This biography, meticulously researched over seven years with complete access to the Disney archives, provides a detailed and nuanced portrait of Walt Disney. It covers his early life, his transformation of animation into an art form with iconic characters like Mickey Mouse and films such as Snow White, Fantasia, and Bambi, and his expansion into television, theme parks, music, book publishing, and merchandise. The book also delves into Disney's personal life, revealing a complex figure with both remarkable achievements and hidden struggles, including financial problems, a nervous breakdown, and personal controversies. Gabler's work is a masterful exploration of both the work and the man, highlighting Disney's impact on American culture and the power of his imagination.
Working Backwards provides a detailed look at Amazon's approach to culture, leadership, and innovation. The book is written by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr, who collectively have 27 years of experience at Amazon. It outlines the company's 14 leadership principles and how they are applied in practice, focusing on customer obsession, long-term thinking, and operational excellence. The book is divided into two parts: the first part explains the leadership principles and practices, while the second part includes case studies on the development of products like Kindle, Amazon Prime, and Amazon Web Services. The authors provide practical steps and insights that can be applied to any business, regardless of size or industry[2][4][5].
Radical Candor by Kim Scott offers a practical approach to management by emphasizing the importance of caring personally and challenging directly. The book argues that effective managers must find a balance between being empathetic and providing clear, honest feedback. Scott draws from her experiences at Google and Apple to provide actionable lessons on building strong relationships, giving feedback, and creating a collaborative work environment. The book introduces the concept of 'radical candor' as the sweet spot between obnoxious aggression and ruinous empathy, and provides tools and strategies for managers to implement this approach in their daily work[1][2][5].
Alisa Cohn is an executive coach who has worked with C-suite executives at startups like Venmo, Etsy, Wirecutter, and DraftKings, and Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft, Google, Pfizer, Dell, and IBM. Inc. Magazine named Alisa one of the top 100 leadership speakers, and she was named one of the Top 50 coaches in the world by Thinkers50 and the #1 startup coach for the past four years by Global Gurus. She is also the author of From Start-Up to Grown-Up, which won the 2022 Independent Press Award and the American Book Fest 2023 Best Book Award for Entrepreneurship, and is the creator and host of a podcast of the same name. In our conversation, we discuss:
• The psychology behind why we avoid difficult conversations
• Specific scripts for having five common difficult conversations
• How to handle defensive reactions in the moment
• The three questions you should end every meeting with
• “The founder prenup” that every founding team should work through
• Common leadership myths
• Stories of failure from Alisa’s career
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Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/scripts-for-difficult-conversations-alisa-cohn
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Where to find Alisa Cohn:
• X: https://x.com/AlisaCohn
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisacohn
• Website: https://www.alisacohn.com
• Podcast: https://www.alisacohn.com/podcast
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Alisa’s background
(04:48) Having difficult conversations
(12:48) Scripts for performance feedback
(20:20) How to respond when someone is defensive or upset
(25:07) Scripts for handling promotion disappointments
(31:00) Scripts for handling terminations
(35:44) The importance of positive feedback
(38:49) Understanding your job as a leader
(44:55) Recognizing your own blind spots
(49:38) Three vital questions to ask in every meeting
(55:57) The founder prenup
(01:08:24) Failure corner
(01:13:00) Final thoughts and lightning round
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Referenced:
• Alisa’s free PDF downloads for Lenny’s listeners: https://www.alisacohn.com/Lenny/
• Radical Candor: From theory to practice with author Kim Scott: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/radical-candor-from-theory-to-practice
• Non-Violent Communication (NVC) Model: https://www.ucop.edu/ombuds/_files/nvc-model-requesting-change-remove.pdf
• Sheryl Sandberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sandberg-5126652
• How embracing emotions will accelerate your career | Joe Hudson (executive coach, Art of Accomplishment): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/embracing-your-emotions-joe-hudson
• Joe Gebbia on X: https://x.com/jgebbia
• Noam Wasserman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noam-wasserman-462425
• Core Values List: https://jamesclear.com/core-values
• How Cofounders Can Prevent Their Relationship from Derailing: https://hbr.org/2022/04/how-cofounders-can-prevent-their-relationship-from-derailing
• Inside Out 2 on Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/movies/inside-out-2/6MeZYf9JkFii
• Ninja CREAMi: https://www.amazon.com/Ninja-NC299AMZ-Milkshakes-One-Touch-Container/dp/B09QV24FFZ
• Joseph Campbell quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/136819-if-the-path-before-you-is-clear-you-re-probably-on
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Recommended books:
• From Start-Up to Grown-Up: Grow Your Leadership to Grow Your Business: https://www.amazon.com/Start-Up-Grown-Up-Grow-Leadership-Business/dp/1398601403
• Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Revised-Kick-Ass-Humanity/dp/1250235375
• Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595
• Unpacking Amazon’s unique ways of working | Bill Carr (author of Working Backwards): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/unpacking-amazons-unique-ways-of
• Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination: https://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disney-Triumph-American-Imagination/dp/0679757473
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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
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