A no-nonsense newsletter for busy leaders who are done with overwork and ready to scale smarter. Join a community of 15K+ leaders and followers across platforms getting concise, actionable insights on leadership, team building, and how to use AI and hybrid intelligence to make work easier—so you can earn more, go home earlier, and lead with purpose without burning out.
How are you balancing leadership paradoxes?
|
Hi there, After conducting several interviews with leaders from around the world and diving into the existing research on leadership paradoxes, I recently published my Forbes Council article titled, “The Art Of Balancing Leadership Paradoxes.” I remember myself in the early days of my leadership career, trying to be both a strategic thinker while still delivering visible results. Thinking I was building a strong team by providing very little guidance, then suddenly diving into the details when I felt we were off track. My first years were a clear example of poor management of the leadership paradoxes every leader faces in their career. As leaders climb the corporate ladder, their teams grow larger, and so do their responsibilities. This increase in responsibility often forces them to juggle seemingly contradictory demands. It’s at this point that many leaders realize the importance of mastering the art of navigating leadership paradoxes. If you want to avoid my mistakes and are interested in learning how to successfully manage these paradoxes, I encourage you to read the article. It offers a nuanced perspective on a challenge many top leaders face today. Now, here’s another paradox I’m facing: I have so much I’d love to share with you in this newsletter, but I only want to send you what’s most useful and relevant to you. So, could you help me with that by replying to this email with your preferred option?
You can just respond with a number, but of course, I’d love to hear more if you select option 3. Looking forward to hearing from you! Best, Daria |
Meaning Makers
A no-nonsense newsletter for busy leaders who are done with overwork and ready to scale smarter. Join a community of 15K+ leaders and followers across platforms getting concise, actionable insights on leadership, team building, and how to use AI and hybrid intelligence to make work easier—so you can earn more, go home earlier, and lead with purpose without burning out.
Hi Reader! We talk a lot about AI replacing jobs. But the actual risk is cognitive offloading at scale. AI doesn't just automate tasks - it automates judgment. And when we hand over our thinking to machines, we don't just save time. We drain our mental engagement. A 2025 research paper found that extended AI use leads to "cognitive strain, attention depletion, information overload, and decision fatigue." The more AI thinks for us, the less mentally present we become. AI multiplies decisions...
Hi Reader! An HR leader of a European software development company shares her thoughts with me. She asked me last week: "If AI can do the analysis, write drafts, suggest strategy, then what am I supposed to be doing?"It's a fair question. And honestly? A lot of people are wrestling with it right now.We can see that now, AI isn't replacing people. But it is reshaping the way we work. And if we don't get clear on what we do versus what AI does, we're either going to waste the tool or let it run...
Hi Reader! Holiday season is here, and I know your inbox is probably as packed as your calendar right now. So today, I'm keeping it simple. Instead of a deep dive into strategy or frameworks, I'm sharing something you can bookmark for later: the tools I actually used this year. The ones that stayed open on my desktop. The ones I recommended to clients and colleagues without hesitation. Some made their way into my daily routine. Others solved specific problems so well, I forgot what I used to...