Leadership For New Managers

Most CEOs make million-dollar decisions using the same process they use to pick lunch. And that's exactly why 70% of strategic initiatives fail. Here's what I've noticed after watching hundreds of leaders in action: The average founder attacks problems like a firefighter. See problem → Rush to solution → Wonder why it keeps happening. But the best CEOs? They're more like detectives. They know that the first solution is rarely the right solution. The obvious answer is usually incomplete. And moving fast without thinking costs more time than thinking first. I learned this the hard way. Years ago, our sales were tanking. My gut said "hire more salespeople." Seemed obvious. More people = more sales, right? Wrong. When I finally slowed down to really examine the problem, I discovered our pricing was confusing customers. Our best prospects were ghosting us after demos. The fix? A simple pricing calculator on our website. Cost: $500 and one afternoon. Result: 40% increase in close rate. The expensive hiring spree I almost launched? Would've made things worse. Here's what separates strategic thinkers from reactive leaders: 1/ They question before they answer. What's really broken here? What are we not seeing? 2/ They zoom out before they zoom in. How does this connect to everything else? What's the real impact? 3/ They explore before they execute. What are ALL our options? What haven't we tried? 4/ They test before they invest. Can we try this small first? What would prove this works? 5/ They align before they advance. Is everyone clear on the why? Do we all see the same target? The ironic part? This "slower" approach is actually faster. Because you solve the right problem. Once. Instead of the wrong problem. Over and over. Strategic thinking isn't about being smarter. It's about having a better process. One that turns your biggest challenges into your biggest advantages. What expensive mistake could better thinking have helped you avoid? P.S. Want a PDF of my Strategic Thinking Wheel? Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dBGUrp9q ♻️ Repost to help a CEO in your network. Follow Eric Partaker for more strategy insights. — 📢 Want to lead like a world-class CEO? Join my FREE TRAINING: "How to Work with Your Board to Accelerate Your Company’s Growth" Thu Jul 10th, 12 noon Eastern / 5pm UK time https://lnkd.in/dA8ywuY4 📌 The CEO Accelerator starts July 23rd. 20+ Founders & CEOs have already enrolled. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/d3gW4JPH

Bad decisions aren't just costly ⁣ ⁣ They compound over time.⁣ ⁣ The difference between happy people and everyone else isn't luck.⁣ ⁣ It's their ability to consistently make choices that align with their goals⁣. ⁣ Not their current emotions.⁣ ⁣ Here are 8 decision-making frameworks that eliminate regret:⁣ ⁣ 1: The 10-10-10 Rule⁣ ↳ Ask how you'll feel about this decision in 10 minutes, 10 months, and 10 years.⁣ ↳ This time perspective reveals if you're making an emotional or strategic choice.⁣ ⁣ 2: Values-Based Filtering⁣ ↳ Every decision should align with your core values.⁣ ↳ When your choices match your principles, regret becomes impossible.⁣ ⁣ 3: Reversable Choices⁣ ↳ Distinguish between decisions you can easily change and permanent ones.⁣ ↳ Move fast on reversible choices but take time with irreversible ones.⁣ ⁣ 4: The Regret Minimization Framework⁣ ↳ Imagine yourself at 80 years old looking back at this moment.⁣ ↳ Choose the path that minimizes regret from your future self's perspective.⁣ ⁣ 5: Opportunity Cost Analysis⁣ ↳ Every yes is a no to something else - choose the best value option.⁣ ↳ The best decisions aren't just good, they're better than all alternatives.⁣ ⁣ 6: Energy and Intuition Check⁣ ↳ Notice how your body feels when you imagine each option.⁣ ↳ Decisions that align with your authentic self create energy.⁣ ⁣ 7: Stakeholder Impact Assessment⁣ ↳ Consider how your decision affects everyone important in your life.⁣ ↳ Great decisions create value for multiple people.⁣ ⁣ 8: The Advice Test⁣ ↳ Ask what you'd tell your best friend if they were facing this exact same decision.⁣ ↳ We often give others clearer guidance than we give ourselves.⁣ ⁣ Which framework will you try?⁣ ⁣⁣⁣ 💚 Follow Hetali Mehta, MPH for more. 📌 Share this with your network.⁣⁣⁣ 👇Subscribe to my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/eFSskmyH

