Knowledge and wisdom are at it again, ladies and gentlemen!

They share some common ground, but they have differences.

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-Ivan

Founder / CEO - The Better Place

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Leading people is a tough challenge—we both know it. We don’t control what they do. We don’t know what’s running through their minds. Yet somehow, we’re tasked with guiding them toward goals—hitting milestones, growing profits, and keeping the higher-ups happy.

How do we pull that off when they’re not machines we can program? We turn to books for leadership insights. We seek empathy strategies. We head to seminars for inspiration—and listen to podcasts to stay motivated.

But why all this effort, and what’s the one leadership style that truly works and the one we can sharpen to make a real difference?

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-Ivan

Founder / CEO - The Better Place

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Tesla Is Burning. What’s Next?

Tesla—the electric car giant—is on fire.

For the first time, that’s not a good thing.

The stock has taken a nosedive—down since December, and protests are popping up at dealerships across the U.S. and Europe. Boycotts are gaining steam. Some owners are even slapping “I bought this before Elon went nuts” stickers on their cars. And now, there are literal fires at Tesla dealerships and Tesla cars being torched.

What’s behind this blaze?

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-Ivan

Founder / CEO - The Better Place

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Everyone loves to romanticize this “we’re a family” message in corporate culture. You’ve heard it—leaders and managers grinning ear-to-ear, saying stuff like:

“We’re all one big family here!”

“Isn’t this place awesome? Don’t you just love it?”

I’ve seen it firsthand, and let’s be real: a lot of employees—especially the younger crowd—don’t care about the Kum-Ba-Ya vibes. They’re rolling their eyes at it. Why? Because in one breath, you’ve got a manager hyping up how “amazing” everyone is, how “we’re all in this together,” and then—bam—next second, they’re tearing into someone, barking insults, or nitpicking without a shred of useful feedback.

There’s no “hey, let’s figure out where this went sideways” or “how can I help you level up?”

You could argue that’s exactly like family—yelling matches and all—but nah, that’s not the point. The messaging’s screwed up.

Employees aren’t your family, and that’s fine.

Imagine hiking a beautiful mountain blindfolded.

Would you enjoy it?

It’s probably more likely that you’ll stumble, veer off course, miss the breathtaking views, and probably get lost and hurt. Wearing a blindfold is obviously not a good hiking strategy.

Now what’s that have to do with leadership and you?

Well, going. For a hike with a blindfold on is like living life without self awareness. Understanding ourselves, to make intentional choices, and eventually reach our full potential should be the goal of every leader —the hiker.

“Self-awareness gives you the capacity to learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. It enables you to keep growing.” — Lawrence Bossidy, Former CEO of Honeywell

Why self awareness matters

It make sense to avoid a blindfold if we’re going hiking but why does it Matter to avoid a blindfold when developing yourself as a leader. The key to understanding this question and answer lies in knowing the two types of self awareness.

According to a study by Dr. Tasha Eurich, only 10-15% of people are truly self-aware, despite most believing they are. This suggests that many of us are walking through life with an invisible blindfold, unaware of our blind spots; kind of like that hiker.

So what are the two types of Self-Awareness?

The first one is internal self-awareness. This type is centered on our ability to understand our own values, emotion, and thought patterns.

Let’s start with values. When you wake up early to go to the gym before everyone else does, then your value might be to get healthier, lose weight, and so on. If another person isn’t at the gym, then their values are geared towards something else. In life, many people don’t know or understand what they value and so make terrible career decisions.

Have you ever met someone that was incredibly in happy with their job? These people often times (not always) had many opportunities to pursue something else over the years. It sad that some reports say about 15% of people in America get to work in a field they’re interested in. That’s staggering. And honestly very sad if you consider how many hours a day we spend at work.

Now let’s address emotion. Emotions are normal. We all have them. And most of use completely daily to maintain relationships, or careers if we don’t learn to remotely understand or control them. There lies the problem—not being able to control your emotions. Self awareness also requires us to be hyper aware of these emotions and how they can help or hurt us.

Lastly, thought patterns, or more accurately, tendencies. The fact that we are a conscious species capable of having a self image and looking at ourselves in the mirror means we believe we are more in control of ourselves than we are. When an animal in the wilderness is hungry, they will just go do the things they need to do to eat and satiate their hunger. That it. End of story. We are the same. The problem with consciousness is that it blurs the line for us, but it is certain that we all have tendencies that hurt our decision making.

