Cultivating A Leadership Mindset

A monthly ritual that changed my life. The Think Day (everyone should try this): In the 1980s, Bill Gates began an annual tradition he called the Think Week. Gates would seclude himself in a remote location, shut off communication, and spend a week dedicated to reading and thinking. The radical approach became essential to his process: "Think Week is a time when I can be creative and push my own thinking. It's a time to step outside the day-to-day demands of my job and really focus on the big picture." - Bill Gates I first read about the Think Week a few years ago and knew I wanted to give it a shot. I didn't have an entire week to dedicate to it (early career demands, family priorities, etc.), but figured I could adapt something with a similar core vision. The Think Day was my creation: Pick one day each month to step back from all of your day-to-day professional demands: • Seclude yourself (mentally or physically). • Shut off all of your devices. • Put up an out-of-office response. The goal: Spend the entire day reading, learning, journaling, and THINKING. By doing this, you create the free time to zoom out, open your mind, and think creatively about the bigger picture. My essential tools for Think Day: • Journal and pen. • Books/articles I've been wanting to read. • Secluded location (at home, rental, or outside). • Thinking prompts to spark my mind. Six thinking prompts I have found particularly useful: 1. Are you hunting antelope (big important problems) or field mice (small urgent problems)? 2. How can you do less, but better? 3. What are your strongest beliefs? What would it take for you to change your mind on them? 4. What are a few things that you know now that you wish you knew 5 years ago? 5. What actions were you engaged in 5 years ago that you cringe at today? What actions are you engaged in today that you will cringe at in 5 years? 6. What would your 80-year-old self say about your decisions today? I aim for an 8-hour window split into 60-minute focus blocks with walks in between. You have to slow down to speed up. In a speed-obsessed world, the benefits of slowing down are extensive: • Restore energy • Notice things you missed • Be more deliberate with actions • Focus on the highest leverage opportunities • Move slow to move fast. The Think Day can help. Give it a shot and let me know what you think. *** If you enjoyed this or learned something, follow me Sahil Bloom for more in future!

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲? Of all the topics people ask me about, executive presence is near the top of the list. The challenge with executive presence is that it’s hard to define. It’s not a checklist you can tick off. It’s more like taste or intuition. Some people develop it early. Others build it over time. More often, it’s a lack of context, coaching, or exposure to what “good” looks like. Here’s what I’ve learned over the years, both from getting it wrong and from watching others get it right. 1. 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 People early in their careers often feel the need to prove they know the details. But executive presence isn’t about detail. It’s about clarity. If your message would sound the same to a peer, your manager, and your CEO, you’re not tailoring it enough. Meet your audience where they are. 2. 𝐔𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Executives care about outcomes, strategy, and alignment. One of my teammates once struggled with this. Brilliant at the work, but too deep in the weeds to communicate its impact. With coaching, she learned to reframe her updates, and her influence grew exponentially. 3. 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 Every meeting has an undercurrent: past dynamics, relationships, history. Navigating this well often requires a trusted guide who can explain what’s going on behind the scenes. 4. 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭 Just because something is your entire world doesn’t mean others know about it. I’ve had conversations where I assumed someone knew what I was talking about, but they didn't. Context is a gift. Give it freely. 5. 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 Early in my career, I brought problems to my manager. Now, I appreciate the people who bring potential paths forward. It’s not about having the perfect solution. It’s about showing you’re engaged in solving the problem. 6. 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 Every leader is solving a different set of problems. Step into their shoes. Show how your work connects to what’s top of mind for them. This is how you build alignment and earn trust. 7. 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Years ago, a founder cold emailed me. We didn’t know each other, but we were both Duke alums. That one point of connection turned a cold outreach into a real conversation. 8. 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 Before you walk into a meeting, ask yourself what outcome you’re trying to drive. Wandering conversations erode credibility. Precision matters. So does preparation. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 Executive presence isn’t about dominating a room or having all the answers. It’s about clarity, connection, and conviction. And like any muscle, it gets stronger with intentional practice.

