Happy Tuesday!

Today is the happiest of Tuesdays.

You might know why. But in case you:

• Just subscribed to this newsletter

• Haven’t opened one in a while (shame on you! 😊)

• Have been living under a rock 😊

Today is the day my new book, Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead with Confidence, publishes. (Learn more and order your cop(ies) here.)

Which means if you pre-ordered your copies, they are likely in the mail.

Part of our celebration of the launch of the book is a very special one-day Virtual LeaderCon event.

If you don’t know, Virtual LeaderCon is a chance for you to learn from seven world-class thought leaders who will be answering my questions and yours live on a highly interactive and engaging virtual platform. If you haven’t attended a “VLC” yet, I promise it is the best access to thought leaders, and the most interactive and enjoyable virtual learning experience ever. (Details and free registration here.)

It is free to join us anytime today (it runs from 10 am ET – at around 5 pm). If you will miss some or all of it because of your calendar or other priorities, when you buy two copies of the book, both you and the person you buy a book for get access to the recordings, transcripts and bonuses from the full day.

I’m biased but trust me – you will be glad you bought books for you and the other leaders you know plus getting all the fantastic content that is part of our special day.

If you enjoy this newsletter, I have two favors to ask of you today.

• Buy a copy of the book – you will benefit when you read and apply it, and doing it today, gives us the best chance to help make the book a bestseller.

• Share this issue with someone and suggest they buy a book or register and stop in at Virtual LeaderCon. If you do that, everyone will win – your colleague, you, and us.

Make it a great Tuesday and remember…

You are Remarkable!

Kevin 😊

Tech Industry Turnaround?

Have ping pong tables, professional massages, and private napping stations been tossed aside for personal accountability, policies for return-to-work and productivity goals?

If you look at the tech world, as this LinkedIn article outlines, the answer might be yes.

As a person with more gray hair than brown, I can’t say I’m surprised.

Because this isn’t the first time businesses and industries have moved away from something and back towards something else (that has been tried before).

Are societal and perhaps political factors part of the shift?

Sure.

Are we still all trying to figure out work post-pandemic?

Yes.

But the biggest force for this seemingly about-face is the pendulum.

Why pendulums?

Because pendulums swing. And as the ball swings, it picks up speed. And the more speed it has moving downward, the further upward it goes on the other end of the pendulum’s swing.

Organizations in search of better results (in whatever ways they define them) are always trying things. And often, they try things that have worked before.

Why?

Because they worked.

Because people have experience with them.

Because they are different than what others are doing.

And ultimately, as the new/old trend gains energy, because “everyone” (or at least the cool kids) is doing it.

This isn’t the first pendulum swing I’ve seen.

It happens in decentralization/centralization.

It happens in invest more/cut costs.

It happens in strategies of all kinds.

This story is a story about the tension between leaning into outcomes versus leaning into the people who do the work.

I call this the Outcomes/Others flexor.

There is truth at both ends of this continuum. There is value in prioritizing productivity and outputs. And there is value in focusing on the needs of the people doing the work.

While circumstances or context suggest (if we consider them) that we shift our tendencies along this continuum, our experience (and the article mentioned above) tells us the best answers aren’t likely at the extremes. The best leaders are Flexible Leaders – who feel the tension between Outcomes and Others and can navigate and adjust/flex to approaches that will meet the needs of the organization and those doing the work, without whipsawing everyone from one extreme to the other.

How can we flex without losing our way?

By staying grounded on principles and purpose. When we are rooted in the things that matter more than the winds of change or the hottest business trend, we have a stronger chance of long-term success.

If you would like to learn more about the concept of Flexible Leadership and how to do it well, there’s a sample chapter of my new book, Flexible Leadership: Navigate Uncertainty and Lead With Confidence, here.

Is Flexible Leadership a Good Idea?

Flexible Leadership. It’s the title of my new book). And it is an idea that might sound good – (we need to be flexible right?), yet we want leaders to be consistent too, right?

So maybe being flexible isn’t such a good idea? Or maybe it’s just more complicated than that…

Since I literally wrote the book on the question, let me unpack it for you briefly.

Thanks for reading. Please reply at any time with questions or feedback for our team.

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