Embracing the New: How Green Nail Polish Became My Catalyst for Optimism in 2024

With any “new” thing, whether it be a new year, new car, or new nail polish, there is a period of contemplation. Yes, the level and speed of thought will vary, yet some amount of consideration occurs. One thinks about how they want to feel, what outcomes they hope to achieve, and what supporting changes need to happen for the goal to be realized. I bought a green nail polish to be adventurous. The color would be a conversation starter and bring some fun into Zoom and in person meet ups.

We’ll need to see through 2024 before determining where it falls on the scale. At this very early stage, I’m leaning towards optimistic. Why?

1. Technological Advancements: The consumerization of artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) can bring innovation to industries ranging from education to healthcare to newsletter writing.

2. Pandemic Evolution: Many regions are managing the COVID-19 pandemic, with widespread vaccination and a return to more normal social and economic activities.

3. Cultural Events: We’re kicking off the year here in San Francisco with Monster Jam. Maybe not at the same level as the Rolling Stones, Harry Styles or other artists who have already announced tours in 2024.

4. Personal Mindset: I’m not one to set new year goals, yet I believe a person’s outlook can influence their sense sense of achievement and well-being. At the start of the year, the slate is clean and resets can occur.

For me, I’m looking forward to applying what I learned in 2023 - which was in a large part due to People-First Product Leadership. For example, I’m a sharer of information and often try out the strategies I read about which resonate with people-first product leadership. In 2023, I realized the importance of being true to my leadership beliefs and keeping the associated practices in the mix even when challenged. When I veered off track, I learned (good) while losing a bit of confidence in myself (bad).

What it means to be an effective leader continues to evolve as the world around us changes. Considering and sharing the practices in this newsletter and via other vehicles taught me to be stronger and more convicted as not everyone agrees putting people first brings the type of success they or their company seek. Whenever I had doubts, people - YOU - reached out and shared comments which made me smile with appreciation. I believe in getting comfortable being uncomfortable. And, I embrace being a work in progress - one that now proudly owns a Monster Jam t-shirt.

Thank You!

What is confidence?

Does it mean (a) not changing your mind or (b) does it mean you are ok to change your mind and see the value in others ideas? I’ll take what is behind door (b).

When I look back on 2023, confidence meant continuing to believe in putting people first - before product and process - and, as I shared above, having the conviction to stay true to my beliefs. That said, I also found there is confidence in being comfortable adapting your beliefs based on new learning. Don’t be so stuck in your ways that you cannot evolve. People, like frameworks, should embrace adaptability and openness to new ideas and approaches.

A common prioritization method in product management is RICE.

• Reach - number of people or transactions the idea will affect

• Impact - degree of the effect

• Confidence - how confident the team is about the estimates

• Effort - how much work is required to implement the idea

RICE encourages teams to consider the potential reach and impact of their ideas, weigh them against the effort required, and factor in their confidence level regarding the estimates they've made.

Product Managers are so confident in RICE, it’s been adapted. You’ll also see it referred to as BRICE, with B indicating Business Importance, inviting the product manager to factor in the importance of a feature/function to the overall business (recall my series on the strategy stack - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3). DRICE is another variation, where D indicates detailed RICE.

Just as PMs are confident in RICE to find integrity in the modifications, how do you adapt your leadership career with confidence? Harvard has an approach titled How to Navigate Feelings of Confidence and Self-Doubt After a Promotion. Overconfidence and excessive doubt both stem from an unhealthy focus on oneself. Effective leadership, especially in higher roles like CEO, is characterized by shifting focus from oneself to others, emphasizing the importance of leading through others to achieve results.

The balanced leader is adaptive. They believe in “passion/market fit” sufficiently to create something that attracts early employees. But it is only with insight gained from reality, and then an intentional pivot, that product/market fit often is achieved. What do Slack, WhatsApp, and Flickr have in common? Each company started in a different sector, specifically an internal communication tool for a gaming company, alternative to SMS and a feature in an online game respectively, then pivoted.

Are you confident enough to evolve, accept feedback, and improve upon your ideas? If the answer is “no”, that’s normal and ok. Start small (remember tiny habits). Begin with minor changes or decisions where the stakes aren't too high. This helps build your confidence. When negative thoughts about your abilities enter your head, breathe. Acknowledge and learn from the feeling. Then replace any remaining doubt with a positive memory and optimism. Trust yourself.

You must feel trust to be able to take risks

Sharing your beliefs at a new venture takes confidence and guts. You were hired for your skills and expertise but often those are the same reasons your tenure at a company may be short lived. Depending on the environment, for example if it fails to correct a culture of competition, you may find no one has your back. Without support, taking risks is difficult and requires - you guessed it - confidence. Aga Bajer has an excellent Culture Lab podcast on this subject.

