Ed Catmull ran a meeting at Pixar so brutal most creative teams would refuse to sit through it, and it is the reason every Pixar film opened at number one for 25 years. You can protect people from feedback or you can protect their work from mediocrity, but you cannot do both.

When Cheryl Bachelder took over Popeyes in 2007, franchisees and corporate couldn't stand each other, so her first move was a listening tour built around one question: “What do you need?”

You can’t lead a person you don’t actually see. And you can’t see them if you don’t actually ask. Great leaders understand this, and that is why their teams buy in.

No one is better at their job than you, Shawn! Grateful to work with you again!

Diversity is not just a buzzword. Team members typically share only a 30% overlap in knowledge, so leveraging diverse backgrounds gives you a massive advantage in uncovering new ideas and perspectives.

Ford was losing billions of dollars. Then Alan Mulally, arguably the greatest turnaround CEO of all time, ran one meeting every week that completely changed what his executives were allowed to say out loud.

When employees don’t feel seen or heard, they shut down. If you want to turn things around, ask for their input on how the business can be improved. Even if an idea can't be implemented, simply listening and providing an educational explanation is just as valuable.

When Cheryl Bachelder took over Popeyes, franchisees hated corporate and corporate hated franchisees. She stopped calling them franchisees and rebuilt her own team around serving them. Great leaders know: The people you are serving determines whether the whole thing grows.

Building trust works like a piggy bank. You cannot pull anything out that you have not put into it. Make the small deposits early, because the withdrawal always comes when you need it most.

When Anne Mulcahy became the CEO of Xerox, the company was $17 billion in debt. Instead of immediately announcing a turnaround plan, she conducted a listening tour with employees and customers. Anne led Xerox back to profitability & reduced its debt without entering bankruptcy.

3 simple questions to improve a team: what should we start doing, what should we stop doing, and what should we continue doing? Most people never ask the second one, but that can make all the difference.

Jan Carlzon took over Scandinavian Airlines when it was $20 million in the hole. The company went from $20 million in debt to $50 million in profit. That is leadership.

The difference between being 1% better and making a one degree shift. 👇🏼

When Zhang Yong opened Haidilao Hot Pot in 1994, he knew that to get his employees invested in the business, he had to invest in them first. Take care of your people, and they will take care of your business.

Conflict in the workplace can be a GOOD thing. Here’s why. 👇🏼

Average leaders tell their team what to do. Great leaders empower their team, and then get out of the way.

Knowledge is now doubling every 12 hours thanks to AI. Which means the leadership advantage isn't “knowing more.” It's “deciding faster.”

This is what young men need in the workplace. 👇🏼 One in four young men feel lonely most of the day, and social time has been cut in half since 2010. That's not a threat, it's an opportunity for companies to build the belonging and real friendship people are missing at work.

Trust isn’t built by saying the right thing once. It’s built by saying the honest thing every time.