This headline got me... This week, I saw this headline on CNBC "Airbnb CEO says the best bosses can be mistaken for micromanagers: ‘Great leadership is presence, not absence.' " That headline achieved the goal. I clicked on it and read the whole article, not just the headline. Then, I went down the rabbit hole, watching the full 35-minute video on Fortune . Since I am vehemently against micromanagement and a strong proponent of autonomy in the workplace, I took offense to the headline. It turns out, the headline is just an attention grab. Brian Chesky is Airbnb's CEO. He certainly has some interesting ideas for leading his company and makes a compelling argument for his leadership style. However, the headline is misleading because he never once promoted micromanagement in the interview, often saying that his style is not micromanagement. The headline conflates presence with micromanagement. Brian is certainly in favor of presen...
Goal Setting Goal setting is a powerful psychological health tool. I write this article now because the New Year and associated holidays provide a natural break in life and, for most people, provide a time that is ideal for reflection and resetting. I personally set goals around the turn of the calendar year every year. Setting goals can help a person find purpose in their lives, and purpose might be the most important thing in a person's life for their psychological health and maybe even physical health. This is my opinion, but it is backed by research. For example, here , here , and here . This is not a new idea, and it's been in popular culture for some time. Psychologist Viktor Frankl suggested the same concept in his excellent book, Man's Search for Meaning , as did Pastor Rick Warren in his bestselling book, The Purpose Driven Life . In this article, I will talk about my process for setting goals, some things that are helpful, and some pitfalls to avoid. Where to beg...