Strategic leadership

Start here with my most popular posts on becoming a better leader regardless of your title.

These are the greatest hits that have been shared the most or had the biggest impact on readers.

• If you’re in a position of power, use accurate and precise language

• What's the decision you need to make?

• Everything takes longer than you think

• ⭐️ How to train your team to think rigorously and systematically

• How to give better advice: Ask this one question

• ⭐️ Stop learning to give feedback. Learn to receive it

• Strategy, not self-expression: How to decide what to say

• Why I have a love/hate relationship with scripts

• How I read books

• ⭐️ Insecure vibes are a self-fulfilling prophecy

• ⭐️ Be your own mentor – No one is coming to save you. Stop trying to find a mentor and learn how to mentor yourself.

• The Osmosis Fallacy – You can’t learn via immersion and proximity. Learning is a result of deliberate thinking.

• Do your situational best

• Do things your Future Self will thank you for

• How to sharpen your mental models over time

• Is this making me smarter?

• Set expectations to increase perceived value

• Match your CEO’s pace—and they will think you’re the best hire – Take full advantage while you have their attention. Be specific about where you’re blocked. Fewer status updates, more next steps.

• Your boss called. They want you to manage up.

• Speak up before the train crashes

• Give your boss context when you ask for approval

• ⭐️ How to give the right amount of context

• 15 principles of managing up

• Your boss called. They want you to manage up.

• Just ask… but do some preparation first

• How to regain control in a meeting

• What to say when you’re caught off guard

• Yes you should apologize at work

• How to deliver bad news when it's not your fault

• How to fix limbo copywriting

• ⭐️ Take 3 minutes to delete these words and improve your writing forever – Use words to your advantage. Don’t accidentally shoot yourself in the foot by using language that diminishes your authority.

• Read your messaging in a robot voice – Your words should work even if the person reads your note in a cold, emotionless robot voice.

• When bad grammar is okay—and why you should stop being a stickler about useless things

• Assume your reader will skim, not read

• The Texting Method: Get past writer’s block

• Using affirmative phrases: "Do this" versus "Don't do that"

• ⭐️ Use accurate language: List of strengthening & softening words

• Use the minimum effective dose

• ⭐️ How to on-board yourself when you join a new team

• Be a perfectionist for customer-facing material

• How to give the right amount of context

• ⭐️ My favorite interview questions for marketing candidates

• How to interview marketing candidates quickly and carefully

• Your team should be getting 20% smarter every year [ActiveCampaign podcast]

• Ignore these interviewing rules

• How to attract high performers

• Create proof points to show evidence of your work

• You don’t need to start at entry level – Starting at entry level is the lowest common denominator. It’s what you do if all else fails. But it’s not where you should start because it anchors your value too low.

• How to write your own job description (and invent your role)

• Why most cover letters are terrible & how to make yours better

• How to win a salary negotiation before it starts

• Unconventional career paths & taking risks [PermissionLESS podcast]

• How to upgrade your career with marketing strategies [YouTube]

• Rigorous Thinking, Brand Marketing, Product Launches, Career Decisions, and Spiky Points of View [The Louis and Kyle podcast] and YouTube video

• ⭐️ Build your personal credibility, not your personal brand – Focus on creating a track record of adding value.

• The problem with glorifying failure – Failure should punctuate a strong track record.

• People judge the average of your achievements, not the cumulative

• To decide your niche, imagine you’re on stage with 3 of your heroes