We get it: culture is a vital ingredient to organizational success. But the majority of technology organizations are terrible at it. Why?

Most digital leaders I work with always seem to say “culture matters” at the right times — all-hands meetings, strategy sessions, and the like (check that box!). But it rarely converts. Big programs, platform implementations, and budget mania always win out. Numbers rule today. That means we’ll get to culture tomorrow.

Culture is critical…but it’s really damn hard.

***NOTE: this article is geared for those in the traditional job market, not entrepreneurs***

The average person spends one-third (!) of their lifetime working (in a professional sense). This often exceeds 90,000 total hours.

With that time investment, coupled with our desire to do well-compensating work that we love, we need to position ourselves wisely. I’ve wrestled with this over the years, constantly asking if I’m doing all I can. I’ve had glimpses of “yes,” but many other times I’ve sulked in despair.

As we seek out new professional roles (I’m allergic to “job”), our aim should be to make…

No one ever tells us why to write. We’re just told, “go write that book report.” And we comply.

But why should we write?

Most of us labor through our writing, whether it’s a persuasive essay for school, business whitepaper, or love note. It’s a chore, not a joy.

We must reframe our view of writing. It’s the ultimate weapon for any of us. And for aspiring and current digital leaders, it’s your greatest “unlock.” Writing is far more potent than any technical skill you will ever develop.

Your machine learning skills, cloud architecture wizardry, and cyber threat acumen might’ve…

Slow down and reflect on this: the term “job” feels increasingly unnatural.

Personally, the word gnaws at me. Feels limiting, like being put in a box. Does it rub you wrong too?

The great majority of the workforce, Gen Z withstanding, was shaped to pursue bureaucratic education (as opposed to learning) and get a good job. Many stay on a one-lane highway for decades, even as career zig-zagging has become more socially acceptable and valued in recent years. Regardless, most of us are juggling some type of 9–5.

The root of my discomfort, as with others I’ve talked to, is…

Intent of the “Book Applied to Digital” series

We intentionally step outside of the technology knowledge base for a moment. We forget the code blogs, scan the horizon with an open mind, and drink in vital lessons from other disciplines and genres. Here we go.

Book summary

What we’re looking at:

Tribes: We Need You to Lead (by Seth Godin)

One-sentence overview:

We need people to convert from sheepwalker to heretic, shaping movements and taking control of specific tribes that are looking for soul-motivating, forward-moving leadership.

Awesome quote:

“‘Life’s too short’ is repeated often enough to be a cliche, but this time it’s true. You don’t have enough time to be both unhappy and mediocre. It’s not just…

Today is Election Day in the United States. People in this country and around the world are watching with bated breath, and we’ll soon learn who will sit in the Oval Office.

This is politics as you know it — government in the traditional sense, with all the “House of Cards” nastiness we’ve unfortunately grown accustomed to. It’s understandable if you have a deep-seated aversion to politics. Many reflexively pull back away from anything “political.”

But for digital leaders — whether you specialize in cloud, analytics, cybersecurity, or the like — avoidance isn’t an option. Your business is depending on…

Back in 1986, James Carse wrote a book called Finite and Infinite Games. He describes Finite Games as those with known players, specific rules, and a clear “win” definition. Think of chess, basketball, or poker.

An Infinite Game, in turn, is one with an unknown number of players, shape-shifting rules, and a peculiar objective: not to win, but to keep playing the game. Think of politics, business, and life itself.

There’s a lot we can learn from Carse’s worldview, which Simon Sinek built upon in The Infinite Game. One key lesson centers on knowing which game you’re playing. There are…

I’m done with “authenticity.” It’s a lie.

We’ve been drowning in the “authenticity movement” for years now, and people are as confused as ever over what to do with it.

You might call our struggle a response to the frustrating industrial-era work life that many of us grew up in. For decades, we’ve been ensnared in endless bureaucracy — having to plug into monstrous systems and fit the mold. Uniqueness was not the personal attribute we were taught to cultivate. So, a counterbalancing took place. …