an executive, you have the unique ability to see the entire process and make decisions to improve it, unlike those focused on their own tasks. This broader perspective allows you to manage resources and workloads effectively.
  3. Creating pressure to increase productivity can have negative consequences, such as stress and burnout. It's better to find a balance that promotes a healthy work environment and supports productivity.

The Powers That Were

Breaking the News • 1859 implied HN points • 01 Aug 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. American institutions are important for protecting people's rights and need support, especially in challenging times. It's about strengthening what helps us as a society.
  2. There are major issues like misinformation, leadership troubles, and cultural conflicts affecting governance today. These problems point to weaknesses in our political system.
  3. Media institutions that once held significant power and influence are now struggling, illustrating how quickly strong organizations can decline and the importance of their role in democracy.

JĂĽrgen Klopp: A Liverpool Legend

Original Football • 818 implied HN points • 20 May 24
🎾 Sports Leadership
  1. JĂĽrgen Klopp transformed Liverpool from an average team to a European football powerhouse through his passion, unity, and attacking style of play.
  2. Klopp's legacy goes beyond trophies, as he deeply connected with fans, embraced Liverpool's culture, and championed important social causes.
  3. Klopp's mentorship and emphasis on values like resilience and humility have groomed future leaders within the Liverpool squad, leaving a lasting impact even after his departure.