Happy Tuesday!

Have you noticed that I always open this newsletter with “Happy Tuesday”?

I do that because I always hope you have a happy one (not just Tuesdays, but you know what I mean).

Two weeks from today will be a very Happy Tuesday for us at the Kevin Eikenberry Group for two reasons:

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

• We are celebrating by giving you the chance to learn from seven world-class thought leaders who will be answering my questions and yours during a one-day Virtual LeaderCon event. 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 that day, but when you buy two copies of the book, both you and the person you buy a book for both 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 all the fantastic content that is part of our special day.

Today’s article is my latest thinking on an idea that I didn’t include in the book but is a practical and direct connection to leading more flexibly.

I hope you enjoy it.

And my take on car technology? There’s a connection to concepts in the book there too.

If you love this issue, please forward it to someone you think would enjoy it. (Scroll to the bottom and see some ways you can get some gifts from us for doing so.) If you are reading it because it was forwarded, please subscribe here.

And encourage everyone you buy a book for to subscribe too.

Make it a great day and remember…

You are Remarkable!

Kevin 😊

What Leaders Can Learn from the Latest Car Technology

If you haven’t noticed, when you step into a car, it’s not what it used to be. You used to sit in the seat and see levers, buttons, knobs, and dials.

Now you are looking at a computer.

Just as computers have taken over our offices and houses (from the living room to the kitchen and beyond), now the way we travel between them is a rolling computer too.

And some people are wishing for a reprieve.

This isn’t just over-sixty-year-old Kevin shouting for people to “stay off his lawn” or harkening back to a simpler time. I like technology as much as the next person – and if that technology helps make us safer, I’m all in.

But the lane drift technology isn’t what I’m talking about.

According to a 2022 survey from consulting firm Escalent, 28% of new-car buyers favor buttons over touch screens. And some auto-makers are listening, bringing back buttons and knobs. In fact, starting next year according to The Wall Street Journal, “the vehicle-safety ratings of Euro NCAP, a European organization, will consider cars safer if they provide physical components for primary controls such as windshield wipers and hazard lights, rather than burying them in a touch screen.”

There are (at least) four lessons here even if we aren’t in the auto industry or in the market for a new car.

• Winning doesn’t necessarily mean accelerating the trend by besting others with new technology. It might, but adding more isn’t necessarily the only way to win in the marketplace.

• Listen to your customer.

• More isn’t always better.

• Be careful of change for changes sake.

Technology is and can be wonderful. But technology is a tool, like many other things in life. And all tools are very useful when used to solve the right problem. But some problems and some situations need multiple or different tools.

Not just our favorite tools or the trendy tools.

Why Leaders Need to Do Plausible Cause Analysis

You’ve heard of probable cause. You’ve found root causes for problems. But what is plausible cause and why should we care?

After all, plausible cause isn’t even an entry in my favorite dictionary (Merriam-Webster). Dictionary.com says it means having an appearance of truth or reason; seemingly worthy of approval or acceptance; credible; believable.

Root cause gives us a sense of foundational truth. Probable cause, in a legal sense, is a reasonable ground for supposing that a charge is well-founded (Merriam-Webster). In a non-legal leadership sense, we might say probable cause is the reasonable or likely reason something happens or happened.

In a world where context is clear and cause-and-effect is known (or can be determined), these are useful ideas and tools.

But the world of work isn’t always so clear, and the situations we lead in don’t always lend themselves to clear or immediately probable solutions.

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

When you’re ready, here’s a few ways we can help:

1. Work with me 1:1: Book a coaching or strategy session to help you achieve your goals for 2025 and beyond!

2. Book me for your next keynote or event: Not just “another keynote”, this is a message that inspires, engages and accelerates you, your team and organization to success!

3. Courses & workshops: check out our wide-array of learning opportunities - live & interactive workshops, micro and on-demand solutions and so much more.