“I know I need to show up with a vision here,” my client said. “I just get stuck on one question: What the heck is a vision anyway?” It’s a common puzzle: Every leader feels bringing vision to their work is an important part of the job, but it can be hard to put your finger on the actual work of creating and communicating a vision. A vision is a story about a different world. For leaders, a good story depicts not just a different world, but a better one. A really good story shows how that better world could become our reality. And the best stories show that whatever the next step towards that world is, big or small, we have the strength and sensitivity to take it. A great vision encourages us—literally instilling in us the courage to believe that change for the better is possible, and to believe that we are up to the task of making that change real. This task of encouragement is one of the subtlest challenges a leader faces. But it takes more than poetic language and emotional appeals to rally a team around a vision. Every vision is a story, which means every vision must follow the rules of story, narrative tension and resolution. But for a vision to truly motivate, it must weave in a few other key elements: First, it must be rooted in an honest understanding of your team’s true strengths and capabilities, regardless of what they’re being asked to do now or have done in the past. A motivating vision engages your team with what they see themselves doing best, regardless of how others perceive their value. You must be similarly honest about the team’s opportunities and potential for growth. Sometimes that growth can be activated by reshaping existing roles or moving current people into new roles. Sometimes that growth comes from new capabilities imported from outside. A motivating vision connects the team’s evolution to the larger organization’s success. Most importantly, your vision must connect the change you are creating together with your team’s values. The impact of your outcomes must be measured against the meaning it has for the individuals on your team. It’s hard to get motivated about a vision when you can’t tell how it aligns with what you care about—or if it’s actively working against those things. So any leader’s vision work must begin not with speaking or even thinking but simply listening: listening to what your people tell you about what they care about, and being the one to lead that conversation if it isn’t already happening. #designleadership #designmanagement #ux #uxdesign #leadershipcoaching #executivecoaching #productleadership #productmanagement #productdesign

The world's most valuable skill is critical thinking. Here are 3 decision-making frameworks that will save you dozens of painful hours trying to learn critical thinking for yourself: 1. Chip and Dan Heath's WRAP Framework The measure of a good decision isn't the outcome you produce, but the process you use to make it. Learning this completely changed the way I thought about decision-making, and the importance I placed on process. According to the Heath Brothers, you can overcome common decision biases like narrow framing, confirmation bias, short-term emotions and over-confidence by using these four steps for every significant choice you make. W - Widen your Options R - Reality Test Your Assumptions A - Attain Distance P - Prepare for the Worst. --- 2. Greg McKeown's Essentialism Framework Hang this up in your room somewhere—and stare at it everyday. Greg McKeown, in his book Essentialism, makes the case that the highest point of frustration occurs when we're trying to do everything, now, because we feel like we should. In order to reach the highest point of contribution, we need to do: The Right Thing, at The Right Time, for The Right Reason. When we focus on these three variables, we don't waste time and energy on activities and decisions that aren't a right-fit.  --- 3. Tim Ferris' Fear-Setting Framework I consider this the gold-standard of strategic risk management and contingency planning. Important decisions will always come with risks, consequences and unforeseen problems. Instead of trying to eliminate the negative and plan for the best, Ferris advises people to complete a pre-mortem that simulates potential responses. By drawing up a three column table with: The worst things that might happen The steps you can take to prevent those The ways you will respond if they do happen You're able to prepare for a more pragmatic future, rather than being thrown off course at the first unexpected obstacle. For more information on fear setting, and some useful downloads, check out Tim's blog here. These three frameworks completely changed the way I thought about decision-making, and the support I was able to offer leaders in developing the skills they needed to keep tricky programmes on track. I hope they're useful for you. #leadership #decisions #NotAnMBA

