Live Q&A on Your Biggest Challenges: 30 minutes you can’t miss

1. Navigating a “Nike Boss”

Dealing with a boss who always says, “just do it,” can be tricky. Often, they avoid prioritizing and hesitate to say no, wanting to be the “can-do” person. Start by presenting clear data to show what’s achievable with current resources. Outline priorities, and if they insist on doing it all, set clear boundaries on deliverables to manage expectations. When needed, reinforce your stance with documentation to maintain accountability.

2. Managing Relentless Leadership Pressures

Leadership demands relentless energy. Sustainable habits are essential—physical activity, meditation, and setting boundaries all help. Marty shares his own learning curve: indulging in temporary escapes, like a bottle of wine, ultimately increased stress. Real relief came from building lasting habits, focusing on impactful work, and ensuring others own their responsibilities. Prioritizing these habits reduces burnout and keeps you in top form.

3. Setting and Maintaining Minimum Standards

Setting a minimum standard in a team with varied skill levels can prevent complacency. It’s essential to establish a baseline expectation for everyone while pushing individuals to reach beyond it. Achieving this requires understanding each team member’s capacity, offering personalized challenges, and closely monitoring their response to ensure growth without overwhelming them.

4. Communicating Change Across Organizational Layers

When communicating decisions—especially tough ones, like closing a project—craft a story that walks everyone through the rationale. Explain the background, the challenges encountered, and why the decision was made. This clarity helps employees see decisions as reasoned, even if they disagree. Leaders should role-play these messages to ensure they communicate in relatable, impactful language down the chain.

5. Reining in Perfectionism in High Performers

High achievers can get bogged down by perfectionism, slowing progress. To manage this, encourage them to adopt a “good enough” approach for faster decision-making. Weekly check-ins can help them show early ideas, increasing comfort in sharing less polished work and maintaining a quicker pace.

6. Inspiring and Motivating Teams

Marty’s approach to motivation focuses on connecting teams to a purpose and driving a sense of competition. Rallying people around the goal of being the best in their field can energize results-oriented teams. For those less motivated by competition, adapting to their interests and aligning with their values can be more effective.

7. Balancing Strategy and Risk Appetite with Boards

Boards, especially in regions with stringent regulations, tend to be risk-averse, often creating tension with management teams that favor strategic risks. Building trust with board members, especially those with domain-specific expertise, helps in gaining their buy-in. Engage these directors to communicate strategic and risk insights to the wider board, fostering alignment.