Lead From Day One
@leadfromdayone.bsky.social
Hello and welcome to the Lead From Day One! I’m thrilled you’re here as we embark on a journey to grow, learn, and excel together in the art of supervision and leadership.
As I prepare to shift my leadership content to video (Facebook & Instagram), I want to thank this Bluesky community.
Your stories, questions, and honesty made me a better leader.
Keep challenging, keep growing, keep leading authentically.
See you on the other platforms!
#ThankYou
Your stories, questions, and honesty made me a better leader.
Keep challenging, keep growing, keep leading authentically.
See you on the other platforms!
#ThankYou
December 9, 2025 at 3:55 PM
As I prepare to shift my leadership content to video (Facebook & Instagram), I want to thank this Bluesky community.
Your stories, questions, and honesty made me a better leader.
Keep challenging, keep growing, keep leading authentically.
See you on the other platforms!
#ThankYou
Your stories, questions, and honesty made me a better leader.
Keep challenging, keep growing, keep leading authentically.
See you on the other platforms!
#ThankYou
Ho ho ho! Looking for the perfect gift for that new supervisor in your life?
Pick up 'Leading From Day One'—available wherever books are sold.
Give the gift of great leadership this holiday season!
youtu.be/k7j5wLAxFMY?...
Pick up 'Leading From Day One'—available wherever books are sold.
Give the gift of great leadership this holiday season!
youtu.be/k7j5wLAxFMY?...
Read Leading From Day One
YouTube video by Lead From Day One
youtu.be
December 6, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Ho ho ho! Looking for the perfect gift for that new supervisor in your life?
Pick up 'Leading From Day One'—available wherever books are sold.
Give the gift of great leadership this holiday season!
youtu.be/k7j5wLAxFMY?...
Pick up 'Leading From Day One'—available wherever books are sold.
Give the gift of great leadership this holiday season!
youtu.be/k7j5wLAxFMY?...
Already dreading January planning meetings where we pretend last year's failures were "learning opportunities."
Hot take: If you're not willing to actually change based on what you learned, stop calling them lessons.
What will you genuinely do differently next year?
#Planning
Hot take: If you're not willing to actually change based on what you learned, stop calling them lessons.
What will you genuinely do differently next year?
#Planning
December 4, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Already dreading January planning meetings where we pretend last year's failures were "learning opportunities."
Hot take: If you're not willing to actually change based on what you learned, stop calling them lessons.
What will you genuinely do differently next year?
#Planning
Hot take: If you're not willing to actually change based on what you learned, stop calling them lessons.
What will you genuinely do differently next year?
#Planning
December leadership challenge: Keep your team engaged while everyone's mentally checked out for the holidays.
Spoiler: You can't. And that's okay.
Sometimes the best leadership is acknowledging reality instead of fighting it.
What's your December management strategy?
Spoiler: You can't. And that's okay.
Sometimes the best leadership is acknowledging reality instead of fighting it.
What's your December management strategy?
December 1, 2025 at 3:34 PM
December leadership challenge: Keep your team engaged while everyone's mentally checked out for the holidays.
Spoiler: You can't. And that's okay.
Sometimes the best leadership is acknowledging reality instead of fighting it.
What's your December management strategy?
Spoiler: You can't. And that's okay.
Sometimes the best leadership is acknowledging reality instead of fighting it.
What's your December management strategy?
Black Friday thought: Retail workers today are dealing with some of the worst customer behavior of the year.
Great leaders show up for their teams on the hardest days, not just the easy ones.
How do you support your team during peak stress times?
#RetailLeadership #Support
Great leaders show up for their teams on the hardest days, not just the easy ones.
How do you support your team during peak stress times?
#RetailLeadership #Support
November 28, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Black Friday thought: Retail workers today are dealing with some of the worst customer behavior of the year.
Great leaders show up for their teams on the hardest days, not just the easy ones.
How do you support your team during peak stress times?
#RetailLeadership #Support
Great leaders show up for their teams on the hardest days, not just the easy ones.
How do you support your team during peak stress times?
#RetailLeadership #Support
Year-end performance reviews are like New Year's resolutions - most are forgotten by February.
Real performance management happens in weekly conversations, not annual evaluations.
How do you make feedback actually stick?
Real performance management happens in weekly conversations, not annual evaluations.
How do you make feedback actually stick?
November 25, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Year-end performance reviews are like New Year's resolutions - most are forgotten by February.
Real performance management happens in weekly conversations, not annual evaluations.
How do you make feedback actually stick?
