Leadership Basics
According to Lisa Lai, before motivating your team, what should you “check”?
Your own emotional energy.
What is the first thing leaders should do when preparing for a heavy workload period?
Connect personally with the purpose of the project.
How can managers make big projects less intimidating?
Break them into smaller milestones.
What are small celebrations like "Friday afternoons off" an example of?
Extrinsic rewards
What country was Syed Irfan Ajmal's tech startup based in?
Pakistan
What should leaders do to stay confident and engaged during a stressful project?
Reflect on why the work matters and who benefits from it.
Instead of just giving deliverables and deadlines, what should leaders “develop”?
The story around why the project has meaning.
Why should leaders set milestones carefully?
To focus progress, not to micromanage
Why can extrinsic rewards sometimes backfire?
They focus on finishing tasks, not quality or learning.
What inspired the startup's "spatial intelligence" product?
CNN's "Magic Wall"
What happens if teams are in a constant state of “crunch”?
Productivity and effectiveness drop due to burnout
What phrase did Lisa Lai suggest to build team solidarity during crunch time?
“We are in this together.”
What should leaders allow employees to do to boost ownership and productivity?
Structure their own workdays and contribute to process decisions.
What kind of motivation did Bernstein recommend putting "front and center" ?
Intrinsic motivation (growth and teamwork)
How did Syed motivate his team to handle intense pressure?
By communicating purpose and creating small, collaborative sub-teams.
What should a manager project to help their team stay calm and focused?
Positive energy and a confident presence.
Why are “peaks and valleys” important in workload management?
They prevent burnout and allow time for recovery.
What's a major warning sign that employees feel lost or overwhelmed?
When the team becomes quiet or stops communicating.
What is one way to sustain engagement during long projects?
Celebrate progress throughout projects, not just at the end.
What did Carl Ryden do to show trust in his team during crunch time?
He gave them autonomy and removed distractions.
Which Harvard professor said that more of today’s work happens during “crunch times”?
Ethan Bernstein.
What is one way to keep motivation up without relying on fear or pressure?
Emphasize the meaningful impact and learning opportunity of the work.
What should managers do if an employee is struggling or overwhelmed?
Reach out, ask questions, and remove roadblocks.
Besides formal recognition, what simple act did Lai suggest can show appreciation?
Bringing in donuts to show a small gestures of gratitude.
How did Carl show appreciation after the project was complete?
Her personally thank the team members, individually and collectively.