Quick Reads (Under 5 Minutes)

Given our very flawed, human response to pandemic, I think we should teach awareness of cognitive biases in grade school, middle school, high school, college, make cartoons about it, etch it into ice cream…

I spent a decade as a VP. When you work with leaders have patience for their lack of domain knowledge and shared context. Look past specific words (even when they trigger feelings) to the outcome they are looking to achieve. Assume the essence of what they are saying is valid and challenge yourself to find or disprove it. Let them into your thinking as you do that. Then follow through with your actions. For leaders worthy of following, you will earn their trust and loyalty while staying authentic to yourself and your team.

We’re documenting essential operations and guidelines for key decisions so that as we react in this economy our actions have integrity: principled and intentional, from a shared understanding / unifying, consistent and coherent.

In an existence where suffering and joy are not distributed equitably, find solace in others. Be grateful. Be kind. Look to the best of us and be an iota better than you would be otherwise.

Walked Striders through our billed revenue, weighted sales forecast and a second level detail P&L. They will better help us when they can anticipate what we need.

Will shared crisis forge civil society or fuel its decline? Hope and caution. Patience and gratitude. Protect health. Be of use. Conserve cash. And stock two weeks of food.

A Stride principle is “Do what you say, say what you mean.” An expression of integrity. I now realize it’s also a call for transparency. Not only following through on actions and driving from ethical intent but also communicating both. Do, mean and say are equal imperatives.

A lot of my confidence derives from experience and expertise. To grow as a leader, I need to coach outside that domain — helping people solve problems themselves by asking open, even naive, and granular questions.

Learning that autonomy and accountability in an organization vs a team is less about me trusting people to make decisions and more whether I foster conditions where people trust they can make decisions themselves.

My daughter has saved some of our old devices. Some oldies but goodies. I miss keyboards.

I’m finding empathy, humility and a learning mindset are far better tools for navigating a day to day outside my lived experience than instinct and common sense.

I’m learning to be faster in collecting and sharing information and clearer on my rationale for decisions so that people I work with have more confidence in their own decisions.