Stoked

Presence beats perfection. The strongest teams aren't built during easy times - they're forged through challenging times. For leaders navigating layoffs, reorgs, and uncertainty, consider prioritizing genuine 1:1 connection. Your team doesn't need you to have all the answers. They need you to create space for honest conversation. Remember: Your team doesn't want perfection, they want presence. In times of change, be the leader who shows up consistently, communicates transparently, and demonstrates genuine care. Start by sharing one challenge you're working through and invite your team's input.

?Curiosity: The secret weapon against fear Imagine transforming the unknown from a terrifying black hole into an exciting landscape of possibility. That's the radical mindset shift David duChemin is challenging us to explore. We're here for it. Our brains are creativity machines, but they're often hijacked by fear – filling unknown spaces with worst-case scenarios that paralyze us. Sound familiar? Whether it's a root canal, a career pivot, or a bold creative project, we've all catastrophized something that turned out WAY less scary than we imagined. Innovation happens when we: ?? Sit with uncertainty ?? Stay curious ?? See mystery as an invitation, not a threat ???? Challenge: Next time fear creeps in, pause. Take a breath. Ask "What might I discover here?" Our most groundbreaking work lives just on the other side of that question. Catch the full podcast episode here:https://lnkd.in/egRMcSU8

"Perfectionism gets in the way of fun. A more skillful goal might be to find comfort in the process. To make and put out successive works with ease.” — Rick Rubin Brent Taylor's words are resonating with us as we, along with many other leaders, are embracing the headwinds that come with closing out the year. The tension between putting our heads down and working hard while maintaining vision and strategy is real. So how do we harness the power of "play" in our work? By embracing uncertainty and leaning into the unknown with the intent to learn. This looks like experimenting, sharing early work often, and learning through failure while it's cheap. Not knowing the answer and moving anyway feels different but the magic is right outside of our comfort zone ?

How might we solve for loneliness in the workplace? Check out this insightful post curated by Josh Ruff offering practical tools to build a culture of connection at work!

The era of leaving emotion out of work is over.? The technological, social, and political shifts we're all experiencing require making space for us to show up as our best and whole selves. How might we create loving cultures at work? We design them. Culture is simply a set of behaviors and norms that a group of people live by. When thought of like this, we can design our work cultures to feature behaviors like kindness and generosity. Being loving is not just good for us, it is good for business. We can all afford to be doing good business.??

Wednesday wisdom: Say 'No' more often. It can be difficult in all areas of life but feel especially risky at work?because of power dynamics.?But, saying yes when you want to say no leads to resentment, disempowerment,?and can build up pressure that releases sideways. Learning to say no is a life skill - one that isn’t comfortable and requires practice. When we do it well it helps us define priorities and shape our destiny, not just avoid tasks. As organizations work to craft an intentional culture, teaching employees how to identify and respect boundaries makes for?more balance, less burnout, and helps everyone focus on their most meaningful work. Go deeper on this Episode of The Hidden Brain Episode inspiring our team this week | https://lnkd.in/eGUfKPp5

"The future of A.I. is not pre-ordained." As we seek to go beyond the prompt and beautiful efficiencies this technology affords us, we're wondering how might we use this technological and social shift to reclaim that which makes us most human. It's up to each of us, through our collective decision making to shape this technology and decide who we will become as the AI revolution continues. Credit: George Siemens 'The art of Being Human in the age of AI'

Better by design. None of us are ever really satisfied with the status quo. We find ourselves pulled toward better. That is not to say there is no place for contentment. Even in moments of peace we open ourselves up to wonder. We ask, "How might we make things better for others?", or "How might we preserve what works today to inform the shifts of tomorrow?". By partnering with those bold enough to ask beautiful questions today we stay ready for tomorrow.

We hand select music to augment our work. We use it on Zoom calls, during group and introverted brainstorming, in the car before we go to work to get into the right mindset for what we know we're going into. Maybe that's why it's known as the motivation molecule. Dopamine creates a sense of awe. It makes you feel something nothing else does.?

Josh Ruff explains the role of play in creating innovative cultures! In case you missed it, Josh and Marcus from our team spoke with Gavin Guidry and Desmond Dickerson on the Tools for Time Traveling podcast to share a futurist vision of work and how we might create create safety for our teams and organizations by embracing failure and encouraging exploration through play at work! Check out the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/ecRJKVS9 #Team #Management #Leadership #Innovation #Culture