Too many years ago, I used to get a real laugh out of watching Mad TV’s “lowered expectations.” And while it’s funny, I don’t agree the same attitude should be used in our work as leaders. After all, we’re supposed to be sources of positivity and optimism, not the “downers.” Nevertheless, I repeatedly see in […]
You know the old adage, “You’re only as strong as your weakest link?” When it comes to leaders who think they are great communicators, a similar rule applies: Your communication is only as good as the worst bit of feedback you’re currently keeping to yourself. It sometimes surprises me how some people can barely speak […]
Is your company halting hiring? Perhaps you even had to let some good people go. No matter the case, surely you’ve seen LinkedIn posts suggesting that you learn how to “do more with less.” I’m not into that game. It can too quickly turn into a trap that gets good people working ridiculous hours, trying […]
Hundreds of years ago, it was already clear to the likes of Da Vinci that the search for a Perpetuum Mobile was futile. More energy is always necessary to keep the movement going. However, that cannot be the case when it comes to yourself as a leader. No amount of extrinsic factors trumps intrinsic motivation. […]
It’s Passover this week, which has always been a favorite of mine (perhaps partly because it coincides with my birthday). Speaking about the story of Passover with my kids, and especially my son, who seems fascinated by the “magic” happening, I decided to write a fun article about the problem I routinely see when working […]
Leaders with a relentless passion to keep improving and learning are a force to be reckoned with. Even one or two in a company can make all the difference in the world between yet another team and a remarkable organization. Having innate motivation and continuous momentum will set you apart. Are you constantly improving? Are […]
Now more than ever, you can’t afford to settle for an average team. Draw the trend line: if things remain as they are, will that be enough for your company to obtain dramatic success? Time is of the essence, and therefore, I thought you might appreciate some help thinking about ways to assess how well […]
“Strategy” is one word that seems to have lost meaning. I see it thrown around and used for anything, including “so what’s our snacking strategy tonight?” I’ve written before that you don’t need a “tech strategy.” Instead, you should aim to leverage tech as part of the company’s overall strategy. One such tool I’ve been […]
Developing software products is a long-term effort and requires ongoing adjustments. These marathons are usually composed of multiple iterations or sprints. However, these today in many companies are no longer enabling effective work. Instead, they are essentially waste, as teams end up in some hybrid process that makes little sense. If you’re on a quest […]
Andy Grove’s excellent book High Output Management is rightfully considered a fundamental think piece in management tech. Nevertheless, the term “output management” is misleading. While a hardware company like Intel can more easily manage how many units are produced, i.e., output, that is not how software startups should view their product engineering. I believe this […]