More on this book
Community
Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Julie Zhuo
Read between
June 22 - August 8, 2020
Keep in mind that some decisions are yours to make. You are the person ultimately held accountable for the output of your team, and you may have more information or a different perspective on the right path forward.
campus: “Feedback is a gift.” It costs time and effort to share, but when we have it, we’re better off. So let’s give it generously.
executive coach.
No matter what obstacles you face, you first need to get deep with knowing you—your strengths, your values, your comfort zones, your blind spots, and your biases. When you fully understand yourself, you’ll know where your true north lies.
Let me tell you a few facts about me: I’m more comfortable in small groups than big ones. I care deeply about understanding first principles. I am more articulate in writing than in person. I need time alone to reflect and process new facts before forming an opinion. I skew toward long-term thinking, which means that I sometimes make impractical short-term decisions. And at the end of the day, nothing gives me more satisfaction than learning and growing.
great management typically comes from playing to your strengths rather than from fixing your weaknesses.
long term thinker, reliable, loyal
Process driven, hardworking, analytical
Detail oriented, quick learner, idea generator
Organized, fast learner, reliable
bottomless well of confidence,
incredible
persu...
This highlight has been truncated due to consecutive passage length restrictions.
the idea that someone else thinks I’m incompetent,
people with inflated egos
Dunning-Kruger effect.)
What opportunities do you see for me to do more of what I do well? What do you think are the biggest things holding me back from having greater impact? What skills do you think a hypothetical perfect person in my role would have? For each skill, how would you rate me against that ideal on a scale of one to five?
Hey, I value your feedback and I’d like to be a more effective team member. Would you be willing to answer the questions below? Please be as honest as you can because that’s what
will help me the most—I promise nothing you say will offend me. Feedback is a gift, and I’m grateful for your taking the time.
if I approached challenges with the belief that I could get better at anything if I put in the effort, then the vicious cycle of anxious self-evaluation would be broken.
With a fixed mindset, your actions are governed by fear—fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of being found out as an imposter. With a growth mindset, you’re motivated to seek out the truth and ask for feedback because you know it’s the fastest path to get you where you want to go.
I’ve received at least eight hours of sleep the night before. I’ve done something productive early in the day, which motivates me to keep the momentum going. I know what my desired outcome looks like before I start. I have trust and camaraderie with the people I work with. I’m able to process information alone (and through writing) before big discussions or decisions. I feel like I’m learning and growing.
I set up multiple “prepare for bed” alarms at 10:00 p.m., 10:15 p.m., and 10:30 p.m. so that my head can hit the pillow at 11:00 p.m. sharp. I exercise for ten to fifteen minutes in the morning right after I wake up. It’s not much, but it gives me a sense of accomplishment that anchors the rest of the day. I schedule half an hour of “daily prep” into my calendar so I can study my day and visualize how I want each meeting or work task to go. I make an effort to become friends with my colleagues and learn about their lives outside of work. I schedule “thinking time” blocks on my calendar so I
...more
Which six-month period of my life did I feel the most energetic and productive? What gave me that energy? In the past month, what moments stand out as highlights? What conditions enabled those moments to happen, and are they re-creatable? In the past week, when was I in a state of deep focus? How did I get there?
By knowing what triggers you, you can catch yourself in the moment and take a step back before responding like a hothead. If I take even five minutes to calm down, I’m back to being even-keeled.
When was the last time someone said something that annoyed me more than it did others around me? Why did I feel so strongly about it? What would my closest friends say my pet peeves are? Who have I met that I’ve immediately been wary of? What made me feel that way? What’s an example of a time when I’ve overreacted and later regretted it? What made me so worked up in that moment?
Recognize that everyone in the world goes through hard times, and give yourself permission to worry. Don’t pay the double tax on your mental load.
Repeat After Me: “The Story I Have in My Head Is Probably Irrational”
Close Your Eyes and Visualize
Imagine the anxiety, fear, and confusion you’re feeling as not being personal to you, but universal things that everyone faces.
Imagine yourself succeeding wildly at something you’re nervous about.
Imagine a time in the past when you took on a hard challenge and knocked it out of the park.
Imagine a room full of your favorite people telling you what they love about you.
Imagine what your day would feel like if you were out of the Pit.
Admitting your struggles and asking for help is the opposite of weakness—in fact, it shows courage and self-awareness.
Lean In Circle
focus on all the ways you’re winning.
Little Wins.
write down five things you’re grateful for every night,
When you need to build your confidence, remember to do the same by focusing on all the things that you are doing well.
In my busiest periods, one exercise I turn to is scheduling a fifteen-minute activity at the beginning and end of the day that isn’t related to work. I’ll watch a TED Talk, play an iPhone game, do a crossword puzzle, exercise, or read. It’s not a lot of time, but it helps me draw a line in the sand that says, “No matter what, I’ll always make some time for me.”
The nature of this individual path means that most of your learning will happen on the job. Whether you need to improve your communication, get better at execution, become more strategic, or work better with others, set a lofty goal for yourself: How can I be twice as good? Then maximize your learning through the following.
Remember to ask for both task-specific and behavioral feedback.
Treat Your Manager as a Coach
people shy away from asking their managers for help.
The key is to treat your manager as a coach, not as a judge.
“What skills do you think I should work on in order to have more impact?”
“How do you decide which meetings to attend?” or “How do you approach selling a candidate?”
Make a Mentor Out of Everyone
weekly office-hour blocks
