The hottest Leadership Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top World Politics Topics

The Ashes Will Come First

imetatronink • 4402 implied HN points • 04 Sep 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Representative democracy in the US is irredeemably corrupted and an existential threat to the world.
  2. The American political system is controlled by powerful entities beyond individual elected officials.
  3. Change for the better in the US political landscape is unlikely, as the system continues to be driven by the interests of those in power.

Work friends are the secret to great culture

Make Work Better • 163 implied HN points • 16 Jan 26
🎭️ Culture Leadership
  1. Close friendships at work dramatically improve engagement, retention and business outcomes, and many people would even take lower pay for strong workplace relationships.
  2. AI and digital tools are making some interactions more superficial and increasing loneliness, so human collaboration and repeated meaningful contact remain essential even with remote or hybrid work.
  3. Leaders should set the tone for connection, laughter and trust, because friendship grows through shared time and experience and is a core pillar of healthy culture and performance.

Mitch Heimpel: The Liberals have more than just a communications problem

The Line • 2142 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. The problem for Liberals isn't just about communication, but deeper issues related to perception and brand association.
  2. Attempting to rebrand policies like the carbon tax won't succeed if the fundamental problem of public perception isn't addressed.
  3. The dependence of the Liberal Party on Justin Trudeau's personal brand and politics may pose a challenge as public priorities evolve.

Andrew Roberts: Trump’s Churchillian Choice at Fordow

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2531 implied HN points • 16 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Dictators often make real threats, so it's important to take them seriously. History shows that when people ignore these threats, it can lead to severe consequences.
  2. Winston Churchill faced a tough decision during World War II about the French fleet. He chose to sink it to prevent it from being used by the enemy, showing that sometimes tough choices are necessary for safety.
  3. Leadership can require hard and ruthless choices during critical moments. These actions can redirect the course of events to ensure a safer future.
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Sam Altman Is the Christopher Columbus of Our Time

The Algorithmic Bridge • 615 implied HN points • 17 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Leadership
  1. Sam Altman and Christopher Columbus are both seen as frontier explorers in their times, pushing into new territories, whether that’s AI or undiscovered lands. Both men have taken bold risks that few others dared to take.
  2. Each of them has a strong belief in their vision that allows them to rally support, funding, and followers, even when their ideas seemed far-fetched at first. They both demonstrated an ability to convince others to invest in their dreams.
  3. While their ambitions drive them, they also face challenges and revolts from those around them. Columbus faced rebellion from his crew, while Altman has experienced similar tensions within his company, showing that leadership can be as tumultuous as it is visionary.

Work: The Four Big Shifts.

The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past • 84 implied HN points • 01 Feb 26
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Work is becoming uncoupled from full-time jobs — companies will use more project-based hiring, freelancers, fractional roles, and AI agents to get work done.
  2. The future workforce will be a blend of humans and AI agents, with many people working fractional hours or as contractors, which changes benefits, hiring, and how work is managed.
  3. Leadership and organizations must reinvent: leaders need to learn and unlearn quickly and shift from control to influence. Companies should go AI-first, hire talent from anywhere, and become smaller, more agile, and distributed.

Trouble

Erick Erickson's Confessions of a Political Junkie • 2198 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Critiques from within a political party can be more newsworthy than critiques from the opposing party.
  2. Democrats are privately alarmed by concerns about Joe Biden's mental fitness and inability to stand trial.
  3. Biden's team faces challenges with public opinion, internal party dynamics, and legal implications related to his memory and competency.

Things Worth Remembering: How Warriors Prepare

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 2216 implied HN points • 22 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Good leaders often prepare by learning from history. They read about past battles and military strategies to equip themselves for future challenges.
  2. George Washington was unsure of his abilities but accepted leadership, showing that self-study can help build confidence and skills.
  3. The U.S. Army values learning from past experiences, emphasizing that preparation can save lives in real situations.

Gavin Newsom as the Adult in the Room.

Breaking the News • 2231 implied HN points • 12 Jun 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. High-stakes public speeches can show how leaders should communicate in times of uncertainty. They need to connect emotionally and intellectually with the audience.
  2. A successful speech often feels conversational, as if the speaker is talking directly to the audience rather than delivering a formal address. This can help make important points feel more relatable and urgent.
  3. Effective speeches are concise and free of unnecessary details. They focus on clear, simple language to convey the message directly.

