8 thoughts on leadership

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I’m speaking at All Things Open this week (and in fact will likely be on stage as this lands in your inbox) so I’m keeping this newsletter simple.

There are a million topics I could cover on this newsletter at any given time. Leadership is vast and presents itself in a multitude of ways across organizations. So instead of going deep on one specific topic, I present to you a brain dump of some thoughts on leadership that have been highly relevant to my work lately.

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1. Streamline your meetings. Shift meeting updates to async channels where possible and reserve meetings for strategic conversations that actually drive outcomes. Don't be afraid to cancel meetings or stop attending one that no longer serves you personally. (But let someone know why you won't be attending anymore.)

2. Make documentation a priority. Clear, accessible documentation boosts team productivity, speeds up onboarding, and aligns efforts across the board. It's also a good CYA! The last thing you want is for the sole holder of knowledge to be OOO or leave the company with that knowledge.

3. Establish a clear roadmap, but don't plan too far ahead. If the vision is unclear, create a simplified version to maintain momentum and accountability. Even a draft is better than uncertainty. I can only speak for startups, but attempting to plan an entire quarter is never going to work. Try 6 weeks at a time with some possible options for the rest of the quarter.

4. Enact the 80/20 rule. Focus efforts on the 20% that deliver 80% of results. Recognize that what's most important can and will change, and it's okay to pivot.

5. Lead with data. Use product metrics and team performance insights to make more informed decisions and set priorities that foster growth. This is especially important for managing up.

6. Encourage ownership in 1:1s. Empower your team to own the agenda, granting them accountability and an opportunity to foster their leadership skills. 1:1s are not project status update meetings.

7. Resolve conflicts early. Don't let a disagreement fester into something worse. I understand being conflict averse, but this is something to work on for the sake of professionalism and a healthy working environment.

8. Look forward, not back. It's okay to reflect on a project or incident to better plan for the future, but know when it's time to let something go. Focus instead on "where should we go from here".

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