☎️ The Switchboard Exchange 03

10 Reflections on Culture, Leadership and Communications

Welcome to the third edition of The Switchboard Exchange, a summary of content that has crossed my path and captured my curiosity. I’m sharing the highlights with this community to pay it forward. I hope these thought-leaders will also make you think, grow and be inspired.

Who do you follow to learn? Comment below with your suggestions.

Here are the three themes I focus on in this edition. Learn more in the posts and takeaways.

• 🪀 Culture

• 🎯 Leadership

• 📖 Communication(s)

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Culture

🛟 Be Useful | Molly Graham 

Molly is a company builder, newsletter writer and founder of The Glue Club.

“One of the most powerful things you can “be” in a job has nothing to do with your title. You want to be the person that everyone wants to work with.

The absolute best way to be that person is to focus on being useful. Look around at the people you work with and ask how you can be useful to them — regardless of titles and job descriptions. How can you help them meet their goals? How can you make your boss’s job easier? How can you make someone else look good? … 

Being useful – the person that everyone wants on their team – is a superpower that no one talks about. It gets you access to opportunities that you could never apply for.”

 🎬 Takeaway: Focus on helping others, you’ll help them and yourself in ways you can’t plan for.

🧰 Supporting Employees | Jordan Broggi

Jordan is EVP Customer Experience and Online at The Home Depot

“At The Home Depot, we don’t have a ‘Corporate Headquarters’ but instead, a ‘Store Support Center.’ And for those of us who work there, our job is to support our stores.”

 🎬 Takeaway: Put yourself in the shoes of your employees. 

🗳️ Give Suggestions | Gorick Ng

Gorick is the author of "The Unspoken Rules," career adviser, UC Berkeley faculty and writer of the weekly newsletter, “Did You Know?”

IKEA would have never become the king of “build-it-yourself” furniture had its employee #4 not suggested the idea.

The year is 1956—and IKEA, a 5-year-old Swedish mail-order company run by 22-year-old Ingvar Kamprad, is about to expand beyond selling pens, stockings, and watches to selling furniture…”

Learn more in Gorick’s newsletter.

 🎬 Takeaway: Be proactive and share ideas. They can take you and your organization in exciting directions. 

Leadership

🏫 Be a Mentor | Deb Liu

Deb is CEO of Ancestry.com and writer of the newsletter

Perspectives

.

“When I was growing up in a small town in South Carolina, the thought of what mentorship meant. It wasn’t until later that I realized how important it has been to my career.

Ms. Ashburn was my high school Honors Chemistry teacher. She was that mentor for me. She inspired me to dream big and think beyond life in our town. I remember her letting me read her recommendation letter she wrote for my college applications. It was a multi-page single spaced typed letter. She described my potential in a way I never imagined. She said that I was like a hot air balloon tethered to the ground and that once the strings were cut, I would soar… “

 🎬 Takeaway: Make time to support and champion those around you. The impact you can make is transformational. 

💥 Choose Your Reaction | Ethan Evans 

Ethan is a Retired Amazon VP, teaching leaders to become True Executives, and author of

Level Up by Ethan Evans

. Note: I’m a member of The Level Up community. 

“Good employees do not cover up mistakes.Good managers make it safe for them to share them. I watched a good manager do this well! Read and learn:

Dameo Leslie is the front office manager at The Metcalfe Hotel by Gray Collection. He has no idea I am writing about him.

On Monday, my wife and I stayed at his hotel. We are traveling in a van that is 9'4" tall, or almost three meters. We called ahead to the hotel and asked if they had over height parking. They did…”

 🎬 Takeaway: Mistakes happen. It’s how we react to them that matters most. 

⛓️ Building Trust on Teams | Richard Hua

Richard is Worldwide Head of EPIC @ Amazon Web Services

“One of the most powerful skills a leader can possess is knowing how to build a team. In some ways, that is the main function of the leader--fostering the environment and relationships where a group of driven, opinionated, and diverse people can do something meaningful together.” 

 🎬 Takeaway: Bringing people together as a team is a top leadership skill. 

🛀 Take On Every Job | Sarah Blakely

Sarah is the Founder of Spanx and now Sneex.

“When I first started Spanx in 2000... I would take customer service calls from my bathtub. 🛁

📞 "Good evening! This is Sara with Spanx customer service. How can I help you? ... of course! I will get with the right department and fix this for you right away."

Entrepreneurs know that in the early days of starting a business... you are every. single. department…

 🎬 Takeaway: By putting yourself in every role, you can develop empathy and learn what they might experience and develop empathy and skills for success. 

Communication(s)

📝 Succinct Writing | Wes Kao

Wes is the author of Wes’ Newsletter and co-founder of Maven and altMBA. Read my interview with Wes. 

“How to be concise 101:

🚫 Before: "So this happened, then this other thing, and here’s what I did for that. Oh yeah, this thing but that’s not important, this important thing that’s completely buried, and then this other thing."

✅ After: "Here’s the important thing I want to discuss. Here's what I need from you. Here are a few sentences about the situation, with the option to elaborate."

 🎬 Takeaway: Strive to say more with less. 

🤝 Introducing Yourself | Matt Abrahams 

Matt is a lecturer at Stanford University Graduate School of Business  and author/podcast host of “Think Fast Talk Smart” 

“How you introduce yourself is an invitation to more meaningful connections that unlocks a door to many potential personal and professional opportunities.

Effective introductions go beyond merely stating your name and occupation; they encapsulate your essence, aspirations, and the unique value you bring to the table.”

 🎬 Takeaway: Skip the years of experience and title. Share something meaningful about yourself to spark conversation. 

🎤 On Communication | Sean Garrett 

Sean is the Founder and Convener of

Mixing Board

. Note: I’m a member of the MB Community. Read my interview with him. 

“The value of the communications function can be exponentially increased by removing a single letter. It's communication. All of it. Inside and outside an organization.”

🎬 Takeaway: The role of a communicator is all encompassing and with it the impact is finally recognized.

Thanks for tuning into this edition of The Switchboard. If you have a recent post that’s captured your curiosity, suggest it for a future feature. You’ll receive recognition in that edition. Reply to this email or message me.

I appreciate you letting me know if this article resonated — give it a heart, comment below or share it on LinkedIn. Since this content came from LinkedIn, I also publish it via a special edition newsletter there. Signing off. — Julia