Ever feel like your week runs you instead of you running your week? In Episode 35, "Designing an Ideal Week" of Leader Fables, we explore how leaders can create structure and intentionality to reclaim their most valuable asset: time.
The latest episode of Leader Fables is out, and it's a doozy. This episode likely hits home for many leaders, myself included, as we chat about an often unspoken aspect of leadership — the sense of isolation.
Leadership isn’t always glamorous. In fact, it’s frequently lonely. Casey shared a Harvard Business Review survey revealing that 61% of CEOs report feeling lonely, with 75% believing it impacts their effectiveness. Crazy, huh?
One moment that struck me deeply was when a manager confided, "There’s no one else I can literally talk to about this topic". This echoed my own experiences — the moments where the more senior you are in an organization, the fewer peers you have to lean on. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Listen in for some ideas on how to fend off isolation and loneliness.
Like many of us these days, I use ChatGPT to streamline various productivity workflows. This week, I set out to integrate Tinderbox with ChatGPT to enhance my note-taking and thought organization.
Below is a simple yet flexible integration that requires minimal command-line (or Terminal) knowledge. No API sign-ups or subscriptions are needed—this works with the free version of ChatGPT. However, you do need to have the ChatGPT macOS app installed and set up.
Get the integration working by following four pretty simple steps.
Install the Shortcut. First, install this Shortcut, which allows Tinderbox to send input and receive output from the macOS ChatGPT app. Here's a screenshot if you would like to create it yourself. (Note: The name of the shortcut needs to match the Shortuct name specified in the following step, which is ChatGPT.)
Add Functions to Tinderbox’s "Library". Next, add the following two functions to a note in your Tinderbox "Library" located in /Hints/Library:
//
// Runs the "shortcuts" command with the specified
// shortcut name and input in data.
//
function runShortcut(stdin, shortcut) {
// Construct the Shortcut command
var:string cmd = "shortcuts run \"" + shortcut + "\"";
return runCommand(cmd, stdin, getDir()).trim;
}
//
// Prompts ChatGPT with the given text.
//
function promptChatGPT(text) {
// Display a waiting message
show("⏳ Prompting ChatGPT, please wait...");
return runShortcut(text, "ChatGPT");
}
The first function, runShortcut(), allows one to run any Shortcut, while the second function promptChatGPT() calls runShortcut() to execute the ChatGPT Shortcut that was added in step 1.
Create a Stamp to Send Notes to ChatGPT. Finally, create a Stamp that runs the promptChatGPT() function, using the $Text of the selected note(s) as the prompt:
$Text += "\n\n---\n\n" + promptChatGPT($Text) + "\n\n---\n\n";
Note: This Stamp appends the ChatGPT results to the selected note(s) using the selected notes' $Text as input, effectively simulating a "chat".
Run the Stamp. Create a new note with a prompt as its $Text and apply the Stamp created in the previous step to it.
Use and Enjoy! 🍻. That’s it! Now, you can use this setup to quickly query ChatGPT from within Tinderbox.
One downside to this approach is that each time you prompt ChatGPT, it starts a new chat. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be a way to programmatically delete chats or mark them as temporary. If anyone finds a workaround, I’d love to hear about it!
I hope this integration proves as useful for you as it has for me. Happy Tinderboxing!
One of the things I'm looking forward to doing in 2025 is further developing our talented team of technologists at work. I believe that the better we get, the better we have to get—there is always a more challenging mountain for us to climb. As leaders, equipping our teams to conquer ever-greater challenges is essential.
In our latest episode of Leader Fables, Casey and I discuss strategies for making our teams more cohesive and fostering opportunities to deepen our connections. Please give it a listen; it's a good one.
There's this wonderful line, written by Arron Sorkin, from the second episode in the fourth season of The West Wing entitled, "20 Hours in America: Part 2," where Toby Ziegler (played by Richard Schiff) outlines the qualifications for the country's next president:
If our job teaches us anything it's that we don't know what the next president's gonna face.
If we choose someone with vision, someone with guts someone with gravitas who's connected to other people's lives and cares about making them better if we choose someone to inspire us then we'll be able to face what comes our way and achieve things we can't imagine yet.
