Regularly ask yourself what you would drop or what you would be disappointed not to have done if you only had five years left, to prioritize effectively and make changes on the margin.
Redefine personal success not by external metrics, but by actively finding joy in daily activities and relationships, and deeply ‘knowing’ love in all its forms (giving, receiving, understanding).
At the end of each day, reflect on moments when you found joy and experienced love, asking yourself if it was a good day, as this practice fosters gratitude and a fulfilling way of living.
Give yourself permission to view your career in chapters, identifying your ‘sweet spot’ and where you are the biggest force multiplier, rather than feeling pressured to endlessly scale with a business.
Value kindness (which involves honest, constructive feedback for someone’s benefit, like pointing out spinach in teeth) over mere niceness (which avoids discomfort but doesn’t help).
Leaders must intentionally create psychological safety so team members feel secure enough to offer honest feedback, challenge ideas, and speak up without fear of negative repercussions.
When starting a new project or role, dedicate significant time to listening, understanding the business, and building trust with existing team members, as this foundation is critical and hard to re-engineer later.
Recognize that hiring well is the single biggest action you can take to gain leverage and positively shape the trajectory of your business, especially in early stages.
Seek out ‘T-shaped’ leaders who possess a broad range of skills but can also go deep in one or two specific areas, as these individuals provide significant leverage and can adapt as the business grows.
Look for candidates who demonstrate strong intellectual curiosity by engaging deeply with your product or problem, offering proactive, constructive feedback and ideas for improvement.
When hiring, prioritize a candidate’s commitment to the mission and belief in what you’re building, as this is a deal-breaker even if they possess all the necessary hard skills.
Pay attention to small behavioral cues, such as how candidates react to minor inconveniences (e.g., long lines, getting lost, running late), as these can reveal insights into their operating style and fit.
Actively seek to build diverse teams with varied lived experiences, including gender, race, and orientation, as this enhances perspectives and leads to higher business returns.
Adopt the mindset of ‘building a bigger table’ to ensure all relevant perspectives and experts are included, rather than limiting participation or creating competition for limited seats.
As a leader, recognize that your role is not to have all the answers, but to hire amazing people who do, and then to ask the right questions to propel effective decision-making.
Adopt a slower, conviction-based approach to decision-making by framing the problem, then actively listening and gathering information until you have at least an 80% understanding, avoiding premature opinions that can bias others.
Trust your great leaders to provide well-researched recommendations with supporting data, and take extra time to mediate when trusted individuals have conflicting points of view on a decision.
As a leader, create conditions for people to do their best work by ensuring job security, fostering trust, demonstrating kindness, and providing a firm, reliable foundation.
Intentionally carve out distraction-free time, such as long walks (ideally in nature) or dedicated ‘flow days’ with no meetings, to allow for deeper introspection, creative thought, and longer attention spans.
Cultivate the ability to stick with a problem for longer than others, as your first thoughts are rarely your best, and sustained focus offers a unique advantage and deeper perspective.
Shift focus from hours worked to outcomes achieved, recognizing that strategic breaks like naps or walks can leverage your working time and make you more effective.
Intentionally schedule time for physical activity, like a two-hour weightlifting session during the workday, as it not only addresses health needs but also leads to sharper thinking and renewed perspective.
Incorporate lifting heavy weights, such as kettlebells, into your routine (e.g., twice a week) to strengthen bones and improve overall health, especially if at risk.
Seek out a cohort or other individuals who can hold you accountable and share similar experiences, as this shared journey significantly reinforces behavior change and provides support.
Utilize technology, such as ‘streaks’ or reminders, to reinforce positive daily behaviors like taking medication, exercising, or taking breaks, counteracting its potential for distraction.
Go beyond basic HR functions by investing heavily in developing a performance review cycle, fostering culture and communication, and equipping emerging managers to support a rapidly growing team.
Establish a robust analytics function early in a scaling business to surface real insights, help all departments get smarter, and act as a significant leverage point for growth.
During significant personal challenges, consider restructuring your role to be narrower and deeper, focusing your limited emotional bandwidth on critical tasks and personal well-being.
In the evenings, reflect on ‘what you blocked, what you advanced, and how you made people feel’ to gain clarity and permission to transition into personal time.
To signal the beginning and end of the workday in a remote setting, take a physical break like walking around the block to create a clear boundary between work and personal life.
In remote work environments, be highly intentional about building trust by scheduling periodic in-person meetings, engaging in informal virtual interactions (e.g., walking phone calls), and engineering authentic human connections.
As a leader, intentionally share personal, authentic, or vulnerable stories (e.g., embarrassing moments, hard-learned lessons) to engender trust and give team members permission to be vulnerable themselves.
Establish clear norms for communication channels (e.g., Slack for daily workflow, email for external/context-heavy, text for urgent, phone calls for nuanced discussions) to optimize effectiveness and reduce confusion.
Don’t shy away from picking up the phone to talk to someone, especially when something is being lost in translation or to build trust, as voice-on-voice communication is more effective than text-based.
Overcome the stigma of seeking external help and engage a professional coach to provide frameworks, offer different perspectives, and create a safe space for thinking out loud and personal/professional growth.
Actively invest in friendships and family relationships to create safe spaces for authentic self-expression, reflection, and addressing challenges without fear or mistrust, enriching your life quality.