Leading From The Front
Comments. Overton Windows. Easter Eggs. Philip II. Macedonian Culture. Alexander And Leadership Principles.
Weeks back, I released a short chapter for a future J. Sheridan project, the first words I’ve written on the story in five years. The days do blur.
Typically, the format of my newsletter is to write an essay, and then, share what I’m tinkering with or highlight a book I’m reading. I do try to tie everything together for the careful reader. Eventually, I might, though not always, post a portion of these efforts to my humble website. I’ve been writing here for nearly twenty years. I know, corporate America is trying to kill the open web, but I still like to shout to the wind. I will say, It’s a very different type of post from a newsletter.
Here, I ditched comments long ago, European Union (EU) data privacy laws didn’t help (I don’t keep cookies or sell data, etc.,). I mostly write broadly—science, games, books, food, etc., I’ve touched on a couple of conspiracy posts—Q and the moon landing. Those draw so many random, often troll-farm driven, responses. To hear them tell it, the radiation field doesn’t make landing possible. Or the event was staged in Death Valley.
Trend-wise, commentary moved from individual websites to Facebook or Twitter. Grant, there are some places that maintain a unique identity still, often around sports teams. The Washington Nationals have a thriving community.
But there is one piece of the site I have kept for feedback, the reach-out page. It looks like a simple form but there is some nuance to it.
Google once placed a billboard with the equation “{first 10-digit prime found in consecutive digits of e}.com” across major cities. If you solved it correctly, the answer led to a website with another complex problem. Successful completion of the entire set led to an invitation for a job interview. It’s like a video game Easter egg. Grand Theft auto has them in droves. Nintendo had one only recently discovered in Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out.
So, I tried this too.
Still, I kinda forgot about it because I don’t receive many submissions, hundreds monthly that are often spam. Yet, I’ve only had three souls legitimately solve the simple test. And yes, those who have, get a response. I’m not Oprah, no cars. One person asked for an introduction—easy. Another had a question about a book’s character—even easier. The last asked for a copy of a book—harder due to shipping location, but we worked it out.
I know, this is silly, but I like movies with hidden puzzles in plain sight. The Goonies. National Treasure. Ready Player One. The Prestige. So, of course, I’d try something similar. There is no algorithmic code here; nothing that complicated.
Another reader stumbled upon the test, asking about a five-year-old article, mostly political in nature—a rant where I channeled Alexander Hamilton. If you don’t like politics (or don’t want to think less of me based on implied leanings), don’t bother clicking, but I owed them an article. Kudos.
Overton Vs. Values
Responding got me thinking about the Overton Window, coined by a public policy think-tank. It shifts as cultural attitudes, media narratives, and political leadership evolve. Policies move through stages from unthinkable to mainstream and eventually to law. Some trends are good; some are probably not so great. I’ll let you decide the winners and loser yourself. Yet, I started to think how it’s important to shield one’s self from any echo chamber. That can be hard. And a means to do that is understanding our own values, what we feel is important.
I used to use the following with teams I led, calling them the three simple laws for a successful career:
Know what your chasing (Said Goal),
Why you’re chasing it (Real Reason Why Said Goals Exist, Business Growth, etc., How do you fit in the larger corporate wheel),
And, ultimately, what you hope to become by chasing it (Long Term Growth)
I’d like to say I invented this schtick, but these are attributed to Jim Loehr. His book Leading with Character is a winner, but it’s important to do the exercises. And think about how this applies to leadership, no matter if you’re in corporate America, parenting at home, working at a charity, building a business, volunteering at schools—the list is infinite, choose your own adventure. I’ve always believed the means matter more than the end result.
Values are important when entering the arena.
Lately, I’ve been working on a side project—thinking about leadership concepts. So I’m sending a short article about the ancients to those who contribute to the tip jar. I’d love a little feedback. If you’re not a paid subscriber, join the club; it does have a few perks. And I usually wake up each morning thinking, readers have certain expectations.
No obligation, of course. Until next time, thanks for reading.
The Leadership of Alexander
Alexander the Great, born in 356 BCE, continues to tower over world history. He conquered the world. Never lost a battle. And because of the Homeric way the ancients told stories, it was claimed his lineage traced to Heracles. A claim, perhaps. If you’ve forgotten those Greek myths, ask yourself: Who fathered Heracles? Yes, Zeus himself.