The hottest Leadership Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top World Politics Topics

How to Drive Meaningful Change - Establish credibility

Joseph Gefroh β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 02 Mar 24
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Establishing credibility is crucial for driving meaningful change in an organization. Credibility is built on proven competence, integrity, and relationships.
  2. Having a track record of delivering results is essential for gaining credibility. Start small, show competence, and build trust over time.
  3. Building relationships by supporting others is key to establishing credibility. Help others achieve their goals and earn their trust before asking for favors.

How to Drive Meaningful Change

Joseph Gefroh β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 02 Mar 24
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Driving meaningful change at work requires skill and knowledge
  2. Understanding organizational politics and soft skills is crucial for building influence
  3. A series of articles cover mindset improvement, credibility establishment, proposal crafting, delivery, and objection handling

On hiring - A-players and the folly of the ideal candidate

Joseph Gefroh β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 26 Feb 24
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Startup leaders often seek perfect, 'A-player' candidates but end up damaging their companies by delaying hiring unnecessarily.
  2. A-players aren't flawless - they have weaknesses and can't excel at everything. It's better to hire adaptable 'B-players' with potential.
  3. Fix your hiring strategy by focusing on teamwork, being realistic about needs, and considering a mix of generalists and specialists.

War Stories - Defusing an executive kerfuffle

Joseph Gefroh β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 11 Feb 24
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Leaders sometimes face no-win scenarios and may need to personally take the loss for the greater good of the organization.
  2. In times of crisis, a sudden flurry of messages or alarms can indicate an unexpected problem that needs immediate attention.
  3. Effective communication and conflict resolution are crucial skills for leaders to handle situations where executive feathers are ruffled.
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On operations - Leveraging tempo to build software better

Joseph Gefroh β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 10 Feb 24
πŸ•Ή Technology Leadership
  1. Software engineering benefits from cyclical execution in agile methodologies like Scrum, which enable teams to respond to change effectively.
  2. Effective leadership involves setting and managing tempo in cyclical execution, allowing teams to self-synchronize and reduce friction.
  3. To establish an effective tempo, consistency, sustainability, clear starts/stops, and avoiding bleed-over work are key factors to ensure team effectiveness and prevent burnout.

On challenges - How to effectively lead an inexperienced team of junior developers

Joseph Gefroh β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 10 Feb 24
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Good leadership requires good planning. Freewheeling attempts to tackle problems as they come can lead to lack of focus and reduced effectiveness of the team.
  2. Figure out what kind of team you have by identifying individual strengths and weaknesses. Understand the different types of juniors - technical, process, and behavioral.
  3. Develop your team by providing focused training for technical juniors, emphasizing process understanding for process juniors, and addressing behavior challenges for behavioral juniors.

On communication - How to communicate effectively as a leader

Joseph Gefroh β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 10 Feb 24
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Communication is key for effective leadership. Many leaders fail due to poor communication.
  2. Repeat your messages consistently to avoid misinterpretations. Use multiple mediums and be precise to ensure clarity.
  3. Don't shy away from delivering bad news. Avoid the sandwich technique for feedback. Break down communication barriers to foster open and honest communication.

On hiring - A rapid hiring process for busy startup engineering leaders

Joseph Gefroh β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 10 Feb 24
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Efficient hiring involves building a pipeline and moving candidates through it with minimal effort. Creating a streamlined process like a Kanban-style project can help manage the hiring stages effectively.
  2. From a candidate's perspective, simplifying the hiring process by highlighting only 3 key stages can make the process feel lightweight and easy to follow. A clear and concise hiring workflow can be a competitive advantage.
  3. Utilizing different sourcing channels, such as LinkedIn, can be a valuable way to find candidate leads with low effort but high value. Building and leveraging a strong professional network can significantly impact the hiring process.

Making decisions - When does your Startup Needs Engineering Managers?

Joseph Gefroh β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 10 Feb 24
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Deciding when a startup needs engineering managers can be challenging, especially for early-stage startups with limited resources.
  2. Hiring the right engineering manager is crucial, as allocating budget to managers means less for direct contributors to the codebase.
  3. Understanding the evolution of startups, the necessity of managers, and making informed decisions on hiring engineering managers is key.

