You\u2019ll see more of these plans in the coming weeks, so stay tuned\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And for you, if you haven\u2019t really reflected yet, there is still time! Take a few minutes this weekend and really think about how things went for you in 2024 and what you\u2019d like to do differently in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A little thought and reflection can make all the difference so you don\u2019t just default to what you\u2019ve always done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now, let\u2019s dive into this week\u2019s leadership insights, which all center around the inflection point of the New Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Table of contents:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n- \ud83e\udd58 Food for Thought<\/strong> on Do You Need a Chaos Monkey?<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \ud83d\udcda Book of the Month <\/strong>on Improving Your Presentation Skills<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \ud83d\udcf0 News & Reports for Managers<\/strong> on Manager Blind Spots for You to Avoid<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- \u2753 Poll of the Week <\/strong>on Growth and Communication<\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\u27a1\ufe0f Did a friend forward this to you? <\/strong>Get every issue straight to your inbox by signing up here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nNote: <\/em>This is a preview of our weekly leadership newsletter, Lighthouse Leadership Weekly (LLW).<\/p>\n\n\n\nTo get this sent to your inbox every week, along with our latest long form essays on this blog, you can sign up here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/lighthouse.PNG-1024x683.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\ud83e\udd58 Food for Thought: Are you ready for a chaos monkey?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nI love this clip from Lenny\u2019s podcast about managing calendars:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nhttps:\/\/twitter.com\/lennysan\/status\/1870137361193152929?utm_source=\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhat does your work calendar look like?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Most leaders I talk to (and polls we\u2019ve run on Linkedin confirm) spend way too much time in meetings. And unfortunately, their team members often get sucked into many of those meetings as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why it\u2019s worth considering, especially at the start of the year, whether you and your team would benefit from a chaos monkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The benefits should make any leader pause and think. From the clip:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cNow, what's cool about it is it forces you to rethink:<\/em>
Do we need a recurring meeting, or do we just need one meeting, or do we need a different cadence? That's one thing.<\/em>
The other thing is it frees up so much craft time\u2026we saw <\/em>a huge decrease in the amount of time crafters were in meetings.<\/em><\/strong>
And then we saw <\/em>all kinds of other productivity enhancements<\/em><\/strong> because they were able to have that <\/em>flow time<\/em><\/strong> and work on things.<\/em>
We're at something like <\/em>three hours of meetings per week for an individual contributor <\/em><\/strong>at Shopify, which is phenominal.<\/em>
I think [for] <\/em>managers\u2026it's six or seven hours per week<\/em><\/strong> in order to get aligned and then all the rest of the time is work time.\u201d <\/em>- Farhan Thawar, VP & Head of Engineering at Shopify<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nI know quite a few managers who are in 6 or 7 hours of meetings per day.<\/strong> Wouldn't having that many meetings in a whole week (rather than a day) sound better?<\/p>\n\n\n\nNow is the time to unleash a chaos monkey.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Most of your team has been on break. Work has slowed, but is about to ramp back up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That makes now<\/em> the perfect time to help you and your team reclaim your calendars.<\/p>\n\n\n\nDump all those messy recurring meetings and see if anyone really misses them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is why Shopify doesn\u2019t just remove all the recurring meetings. They also force a 2 week pause before adding any back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That gives you a taste of how things go without the meeting. Only after seeing what it\u2019s like for 2 weeks without it do you possibly add it back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But if you\u2019re only having 3-7 hours a week of meetings, that\u2019s a lot of meetings that must have not been necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chaos \u2260 acting unilaterally.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes it pays off to be bold as a leader. However, this is not the time to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you want to try unleashing a chaos monkey at the start of 2025, be sure you communicate it clearly with your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tell them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Why you want to do it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The benefits they\u2019ll receive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How to give you feedback about the change (and any meetings they miss!)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- When you\u2019re doing it (give them a little forewarning!)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Such a message might look something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nI want you all to be at your best and as productive as you can be. A key part of that is to not have us waste too much time in meetings.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThat\u2019s why on Friday, January 10th, I\u2019ll be implementing a Chaos Monkey on our calendars; I\u2019ll be removing all recurring meetings (except our 1 on 1s).<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\nWe\u2019ll then go two weeks without them and see what really needs to come back.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nI suspect we\u2019ll find we won\u2019t miss that many of them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nShopify does this a few times a year and has gotten it down to individual contributors only having 3 hours a week of meetings, while managers have only 6-7 hours a week. We may not do as well, but it\u2019s something to aspire to!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nIf you have any questions or concerns about this change, please let me know!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\nThanks,<\/em>