Most leaders aren’t destroyed by others. They’re destroyed by themselves. Here is why? They think success is about being strategically brilliant... or experts in their field... And then they fail due to missing self-awareness. Years ago, I worked with a strong executive. Sharp mind. Strong resume. Great results on paper. But his team didn’t trust him. They gave minimal input. They avoided him in meetings. He thought it was all about them - laziness, lack of ambition, wrong culture fit. He couldn’t see that the problem was him, with his dismissive, reactive, and self-centered behaviour. That's when I saw how easily success blinds us. How quickly ego blocks awareness. And how fast people stop telling you the truth when you rise. My learning until today: Self-awareness is the foundation of leadership. Without it, every other skill is wasted. Here are 10 principles to build it daily: 1️⃣ Ask for brutal feedback Don’t fish for praise, invite truth. Growth begins where comfort ends. 2️⃣ Watch your impact, not just intent Good intentions can still hurt. Measure how others experience you. 3️⃣ Listen beyond words What’s unsaid is often more important. Pay attention to body language and silence. 4️⃣ Spot your triggers Stress exposes blind spots. Know what sets you off before it controls you. 5️⃣ Separate ego from role You are not your title. People follow authenticity, not hierarchy. 6️⃣ Reflect daily 5 minutes of honest reflection beats 5 hours of excuses. Ask: “How did I show up today?” 7️⃣ Own mistakes fast Excuses destroy trust. Admission builds it. 8️⃣ Notice recurring feedback If three people tell you the same thing - it’s not coincidence. It’s your blind spot showing. 9️⃣ Test your assumptions “I think they’re fine” is not a fact. Validate before acting. 🔟 Grow with humility Leaders who think they’ve arrived stop learning. Stay curious, stay open. When leaders master self-awareness, people stop working for you and start working with you. Because self-awareness builds trust - and trust builds everything else. Remember: You can’t lead others if you can’t lead yourself. The mirror is the hardest tool in leadership. Self-awareness isn’t soft. It’s the sharpest edge you can have. ‐---‐------------------------------- ♻️ Repost this to support your network. 🔔 Follow me (Simon Koerner) for more valuable content on leadership, culture and growth.

“Executive presence” helped me reach VP at Amazon. The biggest challenge when it comes to improving your executive presence is simply defining it. Here is how I define it: Executive presence is the ability to command a room, hold attention, and present yourself as someone who should be trusted and followed. It is a composite of many skills. In order to break executive presence into specific areas for improvement, I will borrow from the author Sylvia Ann Hewlett. She breaks it down into three categories: → 60% gravitas → 30% communication → 10% appearance Gravitas, according to Hewlett, is the collection of things that make you worthy of attention and respect. The two main traits for this are your confidence and decisiveness. People follow leaders who are sure of themselves and remain determined and composed under pressure. If you project confidence and decisiveness, you have gravitas. Part two, communication skills, are clearer. Communication skills include your ability to speak in front of a crowd, but also your ability to hold attention, manage a room, read an audience, make others feel heard, and present your authentic self. The final component, appearance, is not about being attractive or looking a specific way. It is about using your dress and grooming to show you are a person who takes their work seriously and expects to be taken seriously in return. Appearance is most important as a first impression, when you are first meeting people. Research shows that first impressions are formed very quickly and people usually seek evidence to confirm their initial judgments. So, if you present yourself as serious and professional, others will look to confirm this as opposed to looking for things that contradict it. To improve your executive presence, identify which of these 3 areas need work and then make a plan. Here are some strategies to consider: For public speaking, find small, safe audiences to practice in front of. Consider joining a Toastmasters club. To learn to read a room, partner with a friend after a meeting and discuss what each of you saw. To display calm and practice emotional control, try meditation and build your emotional intelligence skills to help you handle crises. To increase your influence, read “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” and then prepare your arguments in advance (rather than on the fly). Finally, for appearance, consider a professional stylist like a Nordstrom personal shopper to help you pick out clothes, and go to the barber or hairstylist slightly more frequently. These costs are investments in your career growth. I will be running a free, live webinar on Wednesday, July 9th called “How to Build Executive Presence.” I will give a short talk and then take questions live. Sign up for the free event here: https://buff.ly/DtOqO0i Readers — Executive presence is tricky and abstract. How do you think about it and work on it?

