I’ve recently transitioned from a technical to a people leadership role in my career at Doma. Throughout that transition, I have had the opportunity to learn from some amazing people leaders.
One question I ask everyone I meet with is “what are most impactful resources you’ve used to learn and improve your leadership skills?” I’d like to share with you some of the resources that I’ve learned about and have been using to learn more about leadership, people and life in general!
Podcasts / Youtube
1. Farnam Street - The Knowledge Project
My all-time favorite podcast that delves into leadership, human behavior, business and other topics. I recommend subscribing and listening whenever a new podcast is released.
2. Super Managers
Super Managers is a great podcast for anyone who wants to learn more about being a great manager. In each episode, host Jesse Thorn interviews a different successful manager to learn their secrets. If you're looking to improve your management skills, this podcast is a must-listen.
3. Science of People - Melissa Van Edwards
Melissa Van Edwards is amazing! She talks about topics related to people, relationships, careers and leadership. She’s studied people deeply and has some pretty amazing insights about how we work and what makes us tick. As a leader, understanding people is extremely powerful.
Books & Blogs
1. Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review is the leading business publication that covers a wide range of business topics. HBR's articles provide readers with actionable insights that help them improve their businesses. The magazine is published monthly, and its articles are often cited in academic journals and business books. Please note that this is a paid service, but if there’s one resource to pay for it’s this one in my opinion!
2. Radical Candor
Radical Candor is a fantastic book about the power of honest feedback. The author, Kim Scott, is a former Google executive who has also worked with Apple and Twitter. She has seen firsthand the importance of giving and receiving feedback in order to create a healthy workplace culture. Scott provides readers with a framework for giving and receiving feedback that is both honest and respectful. Highly recommended!
3. Principles by Ray Dalio
Principles are ways of successfully dealing with reality to get what you want out of life. In the book, Dalio shares his framework for success and gives the reader tools to build their own principles. Ray Dalio started the biggest and most successful hedge fund in existence, Bridgewater. Highly recommended!
Bonus Section - My Favorite Podcasts
To me, being a good leader is not just about gaining leadership skills, it’s also about self improvement and understanding humans and the world in general. The list below is my favorite podcasts that help me to think deeply about the world, improve myself and stay informed about the issues of the day.
1. Sam Harris Making Sense Podcast
One of my all time favorites, The Making Sense podcast is a show about ideas, hosted by Philosopher and Neuroscientist Sam Harris.
In each episode, Harris interviews a thought leader, academic, or public figure to discuss a wide range of topics, including issues of the moment, politics, philosophy, science, and more. The conversations are always thought-provoking and enlightening, and Harris is a master at getting his guests to open up and share their deepest thoughts and beliefs. If you're looking for a podcast that will make you think deeply about the world, the Making Sense podcast is a great choice.
2. The All-In Podcast
The All-in Podcast is a great listen for anyone interested in startups, venture capital and investing. It’s 4 hosts and guests are thought-leaders in the space and offer a diverse take on the issues of the day and how they’re affecting the markets and startups.
3. Lex Fridman Podcast
My first introduction to Lex Fridman was when I took a Stanford online course about computer vision and machine learning. Finding his podcast a few years later was a great surprise and I’ve been listening to it ever since.
Lex’s podcast focuses on science and technology, but also delves deep into thought-provoking subjects about anything and everything. His superpower is his ability to ask thought provoking questions and then get out of the way to let his guests shine.
Speaking of his guests, they are often high-profile individuals from a variety of fields, and the conversations are always informative. If you're looking for a thought-provoking podcast to keep you entertained and informed, the Lex Fridman podcast is definitely worth checking out.
Wrapping it up
This list is constantly evolving as I dig deeper into the subject of leadership.
One thing I noticed while writing this, the hosts are mostly the same demographic. I am always on the lookout to diversify my thinking and therefore am on the lookout to diversify the host demographics of my favorite podcasts.
Please let me know what some of your favorites are below in the comments!