Real performance management happens in weekly conversations, not annual evaluations.
How do you make feedback actually stick?
Friendly reminder: Your team is stressed about finances, family drama, and travel logistics - not just Q4 deadlines.
A little grace during the holidays goes further than a motivational speech.
How do you support your team during holiday chaos?
#HolidayLeadership #Empathy
A little grace during the holidays goes further than a motivational speech.
How do you support your team during holiday chaos?
#HolidayLeadership #Empathy
November 21, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Friendly reminder: Your team is stressed about finances, family drama, and travel logistics - not just Q4 deadlines.
A little grace during the holidays goes further than a motivational speech.
How do you support your team during holiday chaos?
#HolidayLeadership #Empathy
A little grace during the holidays goes further than a motivational speech.
How do you support your team during holiday chaos?
#HolidayLeadership #Empathy
Pre-Thanksgiving reflection: The best teams aren't built on perfection - they're built on appreciation.
Appreciate the grinders, not just the stars. The consistent, not just the flashy.
Who on your team deserves more recognition than they get?
#Thanksgiving #TeamAppreciation
Appreciate the grinders, not just the stars. The consistent, not just the flashy.
Who on your team deserves more recognition than they get?
#Thanksgiving #TeamAppreciation
November 20, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Pre-Thanksgiving reflection: The best teams aren't built on perfection - they're built on appreciation.
Appreciate the grinders, not just the stars. The consistent, not just the flashy.
Who on your team deserves more recognition than they get?
#Thanksgiving #TeamAppreciation
Appreciate the grinders, not just the stars. The consistent, not just the flashy.
Who on your team deserves more recognition than they get?
#Thanksgiving #TeamAppreciation
Unpopular opinion: "We're so grateful for our team" means nothing if you're not paying them fairly, promoting them appropriately, or protecting their work-life balance.
Gratitude without action is just words.
How do you SHOW appreciation, not just say it?
Gratitude without action is just words.
How do you SHOW appreciation, not just say it?
November 19, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Unpopular opinion: "We're so grateful for our team" means nothing if you're not paying them fairly, promoting them appropriately, or protecting their work-life balance.
Gratitude without action is just words.
How do you SHOW appreciation, not just say it?
Gratitude without action is just words.
How do you SHOW appreciation, not just say it?
The week before Thanksgiving reveals which teams are actually teams and which are just groups of people who sit near each other.
Real teams cover for each other. Groups of coworkers just count down to vacation.
Which do you have?
Real teams cover for each other. Groups of coworkers just count down to vacation.
Which do you have?
November 18, 2025 at 3:55 PM
The week before Thanksgiving reveals which teams are actually teams and which are just groups of people who sit near each other.
Real teams cover for each other. Groups of coworkers just count down to vacation.
Which do you have?
Real teams cover for each other. Groups of coworkers just count down to vacation.
Which do you have?
November reality check: Your team is being asked to close out the year strong while also planning next year, covering for holiday absences, and dealing with family obligations.
Something's gotta give. Make sure it's not their mental health.
What are you willing to let slide?
Something's gotta give. Make sure it's not their mental health.
What are you willing to let slide?
November 17, 2025 at 3:34 PM
November reality check: Your team is being asked to close out the year strong while also planning next year, covering for holiday absences, and dealing with family obligations.
Something's gotta give. Make sure it's not their mental health.
What are you willing to let slide?
Something's gotta give. Make sure it's not their mental health.
What are you willing to let slide?
I told my team "I value transparency" then got defensive the first time someone was honest about a flaw in my plan.
Transparency is easy to say, hard to practice when it's YOUR decisions being questioned.
How do you handle transparency that challenges you?
#LeadershipReality
Transparency is easy to say, hard to practice when it's YOUR decisions being questioned.
How do you handle transparency that challenges you?
#LeadershipReality
November 13, 2025 at 3:13 PM
I told my team "I value transparency" then got defensive the first time someone was honest about a flaw in my plan.
Transparency is easy to say, hard to practice when it's YOUR decisions being questioned.
How do you handle transparency that challenges you?
#LeadershipReality
Transparency is easy to say, hard to practice when it's YOUR decisions being questioned.
How do you handle transparency that challenges you?
#LeadershipReality
Veterans Day thought: Military leadership teaches something corporate America often misses - mission before ego.
The best military leaders I worked with knew when to lead from the front and when to empower from behind.
What leadership lesson from outside business changed how you lead?
The best military leaders I worked with knew when to lead from the front and when to empower from behind.
What leadership lesson from outside business changed how you lead?