Tired of being the bottleneck? Speak like a leader who inspires. No one teaches us how to be great leaders. Most of us learn by observing those we’ve worked for. We pick up habits along the way - some helpful, others not so much. If we’re honest, we’ve all used phrases that unintentionally demotivate our teams. I know I have. The good news is that leadership is a skill, and like any skill, it can be refined. We can choose to intentionally use words that motivate and inspire, rather than try to control and criticise. It's a small shift, but it can have a big impact. Next time you feel frustrated or find it hard to inspire your team into action, try using language that encourages collaboration and growth. 1/ Instead of saying: "You need to fix this." ↳ Try saying: "Can you walk me through how you plan to approach this?" 2/ Instead of saying: "Don't make mistakes like this again." ↳ Try saying: "What can we take away from this to avoid it happening again?" 3/ Instead of saying: "Just do it the way I showed you." ↳ Try saying: "How would you approach this? Let’s compare ideas." 4/ Instead of saying: "Who's responsible for these mistakes?" ↳ Try saying: "Let’s work together to understand what happened and prevent it next time." 5/ Instead of saying: "I might as well do it myself." ↳ Try saying: "I see you’re struggling with this - how can I help you succeed?" 6/ Instead of saying: "That's not how we do things." ↳ Try saying: "Can you walk me through why you’ve done it this way?" 7/ Instead of saying: "This didn’t go as planned." ↳ Try saying: "I appreciate the effort - how can we adapt this together?" 8/ Instead of saying: "I’ll just save time and do it myself." ↳ Try saying: "I trust your judgment to take this forward. What do you need to make it a success?" 9/ Instead of saying: "Why didn’t you tell me earlier?" ↳ Try saying: "What can we do to improve communication on this?" 10/ Instead of saying: "This isn’t good enough." ↳ Try saying: "What additional support do you need to make this even better?" Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about creating an environment where others feel trusted, supported, and capable of success. 👉 What phrases do you use to motivate your team instead of micromanaging them? ♻️ Share this post to help your network build stronger leadership skills. 🔔 Follow me, Jen Blandos, for actionable daily insights on business, entrepreneurship, and workplace well-being.

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

You could have the best ideas. But still sabotage your authority. 👇 Coaching 300+ CEOs, I have seen brilliant professionals unknowingly sabotage their presence. The way you speak, carry yourself, and structure your message sends powerful cues. Here are 7 silent killers of authority – and how to fix them fast 👇 1️⃣ Weak Self-Introduction ❌ “Hi, my name is Oliver and I, uh, kind of do communications, I guess…” ✅ Instead: Introduce yourself with clarity and intent. Say who you are, what you do, and why it matters – in one confident sentence. 2️⃣ Worrying What Others Think ❌ Playing it safe. Over-explaining. Apologizing for your opinion. ✅ Respect your audience by being decisive. Clarity > approval. 3️⃣ Filler Words & Sounds ❌ “Uh, um, like, you know...” ✅ Pause. Breathe. Let silence do the work. 4️⃣ Hiding Behind Slides or Notes ❌Read the room, not your script. ✅ Know your message. Use slides as backup – not a crutch. 5️⃣ Your Body Says “I Don’t Believe in Myself” ❌ Slouched posture, crossed arms, awkward hands. ✅ Stand tall. Use your hands. Hold eye contact. People believe what they see more than what they hear. 6️⃣ Passive Language ❌ “I just wanted to share…” or “Someone should…” ✅ Use direct, active language. You’re not suggesting – you’re leading. 7️⃣Talking Too Fast ❌ Rushing signals nervousness or lack of control. ✅ Slow down. Use strategic pauses to show you’re in command. The most successful leaders don’t hope for authority — they communicate it. And it starts with small shifts like these. 🧠 Which of these 7 are you working on right now? ♻️ Repost to help someone build real presence. 📌 Follow me Oliver Aust for daily strategies to communicate with clarity and confidence.

Introspection is really important in leadership BUT highly introspective individuals may actually struggle with being highly self-aware! This is not new research...but it's new to many people. I know because it has been eye opening for some of my recent coaching clients. Highly introspective individuals 👉 focus primarily on their own thoughts and feelings Highly self-aware individuals 👉 are introspective AND consciously expand their focus to understand how their actions, behaviors, and emotions impact others and the world around them. Why do leaders grow in introspection but not awareness?🤔 It happens for lots of reasons but often because the higher up the ranks people go, the less feedback they request and receive. Sometimes, leaders fear feedback so they don't look for it. Also, Leadership roles can be isolating; leaders may find themselves surrounded by colleagues who are reluctant to offer candid feedback or challenge their decisions. If these behaviours are not addressed and changed, senior leaders will have limited the opportunities for self-awareness, prompting them to rely on introspection alone. Is it really a problem?🤔 Yes! Introspection is important but without high external self-awareness, senior leaders can struggle to communicate effectively, build strong relationships and make good decisions. ❓ What can leaders do to increase external self-awareness? 💡 External self-awareness can be built through small changes in behaviours, such as: 💫 Engaging in intentional self-reflection (with a coach if necessary). 💫 Asking yourself questions about your goals, values, and aspirations, and how your current actions align with them. 💫 Asking for and analyzing feedback received from others to understand your blind spots. 💫 Understanding the feedback's validity and considering how you can make constructive changes. 💫 Setting specific goals for personal growth and development. 💫 Creating actionable steps to address your weaknesses and enhance your strengths. 💫 Embracing your imperfections and viewing setbacks as opportunities for learning. (Introspection helps here!) 💫 Considering others feelings, thoughts, and perspectives in your interactions. 💫 Understanding how societal, cultural, and environmental factors influence your perceptions and actions. Remember that achieving high self-awareness is an ongoing process. It involves a delicate balance between introspection and external awareness, empathy, and self-compassion. Finally, you don't have to wait until you are in a formal leadership position to start working on these areas. Start NOW!! #professionaldevelopment #selfawareness #emotionalintelligence #introspective #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipskills Image source and original article: https://lnkd.in/eX-eJFuP. Dr Tasha Eurich HBR- https://lnkd.in/e_tjeW-r

