Leaders Reads#93

👋 Hello everyone,

Peter Drucker said, “The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said.”

Here are a few resources you might have missed:

• Book notes: How to Know a Person by David Brooks

• One of my favorite takeaways from Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert

• All 193 Book notes for your enjoyment

• Catch-up: #1 - #92 Leaders Read Newsletters

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📚 Book Summary:

This week's book is "Meltdown" by Chris Clearfield

This book shows how we’re adding more and more complexity to our systems and processes—and how our safety nets often fail. Through stories of plane crashes, oil spills, and poor business decisions, it teaches leaders to pause, run pre-mortems, and embrace the power of diverse teams.

One of my favorite takeaways from the book is this:

"You need to realize that most people are really concerned—consciously or not—of offending authority and ruining social relationships. So, as a boss, it's not enough for you to create a generally pleasant environment and have an open-door policy. You need to be much more active than that. Don't wait for people to come to your office to speak up—go to theirs. If no one speaks up in a meeting, don't assume they all agree—actively ask for divergent viewpoints."

✅ Actionable advice:

It's easy to fall for the consensus trap—especially when we're rushing, "Since no one says anything, we must all agree." Even in the best environment, leaders can experience what pilots call get-there-itis. Pilots might notice signs that they should abandon their plan and divert to another airport—the weather is getting worse, and there isn't much fuel left—but it's hard to stop when the destination airport is only fifteen minutes away. We become so fixated on getting there—whether "there" is an airport or rush through a meeting. That's why you, as a leader, should embrace diversity. Diversity works because it disrupts consensus. What the heck is that? Why are we doing it? Can you run that by me one more time? Diversity is like a speed bump. It's uncomfortable, it stops you in your tracks and makes it hard to barrel ahead without thinking. It saves us from ourselves. So, in your next meeting, make it clear that disagreement is expected—and assign someone to challenge the plan.

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Have a great week!