Ada Chen Rekhi

Frank Slootman on creating a high-performing culture

It’s much easier to find our leadership style if we have examples to engage with in a detailed way. I recently picked up Frank Slootman’s book Amp It Up: Leading for Hypergrowth by Raising Expectations, Increasing Urgency, and Elevating Intensity because I wanted to learn more about how he operates. Tldr; loved the book and found it an in-depth and fascinating look at a guy who operates in a way I never could.

How to Delegate Without Being a Micro-Manager

“If you want a thing done well, do it yourself”

If you, like Napoleon Bonaparte, have ever reached this conclusion, you are not alone. Delegating effectively is a struggle and it often feels faster and better to do it yourself.

The challenge is the devil is in the details on how to effectively delegate.

My Fellows Retreat with Leaders in Tech

In fall of 2018 I had one of the most formative self-development experiences I’ve ever had to date — attending a Fellows retreat with Leaders in Tech (LIT). My mind was blown because it is SO different from many of the offerings out there, and I wanted to write a post to share what this organization is about and how it’s made a difference. In fact, it made such an impact that I jumped on the opportunity to get more involved and joined their Board of Directors last year.

Podcast: How to make better decisions and build a joyful career

Listen: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTubeTranscript: Lenny’s Podcast I was recently invited onto Lenny’s Podcast and had so much fun there talking about how to make better decisions, career strategy, and living a life aligned with our values. Topics covered: Have a listen and hope you enjoy it!

Make Better Decisions with Curiosity Loops

I think most would agree that one of the best resources for making better decisions is the advice of knowledgeable people who know us well. Unfortunately, it’s often an underutilized resource. The main challenge is, how do you actually do it?

I use something I call a curiosity loop to systematically extract wisdom from my network.

Build Your Inner Scorecard: A 10-Minute Exercise for Better Decisions

What defines you? What does success look like? How can I make good decisions for myself in the long term?

My belief is that it’s important to operate our lives by an Inner Scorecard. While an Outer Scorecard is based on how the external world sees you, judges you, and stacks you up in comparison to others, an Inner Scorecard is something based on what you truly want without thinking too much about what other people think of you*.

A Practical Guide: How To Find an Executive Coach (Part 3)

When I give advice to executives looking for a coach, I typically break it down for them into these straightforward steps on how to structure their search. This is Part 3 of my series on executive coaching based on insights from 80+ interviews with executives and coaches, focused on how to find a coach. Check out Part 1 for a rundown of the results and data, and Part 2 for what I’ve learned as a coach so far.

What I Didn’t Know About Coaching (Part 2)

In part 2 of my series on executive coaching, I’m sharing the coach-specific insights from my 80+ interviews with executives and coaches, and how they’ve changed the way I coach. If you’re looking for the data, you can also refer to Part 1 of this series or visit Part 3: How to Find an Executive Coach.

An In-Depth Guide to Executive Coaching: Everything You Need To Know (Part 1)

I’m excited to share what I’ve learned from 80+ conversations to map the executive coaching industry:

How are executives finding their executive coach?
What areas is coaching effective for and how are people leveraging it?
How much do executive coaches typically charge, and what’s the structure?
How do you maximize the value from your coaching relationship?

I was curious about these questions, too, in the course of answering these I collected interviews across 13 coaches, 17 founders and executives (Director/VP/GM+) who have engaged coaches, and 50+ prospective coachees.

7 Things No One Tells You About Being a Startup Founder

When I founded my first company Connected back in 2011, I was really surprised by the intensity of the emotional rollercoaster. By then I’d already worked everywhere from large corporate Microsoft to tiny new startup and felt prepared. I was dead wrong. I remember describing it to a friend as, “After I started a company, everything became 10x more intense. The highs and lows filled with terror, sometimes all in the same hour. Everything else I’d done in my professional career fades in comparison.”