What's Going to Happen Next.

What's Important? • 62 implied HN points • 18 Feb 26
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Leadership
  1. Tightly curated, small-scale communities are coalescing into a larger “Network of Networks” that will share teachers, members, and resources to scale remedial spiritual and personal development.
  2. There is a big, unmet demand from mid-career professionals for purpose, embodiment, and real community, and these groups can grow quickly because people want human connection and transformation more than AI-generated content.
  3. Success depends on three things: strong, high-integrity founders and training; the flow of people, places, and capital between groups; and a curated content/tech stack plus deliberate funding that values embodied wisdom over commoditized intelligence.

TGIF: Thankful Edition

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 5995 implied HN points • 29 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. It's easy to think about what we don't have, like Bitcoin, especially when we see others doing well with it. Reflecting on missed opportunities can make us appreciate our current situation even more.
  2. Jill Biden's presence and support for her husband, the president, highlights the importance of having a supportive partner in leadership. It's nice to recognize her role during Thanksgiving.
  3. Thankfulness can come from recognizing both what we have and what has passed us by. Even if we feel we've missed out on trends, focusing on family and good moments is what really matters.

Killing A Bad Strategy Before It Kills you

Rob Henderson's Newsletter • 4413 implied HN points • 09 Feb 25
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Grand strategy helps you achieve big goals with limited resources. Since everyone faces resource limits, using what you have smartly can lead to unexpected successes.
  2. Foxes tend to predict better than hedgehogs because they use many ideas and adapt. Foxes keep an open mind, while hedgehogs stick to one big idea, even if it's wrong.
  3. Planning is important, but sticking too rigidly to a plan can be a mistake. It's better to remain flexible and adjust to new opportunities as they arise.

Warren Buffett, Charlie Munger and the Reading Unlock

SatPost by Trung Phan • 169 implied HN points • 16 Jan 26
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Consistent deep reading compounds into rare insights and gives a long-term advantage; even reading 50–100 pages a day can put you in the top tier.
  2. Reading alone isn’t enough — the real payoff comes when you combine reading with skills, experience, capital and networks so a single insight can be turned into a big business or investment.
  3. In a distracted world the bar to stand out is low, so protect focus (curate feeds, limit short-form apps) and keep digging—turn every page to find opportunities.

Who does what and how to support them

Leading Developers • 125 implied HN points • 20 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Leadership
  1. Match resources to missions by balancing immediate company efficiency, engineers' growth and challenge, and the team's long-term durability and flexibility.
  2. Build a simple knowledge map of tech, systems and soft skills to spot single points of failure and to surface clear development opportunities.
  3. Support people based on task-relevant maturity — how experienced they are with the specific task — not just job title, and reduce inertia by lowering activation energy with small, deliberate steps when rotating ownership.

Things Worth Remembering: ‘A Game Most Like Life’

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 4136 implied HN points • 09 Feb 25
🎾 Sports Leadership
  1. Vince Lombardi believed that football, like life, teaches important lessons about hard work, sacrifice, and respect. These values are essential in achieving our goals.
  2. The Free Press is evolving and will bring in new voices for its column 'Things Worth Remembering' as Douglas Murray steps back. This change reflects the ongoing journey of the publication.
  3. Super Bowl Sunday is a reminder of Lombardi's legacy, emphasizing the lessons learned through sports. His famous quote on winning reminds us of the competitive drive we all have.

Niall Ferguson Talks to Javier Milei

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1469 implied HN points • 05 Aug 25
🌐 International Leadership
  1. Argentina is facing a huge economic challenge, but change is possible with strong leadership. Javier Milei, the president, aims to turn the situation around and make Argentina a freer country.
  2. Milei's approach includes drastic cuts to government spending, and he symbolizes this with a chainsaw. His leadership style is a mix of serious intellect and a connection to the people through humor and relatable actions.
  3. Despite progress, there are still political hurdles to overcome. Although Milei is optimistic about future reforms, he acknowledges that he needs to navigate the complexities of South American politics.

Oxford FY2025 And New CEO

ASeq Newsletter • 21 implied HN points • 02 Mar 26
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Oxford released its full-year 2025 accounts, and they broadly match the results it showed at JPM.
  2. A new CEO for Oxford Nanopore has started.
  3. Oxford confirmed cancellation of P2S support and said the ElySION product is cancelled too; ElySION had been on the market for about a year.

