Summary
Are you feeling overwhelmed, constantly busy, and that you never have enough time to focus on what really matters? Learn how to use the design process of divergence and convergence to make space for you and your key relationships in the organization. Learn how to turn difficult relationships into trusted partners as you build influence upwards, with your peers, and with your team. Lead at scale by focusing on people and most importantly, starting with yourself.
Key Insights
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High-achieving leaders often run on fumes, neglecting personal well-being and relationships.
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Ruthless prioritization in tech can create a harmful culture focused solely on doing rather than being.
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The design double diamond process can be applied inwardly to create space for leadership and personal growth.
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Making space for relationships at work is essential to sustainable leadership and team trust.
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The 'being' energy a leader brings to interactions deeply influences team dynamics beyond just 'doing' tasks.
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Listening for the '10% truth' in difficult conversations opens pathways for empathy and collaboration.
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Sharing personal vulnerability is a powerful way to build trust and improve workplace relationships.
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Leadership opportunities extend beyond titles to everyday actions like mentoring or writing.
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Leader satisfaction across dimensions like autonomy, mission, energy, and relationships shapes overall leadership effectiveness.
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Small experiments and prototyping leadership behaviors, similar to design thinking for products, help create meaningful change.
Notable Quotes
"I was running on fumes for decades."
"Ruthless prioritization tells us to be more efficient, but it feeds into a punishment culture."
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
"The doing is the same; the being is entirely different."
"I got a huge raise and a great performance rating, and I didn’t give a shit at all because my marriage had fallen apart."
"Listening to the 10% truth means acknowledging a bit of what they say even if you’re irritated."
"Sharing my story with the engineering director opened something; vulnerability builds trust."
"Leadership can be quiet and craft-focused; it doesn’t have to chase titles."
"We use design thinking to make north stars for products; I help people find their north stars."
"The biggest secret to building trust with other people is vulnerability."
Or choose a question:
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