You don’t need to figure everything out before you start. Ironically, you figure everything out as you go. Take a page out of Nicole Sylianteng’s book: bit.ly/3Wc5Dkq

What’s your team’s fulcrum? What’s your team’s rock? Can you tell the difference? You sure? bit.ly/4kcXGW7

Agree wholeheartedly!

Most people think culture is something that just… happens. But as fabulous folks over at @EpochOpinion point out, culture is a direct reflection of its leader. Cultures often suck because leaders don’t understand that behavior spreads through observation and copying. Want to run a better company? Pay attention to how you’re interacting with the people around you and the behaviors they are copying from you. @JanJekielek, @JoePolish, @DrBenjaminHardy, we’d love your take on this: How much of organizational dysfunction is really just a leader's unresolved personal dysfunction playing out at scale?

We'd push back on that, @raehanbobby. Culture is designed from the top, but brought to life from the bottom. Leaders set the vision but employees are the ones who turn it into reality. Culture is a top-down responsibility that requires bottom-up participation.

@dgrobinson’s recent departure from @OpenAI and his article in @TheAtlantic made us understand that when the stakes are existential, building the plane as we fly it stops being a viable strategy. Some things are too important to be someone’s learning experience. bit.ly/4BkBKi2

Um, this is terrifying. And we write when we’re frightened: bit.ly/4BkBKi2

For example, we have a brilliant team member who loves improv comedy. He studied it for years. While our work isn't in the comedy sphere, we invite him to emcee our events so he gets to infuse improv into our client experiences. This allows him to tap back into a passion he loves, while also making our events much more playful. Win win!

It is indeed a luxury to love your work - not enough people have that privilege. And while it's on each individual to find their passion, it's on leaders to provide opportunities for those individuals to explore that passion within their work.

If you're a leader lucky enough to have people who believe deeply in what they're doing, your job isn't to squeeze every last drop out of that belief. It's to build an organization worthy of it. bit.ly/4jpvxuG

The smartest people in the world are the ones who know how to say, "whoops."

Arab philosopher and historian Ibn Khaldun has a pro tip for any business owners out there: Don’t let success make your team soft. bit.ly/4jmiSIZ

You think humans only seek status when they're avoiding fear? Does that mean everyone who wants a promotion is doing so because they are afraid of stagnation, not because they are excited about growth? Not sure we agree.

Without the meaning chain, there is no kill chain. More on what we mean here: bit.ly/4dGXUAV

Interesting to think that someone can be apathetic about the leader but obsessed with the work. Wonder how many folks are stuck in that scenario. Or vice versa. Seems rare to find folks who are obsessed with both.

Authority and influence are two very different status games. Authority comes from rank. People listen to you because you have a fancy title. Influence comes from admiration. People listen to you because you’ve earned their attention, not because they are obligated to give it to you. That’s a far more powerful position to be in. Bosses tell you what to do. Role models make you WANT to do it. And change only lasts if people are motivated to do it, not mandated.

One of our favorite Gapingvoidisms is "design for devotion." You can provide all the professional development training under the sun but it won't beat a culture where every person in it is devoted to the mission. That dedication is unbeatable.

Interesting point. What about the employees who aren't sure/couldn't care if the leader wins or loses, they just love the work. Do those people exist anymore?

Not 100% true. It's entirely possible to take notes during a workshop on captivating communicators and then immediately have a smidge more charisma in your next meeting. Happens all the time. The challenge is that most people think one workshop is enough. Most accept the fact that we need to exercise every day to build muscle, but they seem to forget the mind requires just as much continuous training.