Paul McCarthy believes we are currently in a Renaissance of Work where great leaders, much like master artists, recognize the potential for transformation in their organizations and the people within them. Based on a 25-year career supporting leaders globally, he wrote "The F.I.R.E.D. Leader: Reinventing the Future of Leadership". In the book, he describes how our global definitions of leadership are increasingly irrelevant as the future of work begins to reveal how and why we will need a different kind of leader to navigate ongoing disruption. F.I.R.E.D. stands for:

• Fresh Thinking

• Inquisitive Nature

• Real & Accountable

• Expressive & Challenging

• Direct & Transparent

These are qualities one is often hired for displaying. Yet leaders often let people go for demonstrating these same qualities. Instead of being defeated, he started researching the mixed signals. What he found is the following:

If you find yourself in in a situation where the qualities you brought with you are no longer being appreciated, remember your friends are there for you even if your colleagues are not. You can let their trust fuel you to incorporate adaptability and seek to apply your beliefs elsewhere or to adopt a “vocabulary” the company understands.

What happens if despite your best efforts the company or leaders push back. Try to not question yourself or lose your learned confidence. It’s not easy, yet remember motivation ebbs and flows. Noom has a great visual of the stages. If you get part ways with your current employer, you will bounce back.

Give yourself some credit for how much work you’ve done. You’ve traveled such great distances to get here, and the growth you’ve done is real, whether or not other people can see it yet (or sought it and then discarded it).

To figure out what your purpose is, ask yourself what drives you – not what forces you out of bed in the morning, but what makes you glad to be alive. If you have hidden your light for so long that it has shrunk to an ember, make a list of everything you do well, however impractical, silly, or seemingly inconsequential. Make a list of activities that you wish you were involved in or think about a path that you would love to embark upon. Look over your LinkedIn recommendations, 360s and other sources of feedback.

These are the achievements that can help fulfill you and bring you the most satisfaction in 2024 and beyond. Then ask yourself how you can positively utilize those abilities in your daily life. You can be certain that when you embrace your talents and let them shine, your confidence will start to burn brightly again.

Dignity economy instead of labor economy

Successful organizations and effective leaders are in a perpetual state of evolution. They treat employees with dignity and seek ways to improve their well-being. In a labor economy, a person’s worth and status is tied to their job title and economic contribution.

In a labor economy, leaders do not want to rock the boat. If someone is toxic and doing their job, that’s accepted. In a dignity economy, the culture is capable of embracing transformation powered by such characteristics as work-life balance and job satisfaction. They are always seeking ways to improve.

If you find yourself at a staid organization with leaders who look negatively on people who advocate for alternative approaches, you’ll appreciate this video by Bud Caddell, the founder of NOBL, on overcoming barriers to change.

The first reflects the labor economy. It shows leaders covering all the circles in white on the left. Once the leaders are aligned, the staff is informed. Leaders see that time as the “Eureka” moment when all grand plans are revealed to staff. As the staff were not involved and transparency was not practiced, the staff respond with the statements in yellow.

In this second image, a co-creation (or as Bud describes, a “co-creative”) process occurs. A dignity economy approach is practiced. Employees are involved throughout, encouraged to provide feedback, and share learnings amongst each other.

If you are part of company today, you likely know which side of the dignity vs labor economy your organization falls on. If you are seeking a new organization, keep in mind you want to dig deeper than the gloss interviews often put forward.

Turn the tables by creating a "realistic job preview". Job descriptions reflect everything that came to mind when the role was crafted. There are likely aspects carried forward simply because people often start job descriptions from a template. Ask what two or three items in the job description will be your main focus during your first 30-60-90 and set you up for success during your first year. Other points to explore as you go through the interview process include the following:

• What will your first three projects be?

• What other duties will you have in your day that weren't on the job description?

• Who will you be working most closely with and how often?

• How does the company set strategy, give feedback, kick off team meetings, measure success and manage conflict?

It’s also good advice to find individuals who no longer work at the company. You can reach out to a few on LinkedIn to see if they will share what led them to leave. If at all possible, go into the opportunity knowing the good (which will be put forward readily during the interview) and not so good (which you will need to directly pursue during the process).

What is most important to you in 2024

As you have gone through the post, reflect on how you want to feel during 2024. Do you want to increase your confidence? Do you want to be valued? Do you want to create a culture founded on trust?

Depending on your responses, there might be some life hacks to incorporate into your week. Do you find yourself working over the weekend and not having time to reset? Instead block out a portion of your Friday afternoon and Monday morning to catch up and prepare for the week.

Nir Eyal writes “if employees are struggling to disconnect, it’s not because technology is forcing them to. It’s because of a dysfunctional workplace that makes them feel they have to be constantly available.”

Have you found yourself in such a situation? The start of a new year is an excellent time to introduce change. Consider the following:

• Stop sending messages after hours. If you must work late during the week, queue up messages to send in the morning to prevent “encouraging” others to stay online at all hours too.

• Block out the lunch hour. Often companies have a time and/or day when meetings are supposed to not be scheduled and fail to follow through on the plan. Set aside time during when you can focus and reset. You’ll find others will follow.

• Be open to feedback. I've seen leaders who viewed employee burnout as a sign of weakness. Instead, we should value and act on feedback with respect and trust, allowing employees the freedom to do their best work.

And, don’t forget yourself. You need time to rest and reset too. If you work all hours and never have time to be “you”, you will run the risk of losing yourself and what makes you unique. I’ve been there. I too am taking 2024 to step back and celebrate what I have instead of fixating on what I or others find lacking. Yes, it’s easier said (or written) than done.

Let’s take this first step together. Let’s make 2024 the year of being proud of all you have already achieved! You are enough. Put more “me” into 2024 not less!