YOUR NAME<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\u2014<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nThis kind of bold action is how you unlock new levels of effectiveness on your team, and break out of old patterns and ruts that are limiting you and your team\u2019s potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Will you be trying a Chaos Monkey for you and your team\u2019s calendars?<\/em><\/strong> Reply and let me know how it goes or what you\u2019re planning!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udcf0 News & Reports for Managers<\/h2>\n\n\n\nAvoid these mental biases as you start 2025<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What you perceive and what your team believes are often two different things. Nowhere is this starker than in these 3 places Gallup identified:<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/key-behaviors-1024x541.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRecognize the Gap in Your Perception vs. Their Experience.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Most managers think they give recognition and provide weekly feedback, yet their team members seem to disagree. When roughly twice as many managers think they do something as their team members do, that\u2019s a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your team is the ultimate arbiter of truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You give recognition, because praise helps your team know what you want to see more of, and you want to motivate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You give frequent feedback to help your team improve and let them know where they stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You build a collaborative team, because that means your team will work better together, get more done, and drive better results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But if you THINK you are doing those things, but your team disagrees, then you\u2019re failing. What you THINK is not the same as getting results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Close the Gap by Taking Action.<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhether you think you already do enough or not, it\u2019s the perfect time to set a resolution to do more. Start building a habit this week of taking action in these 3 areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Recognition:<\/strong> Try to find at least 1 thing you can praise every one of your team members for this week. (Remember there are dozens of ways to do it<\/a>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Feedback:<\/strong> Set aside some time and come up with 1 piece of feedback you go over with each of your team members in their next 1 on 1. This spreads out when you need to come up with the feedback, and a private place to go over it in detail. (And here\u2019s how to give great feedback<\/a>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Collaboration<\/strong>: Building a collaborative team happens one brick at a time. Over the next couple of weeks, start looking at each of your team\u2019s bricks:\n
\n- Ask your team in their 1 on 1s<\/em><\/strong> how they think you can improve your collaboration.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Take 5 minutes after each of your big meetings<\/em><\/strong> with your team to reflect on how collaboration went, and what you\u2019d want to try differently next time.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Consciously work to create <\/strong>more psychological safety<\/strong><\/a> on your team going forward.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
None of these things happen by accident. In fact, the delusion most managers have happens exactly because they overestimate their existing efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019re all guilty of that at times, but now is the time to change it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
How will you take action in January to ensure your actions match the caliber of leader you believe you are?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udcda Book of the Month<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
One of the top fears that many people have is public speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s something about getting up in front of a crowd that spooks a lot of people, so if you\u2019re one of them, know you\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yet, public speaking is a skill like any other. You can conquer your fear and become a masterful speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And if you want to advance in your career, it\u2019s a skill that you\u2019ll have to master. The higher you rise in an organization, the more important presentation skills become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why this month\u2019s Book of the Month is all about helping you conquer this fear, or simply level up in an area that will help you go far in your career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/business-presentation-683x1024.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nOwn the Room:<\/a> Master Public Speaking and Presentation<\/h3>\n\n\n\nWhat I love most about this book is that you\u2019re really getting 3 books in one. The book was co-authored by a film director, psychologist, and actor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That means you get perspective on how speech, your presentation, and your body language all impact your message getting across from someone who thinks about how the brain works, someone who lives in front of a camera for a living, and someone who tries to make others look their best on camera, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their combined perspectives gives you a clear picture of not just what to say, or how to say it, but also key movements, pumping yourself up beforehand, and a lot more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I found the book started a bit slow, but by the end, I had dog-eared dozens of pages and marked up many more than I ever thought I would. It was super practical, and gave me things I was able to try in my next presentation and see that yes, they really do work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So join us in improving your public speaking and presentation skills by picking up a copy of Own the Room here.