Uncage Yourself

OVERVIEW Does technology really make life better? Not necessarily. While digital technology is inevitably at the core of your organization's mission, we must be careful how we adopt it. We can’t look at any piece of technology as a silver bullet. We can’t let ourselves fall in love. Go deeper with the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter. *** TAKEAWAYS Technology trends don't have to be as inevitable as they might appear. “Our inventions are [nothing more than] improved means to an unimproved end.” — Thoreau Culture always pays a price for technology. There are always winners and losers in technological change. Technological change is not additive; it is ecological. *** TIMESTAMPS [2:29] The insanity of silver bullets [3:16] Change happens on the inside [4:44] Neil Postman's 5 ideas on technological change *** RESOURCES "Five Things We Need to Know About Technological Change" by Neil Postman (1998) Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter

Explore the transformative teachings of Ralph Waldo Emerson on self-reliance. Discover how trusting yourself and embracing nonconformity can elevate your career in technology. The conversation emphasizes the importance of solitude for self-discovery and the courage to forge your own path. Ultimately, it's about asserting your unique vision in a world that often pushes conformity. Greatness lies in the integrity of your own mind and the freedom to define your success.

OVERVIEW Politics is about more than nasty conversations between two political parties. Humans resolve conflicts and move forward through politics. In this episode, learn why aspiring digital leaders need to have their eyes on this skillset. We discuss how to enter the organizational politics arena and the key skills for elevating your career.   Go deeper with the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter. *** TAKEAWAYS Politics stems from a diversity of competing interests, which must be resolved in some way.  You not taking an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won't take an interest in you. The 4 types of organizational politics: Weeds, Rocks, Highground, Woods. People in tech are perceived as merely serving the organization and not leading it. That’s wrong! We must lean in and engage. We cover 10 ways to start building your political muscle. *** RESOURCES Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter

OVERVIEW Technical skills have known ceilings. In turn, writing is every digital leader's boundless career multiplier. After covering how writing and influence are intertwined, Matt discusses the benefits of cultivating a writing habit and how you can steadily go from bad to good to great. Go deeper with the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter. *** TAKEAWAYS In tech, we obsess about scaled impact. Writing is the key to scaling your personal impact.  In our knowledge economy, your creativity reigns supreme. Your ideas are your biggest potential return on investment. Writing forces you to sharpen your thinking in a way that you can't do through other means. Writing is the most scalable professional networking activity. Strong writing makes you intellectually battle-ready. Neil Strauss on editing: (1) Write for yourself, (2) Revise for the reader, (3) Fine-tune for the critics. Writing keeps you young, fresh, and always relevant.  *** TIMESTAMPS [3:15] Leverage at your fingertips [4:14] Writing sharpens your thinking [6:08] Getting battle-ready [9:02] Don't go to conferences; write and ship [11:17] Writer's block is defeatable *** RESOURCES Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter

OVERVIEW We all have a dark side. Repressing it only creates internal pain and limits your potential as a leader. In this episode, we learn how tech leaders can understand their "negative" traits and harness them to become a more dynamic and impactful force in their organization.  Go deeper with the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter. *** TAKEAWAYS We all have a dark side, but great leaders take the time to understand and use it to their advantage. We're taught as children that letting out negative emotions is bad. This repression compounds over time and stunts our growth as adults.  The dark side has its value. Just like the Roman leader Cicero and the entertainer Josephine Baker, we can channel it toward positive outcomes. Become the "integrated human" requires (1) identifying, (2) embracing, (3) exploring, and (4) revealing your dark side. We need to give our subconscious a chance to surface — otherwise, we risk career regret, lost opportunities, and creative suppression. *** TIMESTAMPS [2:12] Our dark side is hardwired [3:30] The great repression (longing for play) [5:01] The impossibility of “golden” leaders [7:26] There’s always a hero & a villain [8:24] 4 steps to harnessing your dark side *** RESOURCES Book mentioned: The Laws of Human Nature (by Robert Greene) Connect w/ Matt on LinkedIn Follow on Twitter @MatthewRDoan   Check the show on YouTube Subscribe to the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter

OVERVIEW We're joined today by Mike McGill, Chief Information Officer at Medical Service Company. He discusses how Stoicism and other self-care approaches have helped him professionally and personally. We also dive into how to view the different phases of your career, plus how the Creator Economy is opening exciting new doors for people of all backgrounds. Please enjoy!  Accelerate your tech career by trying Wednesday Wisdom: https://matthewdoan.com/newsletter/ TAKEAWAYS Stoic philosophy is a pragmatic and "grounding" approach for being a better leader and living a more peaceful existence. A long-term career "north star" is helpful, but make sure you're fluid and adaptive as you go. Rethink resumes and credentials. Today, hiring managers look for one's commitment to craft. Building in public elevates you! Creating space between stimulus and response gives you control over your emotions. Beyond money, status, and fame, a deeper metric for success can center on happiness and peace. TIMESTAMPS [2:32] Mike’s creative mindset and Twitter approach [6:23] Spectrum of “what matters” in a tech career — choosing what you’re optimizing for [14:44] How to think about your evolving “future self” vision [16:39] How the Creator Economy and other forces should influence how you pursue learning and credentials [23:02] The “ownership mindset” required to build the career you desire [25:00] How Stoicism has been a life-changer, at work and home (“I had a Stoicism-shaped hole in me”) [28:22] The types of “modern” philosophy that can help digital leaders [33:29] A preview of Mike’s upcoming book: The IT Leadership Blueprint [39:26] The skills that up-and-coming tech professionals need to fixate on RESOURCES Follow Mike on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mcgillmd921 Connect w/ Mike on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelmcgill21/ Mike's site: https://www.michaeldmcgill.com/ Connect w/ Matthew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewdoan Follow Matthew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZeCjHjtq3g7mIuPwvKRrjw Books mentioned: The Obstacle Is the Way, The Daily Stoic

