essence and maintenance
getting it in, part 2: parents
getting it in, part 1
shaping your culture with “always” and “never” rules
critique your boss (like you’re politically naive)
how to trigger (and increase) your emotional intelligence
don’t get too precious about your templates (in the messy middle)
show up with a draft (for proficiency, politics, and pace)
you have a struggling new leader
use a 50-person list for squishy problems
MVPs vs 11-star reviews
write a local lexicon
tell the story of your signature challenge and your (meta) superpower
the “no complaining” rule
setting the overton window of complaint
write each sentence on its own line
three moves for successful delegation
what culture has taken root? look at your median and mode.
to escape jargon, ELI5
when you’re worried you’re forgetting something
archive of all posts
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January 2025
- Jan 23, 2025 essence and maintenance Jan 23, 2025
- Jan 23, 2025 getting it in, part 2: parents Jan 23, 2025
- Jan 23, 2025 getting it in, part 1 Jan 23, 2025
- Jan 16, 2025 shaping your culture with “always” and “never” rules Jan 16, 2025
- Jan 16, 2025 critique your boss (like you’re politically naive) Jan 16, 2025
- Jan 16, 2025 how to trigger (and increase) your emotional intelligence Jan 16, 2025
- Jan 9, 2025 don’t get too precious about your templates (in the messy middle) Jan 9, 2025
- Jan 9, 2025 show up with a draft (for proficiency, politics, and pace) Jan 9, 2025
- Jan 9, 2025 you have a struggling new leader Jan 9, 2025
- Jan 2, 2025 use a 50-person list for squishy problems Jan 2, 2025
- Jan 2, 2025 MVPs vs 11-star reviews Jan 2, 2025
- Jan 2, 2025 write a local lexicon Jan 2, 2025
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December 2024
- Dec 19, 2024 tell the story of your signature challenge and your (meta) superpower Dec 19, 2024
- Dec 19, 2024 the “no complaining” rule Dec 19, 2024
- Dec 19, 2024 setting the overton window of complaint Dec 19, 2024
- Dec 12, 2024 write each sentence on its own line Dec 12, 2024
- Dec 12, 2024 three moves for successful delegation Dec 12, 2024
- Dec 12, 2024 what culture has taken root? look at your median and mode. Dec 12, 2024
- Dec 5, 2024 to escape jargon, ELI5 Dec 5, 2024
- Dec 5, 2024 when you’re worried you’re forgetting something Dec 5, 2024
- Dec 5, 2024 when you don’t know where to start Dec 5, 2024
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November 2024
- Nov 28, 2024 mercy and sobriety Nov 28, 2024
- Nov 28, 2024 your power may be making you hard to read (or worse!) Nov 28, 2024
- Nov 28, 2024 ask “who is doing this better than anyone right now?” Nov 28, 2024
- Nov 21, 2024 correlation isn’t causation even when you worked hard and made it good Nov 21, 2024
- Nov 21, 2024 focus as stupefaction Nov 21, 2024
- Nov 21, 2024 cosplay to get unstuck Nov 21, 2024
- Nov 14, 2024 who will you be working for? Nov 14, 2024
- Nov 14, 2024 free coaching from Claude Nov 14, 2024
- Nov 14, 2024 emotional support [calendar] Nov 14, 2024
- Nov 7, 2024 two radical questions when you’re in the middle Nov 7, 2024
- Nov 7, 2024 avoid ambition as a mask for cynicism Nov 7, 2024
- Nov 7, 2024 relationships built through doing things together Nov 7, 2024
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October 2024
- Oct 31, 2024 an artifact worth having: shorthand for minor, just-double-checking, having-your-back feedback Oct 31, 2024
- Oct 31, 2024 history vs hypocrisy Oct 31, 2024
- Oct 31, 2024 you have to tell people that the work speaks for itself Oct 31, 2024
- Oct 10, 2024 rote work as a chance to use an aspiring leader’s imagination Oct 10, 2024
- Oct 10, 2024 a question to avert data debt Oct 10, 2024
- Oct 10, 2024 choosing anti-values Oct 10, 2024
- Oct 3, 2024 quotation as eloquence Oct 3, 2024
- Oct 3, 2024 how to identify your revealed values Oct 3, 2024
- Oct 3, 2024 ask for the edges of the venn diagram Oct 3, 2024
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September 2024