I was Wrong about Influence. Early in my career, I believed influence in a decision-making meeting was the direct outcome of a strong artifact presented and the ensuing discussion. However, with more leadership experience, I have come to realize that while these are important, there is something far more important at play. Influence, for a given decision, largely happens outside of and before decision-making meetings. Here's my 3 step approach you can follow to maximize your influence: (#3 is often missed yet most important) 1. Obsess over Knowing your Audience Why: Understanding your audience in-depth allows you to tailor your communication, approach and positioning. How: ↳ Research their backgrounds, how they think, what their goals are etc. ↳ Attend other meetings where they are present to learn about their priorities, how they think and what questions they ask. Take note of the topics that energize them or cause concern. ↳ Engage with others who frequently interact with them to gain additional insights. Ask about their preferences, hot buttons, and any subtle cues that could be useful in understanding their perspective. 2. Tailor your Communication Why: This ensures that your message is not just heard but also understood and valued. How: ↳ Seek inspiration from existing artifacts and pickup queues on terminologies, context and background on the give topic. ↳ Reflect on their goals and priorities, and integrate these elements into your communication. For instance, if they prioritize efficiency, highlight how your proposal enhances productivity. ↳Ask yourself "So what?" or "Why should they care" as a litmus test for relatability of your proposal. 3. Pre-socialize for support Why: It allows you to refine your approach, address potential objections, and build a coalition of support (ahead of and during the meeting). How: ↳ Schedule informal discussions or small group meetings with key stakeholders or their team members to discuss your idea(s). A casual coffee or a brief virtual call can be effective. Lead with curiosity vs. an intent to respond. ↳ Ask targeted questions to gather feedback and gauge reactions to your ideas. Examples: What are your initial thoughts on this draft proposal? What challenges do you foresee with this approach? How does this align with our current priorities? ↳ Acknowledge, incorporate and highlight the insights from these pre-meetings into the main meeting, treating them as an integral part of the decision-making process. What would you add? PS: BONUS - Following these steps also expands your understanding of the business and your internal network - both of which make you more effective. --- Follow me, tap the (🔔) Omar Halabieh for daily Leadership and Career posts.

Could a deeper understanding of your organization’s processes and complexities lead to clearer strategy and aligned execution? In today’s fast-evolving competitive and economic landscape, strategic leaders face a critical challenge: they often lack a full picture of their organizations. Without a clear view of their organization, how can leaders confidently chart a path forward? It’s like planning a cross-country journey without a map. The Strategy Definition Process The diagram below illustrates a typical strategic definition process. Leaders start by evaluating their vision and mission—which are often static but can shift due to external pressures to ultimately determine concrete implementation actions for these strategies. During this process strategic leaders need to evaluate their environment to identify external opportunities and threats while assessing internal strengths and weaknesses. This step is crucial but often falls short without a comprehensive understanding of the organization’s inner workings. The Solution: Process Inventory as a Strategic Enabler Here’s where Process Inventory becomes a game-changer. By creating a full map of your organization’s processes—from customer-facing workflows to back-office operations—you ensure every aspect is accounted for. This isn’t just about documentation; it’s about empowering leaders to: - Assess Impacts Fully: Understand how strategic decisions ripple across departments, avoiding blind spots that derail execution. - Optimize Funding: Direct resources to areas that align with your strategic priorities, ensuring investments drive real impact. - Mitigate Risks: Identify inefficiencies or vulnerabilities (e.g., bottlenecks, compliance gaps) that could undermine your goals. - Gain Alignment: Enabling your people, through clear accountabilities what is expected of them to achieve your strategic vision. A robust Process Inventory isn’t just a tool—it’s the foundation for aligning your operations with your vision. It turns strategy from a high-level exercise into a grounded, actionable plan. To learn more about this framework, check out my book https://a.co/d/1ajgWhI What’s your take? How do you ensure your strategy reflects your organization’s reality?