OVERVIEW Today, we cover how personal brands work for digital professionals. Cultivating a strong personal brand is a long-term asset that'll shape your career and propel you over a lifetime. In addition to the "what" and "why," we'll cover an 8-part framework that you can implement starting today. Go deeper with the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter: https://matthewdoan.com/newsletter TAKEAWAYS A brand is a promise. Your personal brand is your promise to the people you seek to serve. Even in political exile, Winston Churchill remained relevant and sought after because of the personal brand he created for himself. A strong personal brand includes the following 8 elements: role models, vision, niche, value proposition, online assets, content marketing strategy, social media strategy, and community value. Your personal brand is your body of work. It’s like an encyclopedia; you write it page by page, not volume by volume. A personal brand is a magnetic asset — it attracts the right people and repels the wrong people. RESOURCES Examples of a strong personal brand in tech: → John Marty: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrmarty/ → Daliana Liu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalianaliu/ Connect w/ Matthew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewdoan Follow Matthew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZeCjHjtq3g7mIuPwvKRrjw

OVERVIEW "I'm not a businessman. I'm a business, man." — Jay-Z  The Creator Economy is gaining steam, and it holds huge potential for you as a digital professional. If you'd like to start a side hustle or find ways to impact more lives, this one is for you. We'll cover Creator Economy basics, why it matters to you, and how you might get started. TAKEAWAYS Society is experiencing a fundamental shift from the Attention Economy to the Creator Economy. The Creator Economy consists of the platforms, marketplaces, and tools that are decentralizing creative expression and entrepreneurship. You're able to monetize your skills and passions, diversify your career portfolio, shape your personal brand, generate audience and impact, and achieve deeper levels of fulfillment. Beyond just the top 1% of creators making a living, we're seeing the rise of a "middle class" in the Creator Economy. We cover 5 key principles for entering and establishing your presence in the Creator Economy. TIMESTAMPS [2:05] We’re experiencing seismic shifts in the global economy [4:38] How the Creator Economy is opening new doors to technical experts [7:52] 5 reasons you should diversify from corporate to entrepreneurship [9:34] Examples of technical experts capitalizing on the Creator Economy [14:42] Principles for getting started — and eventually getting good RESOURCES Jack Butcher (mentioned): https://twitter.com/jackbutcher Connect w/ Matthew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewdoan Follow Matthew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZeCjHjtq3g7mIuPwvKRrjw Try the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter: https://matthewdoan.com/newsletter

OVERVIEW Today we're joined by Lori Zukin, CEO and founder of Zukin Leadership. With a rich history in coaching and consulting to some of the world's most prominent organizations, Lori is a goldmine for understanding the more nuanced ways that leaders cultivate and exert influence. She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and serves on the faculty at Georgetown University. Before starting her own company, Lori was an executive at Booz Allen Hamilton.  Unlock a brighter tech career w/ Wednesday Wisdom: https://matthewdoan.com/newsletter TAKEAWAYS If we focus on what we love doing, we see more possibilities in the world.  "If I'm coaching, the other is in charge. If I'm facilitating, I'm driving towards a solution. If I'm consulting, I have the answers." The move from corporate to entrepreneur isn't for everyone, but in trying, you afford yourself the chance to experience levels of freedom and connection unlike anything else. Listen to your inner voice. Constantly ask yourself, "Am I doing things that energize me?" Leadership is not about rank, and the smartest person isn't always the best leader. TIMESTAMPS [4:00]   How “love and the bottom line” can guide business growth [6:15]   Why passion is something we intentionally cultivate through trial & error [8:03]   The differences between coaching, consulting, & facilitation [12:03] The mindset shift from technical guru to effective leader [13:42]  The importance of “thinking about your thinking” (metacognition) [15:35]  Lori’s origin story, including her evolution into organizational psychology [18:09]  Taking the entrepreneurial “leap” after a long & successful corporate career [25:11]  Putting in the reps, waking up to complacency, & seeing what you’re capable of [29:56]  How we can apply “COVID innovation” consistently going forward [32:58]  Lori’s work w/ Simon Sinek (communicate while infusing accountability) [38:49]  Step off the “life” treadmill & focus on what gives you energy RESOURCES The Biggest Bluff (book mentioned): https://amzn.to/3CyfmU3 Connect w/ Lori on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-zukin-19a317a/ Learn about Zukin Leadership: https://www.zukinleadership.com/ Connect w/ Matthew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewdoan Follow Matthew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZeCjHjtq3g7mIuPwvKRrjw

OVERVIEW Today, Matthew slides away from the show's usual focus and talks about a difficult incident involving his nine-year-old son. He reflects on how fragile life is and shares some Stoic-driven lessons on how to handle life's toughest situations. TAKEAWAYS It's all too easy to get caught up in "the grind" while losing sight of what truly matters in life. Unfortunately, it often takes a life-altering event to shock us back to our true priorities. Amor fati (Latin for "love of fate") is an attitude that we should welcome everything that happens to us as necessary. We are fallible humans, not robots. We need to build internal capability for dealing with life's biggest stressors. Premeditatio malorum is a Stoic exercise for proactively anticipating adversity to become resilient if the bad thing should happen. RESOURCES Connect w/ Matthew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewdoan Follow Matthew on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MatthewRDoan Check the show on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZeCjHjtq3g7mIuPwvKRrjw Try the Wednesday Wisdom newsletter: https://matthewdoan.com/newsletter