The Playbook
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The Playbook --
This is a small sample of what I offer in the Playbook - not a glossy, corporate-approved version, but a real one. The one true leaders follow unconsciously, the one high performers decode too late, the one no one talks about because they assume you just know.
These sample insights show how authentic leadership is built in the wild: moment by moment, choice by choice, mistake by mistake. I take what I’ve seen behind executive doors and translate it into simple, practical shifts you can use to level up at work and get promoted without playing politics.
The Playbook isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness. And awareness changes everything.
On Becoming a Leader
Do this: Step into leadership knowing your job just changed - completely. Your real work is now people, problems, priorities, budgets, and decisions. If you want to make an impact, treat leadership like a new profession, not an upgraded version of your old one. Learn how to coach, delegate, unblock, and steady the ship - because that’s your new job.
Not that: Don’t cling to your old craft like a security blanket. You’re not “an engineer who leads” or “a designer who manages.” Once you take the title, your hands-on work becomes the side hustle, not the main act. If you’re still asking, “when do I get time to do my real work?”…congratulations, you just told everyone you’re not ready to lead. Let go of technical glory. Your value isn’t in doing, it’s in enabling.
Why this matters: Leadership is the only promotion that subtracts the thing you were good at. Most people walk in thinking the job is bigger, sexier versions of what they used to do. It’s not. It’s people management, conflict navigation, resource juggling, decision-making, and being the emotional shock absorber for everyone else.
Leaders who resist this transition burn out, stall out, or flame out because you can’t lead a team while mourning your old identity. The faster you embrace the new role, the faster your team, your impact, and your confidence grow.
Communication
Do this: Give real context. Be clear about what’s changing, why it matters, and what people should expect. You can be transparent without oversharing.
Not that: Don’t use corporate jargon to soften news. Your team can smell “PR voice” from across the room, and nothing erodes trust faster.
Why this matters: Corporate speak has unofficial subtitles everyone already knows.
“We’re pivoting” = we messed up.
“Hit the ground running” = good luck, you’re on your own.
When your words have hidden meanings, people start assuming your intentions do too.
Decision Making
Do this: Make decisions quickly and own them loudly. It can be scary but leadership requires courage. Plus, clarity beats perfection every day of the week. Your team can course-correct a direction, but they can’t fix your silence.
Not that: Don’t hide behind endless data pulls, stakeholder “alignment sessions,” or “waiting for the right moment.” That’s procrastination dressed in a power suit. When you hesitate, your team loses momentum - and confidence in you.
Why this matters: Indecision is one of the fastest ways to erode trust. People would rather follow a flawed decision with conviction than a perfect decision that never shows up.
Legitimate momentum creates morale. Stagnation breeds suspicion. Leaders who can’t decide get quietly sidelined, because nobody wants to build a strategy around someone who keeps their foot hovering over the brake.
