X : You wrote the strategy that took Ubuntu to a dominate position in cloud?
Me : I wrote and ran the strategy, it was a team effort, we went from 3% to 70% and it was long ago. Why?
X : You also ...
Me : ... lots of things. Why?
Me : I wrote and ran the strategy, it was a team effort, we went from 3% to 70% and it was long ago. Why?
X : You also ...
Me : ... lots of things. Why?
X : We need a strategy.
Me : Well, start with mapping out your landscape.
X : Can't you write a strategy for us?
Me : I could but I'm not running it and I'm not going to run it.
X : Which means?
Me : Lower your expectations.
Me : Well, start with mapping out your landscape.
X : Can't you write a strategy for us?
Me : I could but I'm not running it and I'm not going to run it.
X : Which means?
Me : Lower your expectations.
X : Are you saying we wouldn't be able to run your strategy?
Me : One of mine? No, you can't even map. You're like a chess player who doesn't know what the board looks like.
X : I'm in charge of strategy.
Me : Awesome.
Me : One of mine? No, you can't even map. You're like a chess player who doesn't know what the board looks like.
X : I'm in charge of strategy.
Me : Awesome.
X : So what can you do?
Me : I can teach you to map and I can give you a strategy that you can manage.
X : What would that be?
Me : Start by finding the doctrine table, be good at phase I. Come back and talk to me then.
X : What does ...
Me : ... I'm not holding your hand.
Me : I can teach you to map and I can give you a strategy that you can manage.
X : What would that be?
Me : Start by finding the doctrine table, be good at phase I. Come back and talk to me then.
X : What does ...
Me : ... I'm not holding your hand.
X : What's the point of this besides preening?
Me : As a good friend said "Are you dancing if you don't listen to the music or are you really flailing"? Sometimes, you just have to tell people that they are very well practiced flailers but they've sort of missed the point.
Me : As a good friend said "Are you dancing if you don't listen to the music or are you really flailing"? Sometimes, you just have to tell people that they are very well practiced flailers but they've sort of missed the point.
Once you realise that you need to be a "dancer" then no-one can transform you into that, they can only help you on your journey but you need to put the work and effort in. Alas, a decade of flailing doesn't help you shortcut that. If anything you'll have things to unlearn.
Now, you might not like that, it might not flatter your ego, you might think that you're a really important person who knows what they are doing. Well maybe that's true, maybe that's a delusion.
I was the CEO of a company and I didn't have a clue what I was doing.
I was the CEO of a company and I didn't have a clue what I was doing.
Oh, and that is my superpower ... I'm very good at realising that I'm flailing when I should be dancing and I don't mind asking others for help. I won't ask them to do the job for me, I will ask for help and if everyone is flailing then I try and find a way to dance.
Me : And so I return that kindness to you. I'll help you on the path but you need to learn, you need to put the effort in and I'm not going to do your job for you. That just creates learned helplessness, great for a consultant but I don't do that. I research.
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