Perhaps dated, but those qualifications for president still resonate with me. Go vote.
Over the last few years, I've been on a journey to wrangle the many digital assets that make up my work. After a short dalliance with DEVONthink, this journey has led me to implementaing PARA in Obsidian. However, I've struggled to find a good way to capture and curate long-term notes and visualize their relationships. So, I've determined, after much consternation, to give Tinderbox (TBX) a try.
Unlike Obsidian, Tinderbox doesn't have first-class support for Markdown. However, with a little bit of action code, Keyboard Maestro Markdown shortuts, and a bit of perserverance, I'm fairly confident I can bend TBX to my will.
For me, the appeal of Tinderbox is five fold:
As my adventuring progresses, I intend to post regular updates here.
Leader Fables is back!
This time, Casey and I delve into the world of hobbies and their crucial role in preventing burnout. We share our personal hobbies, from stargazing to Lego, and discuss how these activities rejuvenate us and make us more interesting individuals.
We also explore the connection between hobbies and life balance. Tune in to hear more about our adventures and tips in finding fun hobbies that make us better leaders.
As expected, Casey and I are back with part two of making ideas happen. But before we dive into the nitty-gritty of project execution, we couldn't resist recapping the importance of seizing inspiration (because let's face it, those lightbulb moments can be as fleeting as a sneeze).
Casey and I also found ourselves tangled in an impromptu showdown about what truly constitutes a minimum viable product (MVP). Trust me, it's like watching two nerds duke it out over the best flavor of ice cream—but with much higher stakes.
Amidst the laughter and friendly banter, we share a variety of tips for executing projects like pros. We cover everything from persuasion tactics, to handling those moments when your grand plan suddenly takes a nosedive into the fiery pits of chaos.
If you're up for a dallop of wisdom, wit, and a touch of nerdiness, tune in to the latest episode of Leader Fables.
Get ready for another exciting episode of Leader Fables where we outline how we make ideas happen.
Casey and I discuss effective brainstorming strategies, share our experiences on the art of persuasion, and provide practical tips for getting projects underway. The episode is chuck-full of actionable insights, personal anecdotes, and a dose of our favorite recommendations.
This episode is packed with tools and tips to help you turn your ideas into reality.
I'll be the first to admit that there have been times when my wife hated my job. In our latest episode of Leader Fables, Casey Clark gives us some great advice on how to love our work and our families. He also outlines a litmus test to determine what our families thing about our work. If you cherish both your career and your loved ones, try his test.
I invite you to join me on a journey towards creating a fulfilling life where work and family thrive together. I'm just getting started 💙
Looks like we've got a classic case of delayed gratification, folks! This week's episode took a detour thanks to the ultimate culprit: travel.
But don't worry, we're not here to complain (well, not too much anyway.) Join me and Casey on a journey through the wild world of business travel. We share our tips and tricks for surviving the airport shuffle, and maybe even inspire you to try something new on your next trip.
And if that's not enough to entice you, I also unleash some fiery hot takes on everyone's favorite office annoyance: email auto-responders.
After a five-month hiatus, Casey and I are back behind the mic to discuss all things leadership.
One of the professional maxims I try to live by is: the better I get, the better I better get. In this week's fortnightly episode, we attempt to unpack that truth by discussing the importance of professional development.
To improve as a leader, I've learned that I need to seek ways to inspire and challenge me. Neglecting professional development is a recipe for obsolescence. And who wants to be obsolete? I certainly don't.
Happy New Year, friends! Casey Clark and I have great plans for Leader Fables this year, and we can't wait to share our plans with you soon. Until then, we're releasing a handful of episodes on topics we're passionate about, and this week's episode on presentations is no exception. So join us as we discuss the elements that make for a powerful presentation.
If you're a veteran presenter or new to giving presentations, this episode has a tip for you.
Meetings can either energize or bore. I've learned the hard way how to orchestrate meetings that are memorable, impactful, and fun. In this week's fortnightly episode of Leader Fables, Casey and I discuss how to host team meetings that are energizing, inviting, informative, and celebratory.
For those of us that struggle to make meetings effective or could use some advice to make an impending team meeting more inspirational, this episode will not dissapoint.