So many of us are constantly evaluating ourselves through the lens of how others experience us. Do I seem confident enough? Was I assertive without being aggressive? Am I making the right impression? It’s an exhausting loop. And the question many of us default to…how do people experience me as a leader? I love how someone framed it at HBS a few weeks ago. She said a more powerful question is: “How do people feel about themselves when they experience me?” I haven’t stopped thinking about that. Because the best leaders, the ones who actually create lasting impact, aren’t the ones who leave a room with everyone admiring them. They’re the ones who leave others feeling more confident, more seen, more powerful. We’re not just leading. We’re creating new models of leadership. Ones that don’t rely on command and control, but on connection and expansion. So if you’re a leader (or a leader in the making), ask yourself: → How do people feel after they’ve been in a room with me? → Do they feel more like themselves or less? → Do they feel empowered or diminished? Leadership isn’t just about presence. It’s about the kind of presence that gives other people permission to rise. #leadership #presence

📚 Takeaways from July's Book-Of-The-Month "Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work" by Chip & Dan Heath 📚 Four Villains of Decision Making 1) Narrow framing We tend to have a Mental Spotlight so the things in the spotlight are highly visible and we miss the things outside of it. Any “whether or not to do X” or “should I do X or Y” framing should set off warning bells: you may be missing options. Widen your options. How can you expand your set of choices? Think “And” not “Or”. Consider opportunity cost: what else can I do instead of X?  Apply Vanishing Option test (what if the current option was unavailable?).  Multitrack - consider more than 1 option simultaneously. This helps you understand the Shape of a problem a lot more than Narrow Framing. Beware of “Sham options”. Find someone who’s solved your problem: look outside, look inside, ladder-up via analogies (“this problem I’m trying to solve has the shape of another problem that has been solved”). 2) Confirmation bias We develop quick beliefs about a situation then look for data to bolster it. Reality-test your assumptions. Ask disconfirming questions. How can you get outside your head and collect information you can trust? Consider the Opposite: what would have to be true for that option to be best?  Zoom out, Zoom in. Don’t trust the averages, understand the percentiles (what’s your p0 case? p100?). Find Base Rates for your decision (in the past how many people who did X succeeded?) Run small experiments to test your theory. Go out and try things! 3) Short-term emotion. Attain distance before deciding. Often an outside perspective without historical background or knowledge of politics is good. Our decisions are influenced by (a) mere exposure, things that are familiar to us, (b) loss aversion: losses are more painful than gains are pleasant. This leads to status-quo as a default decision. Hard decisions are often signs of a conflict among your Core Priorities. Identify and enshrine your Core Priorities to make it easier to resolve conflict. [ Side note: this is why at Amazon we use Tenets, as a decision framework ] 4) Overconfidence People think they know more than they do about the future. Prepare to be wrong. The future is not a “point”, a single scenario we must predict. It’s a range. Bookend it considering a range of outcomes, some positive, some negative. Lower bookend: “It’s a year from now. Our decision has failed. Why?” Upper bookend: “It’s a year from now. Our decision was a success. Were we ready to handle it and scale?” Set a Tripwire - snaps you from autopilot. Particularly important when change is very gradual. Add Deadlines or Partitions (“I’ll only spend $1MM out of my $10MM budget then reassess”). Tripwires can be triggered by patterns, not just metrics or dates. Decisions made by groups have an additional burden (careful with social cohesion) but bargaining may lead to a better, fairer decision overall. #bookofthemonth #carlosbookofthemonth

