Wouldn't it be great if every time we had to make a difficult decision we knew exactly what choice would give us a sense of purpose, fulfillment, and…

February 2023

My talk at Velocity Amsterdam 2016, on scaling operations for microservices
Leaders are problem solvers. When people come to us with a problem, we jump in and start removing obstacles. We’re good at it! And it’s part of the job…

December 2022

When it’s appropriate to offer feedback. And when it’s time to reach for another tool. You might have heard — feedback is a gift. And so, the receiver…
Control and context are often seen as the opposites of each other. We might think that if we wanted our organization to be high context, we must…
Journaling (and writing in general) is one of the most accessible ways to increase your self-awareness. You don’t have to follow a particular template…
Yesterday I deleted my Twitter account. I met many incredible people on Twitter since joining in 2007. People I worked with, climbed rocks, sailed seas…
For something entirely different today, I want to share with you how I plan my days. I was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 48. Naturally, for nearly 5…

November 2022

Pair deliberate practice with effortless performance to achieve extraordinary results You might have heard this story. For decades, no athlete was able…
Shit umbrella managers believe they do good, but instead create a toxic culture Once upon a time I’ve got a new manager, let’s call her Bellatrix, who…

October 2022

Early career leaders often find themselves in a death spiral of never-ending firefighting. They are thrown from one crisis to the next, unable to find…
Setting and holding boundaries at work is often perceived as uncooperative and mean-spirited. Many believe that you have to choose between playing ball…