The second type of self awareness is external self awareness.

This type of self awareness shares a lot of similarities with the first and can be distilled into two parts.

The first part is how others perceive us and how our actions affect them. You see, when others interact with us, they are often faced with accepting our behaviors as they experience them. This is why no matter your intention, some people might be offended by the thing you know very well was not meant to be offensive. But they have no choice. Our decisions are affected by our values, emotions, and thought patterns, which have trained them to react as such.

The second part is that they also have values, emotions and thought patterns affecting them. The same factors we have, they have. Sure their values might differ and their emotions might shift at various times. And even their thoughts patterns might be different but at the end of the day, those peop out there, function like the person you have in here.

We have to remember that.

So what do we do with this information?

Here are a quick three:

* Better Decision-Making – Studies show that self-aware individuals make more ethical and rational decisions (Goleman, 1995).

* Stronger Relationships – High self-awareness correlates with increased empathy and emotional intelligence, reducing misunderstandings (Salovey & Mayer, 1990).

* Professional Success – Research by Korn Ferry found that self-aware leaders are more successful, with companies led by highly self-aware CEOs achieving higher profitability.

“Self-awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence, a key predictor of success in the workplace and beyond.” — Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence

If you’re anything like me then you enjoy lot just learning about a topic but taking away something that’s actionable and can be applied ASAP. So here it is!

The Awareness Journal

Hear me out! If you have never kept a journal, you’re missing out. Spending a few minutes daily noting thoughts, emotions, and reactions is a great way to identify triggers, patterns, and blind spots over time. This will allow you to better understand yourself. It’s a dedicated moment every day where you can get to know yourself. All this information you collect on yourself is the best way to change, improve, or shift how you lead yourself and others. Remember, you can’t change what you don’t notice.

Ok I have to be honest with you. It took me years to get into a good journal rhythm. I kept trying to find the best way to journal and eventually threw away all suggestions I found online or from friends that journaled already. I found that having one book where everything was kept, was best for me.

So my recommendation is to start small without a specific goal or system. This is meant to be a personal space for you to explore yourself as a leader. This is not for the public. The journal is much more than just writing thoughts and feelings. It represents you removing the blindfold as you prepare for your hike.

Get started, I’ll see you on the trails!

Thanks for reading! If you found value in this newsletter, consider supporting it by forwarding it to someone who needs it or becoming a paid subscriber.

-Ivan

Founder / CEO - The Better Place

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In today’s fast-paced work environment, clear roles and responsibilities are crucial for project success. I mean…unless you’re not pursuing success, then maybe this isn’t for you, but if you want to succeed then keep going.

The reality is that many teams struggle with accountability, leading to confusion, missed deadlines, and inefficiency. This is incredibly common everywhere. And it seems to be getting worse because leaders fail to set the appropriate tools to fix it.

This is where the RACI Matrix comes in—a simple yet powerful tool that clarifies roles and keeps projects on track. It’s easy to learn and apply and will change everything for you if you do so correctly.

What is the RACI Matrix?

RACI stands for:

• Responsible – The person(s) doing the work.

• Accountable – The decision-maker who ensures the task is completed.

• Consulted – Those who provide input before execution.

• Informed – Those who need updates but aren’t directly involved.

That’s it. Someone right?

But why is this important? By mapping out these roles for each task or deliverables, teams get clarity, build better communication, and reduce bottlenecks. And let’s be honest, bottlenecks are annoying and can’t sometimes slow things down.

Example: Applying RACI to a Logistics Process

Let’s say a company is implementing a new inventory tracking system in its warehouses. Here’s how the RACI matrix might be applied:

In our example, we see that John is both responsible and accountable for finding new software and equipment while Maria is consulted, maybe because she is the purchaser and Jen should be informed as the boss.

Then we can see that Maria is both responsible and accountable for buying the new software and equipment while Jen the boss is consulted for potential approval.

Finally, the task of accepting delivery of the purchase is Maria's responsibility and he is also accountable for this task while Maria is consulted to confirm receipt of paid items and everyone is informed that the delivery is in.

Why Use RACI in Logistics?

This is going to prevent confusion by clearly assigning ownership to specific tasks and improves efficiency by streamlining decision-making. There is an immediate feeling is direction structure and guidance that comes with using this matrix as it enhances communication between department and reduces errors in complex logistics processes.