- Sep 26, 2024 one night only instead of a farewell tour Sep 26, 2024
- Sep 26, 2024 questions to ask your interviewer Sep 26, 2024
- Sep 26, 2024 nearby utopias Sep 26, 2024
- Sep 19, 2024 re-hiring in your new landscape Sep 19, 2024
- Sep 19, 2024 a good time to act like a teacher Sep 19, 2024
- Sep 19, 2024 the anti-romantic approach to the good life Sep 19, 2024
- Sep 12, 2024 minimizing the chance of triggering defensiveness Sep 12, 2024
- Sep 12, 2024 mechanics of a monthly half-day observation Sep 12, 2024
- Sep 12, 2024 to grow your people faster, change weekly 1-1's to monthly half-day observations Sep 12, 2024
- Sep 5, 2024 more on tutoring: for resistant coaches Sep 5, 2024
- Sep 5, 2024 more on tutoring: let’s try that right now Sep 5, 2024
- Sep 5, 2024 meetings as tutoring: bias toward action & practice Sep 5, 2024
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August 2024
- Aug 29, 2024 human teams are biased against introverts Aug 29, 2024
- Aug 29, 2024 decision rights for decision throughput Aug 29, 2024
- Aug 29, 2024 name the hidden x-th value Aug 29, 2024
- Aug 15, 2024 what if it’s all volunteering? Aug 15, 2024
- Aug 15, 2024 what if it’s all practice? Aug 15, 2024
- Aug 15, 2024 what my best bosses had in common Aug 15, 2024
- Aug 1, 2024 i look for “the lean” Aug 1, 2024
- Aug 1, 2024 choosing useful friction with legal Aug 1, 2024
- Aug 1, 2024 a bet you shouldn’t hedge Aug 1, 2024
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July 2024
- Jul 25, 2024 slack and bloat are not the same Jul 25, 2024
- Jul 25, 2024 a simple story might be smarter Jul 25, 2024
- Jul 25, 2024 write a breathless history Jul 25, 2024
- Jul 18, 2024 murakami as vocational guide Jul 18, 2024
- Jul 18, 2024 beware, ye idealists Jul 18, 2024
- Jul 18, 2024 the pragmatist book club Jul 18, 2024
- Jul 11, 2024 students over geniuses Jul 11, 2024
- Jul 11, 2024 a good interview question Jul 11, 2024
- Jul 11, 2024 you’ll trust them faster than you expect Jul 11, 2024
- Jul 4, 2024 two reframes of gratitude Jul 4, 2024
- Jul 4, 2024 a path out of quagmire Jul 4, 2024
- Jul 4, 2024 wingspan as a guide to onboarding Jul 4, 2024
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June 2024
- Jun 13, 2024 how to focus your performance review on the most important change Jun 13, 2024
- Jun 13, 2024 a list of belonging cues Jun 13, 2024
- Jun 13, 2024 “even over” strategy Jun 13, 2024
- Jun 6, 2024 reputation as thoreau’s butterfly Jun 6, 2024
- Jun 6, 2024 how to develop someone who’s doing pretty dang well already Jun 6, 2024
- Jun 6, 2024 3 ways excellent founders strategize Jun 6, 2024
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May 2024
- May 16, 2024 lights, camera, awkward role play May 16, 2024
- May 16, 2024 the only three things you can do May 16, 2024
- May 16, 2024 are you in good hands? it makes a big stinkin’ difference. May 16, 2024
- May 9, 2024 how to build your team’s cheat sheet for excellence May 9, 2024
- May 9, 2024 two cheap ways to keep your top performers May 9, 2024
- May 9, 2024 using frequency to fix flakiness May 9, 2024
- May 2, 2024 the belief-energy cycle, or, why you shouldn’t watch tv if you have allergies May 2, 2024
- May 2, 2024 hacks for using the growth cycle to improve performance May 2, 2024
- May 2, 2024 what colonoscopies teach us about boosting morale May 2, 2024
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April 2024
- Apr 25, 2024 brass tacks for turning morale boosters into culture boosters Apr 25, 2024
- Apr 25, 2024 recognition frequency trackers Apr 25, 2024
- Apr 25, 2024 reveal & remark: a leader’s version of the sunscreen song Apr 25, 2024
- Apr 18, 2024 a quick activity for teeing up a leader’s most important task Apr 18, 2024
- Apr 18, 2024 what’s the difference between morale and culture? let’s talk about pizza. Apr 18, 2024
- Apr 18, 2024 do this every time you’re about to give feedback on a document Apr 18, 2024
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March 2024