November 10, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Veterans Day thought: Military leadership teaches something corporate America often misses - mission before ego.
The best military leaders I worked with knew when to lead from the front and when to empower from behind.
What leadership lesson from outside business changed how you lead?
The best military leaders I worked with knew when to lead from the front and when to empower from behind.
What leadership lesson from outside business changed how you lead?
Day after election, regardless of results: Half your team is celebrating, half is devastated.
Your job today isn't to have opinions - it's to create space where everyone can still work together tomorrow.
Leadership is holding the center.
#WorkplaceLeadership
Your job today isn't to have opinions - it's to create space where everyone can still work together tomorrow.
Leadership is holding the center.
#WorkplaceLeadership
November 5, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Day after election, regardless of results: Half your team is celebrating, half is devastated.
Your job today isn't to have opinions - it's to create space where everyone can still work together tomorrow.
Leadership is holding the center.
#WorkplaceLeadership
Your job today isn't to have opinions - it's to create space where everyone can still work together tomorrow.
Leadership is holding the center.
#WorkplaceLeadership
Election Day reminder: Great leaders create environments where people with different political views can still work together effectively.
Your job isn't to enforce agreement - it's to maintain respect.
How do you navigate political tension at work?
#Leadership #WorkplaceCulture
Your job isn't to enforce agreement - it's to maintain respect.
How do you navigate political tension at work?
#Leadership #WorkplaceCulture
November 4, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Election Day reminder: Great leaders create environments where people with different political views can still work together effectively.
Your job isn't to enforce agreement - it's to maintain respect.
How do you navigate political tension at work?
#Leadership #WorkplaceCulture
Your job isn't to enforce agreement - it's to maintain respect.
How do you navigate political tension at work?
#Leadership #WorkplaceCulture
Grateful for every leader who took a chance on me when I had more potential than proof.
Grateful for every mistake that taught me what not to do.
Grateful for every team member who made me better by challenging me.
Who are you grateful for in your leadership journey?
#Gratitude #Leadership
Grateful for every mistake that taught me what not to do.
Grateful for every team member who made me better by challenging me.
Who are you grateful for in your leadership journey?
#Gratitude #Leadership
October 30, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Grateful for every leader who took a chance on me when I had more potential than proof.
Grateful for every mistake that taught me what not to do.
Grateful for every team member who made me better by challenging me.
Who are you grateful for in your leadership journey?
#Gratitude #Leadership
Grateful for every mistake that taught me what not to do.
Grateful for every team member who made me better by challenging me.
Who are you grateful for in your leadership journey?
#Gratitude #Leadership
Real question: How vulnerable is TOO vulnerable as a leader?
I've seen leaders share too much and lose credibility. I've also seen leaders share nothing and lose connection.
Where's the line for you?
#LeadershipVulnerability #Authenticity
I've seen leaders share too much and lose credibility. I've also seen leaders share nothing and lose connection.
Where's the line for you?
#LeadershipVulnerability #Authenticity
October 27, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Real question: How vulnerable is TOO vulnerable as a leader?
I've seen leaders share too much and lose credibility. I've also seen leaders share nothing and lose connection.
Where's the line for you?
#LeadershipVulnerability #Authenticity
I've seen leaders share too much and lose credibility. I've also seen leaders share nothing and lose connection.
Where's the line for you?
#LeadershipVulnerability #Authenticity
The day I stopped trying to be the leader I thought I should be and started being the leader I actually am, everything changed.
Turns out, people follow humans, not personas.
What facade did you drop when you finally felt secure as a leader?
#AuthenticLeadership
Turns out, people follow humans, not personas.
What facade did you drop when you finally felt secure as a leader?
#AuthenticLeadership
October 24, 2025 at 2:28 PM
The day I stopped trying to be the leader I thought I should be and started being the leader I actually am, everything changed.
Turns out, people follow humans, not personas.
What facade did you drop when you finally felt secure as a leader?
#AuthenticLeadership
Turns out, people follow humans, not personas.
What facade did you drop when you finally felt secure as a leader?
#AuthenticLeadership
Every major career transition I've made terrified me.
Individual contributor to supervisor. One country to eight. In-person to remote leadership.
The fear never goes away. You just get better at moving forward anyway.
What transition scares you right now?
#CareerTransition #Leadership
Individual contributor to supervisor. One country to eight. In-person to remote leadership.
The fear never goes away. You just get better at moving forward anyway.
What transition scares you right now?
#CareerTransition #Leadership
October 20, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Every major career transition I've made terrified me.
