Becoming a conscious leader: Leading without fear, finding your life’s objective function, and getting better at vision and strategy | John Mark Nickels (Uber, Waymo, DoorDash) | Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career (private feed for websong16@gmail.com) | Podwise
Becoming a conscious leader: Leading without fear, finding your life’s objective function, and getting better at vision and strategy | John Mark Nickels (Uber, Waymo, DoorDash)
This episode explores conscious leadership, particularly within the context of high-pressure tech environments. The interview features J.M. Nichols, a product leader with extensive experience at companies like Uber, DoorDash, and Waymo. Against the backdrop of Nichols's career journey, the discussion delves into the importance of soft skills and emotional intelligence in leadership, contrasting traditional command-and-control styles with a more mindful, collaborative approach. More significantly, Nichols emphasizes the crucial role of aligning personal values with a company's mission to foster genuine engagement and impactful work. For instance, he recounts his experience at Uber, highlighting the evolution from a fear-driven culture to a more conscious leadership style. The conversation further examines the balance between strategic visioning and execution, advocating for deep immersion in a problem space to cultivate innovative solutions. Ultimately, this episode underscores the power of self-awareness, emotional acceptance, and a long-term perspective in achieving both professional and personal fulfillment, offering valuable insights for aspiring and current leaders in the tech industry.
