Episode 40 - The Pieces Don't Fit

It's time to talk about No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Miller

Our next will be Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen by Dan Heath

In this episode, we answer the question:

During a recent job interview, I was asked "what values are most important to you as a leader"? What am I supposed to do with that? I was thrown, and I think it hurt me in the interview. I didn't get the job.

We discussed "Values Inventory" websites in this episode - here's one that you can use, although there are a bunch of others out there. You don't have to use this one. Use whichever one you like - we're not your mother:
https://www.lifevaluesinventory.org/

Popinjay (n.): a person given to vain, pretentious displays and empty chatter

Don't forget to read along with us - in our next bookclub we will be discussing No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer.

Our question this episode...

My boss gave me a hugely complicated project that involved coordinating a lot of external vendors. I put in quite a bit of legwork in preparation. A month later, he told me he no longer wants to do it.

How would you suggest breaking this information to all of the vendors I've been coordinating with?

Don't forget to read along with us as we tackle No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer for the bookclub!

Let's discuss Tribes by Seth Godin.

Next up - No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention by Reed Hastings & Erin Meyer

This episode's question...

My position is cross-functional - I work with people from across the business in a multitude of disciplines. One of the people that I interact with has no boundaries - he is constantly working, day and night and weekends. While that may work for him and his leader, it's not how I and my team operate. Additionally, he refuses to communicate with anyone over anything but a call or meeting. The problem comes in when my team needs to interact with him. He expects others to act the way he does - he sends out emails on Saturdays and Sundays demanding a call over the weekend, he expects others to be available at any time, anywhere, with no regard to their schedules. If they respond that they are booked or unavailable, he replies "It will only take a few minutes." This guy is the core of several projects, so we MUST interact with him, and his leader isn't really - he doesn't coach or train his team and refuses to deal with problems head-on, assuming they will just work themselves out. How do I reign this guy in and protect my team from his craziness?

In case you're looking to make a Pink Squirrel for yourself after hearing about it, you can find the recipe over on Liquor.com.

Don't forget about our bookclub! We're currently reading Tribes by Seth Godin

This episode's question...

Recently, a former team member interviewed for a postion at my new company. Previously, this person had certain challenges that made them difficult to work with. I have concerns about them bringing those same issues with them now. I asked them about the issues, and they acknowldged the issue and discussed how they had grown from there. I'm skeptical. How do you balance knowledge you have of a person from the past and what they describe of their growth path over the years between then and now when deciding on whether or not to hire them?

Don't forget about our bookclub! We're currently reading Tribes by Seth Godin

Let's discuss Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein.

Next up - Tribes by Seth Godin.

In this episode, we also mention Jer's blog post, A New Leader's Bookshelf.

This episode's question...

How do you handle it when something happens at work that is unquestionably an affront to your principles, but the financial loss would be incredibly uncomfortable. Not disastrous, just very, very uncomfortable for you and your family.

Don't forget about the book club! Currently, we're reading Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein

Welcome to the 100th episode of Leading Questions!

We're doing something a little different to commemorate this episode - instead of a listener question, Dawn and Jer ask each other questions they want to hear the other person answer. So, this time, you get TWO questions!

Dawn asks Jer...

You've talked about the path you've taken from being an individual contributor to being a leader - How much of that was intentional, and what was your process for becoming a better leader?

Jer's question for Dawn is...

How do you coach someone in something you're actively bad at?

In case you're wondering - here is the puppet that haunts Jer's nightmares:

And here's the cross-stitch that haunt's Dawn:

Let's discuss The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win by Maria Konnikova.

Next up, Range by David Epstein