<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\u2753 Poll of the Week<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Last week, we ran a poll asking about why your employees may struggle to grow. And there was a clear winner:<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/biggest-barrier-1024x580.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nIt\u2019s so easy to have your week fill up with meetings, tasks, and projects. It\u2019s not surprising then that your team often feels the same way, and then never gets around to growing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why as a leader, it\u2019s important for you to set your team up for growth the easy way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n- Intentionally give them projects and tasks that challenge and stretch them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Use your 1 on 1s to coach and develop their skills, especially in those challenge area.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Pair them with mentors who can help them grow as they do their day to day work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
When you do these 3 things, you\u2019ll find that your team does<\/em> have time to grow, because they\u2019re growing without feeling like they\u2019re finding time to study.<\/p>\n\n\n\nYet, this requires effort and planning on your part. So keep it in mind as you kick off the new year with your team. A little planning on your part can help make sure your team feels like they are growing and learning, even if time is short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And now this week, we ask you how you think about team communication<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/getlighthouse.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/team-communication-1024x509.png\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\u27a1\ufe0f Did a friend forward this to you? <\/strong>Get every issue straight to your inbox by signing up here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Note: <\/em>This is a preview of our weekly leadership newsletter, Lighthouse Leadership Weekly (LLW).<\/p>\n\n\n\n To get this sent to your inbox every week, along with our latest long form essays on this blog, you can sign up here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n I love this clip from Lenny\u2019s podcast about managing calendars:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most leaders I talk to (and polls we\u2019ve run on Linkedin confirm) spend way too much time in meetings. And unfortunately, their team members often get sucked into many of those meetings as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s worth considering, especially at the start of the year, whether you and your team would benefit from a chaos monkey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The benefits should make any leader pause and think. From the clip:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow, what's cool about it is it forces you to rethink:<\/em> I know quite a few managers who are in 6 or 7 hours of meetings per day.<\/strong> Wouldn't having that many meetings in a whole week (rather than a day) sound better?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most of your team has been on break. Work has slowed, but is about to ramp back up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That makes now<\/em> the perfect time to help you and your team reclaim your calendars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dump all those messy recurring meetings and see if anyone really misses them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why Shopify doesn\u2019t just remove all the recurring meetings. They also force a 2 week pause before adding any back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That gives you a taste of how things go without the meeting. Only after seeing what it\u2019s like for 2 weeks without it do you possibly add it back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you\u2019re only having 3-7 hours a week of meetings, that\u2019s a lot of meetings that must have not been necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes it pays off to be bold as a leader. However, this is not the time to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to try unleashing a chaos monkey at the start of 2025, be sure you communicate it clearly with your team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tell them:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such a message might look something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n I want you all to be at your best and as productive as you can be. A key part of that is to not have us waste too much time in meetings.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ll then go two weeks without them and see what really needs to come back.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I suspect we\u2019ll find we won\u2019t miss that many of them.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Shopify does this a few times a year and has gotten it down to individual contributors only having 3 hours a week of meetings, while managers have only 6-7 hours a week. We may not do as well, but it\u2019s something to aspire to!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n If you have any questions or concerns about this change, please let me know!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks,<\/em> \u2014<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n This kind of bold action is how you unlock new levels of effectiveness on your team, and break out of old patterns and ruts that are limiting you and your team\u2019s potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Will you be trying a Chaos Monkey for you and your team\u2019s calendars?<\/em><\/strong> Reply and let me know how it goes or what you\u2019re planning!