This is also true however in no logistics industries. So look for ways to implement in your field. But it isn’t there because all you have to do is swat the word logistics and you’ve got yourself massive tools for increasing performance and accountability regardless of your industry.

How to Apply the RACI Matrix?

1. Identify Tasks & Deliverables – List all key activities in your project.

2. Assign RACI Roles – For each task, determine who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed.

3. Communicate & Align – Ensure everyone understands their role to avoid confusion.

4. Review & Adjust – As projects evolve, update the matrix to reflect changes in responsibility.

By implementing the RACI Matrix, logistics teams can ensure smooth operations, minimize disruptions, and improve overall supply chain performance.

But it doesn’t end there because all you have to do is swap the word logistics and you’ve got yourself a massive tool for increasing performance and accountability regardless of your industry.

Thanks for reading! If you found value in this newsletter, consider supporting it by forwarding it to someone who needs it or becoming a paid subscriber.

-Ivan

* Founder / CEO - The Better Place

* Read The Newsletter Here

* Upcoming Events

* Call Me

2024 brought its share of wildly crazy things and 2025 wont slow down. If you survived 2024 as a leader then hold on because 2025 is going to push you even harder. In 2025 we will be marked by several critical challenges, three of which are particularly prominent.

1 - Effective communication across diverse teams

2 - Building trust in a changing work environment

3 - Securing buy-in for a shared vision

Let’s dive into each one and get a slightly better understanding so we don’t fall flat on our faces.

1. Communicating to All Team Members

The landscape of workplace communication is evolving with remote work, generational diversity, and AI integration. Leaders must tailor their communication to bridge the digital divide, ensure inclusivity across cultures, and adapt to various communication styles because communicating one way isn’t working anymore. Back in the day you could look at your team and tell them to do something and they would ask how high. It was their sole job to do what they were told and get paid then go home for the weekend, come back on Monday, and do it all over again. The challenge, now, is to maintain clarity and engagement while professionally and almost comically dodging and adapting to the changes of the modern world while using technology to enhance, not hinder, human interaction. This is not an easy task.

2. Building Trust Across the Team

Trust has been tested by shifts towards hybrid models and AI oversight in performance and leaders HAVE TO, (not an option to avoid this) rebuild trust by being transparent in decision-making, ensuring remote workers feel included, and managing the ethical use of technology. By the end of this one ill have so much bold in here that it'll drive you wild but that's how important trust is to succeeding in this remote, hybrid environment. The key is to balance tech with human judgment to cultivate a trusting culture where each person has a place. Or, to be frank, they'll quit and find another place.

3. Securing Buy-in for the Vision

In a dynamic job market, leaders need to articulate a vision that aligns with both business objectives and the personal aspirations of team members. If they do not believe in the vision then the vision will fade into obscurity. The vision must be compelling, inclusive, and adaptable, reflecting diverse motivations. The key to presenting the vision and getting their buy-in lies in letting your actions speak for themselves and allow the vision to be amplified, making it relatable and achievable to all team members. It will foster a sense of ownership and commitment to the collective goals, or they'll just go somewhere else to find it.

In 2025, no one knows what the heck will happen and how we will survive another one of these years but it’s becoming more and more clear to me that to survive means to be adaptable and consider these three main problems you'll face. When facing them understand that a slow, intentional path is the best one to keep you and your people connected well into the year.

Dear Reader,

The biggest problem with modern leaders is that they keep talking like they did decades ago. It's easy for a manager or VP to speak like they did ten or even twenty years ago to a young person just starting their career. It's second nature. This is also why many younger people are saying goodbye to the corporate world and choosing to live out of a van, down by the river, and work remotely.

When you first got a job, especially those of you in management positions, you probably expected a good run—get paid well, promoted, get a raise, and keep doing this for 30 years until they came to you with a fat retirement pension and a nice pen or watch, said goodbye, and you moved to Key West to enjoy a nice cold beverage of your choice. All that is out of the window now, and young people have figured it out.

Young people are more disengaged from work than ever before; they are less likely to stick around at a job for more than two years, and they are constantly annoyed at people who criticize how they live their lives. If you lead these people, you probably struggle to understand them, their aspirations, and what motivates them. You might even wonder, what am I supposed to do about it or how can I understand them? I’ve tried doing lunch, doing coffee, and I can’t seem to get through to them.

There is fear in a connection nowadays because social media makes everything feel like it's a stage and the world is watching. More and more people are concerned about what others say, and this causes people to be hesitant. One might think that if I say something they don't like, im screwed, and ill end up on TikTok or something else. The thing about it is that when you focus too much on that, you make the problem larger than it needs to be.