Africa in 2024

An Africanist Perspective • 2117 implied HN points • 01 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics Leadership
  1. Africa in 2024 will see tough economic times, with debt distress, moderate growth, and challenges in inflation and household purchasing power.
  2. Several African countries will hold pivotal elections in 2024, with notable contests in Botswana, Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, and South Africa.
  3. Elite political instability and conflicts are expected to persist in regions such as Central Africa, the Horn, and the Sahel, with specific countries facing ongoing challenges while others remain stable.

Gaius Marius

Classical Wisdom • 1945 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
💾 History Leadership
  1. Gaius Marius was a significant figure in ancient Roman history who rose to power through unconventional strategies and populist support.
  2. Marius's actions led to the downfall of the Roman Republic as his rise to power and seizure of dictatorial powers shook the traditional Roman political structure.
  3. The rivalry between Gaius Marius and Sulla, and the subsequent civil wars, disrupted the balance of power in the Roman Republic and ultimately contributed to its demise.

The Extremely Gleeful, Extremely Dark Reaction to a CEO’s Killing

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 5216 implied HN points • 06 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. A CEO was shot and killed in New York, capturing the attention of many people online. The video of the assassination showed a planned and cold-blooded act.
  2. Some people reacted to the murder in a troubling way, treating it as if it were a fictional scene from a movie. Critics expressed that they felt the CEO got what he deserved due to the company's actions.
  3. Comments on social media ranged from dark humor to openly supporting violence against executives, showing a disturbing sense of glee about the situation.

Bari Weiss: The Comprehensive Failure of Justin Trudeau

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 4437 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Justin Trudeau was seen as a hero for liberalism but many of his actions were against liberal values and didn't resonate with people.
  2. His resignation came after a series of internal issues in his government, which he blamed, but the root problems were his poor ideas.
  3. The challenges he faced were not just personal but stemmed from unpopular policies and decisions that did not reflect public sentiment.

Matt Hancock's broken half-formed brain

Striking 13 • 2415 implied HN points • 01 Dec 23
🌍 World Politics Leadership
  1. Matt Hancock exhibited a series of failures during public testimonies, highlighting his inadequacy for his role as the health secretary.
  2. Hancock's attempts to defend himself against criticism were often weak and contradicted by his own actions, showcasing his lack of credibility.
  3. The issues with Matt Hancock go beyond his individual shortcomings, reflecting larger structural flaws within the British government and the declining quality of ministers.

Election Update 2: Obama Instructs

TK News by Matt Taibbi • 5579 implied HN points • 05 Nov 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Obama is reminding everyone to stay calm and patient during slow election processes. Sometimes, it takes a long time to get results, and that's okay.
  2. Some people are finding Obama irritating lately, questioning his current relevance and influence. There are mixed feelings about his role in today's political climate.
  3. Early election results show Trump leading in Kentucky and Indiana. This could indicate a shift in voter preferences in these states.

The Knot of Sovereignty

The J. Burden Show • 1098 implied HN points • 19 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. The West is facing issues like immigration and declining birthrates, with leaders seemingly avoiding real solutions.
  2. There's a need for a new elite with both power and competence to address complex societal problems.
  3. Nayib Bukele of El Salvador is praised for his strong leadership, cutting through complex problems with decisive action.

Welcome to the EM Diary!

Diary of an Engineering Manager • 159 implied HN points • 01 Aug 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. This blog shares real-life experiences of an Engineering Manager to help others grow into leadership roles. It's based on practical stories rather than high-level advice.
  2. It's aimed at senior engineers, team leads, and new engineering managers, providing actionable advice without any confusing jargon.
  3. Readers can expect weekly posts that are easy to understand and filled with insights about the daily life of an Engineering Manager in tech.

Be the elite you wish to see

Jeff Giesea • 1317 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. Populism often focuses on complaining about elites rather than solving problems. It can lead to a mindset that values grievances over constructive actions.
  2. Elitism can be redefined as a positive force for leadership and excellence. Society needs leaders who can guide people and address real challenges instead of just gaining power.
  3. If you see problems in the world, you should step up and take action. You have the ability to be a leader in your own way and make a difference where you are.