- Mar 14, 2024 communication as maintenance Mar 14, 2024
- Mar 14, 2024 the case for the case against Mar 14, 2024
- Mar 14, 2024 magic wand before local context Mar 14, 2024
- Mar 7, 2024 parents > punks Mar 7, 2024
- Mar 7, 2024 pace and vibes in core values Mar 7, 2024
- Mar 7, 2024 executive thinking and operational thinking Mar 7, 2024
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February 2024
- Feb 29, 2024 clarity: subtext becomes text Feb 29, 2024
- Feb 29, 2024 clarity: a license for good risk Feb 29, 2024
- Feb 29, 2024 clarity: even now and “even over” Feb 29, 2024
- Feb 22, 2024 name the next way to be great Feb 22, 2024
- Feb 22, 2024 of principles and preferences Feb 22, 2024
- Feb 22, 2024 anonymity and naming names both have their place Feb 22, 2024
- Feb 8, 2024 a rationale for rampant shout outs Feb 8, 2024
- Feb 8, 2024 the mighty crossroads question Feb 8, 2024
- Feb 8, 2024 intrinsic and extrinsic rewards Feb 8, 2024
- Feb 1, 2024 rejection on the job market Feb 1, 2024
- Feb 1, 2024 seek clarity rather than authenticity Feb 1, 2024
- Feb 1, 2024 values as tools for equity Feb 1, 2024
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January 2024
- Jan 26, 2024 apologies, reconsidered Jan 26, 2024
- Jan 26, 2024 what this is; what it isn’t Jan 26, 2024
- Jan 26, 2024 a useful mindset for speech-giving (that might serve you well elsewhere) Jan 26, 2024
- Jan 18, 2024 when self-deprecating jokes don’t work Jan 18, 2024
- Jan 18, 2024 a vibe check as feedback for safety Jan 18, 2024
- Jan 18, 2024 write your stuff and share it Jan 18, 2024
- Jan 11, 2024 against ellipses Jan 11, 2024
- Jan 11, 2024 ride-alongs are often underestimated Jan 11, 2024
- Jan 11, 2024 your values have shadow sides Jan 11, 2024
- Jan 4, 2024 when the goal is crucial, “overdo it” Jan 4, 2024
- Jan 4, 2024 connect, construct, clarify as a holy trinity for meetings Jan 4, 2024
- Jan 4, 2024 want rizz? get reps. Jan 4, 2024
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December 2023
- Dec 28, 2023 communicating values before data in a coalition Dec 28, 2023
- Dec 28, 2023 constraints leading to abundance, e.g., your tochas Dec 28, 2023
- Dec 28, 2023 do you expect this to be life-changing? Dec 28, 2023
- Dec 21, 2023 consider splitting a hard conversation into several conversations to make them all easier Dec 21, 2023
- Dec 21, 2023 hire yourself a chief clarity officer (you) Dec 21, 2023
- Dec 20, 2023 using dcyde.com for team interviews and decision hygiene Dec 20, 2023
- Dec 14, 2023 a permission slip to defy data Dec 14, 2023
- Dec 12, 2023 zoom out and then in to pick your first move Dec 12, 2023
- Dec 12, 2023 managing a transition to virtual work with unapologetic corniness Dec 12, 2023
- Dec 7, 2023 building morale through extraordinary moments Dec 7, 2023
- Dec 7, 2023 find the meeting’s purpose by asking: what’s the downside of canceling it altogether? Dec 7, 2023
- Dec 7, 2023 instead of covert change, co-create change Dec 7, 2023
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November 2023
- Nov 30, 2023 backpocket constitutions as change management Nov 30, 2023
- Nov 30, 2023 run your 1:1s more like tutoring than office hours Nov 30, 2023
- Nov 30, 2023 micro-move: replace adverbs with single digit numbers Nov 30, 2023
- Nov 23, 2023 what all-star teachers do after holiday break that we all should, part 2 Nov 23, 2023
- Nov 23, 2023 what all-star teachers do after holiday break that we all should, part 1 Nov 23, 2023
- Nov 23, 2023 why we shouldn’t “refrain” from refrains Nov 23, 2023
- Nov 16, 2023 five steps to reveal and remark like a pro Nov 16, 2023
- Nov 16, 2023 reveal + remark: the simplest way to improve employee performance (that you probably aren’t doing) Nov 16, 2023
- Nov 15, 2023 “reading to do”, part of the Parenting & Epistemology series Nov 15, 2023
- Nov 9, 2023 how to inspire without eloquence, ego, or training Nov 9, 2023
- Nov 7, 2023 mindsets and moves that make “not taking feedback too seriously” work out Nov 7, 2023