I'm delighted to announce that Leader Fables has been renewed for a second season! And by "renewed," I mean that Casey and I loved making season one of the show so much that we decided to do another one about a favorite topic of ours: intentional productivity. During this season, we're dedicating an episode to each of the Five Altitudes of Planning, including:
We kick off the season with an overview episode packed with tips and strategies to help us prepare to plan our weeks.
Finally, this season, we're starting a show newsletter. Signup for the newsletter to receive exclusive content, and enter to win a free copy of two books: Free to Focus and Deep Work.
One of my favorite people, Mary Jane Isaacs, joined us on Leader Fables Fables this week.
Mary Jane is a phenomenal leader who shares inspiring stories about navigating difficult seasons. She also delivers excellent tips on conducting effective one-on-ones and adding a little whimsy to team celebrations. Give this week's episode a listen; it's not one to miss.
The most difficult but most rewarding activity I do every week is a retrospective. Taking 30 minutes to reflect on the prior week and make minor course corrections has made me a more effective leader, father, and husband. In this week's episode of Leader Fables, Casey and I demonstrate and discuss how to conduct effective after action reviews.
Book recommend: Getting Things Done by David Allen
In this week's episode of Leader Fables, we break from our usual format to interview a long time colleague of Casey's: Margaret Simonis. Margaret is an experienced and exceptional middle manager who shares some practical advice on how to conduct effective 1-on-1s, stay organized, establish routines for recharging, and team collaboration.
This episode is packed with great advice from an experienced middle manager for middle managers. Please give it a listen.
Establishing weekly planning and reflection routines has, by far, enabled me to maintain better focus. And sustaining focus throughout the week has allowed me to do my best work and lead more effectively. This week's episode of Leader Fables is packed with tips on performing weekly planning, establishing rhythms for reflection, setting weekly goals, and maintaining focus.
For teams who are striving to do their best work but could pick up a little more speed, this week's episode is for you 💜
Book recommend: Deep Work by Cal Newport
Launching products is complex. But proper strategic planning helps sustain execution and ensures successful outcomes. What is strategic planning, and how does it relate to the middle manager's role? Listen to this week's episode of Leader Fables to find out.
Also, there's some can't-miss talk of a slingshot to space.
Book recommend: Free to Focus by Michael Hyatt
Most of us love hearing a captivating quitting story. I hate to admit it, but, at times, I've fantasized about rage quitting, too. While I have yet rage quit, I've experienced a few spectacular resignations as a middle manager. I talk about one of them at the beginning of this week's episode of Leader Fables.
Consider reducing the rage by collaboratively establishing team norms. What are team norms? Listen to this week's episode to find out.
Book recommend: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
I'm super excited to announce a podcast that's been in the making for quite some time. It's called Leader Fables, and we think you'll like it. My cohost, Casey Clark, and I use the power of storytelling to examine leadership strategies and tactics. You will enjoy the stories and may even enjoy our commentary.
In the first six episodes, we discuss leadership topics through the lens of middle management, including:
The first two episodes are available now, where all fine podcasts are found. Please give them a listen and let me know what you think. New episodes drop every Tuesday at 10 AM MT.
Today is a good day. As predicted, Safari's tab UI has been restored to its former glory in version 15.1 for Big Sur and Catalina (yes, I'm still running both OSes).
I'm pleased to write that one Mac nerd's nightmare is finally over.
Over the last couple of years when traveling internationally, I have packed a separate “day bag” to use when out-and-about and I thought others might find the contents of my day bag of some interest. Usually the trips I take involve frequent multi-hour bus rides and I have found it invaluable to pack a small bag that includes travel necessities as well as some of the tools I use to get work done when away from my desk.
I usually take two bags with me when I travel: a day bag and a larger backpack that accompanies me on the long plane rides. The key difference between the two bags is the larger one carries my laptop, which will not fit in the smaller day bag (nor would I want it to). When flying, I fold up the day bag and store it in my carry-on rollberboard luggage as I only ever need one of the two bags with me at any given time.
Put simply: my day bag contains a subset of the items packed in my backpack.
After trying a few different bags to serve as my day bag, I settled on an all-canvas brown messenger-style bag by Gearonic. It’s light, has plenty of pockets and ample storage. It’s easy to sling around one shoulder and is comfortable to walk with. Without question, it’s one of my favorite bags and the most inexpensive one I own.
