The Technology, The People, and The Ideas
 

Welcome to the šŸ‚ November šŸ‚ REFRESH monthly update, where Iā€™m sharing provocative ideas from discussions focused on the human relationship with technology .

My October Favorites

Here are some things that I have really enjoyed over the past month, that have brought me šŸ”„ ENERGY.

She (Kippers) is helping me stay in the moment, taking me away from the digital world, to notice the little things - the smells (is that fuel??), sounds (omg, did I break something), and the sights (what were Japanese car designers thinking 54 years ago?) - I can feel my senses activate more when Iā€™m working on her. What hobbies or activities are helping you escape the digital world, that help ground you?

Recent Episodes

This monthā€™s refresh will heavily concentrate around LEADERSHIP.

Several years ago when applying into various full time MBA programs, this concept of leadership came up frequently in the form of essay questions in the applications - leadership is hard to define, and itā€™s elusive to grasp when trying to build narratives around your current leadership journey, whether you are a great leader, or you are trying to become one. We are going to find that great leadership is a multivariate adventure that starts with having self defined core values, attributes that help map to successful decisions (such as resiliency and integrity), and the will and curiosity to learn and to have humility.

I used to love seeing these posters hung up in my k-12 classrooms - they always inspired me to think of what could beā€¦the beyond.
 

#52. Michael Sarraille & George Randle | Hire for Character, Train for Skill - What Organizations Can Learn from Special Operations Forces

What I learned

ā€œLeadership /ĖˆlēdərĖŒSHip/ - is both a research area and a practical skill encompassing the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizationsā€ (Wikipedia).

What comes to your mind when you think of a great leader? Your mom, your dad, an awesome boss you had at your first job? Leadership means something different to us all, because weā€™re all influenced by different stimuli, that may guide and drive us in different intensities. If leadership means something so different to each of us, then how can we build leadership cultures at work, and how can we build frameworks for hiring and developing leaders to drive successful outcomes across organizations?

Mike Sarraille (retired Navy Seal) and George Randle (retired Army officer now talent development executive in tech), co-authors of their new book, ā€œThe Talent War: How Special Operations and Great Organizations Win on Talentā€, bring a host of ideas, approaches, and most importantly, mindsets, adopted by aggregated decades of personal experience in special operations forces and in business, to hire, develop, and retain the most high performance talent possible, in order to deliver results and to accomplish mission success.

This was NOT a conversation made for military leaders or veterans, itā€™s a discussion aimed at high performance individuals and organizations that want to embrace a new level of execution and self development. ā€œItā€™s all on you, but itā€™s not about youā€, a quote taken from something George has learned from others in his experiences - drives home this idea that we all understand ego as a critical factor in our success, but learning how to detach from it with ultimate HUMILITY, is a critical component in any leadership profile.

Additionally, have you ever wondered what type of ā€œtalent attributesā€ are critical indicators of successful talent/leaders/high performers?

Mike and George crystalize the following (9) traits that theyā€™ve pulled away from their research and experience, on what high performers typically have at varying degrees of intensity.

Which elements do you identify with? Which ones are you over indexed on, which ones need more attention?

(photo below of Michael Sarraille)

(9) Core Characteristics of a High Potential Performer - (The Talent War, Chapter 1: A Talent Mindset, p23):

  • Drive

  • Resiliency

  • Adaptability

  • Humility

  • Integrity

  • Effective Intelligence

  • Team ability

  • Curiosity

  • Emotional Strength

Highlights

āœ“ļø The current state rigidity in the hiring processes of organizations large and small, and the critical importance of talent to successful business outcomes

 

āœ“ļø The ā€œtalent mindsetā€ vs the ā€œgrowth mindsetā€, and the top guiding values found in highly successful leaders

 

āœ“ļø Culture and likeability as critical factors vs non factors for candidate selection - maintaining the philosophy of hiring for character, and training for skill

Connect with Michael Sarraille and George Randle

Learn more
 

#53. Leadership, Navigating Fear, Finding Empathy | My Top 10 Learnings from 3 Years at Microsoft

What I learned

I find one of the more difficult activities to do, and one of the most scary, is to create any kind of public content around your individual thoughts and experiences - whether this be a blog, a video you are posting to social, or a podcast. That is exactly what this episode is. I couldnā€™t HIDE behind a guest, or someone smarter or more talented, and for me, that is a 1:1 confrontation with one of my greatest fears. Exposure.

I believe there is a balance you have to strive for when doing things that are scary - what you are doing them in the sake of? Do you take jobs or opportunities that you know you will completely despise, to provide for your family? Do you put yourself in very tumultuous conditions just to help others succeed - like being a mentor or giving your time to another team or team that doesnā€™t directly benefit you? Knowing that my experiences could help others, even if it is 1-2 people, gives me the courage and strength to do things that are hard.

Every year I collaborate thoughts on my top 10 learnings from that year - especially since I have been at Microsoft.

There is a pattern, and that pattern is people.

I hold responsible all of the amazing people I have met, worked with, and gotten close to in my 3 years since joining Microsoft, for helping me get to the place that I am in today in my life. This episode is a reflection of that gratitude.

I hope you enjoy, and that you can take something away for your own benefit, and, to leverage in an effort to create additional benefit for others.

ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”ā€”

A Quick Update on making ā€œtough decisionsā€ and embracing change. My wife and I have just completed making an incredibly difficult life changing decision, there will be short term pain, but we believe so much in our long term growth from this next adventure. In a hurricane of anxiety, self doubt, and fear, she sent me the below graphic, it gave me comfort and I thought I should share - I hope the understanding of these stages helps you navigate similar challenges. (click on the graphic, for deeper exploration). Thank you Katy Russell ā¤ļøļø.

Highlights

āœ“ļø Top 10 Learnings āœ“ļø

1.     What makes you fearful, is a worthy pursuit

2.     Lead with empathy

3.     Establish a routine

4.     Be clear about your values, and do your best to align your work, with your values

5.     Don't start your day until you finish it

6.     Write a damn good email

7.     Lead every human engagement with positivity & energy

8.     Do your best to include the smallest voice in the room

9.     Have a distinct and specific vision, and revisit often

10.  What is your legacy?

Learn More
 

Upcoming Collaborations

Simply Tech LIVE is a live video production co-hosted by Ali Mazaheri and I, featuring discussions with technologists, business practitioners, and academics about the evolving landscape of tech in the Microsoft ecosystem and beyond.

Gina Loften | Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, US at Microsoft | šŸŽ¬ LIVE šŸŽ¬ on Simply Tech LIVE | November 12th, 1230-100pm PST
 

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