- Nov 6, 2023 seriously, don’t take feedback so seriously. Nov 6, 2023
- Nov 2, 2023 curbing catfights part 2: existential risk and existential rationale Nov 2, 2023
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October 2023
- Oct 31, 2023 the unexpected inclusive power of an exclusive culture Oct 31, 2023
- Oct 27, 2023 converting a ceo v coo catfight into a collaboration Oct 27, 2023
- Oct 26, 2023 write the dangerous memo. share it. Oct 26, 2023
- Oct 26, 2023 what my daughter’s disability taught me about human growth Oct 26, 2023
- Oct 24, 2023 talk your people through your own emotional processing of hard things Oct 24, 2023
- Oct 19, 2023 get stationery. write thank you notes. with your dang hand! Oct 19, 2023
- Oct 19, 2023 a clapback on “toxic positivity” Oct 19, 2023
- Oct 18, 2023 is your culture built for creators or consumers? Oct 18, 2023
- Oct 17, 2023 spa v. sparta: another busted binary good leaders avoid Oct 17, 2023
- Oct 16, 2023 work and culture: the false binary that screws up both Oct 16, 2023
- Oct 12, 2023 a great coach’s four favorite words Oct 12, 2023
- Oct 12, 2023 if someone’s struggling, consider “re-hiring” them Oct 12, 2023
- Oct 12, 2023 to be a baller, be a shot caller Oct 12, 2023
- Oct 5, 2023 history nerds are more likely to inspire their teams. be that nerd. Oct 5, 2023
- Oct 5, 2023 fixing the busted math of trust Oct 5, 2023
- Oct 4, 2023 why you want many “i”’s in “team”: the "I"-shaped teammate Oct 4, 2023
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September 2023
- Sep 28, 2023 build your culture on the backs of butterflies Sep 28, 2023
- Sep 27, 2023 use the “shitty-shabby-shiny” spectrum Sep 27, 2023
- Sep 26, 2023 three myths about sparking growth in your people Sep 26, 2023
- Sep 20, 2023 “strategy” is a sexy distraction. Sep 20, 2023
- Sep 15, 2023 how good do you think i can be? or, “excuse me, ma’am, your ontology is showing” Sep 15, 2023
- Sep 14, 2023 you asked for it. they’re not doing it. what to do next. Sep 14, 2023
- Sep 12, 2023 make a lot of cheap mistakes Sep 12, 2023
- Sep 11, 2023 “we can’t get any wetter” as sobering “inspiration” Sep 11, 2023
- Sep 7, 2023 motorcycling 101 and toddler dinner as guides to performance improvement Sep 7, 2023
- Sep 6, 2023 use orders of magnitude to unlock possibilities and find the priceless core Sep 6, 2023
- Sep 5, 2023 the gift of scarcity Sep 5, 2023
- Sep 1, 2023 “Let’s solve this together!" vs "ugh what a nightmare - THIS again" Sep 1, 2023
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August 2023
- Aug 31, 2023 that crummy stuff? yeah, we’re the champions of that. Aug 31, 2023
- Aug 30, 2023 the magical muffin cart, or, optimize upstream, ya knucklehead Aug 30, 2023
- Aug 29, 2023 find the question marks. turn them to periods or exclamation points. Aug 29, 2023
- Aug 28, 2023 “tradecraft”, or, how to lead like an international spy. Aug 28, 2023
- Aug 25, 2023 you can’t do “the inside job.” embrace it. Aug 25, 2023
- Aug 24, 2023 you are awkward. embrace it. Aug 24, 2023
- Aug 23, 2023 you are counter-cultural. embrace it. Aug 23, 2023
- Aug 21, 2023 simplifying the problem, or, how one Tyler Cowen question can take you to a new dimension Aug 21, 2023
- Aug 18, 2023 the power of a “commonplace book” Aug 18, 2023
- Aug 17, 2023 That expensive consultant you’re considering? They may already work for you. Aug 17, 2023
- Aug 16, 2023 “decision throughput” as a magic metric to spark your team Aug 16, 2023
- Aug 14, 2023 the top 5 people-development mistakes to avoid Aug 14, 2023
- Aug 10, 2023 hidden threats and opportunities in personality tests Aug 10, 2023
- Aug 8, 2023 are you building or defending? Aug 8, 2023
- Aug 4, 2023 a two-question toolkit Aug 4, 2023
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July 2023
- Jul 31, 2023 “Never let a gracious thought pass” Jul 31, 2023
- Jul 27, 2023 Micro-management, reconsidered and recommended Jul 27, 2023
- Jul 6, 2023 Welcome! Jul 6, 2023