<\/p>\n\n\n\n What you perceive and what your team believes are often two different things. Nowhere is this starker than in these 3 places Gallup identified:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most managers think they give recognition and provide weekly feedback, yet their team members seem to disagree. When roughly twice as many managers think they do something as their team members do, that\u2019s a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your team is the ultimate arbiter of truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You give recognition, because praise helps your team know what you want to see more of, and you want to motivate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You give frequent feedback to help your team improve and let them know where they stand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You build a collaborative team, because that means your team will work better together, get more done, and drive better results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But if you THINK you are doing those things, but your team disagrees, then you\u2019re failing. What you THINK is not the same as getting results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whether you think you already do enough or not, it\u2019s the perfect time to set a resolution to do more. Start building a habit this week of taking action in these 3 areas:<\/p>\n\n\n\n None of these things happen by accident. In fact, the delusion most managers have happens exactly because they overestimate their existing efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re all guilty of that at times, but now is the time to change it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the top fears that many people have is public speaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There\u2019s something about getting up in front of a crowd that spooks a lot of people, so if you\u2019re one of them, know you\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet, public speaking is a skill like any other. You can conquer your fear and become a masterful speaker.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And if you want to advance in your career, it\u2019s a skill that you\u2019ll have to master. The higher you rise in an organization, the more important presentation skills become.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why this month\u2019s Book of the Month is all about helping you conquer this fear, or simply level up in an area that will help you go far in your career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What I love most about this book is that you\u2019re really getting 3 books in one. The book was co-authored by a film director, psychologist, and actor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That means you get perspective on how speech, your presentation, and your body language all impact your message getting across from someone who thinks about how the brain works, someone who lives in front of a camera for a living, and someone who tries to make others look their best on camera, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their combined perspectives gives you a clear picture of not just what to say, or how to say it, but also key movements, pumping yourself up beforehand, and a lot more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I found the book started a bit slow, but by the end, I had dog-eared dozens of pages and marked up many more than I ever thought I would. It was super practical, and gave me things I was able to try in my next presentation and see that yes, they really do work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last week, we ran a poll asking about why your employees may struggle to grow. And there was a clear winner:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s so easy to have your week fill up with meetings, tasks, and projects. It\u2019s not surprising then that your team often feels the same way, and then never gets around to growing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why as a leader, it\u2019s important for you to set your team up for growth the easy way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you do these 3 things, you\u2019ll find that your team does<\/em> have time to grow, because they\u2019re growing without feeling like they\u2019re finding time to study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yet, this requires effort and planning on your part. So keep it in mind as you kick off the new year with your team. A little planning on your part can help make sure your team feels like they are growing and learning, even if time is short.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n And now this week, we ask you how you think about team communication<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83e\udd58 Food for Thought: Are you ready for a chaos monkey?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What does your work calendar look like?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Do we need a recurring meeting, or do we just need one meeting, or do we need a different cadence? That's one thing.<\/em>
The other thing is it frees up so much craft time\u2026we saw <\/em>a huge decrease in the amount of time crafters were in meetings.<\/em><\/strong>
And then we saw <\/em>all kinds of other productivity enhancements<\/em><\/strong> because they were able to have that <\/em>flow time<\/em><\/strong> and work on things.<\/em>
We're at something like <\/em>three hours of meetings per week for an individual contributor <\/em><\/strong>at Shopify, which is phenominal.<\/em>
I think [for] <\/em>managers\u2026it's six or seven hours per week<\/em><\/strong> in order to get aligned and then all the rest of the time is work time.\u201d <\/em>- Farhan Thawar, VP & Head of Engineering at Shopify<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nNow is the time to unleash a chaos monkey.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Chaos \u2260 acting unilaterally.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
That\u2019s why on Friday, January 10th, I\u2019ll be implementing a Chaos Monkey on our calendars; I\u2019ll be removing all recurring meetings (except our 1 on 1s).<\/em><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
YOUR NAME<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udcf0 News & Reports for Managers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Avoid these mental biases as you start 2025<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nRecognize the Gap in Your Perception vs. Their Experience.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Close the Gap by Taking Action.<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
How will you take action in January to ensure your actions match the caliber of leader you believe you are?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\ud83d\udcda Book of the Month<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nOwn the Room:<\/a> Master Public Speaking and Presentation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
So join us in improving your public speaking and presentation skills by picking up a copy of Own the Room here.<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n\u2753 Poll of the Week<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n