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When we needed to demonstrate that our century-old company was still innovating, I quipped that we could just show people by building a product in real time at our customer conference like some technological zoo exhibit. Nobody seemed to realize I was joking.
In the chaos of early adulthood, a friend's wise word—protect your margins—became my secret to finding peace amidst the overwhelm.
In the pursuit of speed, many organizations stumble—not from a lack of effort, but from the pressure to rush.
Returning to my writing roots revealed a truth: the journey of creation starts with a single, imperfect step—daring to make a mark on the blank page.
After decades in tech, exhaustion and escapist fantasies set in—but despite the challenges, my career has always been about one thing: people. As diversity, equity and inclusion come under assault, I continue to fight for people.
Leaders, it’s time for some tough love: accountability, communication, and respect are not just expectations for others, but for you, too.
Effective hiring goes beyond filling positions; it's about building relationships and ensuring a positive experience for every candidate.
Charismatic laborers may save the day, but true leaders build a future. Sustainable progress thrives not on heroics, but on empowering teams and creating lasting systems.
A framework I created to explain how managers still have a huge role to play in coaching Agile teams' performance
Just as a successful garden requires preparation and the right conditions to thrive, true leadership is about cultivating an environment where innovation and growth can flourish.
Cascading communication is like a flawed game of telephone: everybody hears a message, but did they hear the right message?
Great leaders don’t just react to exceptions—they redesign systems to prevent them. Progress comes from refining workflows, not just playing whack-a-mole with disruptions.
Authentic leadership isn’t just about being genuine—it’s about being humane. Leaders must balance their authority with empathy, bridging the gap between their humanity and the power they hold.
Save those encouraging notes and emails in a 'For Bad Days' folder. When imposter syndrome hits, pull it out and let those kind words remind you that you are great at what you do.
How I've learned to protect time for deep thinking and doing
Many leaders view their job as creating thrust behind the organization (read: "sense of urgency"). I don't see it that way.
Every leader should prioritize the power of language in their interactions. Using phrases that convey vulnerability, openness, and empathy can transform a team's culture.
Even in the face of disheartening transformations, the connections forged and the values instilled continue to ripple through time, reminding us that our legacies are built in the space between human beings.
Great leaders know when to embrace uncertainty outside their teams but prioritize creating clear paths and shared goals within, ensuring everyone moves forward together.
Leadership is built on beliefs, lessons, and experiences—big and small—that shape how we guide others. Here’s a collection of truths I hold about leading people.
People's names matter, and it's worth taking the time to get them right.
Declaring calendar bankruptcy every now and then is a good thing.
Buying our first house was a dream come true, but it quickly turned into a costly lesson about ignoring problems. What we thought was an insurmountable expense turned out to be a simple solution, teaching me the importance of recognizing and challenging limiting beliefs.
When my son gamed our potty-training system to maximize cartoons, I realized something: measuring the wrong thing drives the wrong behavior. The same is true in software development—if we focus solely on output, we risk missing the outcomes that truly matter.
While most people settle for the first workable solution, designers dig deeper, exploring a multitude of ideas and embracing risk. This is their superpower.
One of my previous employers, Deluxe, is hosting its annual customer conference right now. The posts from old colleagues have made me smile as I remember one of the most incredible moments of my career: the Innovation Lab at Deluxe Exchange 2020.
At that event, right before COVID shut the world down, some crazy co-conspirators and I built a prototype of a new product in 36 hours, in real-time, under a dome in the middle of the exhibitor hall. We interviewed attendees, quickly created design concepts, tested those concepts with other attendees, and iterated at light-speed, demonstrating that Deluxe is an innovative technology company with human-centered design at its core.
We didn’t sleep much, we drank egregiously expensive Biltmore coffee, and we enjoyed very little of the beautiful Arizona landscape. But at the closing keynote, I was privileged to stand on stage and present the work of that incredible team—a functional prototype of an AI assistant that guided people through the confusing process of establishing a small business. It was surreal and wonderful (and not just because Michael Phelps—yes, that Michael Phelps—was my opening act).
