tl;dr:“For these decisions, I think the best approach is a “portfolio approach” that means evaluating initiatives not just individually, but also in relation to each other and their overall impact on the company's financial and strategic objectives. This approach helps optimize resource allocation, balance risk and reward, and ensure a sustainable, long-term strategy. This approach isn’t just about spreading bets across different time horizons, it also enables smarter, more aligned, and ultimately more effective decision-making across the organization.”
tl;dr:"Aim small, miss small" is a phrase often used in marksmanship and sports. It means that by focusing on a small, specific target, your margin of error shrinks, if you miss, you still miss small. At its core, it’s a simple but powerful idea: the tighter you define your target, the more you minimize the consequences of a miss.
tl;dr:“As you get close to launching something, closing a deal, wrapping up a quarter, etc. there is often a lot of noise in the signals. It's very tempting to follow that noise but more than likely that will lead you in circles.”
tl;dr:“So if you too believe that curiosity is important in great individuals and leaders, how do you identify that trait? One way, as my coach friend did, is to see what questions someone asks. If during an interview if the person asks no questions, are they really curious? I’m not even interviewing for your role and I’m curious about how you find the culture of your company, what techniques have you found to be successful, what excited you about joining your company? I could go on and on.”
tl;dr:“Some of these are strategies I’ve personally used and found invaluable, while others are well-regarded methods worth sharing. As I examined them, I noticed they naturally fell into two key categories: Structured Time Management Techniques and Productivity-Boosting Frameworks, each offering a unique approach to mastering time and maximizing efficiency. Let’s dive in.”
tl;dr:“Nike’s story serves as a powerful example of how an overreliance on measurable outcomes can lead to the erosion of the very elements that once made a company great. While the road to recovery for Nike may be long and costly, the lesson for leaders is clear: not everything that matters can be measured, and not everything that can be measured matters.”
tl;dr:“Writing forces me to structure my thoughts, test my ideas, and refine my arguments. It is a way of holding myself accountable to the discipline of thinking deeply. Writing clarifies the ambiguous, reveals the gaps in logic, and uncovers assumptions that might otherwise go unchallenged. This is particularly important in my role as a leader where decisions have far-reaching consequences. A well-articulated argument not only influences but also educates and inspires. Through writing, I can communicate complex ideas in a digestible format that can be revisited, scrutinized, and built upon.”
tl;dr:Mike shares his 90-day plan for starting a new role as an executive. “These types of plans are not set in stone. You probably know very little about the company, the people, the operations, the issues, etc. despite numerous rounds of interviews. You will learn more in the first week of full time work than you will in all your interviews. You need to be nimble on your feet and prepared to deviate from your plan when necessary. If you were hired because of a crisis and you can’t wait a month or two to make a critical decision, obviously make the decision. Don’t wait just because your plan says so.”
tl;dr:“I’m a big fan of eponymous laws such as Conway’s law, that software reflects the organizational structure that produced it, named after Melving Conway” Mike discusses his own laws: (1) The more you deny, the more you implicate. (2) If you hire a skill, you will get more of that skill demonstrated. (3) Everyone thinks they can improve on others' works. (4) The complexity of a system increases with each new feature. (5) Change becomes harder as organizations grow.
tl;dr:Conflict within teams can be productive or destructive. Steve Jobs likened constructive disagreement to a rock tumbler that polishes ideas. Cognitive conflict, in moderation, facilitates learning and innovation. However, relationship, goal, and process conflicts often hinder team performance. Mike discusses each.