Things Worth Remembering: ‘We Fell Morally Ill’

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 3899 implied HN points • 26 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. People need to speak the truth for a government to regain trust. Honest communication can help restore faith in leadership.
  2. A new leader can promise to fix past wrongs and bring back democracy. This promise often resonates with people who feel betrayed.
  3. History shows that change is possible after dark times. Just like in Czechoslovakia after communism, new beginnings can lead to hope and freedom.

What I Gave Up To Become An Engineering Manager

Diary of an Engineering Manager • 62 HN points • 29 Aug 24
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Moving from individual contributor to engineering manager means letting go of past habits. You need to make room for new responsibilities and ways of working.
  2. As a manager, you won't build things directly. Instead, you'll help your team create and support multiple projects, shifting focus from personal achievements to team successes.
  3. Managers face longer feedback loops and must learn to communicate tough issues early on. This shift encourages patience and improves team dynamics.

The unfathomable bottomless stupidity of Suella Braverman

Striking 13 • 2535 implied HN points • 10 Nov 23
🌍 World Politics Leadership
  1. The focus should be on the real problems that are evident rather than getting lost in technical details or strategic calculations.
  2. Stupidity seems to be a requirement for success in modern British politics, with individuals gaining attention and promotions through controversial remarks and actions.
  3. The rise of individuals lacking competence in key roles can have significant consequences, leading to failures in policy-making and governance.

Creating value in the AI age

A Bit Gamey • 13 implied HN points • 08 Mar 26
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Judgment — With information and execution becoming cheap, the scarce value is knowing what truly matters and making better decisions.
  2. Curation — As content and options multiply, people pay for clear filters that surface the useful signal from the noise.
  3. Direction — Speed alone creates faster confusion, so helping others choose the right path and save time is where durable value lives.

The AI Brush

Tippets by Taps • 14 implied HN points • 28 Feb 26
💼 Business Leadership
  1. AI is being used as a convenient narrative to justify restructurings, acting like a brush that can make painful corrections look strategic.
  2. Both real AI-driven productivity gains and prior mistakes (like over-hiring) are usually at play, so layoffs often reflect a mix of future-facing change and catching up on past errors.
  3. Markets respond to the framing — labeling cuts as “AI transformation” can boost stock prices — so it’s important to look past headlines and read the footnotes to see what actually changed.

Soft Skills books for developers

Elevate • 1909 implied HN points • 26 Dec 23
🚌 Education Leadership
  1. Master the art of deep focus to boost productivity and reduce distractions.
  2. Optimize for high-leverage activities by prioritizing tasks that drive significant outcomes.
  3. Cultivate a growth mindset to view challenges as learning opportunities and embrace feedback.

OpenAI #10: Reflections

Don't Worry About the Vase • 4032 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Leadership
  1. Sam Altman had a surprising experience of being fired by his board, which he describes as a failure of governance. He learned that having a diverse and trustworthy board is important for good decision-making.
  2. Altman acknowledges the high turnover at OpenAI due to rapid growth and mentions that some colleagues have left to start competing companies. He understands that as they scale, people's interests naturally change.
  3. He believes that the best way to make AI safe is to gradually release it into the world while learning from experience. However, he admits that there are serious risks involved, especially with the future of superintelligent AI.

Claudine Gay's Dishonorable Discharge

Glenn Loury • 1884 implied HN points • 16 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Leadership
  1. The charges of plagiarism against Claudine Gay were serious enough to merit her removal, despite other motivations behind the campaign against her.
  2. The appointment of high-ranking officials, especially in historical positions like Harvard President, should prioritize qualifications over symbolic representation.
  3. Habitual plagiarism can undermine a leader's credibility and position, regardless of race, and institutions should uphold standards of integrity and merit.

TBM 366: Empowered For Delivery, But...

The Beautiful Mess • 1547 implied HN points • 08 Jul 25
💼 Business Leadership
  1. Many tech companies have a mix of old and new management styles. Teams are told they can be independent, but managers still hold a lot of control and responsibility.
  2. Feedback and questioning traditional methods are often not encouraged, making it hard for employees to voice concerns. This creates a culture where dissent is not easily accepted.
  3. It's important to accept the reality of your workplace while finding ways to build trust and safety within your team. Look for better work environments if your values clash with your company's operations.