Recently my community lost someone dear and near to us, a truly global leader-well respected by many. Rest in peace Aga Khan IV.
As a result, it had me reflecting on who leads us, our parents, our communities. Leadership is one of those phenomenons you don’t fully appreciate until you experience the real thing. I had mentors early in my career, but it wasn’t until I worked under the best leader I’ve ever had that I truly understood the impact a leader can have on your daily and weekly outcomes.
The individual I’m describing below wasn’t just a manager—he was a coach, advocate, and challenger. He pushed me to think critically, lead confidently, and never settle. These lessons were from a critical juncture in my career.
Years later, I still use what he taught me every day.
10 lessons from the Best corporate leader I have ever had
Headlines that caught my eye +AI
Stay Hydrated - perform your best
⌛ Estimated reading time: 3 minutes (it’s a short one so I’ll be testing you)
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The Best Corporate Leader I ever had
I didn’t know what REAL leadership meant at the beginning of my career (nor did I have a beard)
I didn’t yet understand the impact a good leader had and how they could affect your experience, results, productivity, and career. Don’t get me wrong I had good mentors up until that point, but the best leader I ever had demonstrated the following characteristics consistently:
Coached, managed & friend(ed). All three were necessary at different times, which built a sense of trust and accountability. Trick was he always knew the right time to play the right role.
He challenged me to become a better performer and thinker. He didn’t settle for the person I was when I entered the job, and he never let me sit high on my horse.
Opened up doorways internally and had my back at the water cooler.
Always evangelizing me up the ladder, gracefully, tactfully, masterfully.
Helped me understand that constant learning and enablement was a must have, not a nice to have. That’s part of why I write this newsletter today, continuing to share what I’m learning day-to-day. This phrase “better better never best” might be my first tattoo on my chest
Showed me how to run in person customer meetings, then let me fall flat on my face at a few so I could understand just how hard they are. It’s a fine balance letting someone fail. One time he actually used Lego and built a scene to draw the audience away from my presentation- he says it was to lighten the mood. That happened to be my largest ever deal as an individual contributor and catapulted me to club lol?
Taught me how to think critically about discovery and truly learning about the persons problems we were trying to solve for on the other end of the line.
“can you help me understand” will be the second tat on my limited chest real estate
Taught me how to communicate ideas via a whiteboard. Click here to see me rehearsing this skill.
Created a team culture that buoyed itself. He didn’t need to be monitoring it 24/7, it just was.
Realized when Toronto FC won the MLS Cup I wasn’t coming in for a few days... then made me make up for all the lost work I had because no excuses & life isn’t linear. “It’s been three days I think it’s time to come in”
Believed in me even when I failed... hard. People today are terrified of failure. Having that belief system even when you come up short was paramount to my success.
I made Presidents Club the year, was the team and hub leader, got promoted and earned my way to the best tech conference there ever was, Dreamforce. All life evolving moments that I fondly reflect on today.
Thanks John Ki, I owe you one man.
Would you be where you are today without your “ Leader”? What did they do well? What could they have done better?
What have you implemented as a leader lately that’s left a lasting impression on your team?
Why do people choose to follow you? Reply to this email and we’ll share it in a future edition
🤖 AI’s Executive Briefing
New section alert! You hear too much about AI. New tools, new implications, and new rules. This briefing is letting you know as a LEADER, what you need to be paying attention too and why.
Meet Boardy, he’s an AI super connector. You call him, tell him what you are doing and he connects you with someone helpful in his “super network”.
This has now expanded to the community forming by itself. Via a Whatsapp group, people are experimenting with the AI and sharing their findings. People are sharing marketing tactics with Boardy who then uses it to connect them with perspective mentors, investors, customers, etc.
Leaders have vast networks and it seems daunting to expand or even manage your network. These “super connectors” could open up incredible opportunities for you, who knows?
Headlines I found interesting this week
🚰 Longevity - Hydration
Dr. Andrew Huberman always talks about the importance of proper hydration for physical and cognitive performance. Even mild dehydration can effect your endurance, memory, and focus.
What he suggests as Hydration Guidelines:
Morning Routine: Drink 8 oz per hour for the first 10 hours after waking (~2.4L total).
During Exercise: Use the Galpin Equation—divide body weight (lbs) by 30 to determine how many ounces to drink every 15-20 min of activity.
Environmental & Dietary Factors: Hot weather and caffeine intake increase water needs.
Water Quality Matters
Tap water may contain contaminants like fluoride and disinfection byproducts. Filtration systems can help improve water quality. Do you have a Brita? Another product?
Hydration isn’t just about drinking more water—it’s about timing, quality, and balance. For deeper insights, the full video is here.
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Thoughts on today's newsletter
As the world becomes more complex, it becomes more and more challenging to stay grounded, focused and aligned. Stay ahead by fostering unity, innovation, and trust across your teams and yourself. Don’t miss out on upcoming events and insights that will help shape your success in the months to come.
- SKV