I have strived to pack the minimum amount of technology in my day bag with the goal of keeping the bag relatively light and minimal. For example, I have deliberately chosen not to pack a power brick or an external battery to charge my iPad and iPhone as the tablet gets all-day battery life and in a pinch can be used to charge my iPhone using a USB-C to lightning cable.
There are two key pieces of technology I carry with me, they are the 2018 11” iPad Pro with Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard, and the Amazon Kindle Oasis.
Over the last three years or so, the iPad has become a trusted productivity tool for me instead of just a media consumption device. While there is some work I can only perform productively on my Mac, I can do most things on the iPad, such as writing prose and status reports, reading and annotating PDFs, performing desktop-class web browsing, and processing email and Slack messages. Honestly, if I had to pick between owning an iPad or iPhone, I’d pick the iPad every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
My iPad is also equipped with a cellular radio. Fortunately, Google Fi includes international roaming at no attitional charge so I often have connectivity to the internet whereever I happen to be in the world.
Since getting my first Kindle back in 2008, my reading habits have changed dramatically. Being able to read in a comfortable position and have control over line spacing and font size on a screen that doesn’t strain my eyes has turned reading from a chore into joy. I couldn't imagine going back to reading voluminous paper books or performing marathon reading sessions on my iPad. I read over a 1,000 printed pages a month all on my Kindle Oasis.
In addition to packing an iPad and Kindle, I also pack a USB-C charging dock for my Apple Watch as well as my AirPods Pro. While my Apple Watch doesn’t often run out of battery in the middle of the day, it’s the one device for which I haven’t determined the best time to charge as I often use it as a my morning alarm. There have been moments when my watch has died mid-day—having a charger on hand for these rare occasions is nice. I also use my AirPods quite a bit, either paired with my iPad or iPhone, to listen to podcasts and infrequently music.
Lastly, I often carry the Apple USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter and the USB-C to to 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter as there are times when I need to transfer files to a friend’s USB dive or plug my iPad into a projector for a presentation. Admittedly, these times are pretty rare, however the adapters are light and easy to pack,
A day bag wouldn’t be complete without packing necessities to get you through the day. I have found the following items to be very useful and often invaluable:
These items are placed the the front-most outer pockets of the bag for ease of access.
I love to travel and having a day bag with just the right things and no more has really helped me enjoy my time away from the confines of a hotel. It’s even helped me be a little more productive during down time without having to lug around all of my technology tools. My day bag is one of my favorite travel necessities and I couldn’t imagine going on another trip without it.
My wife and I recently took a camping trip where instead of pitching a tent we rented an Escapod teardrop trailer.
Long story short? We really liked it. Read on to find out why.
The Escapod has a roomy queen-sized bed interior—the pictures don’t really do it justice. Once you’ve settled in, there’s plenty of room for two people to sleep comfortably. There is also ample storage for clothing and other personal items. The interior wood finishes retain a relatively pleasant smell that no doubt masked the campfire odor emanating from our clothing.
The cabin’s interior is illuminated by dimmable soft LED lighting, which was perfect for bedtime reading after the sun went down. There’s also 12V USB power available to charge phones and tablets.
It wasn’t until our second night that we figured out how to keep the cabin well ventilated. The sleeping compartment is air-tight, so in order to bring in fresh air, you need to open one of the two side windows and engage the motorized fan in the air vent on the roof. Also, by opening a window, the fan became noticeably quieter as it doesn't need to work as hard to push air through the cabin.
The exterior kitchen is well conceived and sports enough counter space to prepare food. It also makes clever use of the removable hatches that covert into a table and cutting board. We had no trouble lighting the gas-powered stove and the Yeti cooler could probably hold a week’s worth of food.
The trailer sports a large water tank and gas-powered water heater. Having potable water was really great as we camped at a relatively primitive campground that did not have running water. Unfortunately, we ran out of water mid-trip and I suspect the rental did not have a full tank when we took possession of it.
In summary, we’ll definitely be renting an Escapod for future camping trips. The only gripe I had was figuring out how to back it up straight, which is clearly my problem, not the trailer’s.