At the heart of these relationships and generational differences is one simple tool to help you bridge that gap.

The Boomerang

The boomerang effect when applied correctly is one of the most powerful tools for building relationships.

Here’s how it works:

When you throw a boomerang, you have to take the initial action of winding up and throwing it. It cannot come back to you unless you have thrown it in the first place. Counterintuitive right? Well, the key is to throw it first. If you want to build a relationship, then be interested first. Don’t show off or boast about yourself and your accomplishments. Make sure you make the conversation about them in a natural way.

We call that being interested before being interested. Being interested before being interested before being interesting means asking questions that are stimulating for the other person while maintaining the focus on them. They will then feel a sense of importance and focus that will allow them to feel valued and heard. Do this enough time and you’ll notice them opening up to you more and more. The more they open up the easier it will be for you to learn them and their aspirations.

They might aspire to be a writer or a painter one day. Sure, that might not have anything to do with “accounting.” but it’s something they spend their time doing on the weekends, and taking an interest in it shows them you care enough about them. Over time, if you do this correctly, you should automatically start seeing the relationship grow, and what’s more, you’ll see that it becomes easier to lead that person. It becomes easier to hold them accountable, and it becomes easier to keep them motivated.

One thing is for sure: they aren't motivated by the pension you have or the one they are promised. They may never see their pension, but they’ll always remember the leader who helped them progress in their life, and that might be worth just as much as a pension.

Go throw that boomerang!

I have been looking to make my articles available for listening and reading. I know you are on the go and listening might be easier so here you go! You can listen to this directly from your email, the Substack app, or any major podcast provider.

Leaders are Losers.

When you look at your boss, what do you see? Do you see a victor or a person who always seems to get it wrong?

You know the feeling right…you think you’re having a great time at work and then your boss comes in and changes everything.

Loser.

When I think of losers, some of the people that come to mind are the biggest leaders in the world.

Elon Musk, for example, is a loser.

Steve Jobs? What a loser.

Bill Gates, is a loser multiple times over.

We don’t remember leaders for what we should remember them for. We remember them for the great, amazing things they did and their contributions to society, the governments they built, the nations they changed, and so on, but we never remember them for what they actually were: a bunch of losers.

We can go all the way back to the American Revolution.

George Washington was a loser.

Further back.

Alexander The Great, loser.

Socrates? Died because of his own doing. Loser.

Socrates is credited with creating the Socratic method, in which a person continuously asks questions of another person until eventually–this could go on forever–we reach some kind of eternal truth about what topic is being discussed.

He was the type of guy that was destined to fail. No matter how much he tried to help the people around him, to help society, to help young people think differently, all he succeeded in doing was getting himself killed.

Let’s look at Alexander the Great as another example. He overthrew the Persian Empire, carried Macedonian arms to India, and laid the foundations for the Hellenistic world of territorial kingdoms. You probably have heard of him, a student of Aristotle and one of the most remembered leaders in history. He was also a loser.

Being a loser is looked at as a bad thing in our current meritocratic society, but in business, it’s a superpower and honestly, if you view losing as the end of your road then congratulations you’re not only a loser, but you’ve lost.

You can, however, be a loser and still succeed. That’s what these people in our examples have figured out.

How can you be a massive loser and still be successful?

The one simple key they all figured out is to keep going. No matter what obstacles or stoppages came, they kept going. I’m talking about death, famine, wars, and natural storms that tried to stop people like Alexander but he kept going. Socrates believed in his philosophy so much he was willing to do for it and today he lives on as we discuss him in articles like this. The world will continue to talk about people like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs because they kept going.

The failures don’t define you but you need them. Each one is like a brick in the foundation you’re building. Each one serves as the linchpin for the next one. Each one matters. Seriously.

While losing is cumbersome and overwhelming at the moment, it’s how leaders become successful. It’s like a secret equation:

Losing + Keep Going = Eventually Winning

That’s it. No overthinking is required. Just a little bit of persistence in the face of losing will make you into the successful leader you want to be.

Leaders are often criticized as insensible, bossy, emotionless, harsh, and disconnected but in reality, things are much different than that because when you arrive at a place where people start to praise your efforts and ability to lead you’ll notice that you’re an actual leader people want to follow.

You’ll finally be a leader, but only because you’ve been a loser.

Phones are great until they became the enemy.