Category: leadership

Inquisitive

FabrizioLeave a comment

Every flaw you see in the world.

Every error message for any software, every bug that gets reported, every overly bureaucratic process, every mistake that gets you infuriated.

It is the product of the work of somebody.

And of course, sometimes it was a poor job, sometimes you simply have to go and fix things. But other times instead – most of the times – there are reasons why things work in a certain way and a person who is proud for having found a way to create something that was not there before.

If we are able to step out of our anger and take an inquisitive approach, we might save time and relationships. And we might make it so that the next time, that person, will be even more motivated to take the initiative.

Incremental

FabrizioLeave a comment

It’s difficult for any content creator to accept that people – some people, most people – don’t want to hear from them. Just as it is difficult for a founder to accept that customers – some customers, most customers – don’t want to do business with them.

It really is nothing personal. We are all overwhelmed by constant busyness, plus not everything is for everybody.

Of course, the only way to overcome this is to make what you do indispensable for 1, 10, 50, 1000, 10000 people. It’s incremental, and it starts from just a few. If you think at 1000000 from day 1, you have lost already.

Capability and capacity

FabrizioLeave a comment

There are two things you can consider when building a team.

  1. What are the things that we are not doing because the people in the team do not have the skills to do them?
  2. What are the things that we are not doing because the people in the team do not have the time to do them?

In the first case, you are looking to build the capabilities of the team. That is fairly typical for small teams, or teams that need to grow into unexplored territories.

In the second case, you are looking to build the capacity of the team. That is fairly typical of large teams, or teams that need to scale fast.

The problem is when small teams hire for capacity, and therefore do not get the type of knowledge and expertise they would need. Or when large teams hire for capabilities, and therefore get the type of knowledge and expertise they don’t need.

Be aware where you stand and what you are hiring for.

Not possible

FabrizioLeave a comment

It’s not possible is a sentence that should always make you alert.

Certainly, somebody must have said it’s not possible for any of the things we today take for granted. It’s an easy way to safeguard someone’s own experience, to avoid facing possible shortcomings, to retain power.

And challenging it’s not possible does not mean that everything is possible. It just means that you are open to a different world and you are seeking a more thorough explanation about why that should not be achievable.

It’s the way of change.

Like it or not

FabrizioLeave a comment

The distinction between personal and professional is dated.

Not because you are supposed to work 80 hours per week, but because human beings do not have a siloed mind.

If you face personal challenges, you will struggle to shine at work. If you face professional challenges, you will most likely be distant and grumpy in your private life.

That’s a great reminder for leaders. You take charge of the full package, whether you like it or not. Better go at it intentionally then.