Carla Harris of Morgan Stanley came to Microsoft and shared some insights on leadership. There was one thing in particular that she shared with us that stuck with me.
(more…)Consistently Deliver Value
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Ignite the Fire With Those You Teach
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A while back I took my son out camping in the mountains. At the time he was about 5 years old, and we were both excited to have some one on one time. We brought the fixings for s’mores and picked up some firewood on the way in so we could have a proper campfire and treat after dinner.
As a youth I grew up in the scouting program and earned the Eagle Scout award so camping and fire building is not a foreign task. The wood was large logs, but we did not have any kindling. My son and I explored the campsite and surrounding area for twigs, sticks, and anything that we could use to start our fire.
(more…)What Does Scale Look Like?
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At Microsoft, the fiscal year ends June 30th. This typically means there is a mad rush to get all work done before the end of the month so we can realize expenses in the month and year that they happened. This year I have had not only my standard projects that need to be completed before the end of June, but I also have a new project at work, and we are working as a family to get into a home which has a potential move-in date of July 1.
(more…)Addition Sickness
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Scaling is one of the hardest things to do in a business. It sounds much easier than it is. Bob Sutton, Standford Professor, has taught me that scaling has a few core principles when adhered to will make it much easier to find success in scaling one’s efforts.
One of the lessons Bob has learned in his research has to do with removing the extra.
(more…)Being a Clumsy Student
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Since as early as I can remember, I have had an interest in making a special birthday cake for each of my children when their birthday comes around. When it comes to making birthday cakes, I am no cake boss, but I do enjoy creating something that makes them smile and is also delicious. Building and decorating cakes is outside my wheelhouse so I look to Pinterest and YouTube to teach me how to bring to life these birthday cakes for my children. Most times I don’t have any idea what I’m doing so I ask lots of questions and I don’t feel dumb for asking questions because I really don’t know what I’m doing.
(more…)Dark Side of the Future
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Shabnam Erfani is a futurist at Microsoft who focuses on modern work and productivity. She has an incredible talent to investigate the future and make forecasts while connecting those forecasts to practical actions we can take today to realize the forecasted future.
(more…)We Need Leaders to Make an Impact
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In 1957, Toyota Motor Company employed a little over 6,000 employees. Today (Jan 2021) employs just under 360,000 individuals. This remarkable growth is attributed to many innovations, but I heard a quote from the President of Toyota that struck me. Eiji Toyoda who is responsible for taking Toyota to profitability and the impressive growth from the mid 60’s to the early 80’s as President said.
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