Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career cover image

Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Becoming a conscious leader: Leading without fear, finding your life’s objective function, and getting better at vision and strategy | John Mark Nickels (Uber, Waymo, DoorDash)

Oct 6, 2024
John Mark Nickels, Senior Director of Product Management at Uber and former Head of Product at Waymo and DoorDash, shares insights on conscious leadership. He explains how self-awareness and emotional intelligence can transform leadership styles. Nickels discusses the evolution of Uber's culture from fear to collaboration, the importance of embracing emotions for professional success, and practical strategies to sharpen vision and execution. The conversation underscores the value of relationships and personal fulfillment in navigating career challenges.
01:18:05

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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Defining a personal objective function guides priorities by emphasizing meaningful relationships over transient work-related achievements.
  • Conscious leadership involves recognizing one's biases and understanding the personal responsibility that comes with influencing others' perspectives.

Deep dives

Clarifying Your Objective Function

Defining a personal objective function is essential for determining priorities in life. Reflecting on what matters most, such as relationships, can guide daily actions more effectively than focusing solely on work tasks. The speaker emphasizes that in the grand scheme, insignificant work-related achievements fade in importance compared to meaningful personal connections. This mindset encourages a reassessment of how time is allocated, reinforcing the idea that the present should be spent cultivating significant relationships.

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