Individual contributor to supervisor. One country to eight. In-person to remote leadership.
The fear never goes away. You just get better at moving forward anyway.
What transition scares you right now?
#CareerTransition #Leadership
Individual contributor to supervisor. One country to eight. In-person to remote leadership.
The fear never goes away. You just get better at moving forward anyway.
What transition scares you right now?
#CareerTransition #Leadership
Setting boundaries with your team feels selfish until you realize that having none makes you resentful.
Resentful leaders make terrible decisions.
"No" is a complete sentence, even for managers.
What boundary do you struggle to maintain?
Resentful leaders make terrible decisions.
"No" is a complete sentence, even for managers.
What boundary do you struggle to maintain?
October 15, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Setting boundaries with your team feels selfish until you realize that having none makes you resentful.
Resentful leaders make terrible decisions.
"No" is a complete sentence, even for managers.
What boundary do you struggle to maintain?
Resentful leaders make terrible decisions.
"No" is a complete sentence, even for managers.
What boundary do you struggle to maintain?
The week I worked until 2 AM for five straight nights, I thought I was showing dedication.
My team saw desperation.
Burned-out leaders don't inspire - they create anxiety.
When did you realize you were modeling the wrong behavior?
My team saw desperation.
Burned-out leaders don't inspire - they create anxiety.
When did you realize you were modeling the wrong behavior?
October 13, 2025 at 2:34 PM
The week I worked until 2 AM for five straight nights, I thought I was showing dedication.
My team saw desperation.
Burned-out leaders don't inspire - they create anxiety.
When did you realize you were modeling the wrong behavior?
My team saw desperation.
Burned-out leaders don't inspire - they create anxiety.
When did you realize you were modeling the wrong behavior?
Hard truth: Every leader has favorites. The question is whether you admit it and manage it fairly.
I pretended I treated everyone equally while clearly giving my "star player" better opportunities.
The team noticed. They always notice.
How do you handle having favorites?
I pretended I treated everyone equally while clearly giving my "star player" better opportunities.
The team noticed. They always notice.
How do you handle having favorites?
October 10, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Hard truth: Every leader has favorites. The question is whether you admit it and manage it fairly.
I pretended I treated everyone equally while clearly giving my "star player" better opportunities.
The team noticed. They always notice.
How do you handle having favorites?
I pretended I treated everyone equally while clearly giving my "star player" better opportunities.
The team noticed. They always notice.
How do you handle having favorites?
Real talk: The fastest way to lose credibility as a leader is to gossip about one team member to another.
I did this once. ONCE.
Word got back in less than 24 hours. Trust took months to rebuild.
What's your gossip horror story?
I did this once. ONCE.
Word got back in less than 24 hours. Trust took months to rebuild.
What's your gossip horror story?
October 8, 2025 at 2:45 PM
Real talk: The fastest way to lose credibility as a leader is to gossip about one team member to another.
I did this once. ONCE.
Word got back in less than 24 hours. Trust took months to rebuild.
What's your gossip horror story?
I did this once. ONCE.
Word got back in less than 24 hours. Trust took months to rebuild.
What's your gossip horror story?
Learned the hard way: Staying "above office politics" isn't noble - it's naive.
While I was focused on being pure, someone else was building alliances and making decisions that affected my team.
Politics is just influence by another name.
How do you navigate workplace politics?
While I was focused on being pure, someone else was building alliances and making decisions that affected my team.
Politics is just influence by another name.
How do you navigate workplace politics?
October 6, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Learned the hard way: Staying "above office politics" isn't noble - it's naive.
While I was focused on being pure, someone else was building alliances and making decisions that affected my team.
Politics is just influence by another name.
How do you navigate workplace politics?
While I was focused on being pure, someone else was building alliances and making decisions that affected my team.
Politics is just influence by another name.
How do you navigate workplace politics?
Recovery confession: I used to redo my team's work after hours "to make it perfect."
They knew. Of course they knew.
Nothing kills initiative faster than a leader who "fixes" everything you do.
Are you secretly undoing your team's work too?
They knew. Of course they knew.
Nothing kills initiative faster than a leader who "fixes" everything you do.
Are you secretly undoing your team's work too?
October 3, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Recovery confession: I used to redo my team's work after hours "to make it perfect."
They knew. Of course they knew.
Nothing kills initiative faster than a leader who "fixes" everything you do.
Are you secretly undoing your team's work too?
They knew. Of course they knew.
Nothing kills initiative faster than a leader who "fixes" everything you do.
Are you secretly undoing your team's work too?