Chapter 4: Build A Team By Empowering People | Building YIMBYs of NoVA

Cornerstone β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 19 May 23
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Team building involves empowering and growing individuals based on their strengths and weaknesses, not against each other. Delegating tasks helps build skills, experience, and confidence.
  2. Roles and structure within a team are vital for specialization and effective execution. Assigning specific roles allows individuals to focus on their strengths and contribute effectively.
  3. Recruitment for a team can come from active community members or experienced individuals. Having a diverse team with various backgrounds and talents is crucial for success.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Certo Modo β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 16 Jun 23
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Valuable work in tech is often a collaborative effort involving different teams and perspectives.
  2. To foster cross-functional collaboration, communicate the big picture clearly through mechanisms like RFCs and understand and align with the incentives of others.
  3. Breaking down silos, enabling effective communication, and celebrating contributions are key to successful collaboration between diverse teams.

π€πˆ 𝐋𝐨𝐠 𝟐𝟐 πƒπžπœ πŸπŸŽπŸπŸ‘

ailogblog β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 22 Dec 23
πŸ•Ή Technology Leadership
  1. Generative AI can be used for doing boring scientific work like managing tasks in the lab and predicting language, according to a new paper in Nature.
  2. Predictive algorithms, like Wisconsin's Dropout Early Warning System, using race as a factor can have negative impacts on students and create ethical concerns.
  3. Leading research universities plays a crucial role in shaping our AI futures, highlighting the importance and challenges faced by college administrators.

The Proposal: Will you Red Team Me?

Locks and Leaks β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 13 Mar 24
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. The Red Team Proposal is crucial for gaining buy-in, being prepared, and protecting against potential issues during assessments.
  2. Including legal safeguards and seeking approvals help in showcasing professionalism and increasing the likelihood of approval from leadership.
  3. A well-prepared Red Team Proposal should contain components like introduction, prioritization, context, intelligence & analysis, timeline, TTPs, safety plan, and more, making it a vital document for a successful red team operation.

GRANTED: The new books to read this fall

Granted β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 01 Sep 19
πŸ“š Literature Leadership
  1. When meeting new people, ask 'What do you love to do?' instead of 'What do you do?' to encourage unique interests and deeper conversations.
  2. Leadership requires keeping your ego in check by promoting those who challenge you and accepting privileges that enhance your work.
  3. Elite schools are reinforcing inequality, not meritocracy, by admitting more students from high-income families than low-income families.

GRANTED: Why I don’t vote and you should confess your mistakes to your coworkers

Granted β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 02 Oct 16
πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Many biases can be categorized into four groups - too much information, not enough meaning, the need to act fast, and the need to decide what to remember.
  2. Confessing mistakes at work can create a culture where it's safe to take risks and learn from failures.
  3. Experiencing recessions while in college can lead to less narcissism and more job satisfaction in the long run.

GRANTED: Cat videos, honest men, and what your inbox says about you

Granted β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 01 May 16
🎭️ Culture Leadership
  1. Princeton Psychology Professor outlined failures to provide perspective to others, showing the value of sharing setbacks alongside successes.
  2. Watching cat videos at work may improve productivity according to a study where participants worked longer after watching funny clips.
  3. Unhappiness at work isn't linked to email volume but to the timing of when emails are sent, and delays in responses can impact team morale.

GRANTED: May 2015 edition

Granted β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 12 May 15
🎭️ Culture Leadership
  1. Remembering the goodness of a person is more touching than recognizing their greatness.
  2. When a friend is in need, it's better to offer practical help than a vague 'anything'.
  3. Men's expectations for independence differ between their wives and daughters.

Living with the virus

Joshua Gans' Newsletter β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 22 Jul 21
πŸ₯ Health & Wellness Leadership
  1. Living with the virus requires leadership to navigate uncertainties and make decisions for the well-being of all.
  2. Regular screening and vaccination are crucial in managing risks associated with the virus, especially in shared spaces like gyms and universities.
  3. Adapting to living with Covid-19 involves shifting mindset from complete avoidance to understanding and managing risks, requiring a balance between precautions and returning to normalcy.

#2: Should you be in this meeting?

Become a Senior Engineer β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 27 Dec 23
πŸ•Ή Technology Leadership
  1. Meetings can be time-consuming, impacting an engineer's core work. Attend only the valuable ones to maximize time and productivity.
  2. Make sure your presence in a meeting is worthwhile by aiming to learn something, teach something, or make a decision.
  3. It's okay to decline a meeting if it doesn't align with your priorities or if you don't see its value. Don't attend out of obligation.

