Four Things I Learnt This Week.
From clarity to communication, here’s how real-world challenges shaped my leadership approach, and how you can apply them too.
Leadership skills are built through practice. This article shares four lessons I learned in real scenarios:
Create clarity, not complexity
Delegation is a trust exercise
Building influence means connecting purpose to impact
Communication glues everything together
Each lesson includes actionable steps for the coming week, making it a practical guide for leaders and new managers to grow with intention.
1. Leadership is about creating clarity in complexity
I’ve been asked to contribute a business problem for an internal hackathon. While preparing the details of this “mission”, I realized how important it was to simplify complex ideas into a clear, concise narrative.
By framing the purpose of the mission, I helped others see the bigger picture so that they can feel motivated to contribute.
How to apply next week: Schedule a 15-minute sync with the team to explain one complex initiative in simple terms. Use a visual (diagram or flow) to make it even clearer.
✨ Bonus tip: use an AI tool to create a standard explainer template for distribution so that these key messages can be communicated in a predictable, consistent way. Also lets you imprint a signature style!
2. Delegation is a trust exercise, not a task transfer
The Agile lead for one of my projects is going on an extended leave, and I needed to find a backup person to help coordinate the Agile ceremonies during that absence. Not an easy task, as I had to look outside of my own team to find the temporary replacement.
Upon reflection, I’m reminded that effective delegation also requires setting up that person for success and not just about assigning the work. It’s about ensuring context, clarity and confidence for those stepping in.
How to apply next week: Pick one upcoming task and delegate it fully; provide context, expected outcomes, and ensure decision-making authority. Follow up only for support, not control.
3. Building influence means connecting purpose to impact
I was invited to speak about one of my AI projects to my company’s senior executives and leaders. While preparing the details, I was reminded that influence comes from linking technical work to strategic outcomes - not by dazzling people with technical complexities and mumbo-jumbo.
Reflecting after that talk, I saw more commitment when the audience understands how their efforts drive organizational goals. And I realized my job was to also help them to connect the dots.
How to apply next week: In the next project update, explicitly link the team’s work to a business outcome. Make the “why” visible as a timely reminder to the team.
✨ Bonus tip: find opportunities to avoid additional meetings - structure it instead as a “thank you” email to the team!
4. Communication is the glue that holds everything together
This week was the time of the month where I have my 1-to-1s with my teams in Berlin and Kuala Lumpur, with many separate sets of challenges to address on top of talking about some company-level changes. From aligning on governance to clarifying technical blockers, I saw that timely, clear communication prevents confusion and accelerates progress.
Reflecting on this hammered home the fact that leadership isn’t merely about making decisions: it’s about making sure everyone understands the “why” behind those decisions. Framing and storytelling then becomes the essential skill to have.
How to apply next week: continue reading the Framers book!
Thank you for reading! Leave a comment below if any of these learnings resonate with you 🙌❤️