Let's Do Lunch.....Leadership and Career Growth in Silicon Valley » leadership coaching

The Pecha Kucha Experiment

Devin — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:31:56 +0000

When I first heard about the modified Pecha Kucha exercise that I was invited to participated in (see Pecha Kucha on Summer Vacation) I wondered “what kind of nonsense is this?”. I first had to look on Wikipedia to figure out what it was. I’m not one for gimmicks, and this seemed like . . . → Read More: The Pecha Kucha Experiment

Managing in an Environment of Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD)

Devin — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 20:14:03 +0000

It’s the spring of 2009 and the economy is in the dumper. The average American family’s wealth has dropped by 18% and California’s unemployment rate has topped 10%. Just about everyone in Silicon Valley knows someone who has been laid off from, what were once, promising economic high flying companies and employees are feeling . . . → Read More: Managing in an Environment of Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt (FUD)

Paternal Leadership

Devin — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 19:26:41 +0000

I’ve known many leaders that are extremely protective of their staff. You know, those managers who people go to when they’re struggling with problems or have gotten themselves in trouble. These “paternal” leaders often provide answers and approaches to problems that are clear an easy to follow. The loyal follower just goes off and executes on . . . → Read More: Paternal Leadership

Leaders Ask Rather Than Direct

Devin — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:39:47 +0000

I was in a series of leadership offsites this week and had some interesting observations about communication. All the leaders around me were the best that I have ever worked with. They understand business and how to lead. Each leader has their own style and strengths which create their own organizational culture. . . . → Read More: Leaders Ask Rather Than Direct

The Most Dangerous Business Assumption

Devin — Wed, 07 May 2008 22:38:15 +0000

One of the biggest traps that we fall into in technical companies is we assume we know what customers want or need. Silicon Valley companies grew up building engineering products for engineers. This means that we started by making products for ourselves and assumed that customers needed the same stuff too. Fortunately, we . . . → Read More: The Most Dangerous Business Assumption

Leading: Turning Conflict Into Conversation

Devin — Fri, 02 May 2008 16:10:00 +0000

People hate to fight. Its human nature to avoid conflict and we all want to be liked. Unfortunately, people often mistake confrontation for aggression. The reality is that conflict can be positive and constructive. Confrontation does not have to, and shouldn’t, be personal nor does it have to be mean. Direct . . . → Read More: Leading: Turning Conflict Into Conversation

The Business Is Never About You!

Devin — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 12:47:10 +0000

I was chatting with a member of my management team in the hallway the other day and something she said really stuck in my head. We were talking about the organizational performance turn around that we were in the midst of and she said, “You’ve really added simplicity and definition to what we need to . . . → Read More: The Business Is Never About You!

The Consultant’s Mindset

Devin — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 22:39:04 +0000

Working for a large company makes it very easy to get comfortable. You wake up and go to the same office, work with the same people, and do relatively similar things consistently. It’s easy to get lulled into the pattern. In Silicon Valley, that pattern became a lifestyle. The internet bubble has . . . → Read More: The Consultant’s Mindset