The Challenge for Minority Aspiring Executives

The Uncommon Executive β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 29 Feb 24
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Diverse teams bring more innovation and better performance to companies. Having more women executives positively impacts business performance and innovation.
  2. There is still a lack of diversity in top executive positions, with white males dominating Fortune 100 companies. Women and minorities face challenges in advancing to executive roles.
  3. To overcome challenges as a minority aspiring executive, focus on your unique value proposition, break big goals into manageable steps, and find support from like-minded individuals.

How to Build Trust Without Playing Golf

The Uncommon Executive β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 27 Feb 24
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Minority aspiring executives can face biases that hinder building trust and need to try different approaches to connect with their colleagues.
  2. Building trust at work can be achieved by focusing on common professional goals and interests, rather than solely relying on social interactions.
  3. To strengthen relationships, support colleagues in various ways, such as noting their achievements, offering assistance, and connecting them with others.

A Tool For Getting Clearer Expectations πŸ†

PeopleStorming β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 12 Apr 22
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Unhealthy workplace conflict often stems from mismatched expectations.
  2. Teams should be intentional about establishing shared expectations through activities like team chartering.
  3. Using an expectations scale of deficient work, adequate work, and great work can help clarify commitments and prevent misunderstandings.

What's your approach to risk-taking as a leader? 🐝

PeopleStorming β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 14 Mar 22
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Taking calculated risks means understanding key variables, planning incrementally, and anticipating failure.
  2. As a leader, taking risks is crucial because the market favors competent risk-taking, which leads to outperformance by teams and organizations.
  3. Utilizing trap door thinking, introducing incrementality, and conducting pre-mortems can help in making better risk-related decisions and avoiding irreversible mistakes.

Meeting Free Days πŸ“…

PeopleStorming β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 16 Feb 22
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Setting aside meeting-free days can help create mental space for exploration and focus.
  2. Consider important factors when implementing meeting-free days such as timing, participants, and impact on essential meetings.
  3. Simply having meeting-free days may not solve the root cause of excessive meetings, so it's essential to address the reasons behind meeting overload.

Candor Is "Inviting People To The Party" πŸŽ‰

PeopleStorming β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 31 Jan 22
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Candor involves showing respect by inviting people to a real, inclusive 'party' of honesty and openness.
  2. Embracing candor means giving up the false sense of security derived from controlling information flow and being open despite fear.
  3. Asking challenging and uncomfortable questions is a crucial aspect of candor that drives meaningful discussions and problem-solving.

Healthy Teams Research πŸ§ͺ

PeopleStorming β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 18 Jan 22
πŸ₯ Health & Wellness Leadership
  1. Teams benefit from building personal connections and trust, which leads to increased operational efficiency.
  2. Strongly connected teams tend to establish fast feedback loops, supporting innovation and quicker adjustment of work methods.
  3. Healthy teams prioritize traits like trust in leadership, respect for diverse viewpoints, and psychological safety, fostering engagement and preventing burnout.

Ted Lasso Returns To Teach Us About Leadership! ⚽️

PeopleStorming β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 28 Jun 21
🎭️ Culture Leadership
  1. Ted Lasso is a TV show that focuses on relationships, personal struggle, teamwork, career choices, and communication more than just football.
  2. Ted, a character in the show, exemplifies great leadership qualities despite not having expertise in football, showcasing the importance of diverse skills and behaviors in leadership.
  3. The show is a great source of leadership inspiration, with 10 principles believed to be embodied by Ted, making it enjoyable and insightful for viewers.

Does playfulness belong at work? 🌠

PeopleStorming β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 01 Jun 21
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. Play and games are not the same - they are distinct concepts and not interchangeable.
  2. Play is a mindset focused on the journey, not just the destination - it involves being connected to a curious and playful part of oneself.
  3. Embracing playfulness in leadership requires kindness, open-mindedness, and a supportive environment - it enhances creativity and innovation in the organization.

Solving Complex Problems 🐸

PeopleStorming β€’ 0 implied HN points β€’ 04 May 21
πŸ’Ό Business Leadership
  1. When trying to solve complex problems as a group, it's important to explicitly state and work within constraints like time, resources, and knowledge.
  2. Grounding problem-solving conversations with specific constraints can actually help a group make progress.
  3. After setting constraints and making progress, it's okay to explore 'infinite resources' ideas for further discussion.