No #62 | February 12, 2023

by Matthew Boyd

Good morning, welcome to the weekly Lead It Cool newsletter to prepare your for the week ahead.

Yesterday I had a pretty intense heart-to-heart conversation with my Dad.

It went something like this:

• Me: "Dad, there's something really important we need to talk about..."
• My Dad: "What is it son?"
• Me: "I don't know how to say it..."
• My Dad: "I'm here for you. You can tell me anything"
• Me: "Ok... Netflix is cracking down on their password sharing... so...."
• My Dad: "Oh God..."

🤣Ok, the conversation wasn't quite that intense, but I have a feeling that many families across Canada are having similar conversations with the news that Netflix is cracking down on account sharing.

May your heart-to-heart Netflix conversations with family and friends go well this week🙏😂.

In this week's Lead It Cool newsletter:

• ☂️The Umbrella Strategy
• ❌Spelling Mistakes
• 🧹Messy House Trends
• 😹"I am not a cat..."
• 😎Cool Links

---

☂️The Umbrella Strategy

Today is SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!🏈

And while I'm excited about the game, what will be most interesting is seeing Rhianna get back on the stage for the halftime show after a five year performance hiatus.

The best Rhianna song? Umbrella.

• Catchy chorus? ✅
• Jay-Z intro? ✅
• Metaphor for Strategic Planning? ✅

I hope I don't ruin this song for you, but the umbrella really is the perfect metaphor for strategic planning.

The umbrella serves as a powerful visual of the importance of both preparing for risks and protecting the members of your team. As a leader, it is your responsibility to create the 'umbrella' so that the team can flourish even in the event of uncertainty.

The recent tech sector layoffs serve as a reminder of the importance of having a well-designed risk management plan in place. According to Natasha Mascarenhas, many of these tech layoffs could have been avoided if senior leaders had taken the necessary precautions and prepared for potential challenges. In other words, they thought the sun would shine forever and they forgot to create their umbrella, ella, ella.

It's important to note that creating the "umbrella" of strategic planning is not just a one-time task. It requires continuous attention and adaptation as the risks and circumstances change. Leaders should regularly assess the risks and opportunities facing them, and make adjustments to their umbrella as needed. This not only helps to mitigate risks, but also allows leaders to capitalize on innovation and growth.

Be an optimist, but always carry an umbrella.

So the next time you're having a discussion about strategic planning, perhaps start with the first question of what would Rhianna do?☂️☂️☂️

Enjoy the game!🏈

---

❌Spelling Mistakes

Big "thanks" to the savvy Lead It Cool newsletter readers who pointed out the spelling mistake from last week's edition.

"Minster" ... 🤦‍♂️

To commemorate this moment, let's celebrate some of the greatest moments in spelling mistake history.

First up is an existential spelling mistake I often see in emails.

Aquatic hobbyists are sooooo high maintenance...🤴

...and giggles? 🤣

Finally, the spelling mistake below is one that I've actually made before, and I guarantee any organization that does "public engagement" have also made a similar mistake at some point😬. Lesson Learned: Do a spell check and a CTRL+F check with certain words.

---

🧹Messy House Trends

Parents across the world screamed a collective "I Told You So" after it was revealed that Marie Kondo admitted to giving up on tidying after having three kids.

Here's an interesting take by Holly Williams on how 'embracing messiness' might be the new trend.

So if someone judges you for having a messy house, just respond that you're only trying to keep up with the new trend😉.

---

😹"I am not a cat..."

This past week was the two year anniversary of Lawyercat.

Here is a link to the full and complete video if you need a good chuckle today.

Lawyercat's declaration of "I'm not a cat..." with a hint of genuine concern over others perceiving him as having actually transformed into a feline is truly one of the funniest moments ever. The judge's reply, "I can see that..." with impeccable comedic timing, further accentuates the humor and absurdity of the situation.🤣

Thank you Lawyercat.

---

😎Cool Links

🏈Greg Olsen's Improvement Is No Match for Tom Brady's Star Power. This is an excellent article about how an NFL broadcaster accepted criticism with a growth-mindset and became one of the best in the business.

☕The Cup of Coffee Theory of AI. AI is smart. Ask it about books, and it can spit out a top-100 list. But it can’t tell you what it’s like to read a passage that puts perfectly something you’ve felt but couldn’t articulate. Ask it about music, and it can write you lyrics in the style of whoever you’d like. But it’s never listened to a great song, never heard one right when it needed to be heard. Ask it about taking a walk, and it can give you science-backed reasons to go for one. But it’s never been on a walk, never been totally excited by a thought or an idea that seemed to come from out of nowhere. Ask it about connecting with an audience, and it can give you hundreds of best practices. But it can’t guarantee any of them are going to work.

🏀All of Lebron James' career points, animated by season. This is one of the best digital infographics I've ever seen.

📺A Sneak Peek of the Super Bowl commercials. The Busch Light ad with Sarah McLachlan🤣

💗Finally, to celebrate Valentine's Day: Mr. Burt Bacharach (RIP)💗

💌Tell a friend to subscribe​

Thank you!

Let’s connect! 💬 You can find me on LinkedIn and Twitter