As I continue exploring what makes high-performing teams tick, I've covered key topics like group dynamics, trust, cohesiveness, and psychological capital. In this post, I want to dive deeper into a crucial aspect of team dynamics: conflict. Conflict is inevitable in any team, even in high-performing ones. However, the difference lies in how these teams handle it. They don't shy away from conflict; instead, they have established rules of engagement and cultural practices for navigating it effectively. They embrace conflict, using it as a tool for growth and innovation—often with the support of a skilled facilitator. Here are some common types of conflict that can arise in the workplace: Conflict in Vision: Example: Disagreement over the company's long-term direction. Impact: Misaligned vision can fragment efforts and lower morale. Resolution: Facilitate discussions to align on a shared vision and involve all stakeholders in the vision-setting process. Conflict in Goals: Example: Differing objectives between departments. Impact: Can create competition rather than collaboration, leading to inefficiencies. Resolution: Establish clear, unified goals and ensure they are communicated across the organization. Conflict in Communication Styles: Example: Misinterpretations due to different communication preferences. Impact: Misunderstandings can escalate into larger conflicts. Resolution: Promote awareness of diverse communication styles and encourage adaptive communication techniques. Conflict in Values: Example: Clashes over ethical decisions or cultural values. Impact: Can lead to deep-seated animosity and ethical dilemmas. Resolution: Create a values-based culture and ensure organizational policies reflect shared values. Conflict in Resource Allocation: Example: Competing demands for limited resources. Impact: Can result in feelings of unfairness and hinder project progress. Resolution: Implement transparent and fair resource allocation processes. Conflict in Roles and Responsibilities: Example: Overlapping or unclear job roles. Impact: Can cause confusion, redundancy, or gaps in task completion. Resolution: Clearly define roles and responsibilities, and regularly review them to avoid overlap. Conflict in Work Styles: Example: Differing approaches to completing tasks or managing time. Impact: Can cause friction and reduce team cohesion. Resolution: Encourage flexibility and understanding of diverse work styles, and find common ground. Conflict in Power Dynamics: Example: Power struggles between employees or teams. Impact: Can lead to a toxic work environment and hinder collaboration. Resolution: Foster a culture of mutual respect and equitable power distribution. What other types of conflict have you encountered in teams? How did you resolve them? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments! #teambuilding #communicationskills #peopleskills

From Daily Wear to Life Choices - Mastering the Art of Decision-Making Ever been bombarded by seemingly endless choices – what to eat, what to read, even what color shirt to wear?  Recently while waiting at the airport lounge and browsing Instagram reels, I chanced upon a video of Raj Shamani. His video hit home for me. He captured the essence of our modern dilemma - a constant barrage of decisions, big and small, with no clear guidebook. As an entrepreneur, I wear many hats.  Juggling household chores, my maid's questions, my daughter's law school options, my son's internship choices, and the secretary's constant stream of questions about events, my Business and Marketing Head's questions on the different marketing campaigns can sometimes be paralyzing. Decision fatigue becomes a real threat. But here's the good news. Effective decision-making requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. While I'm still on this journey myself, I've found some helpful practices- ▶️ Define the Problem: Clearly articulate the issue or challenge at hand, ensuring a thorough understanding of the situation. ▶️ Gather Information: Collect relevant data, facts, and insights to inform your decision-making process. Consider multiple perspectives and sources of information. ▶️ Identify Alternatives: Generate a range of potential solutions or courses of action. Evaluate the pros and cons of each option, considering potential risks and benefits. ▶️ Analyze and Evaluate: Assess the potential outcomes of each alternative, weighing their feasibility, impact, and alignment with your goals and values. ▶️ Make a Decision: Select the most appropriate option based on your analysis and evaluation. Trust your judgment and intuition, but also be open to feedback and input from others. ▶️ Implement the Decision: Develop a plan for executing your chosen course of action. Communicate the decision effectively to stakeholders and allocate resources as needed. ▶️ Monitor and Adjust: Continuously monitor the outcomes of your decision, making adjustments as necessary based on new information or changing circumstances. By incorporating these practices, decision-making has become less of a high-stakes game and more of a natural process. Now, let's turn the tables! Share your experiences and tips in the comments below. #LinkedIn #LinkedinNewsIndia #LinkedInInsider #LIPostingChallengeIndia

Most professionals wait until they need a job to start networking. But by then, it feels forced, rushed, and honestly… a little desperate. Here’s the truth: Networking is not about asking for favors. It’s about building genuine relationships before you need them. If you’re trying to shift roles, grow into leadership, or feel stuck where you are, start here: 1. Connect with intention. Reach out to people in roles, industries, or companies that interest you. Not to ask for a job, but to understand how they got there. 2. Make it easy for them to respond. Send a short, clear message. Let them know why you admire their path and ask for 10–15 minutes to learn from their experience. 3. Lead with curiosity, not need. The best conversations happen when you’re genuinely interested—not just looking for an opening. 4. Stay in touch. A thank-you note, an article they might like, a quick update on your progress—relationships grow through consistency, not one-offs. 5. Give before you ask. Share insights, offer help, or simply support their work. Thoughtful connection builds long-term trust. Networking isn’t about being extroverted or strategic all the time. It’s about being present. Showing up. And remembering that people open doors for those they remember for the right reasons. If you’re waiting for the perfect time to start, this is it.