Tommy Coppers

Beardfluencer

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Exclusively following your heart is folly.
–––
"The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice." - Solomon

Calibrate your inner voice with trusted counsel in all areas of your life.

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Nobody Likes a Know-It-All
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...You might have been the valedictorian...
...You might have gotten credentialed...
...You might have traveled the world...

Do yourself a favor... shut your mouth and listen.

Humble yourself by acknowledging that this world was created with infinite mysteries, and you are just a finite part of it with finite understanding. That’s beautiful!

You still have a lot to learn– from leaders, peers, and even your reports.

→→→ Think of it as "Outsourced Wisdom" ←←←

Others have been gathering facts and experiences to help tune your decision making.

THIS DOESN'T MEAN:
→ that you should never speak or have resolve
→ that you should adopt everything everyone says
→ that you need to read every book in the library before acting

BONUSES:
→ builds a strong, collaborative culture
→ builds respect
→ you become far less annoying

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃700
–––––––––
Cheers to 700 followers and y'all who've tuned in.

I started this account as an interactive journal to jot down the lessons I've learned in leadership and hopefully engage with a few others along the way.

I stayed for the whiskey.

Stick around for more leadership tips and whiskey sips from this Presbyterian tech exec.

–––
Tonight I'm drinking Nashville Barrel Company's honey-finished 8-year bourbon.

This particular batch is special. From its mouthfeel to its earthy vanilla and unmistakable touch of honey, it's one of the best NBC has to offer.

Have y'all tried it?

Dedicating this pour to some of the recent friends who helped me cross this milestone:
@BarczakTodd @hazyviqtory @RiskyBourbon @thePil9rim @kikona17 @wisdomicz @depthofghost @supercigardave @sosterman67 @ntbrown01 @whiskey_wx @FYIDonkey @itsthedogsfault @recordsnbourbon @evrydaydominion @thehaunhouse @haymes_joshua and the list goes on and on. Thanks!

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Stop Being a People Pleaser
–––
→ You weren't made to please everyone.
→ You weren't made to please most everyone.
→ Despite your best efforts, you won't win approval from everyone.

That's ok!

Being a people pleaser won't get you far. Your team will sniff it out and you'll be marked a fraud.

Instead, put your energy into growing lasting virtue and skill.

You weren't made to glorify your fellow man. You were made for so much more than that.

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Weekly Reminder (basically):

Back up your proposals/complaining/updates with data.

I love that you "just feel like", Nancy, but I'm gonna need more than that to pivot the business.

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Shhhhh… don’t tell the baptists about my account

Whiskey: George T Stagg

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Friday Ryeday

Trying a new Rye Whiskey at the cigar shop today.

What’re y’all pouring to cap the week?

For me…
Whiskey: Rye and Sons
Cigar: Plasencia Alma Del Fuego

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Happy Friday, y'all!

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Tell me you’re Presbyterian without telling me you’re Presbyterian.

Happy Sunday, y’all.

How are you resting today?

Whiskey: Old Ezra 7yr
Cigar: Plasencia Alma Fuerte

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Pouring one out for all those who thought the world was ending and now have to go back to work. Cheers!

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Even a Fool Can Seem Smart w/ This Trick
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"Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent."
- Proverbs 17:27-28

In meetings, you'll be judged by what you say and what you don't say.

Please avoid verbally processing with the wrong people in the wrong setting. It’s not as endearing and charming as you might think.

Instead, hit ‘em with a, "Honestly, I’d like to take some time to process this more and formulate a well-considered opinion." ... Then honestly do so. Keep your response concise and refined, with reasoning to back it up.

You’d be wise to learn the art of holding your tongue.

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Tailgate bourbon brought to you by @WildTurkey Rare Breed.

Made the draw palatable.

Best part of the match.

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Don’t just describe the problem.

→ Tell me your learnings
→ Tell me the customer impact
→ Use data to paint a picture
→ Propose solutions that align with strategy

Easy to complain. Harder to make change.

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Making time for my son's soccer practice
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I can't think of a higher priority tonight.

I'll sign out of work, play hype music for him, encourage his play, stay after and run drills, then we'll sing all the way home.

This is 2x/week and there are only rare, predefined reasons for why I'd need to bow out.

But the world doesn't just stop (he might think so, which is magical in and of itself).

To do this, I need to clear the way. Here's how I do it while in my role:

→ Send an email to set expectations
(I'll be doing ___ on ___ days from ___ to ___)

→ Block the calendar
(OOO, reschedule is assumed unless it's an emergency)

→ Frontload readouts
(Send an EOD progress report before you take off)

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
My son is turning 6 next week.

Participating in his young passions is far more important than an extra hour or two at work. For him, my family, my marriage, and myself.

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Wisdom in Kindergarten
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Here are some values hanging on the door of my son's classroom.

→ Respect
→ Restraint
→ Responsibility

I absolutely love that we are calling them up.
We would all do right to reflect on these daily.

You cannot control others' actions and choices, but each is responsible for their own.

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Stop Wasting My Time
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... and your time... and your teams' time...

Time is a non-renewable resource, yet we squander it with our lack of focus and intentionality.

It’s easy trap to fall into: "being busy equals being productive."

I understand the allure of a packed schedule, full of shogun fired focus.
→ You feel needed
→ You feel like a high contributor

But for what? It's all nonsense that leads to
→ Inefficiencies
→ Burnout
→ Half-baked, useless results

✊ Revolt against "Busy Culture". RISE UP! Let's get back to quality over quantity.

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Set The Culture
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...But don't set it and forget it...

→ Set it
→ Reiterate it
→ Encourage it
→ Preach it
→ Protect it

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Don't Let Ego Get In The Way
–––

A leader needs to have vulnerability & honesty.

What does that look like?
→ A strong ability to assess your own performance
→ An invitation for cross-functional feedback
→ An ownership of areas where you could have contributed differently.

There is a ditch on the other side though... This is not a call to be insecure and flippantly honest.

Though having an open door can promote a culture of growth and learning (even for yourself), be careful not to
→ Erode authority
→ Blur professional boundaries
→ Burden your team
→ Create decision paralysis

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Communication Level-Up

A leader should have the ability to take complex information and turn it into readouts that are...

→ clear
→ concise
→ precise

... in both verbal and written forms.

How are you structuring your comms in ways that effectively deliver information?

[Executive Leadersip 🥃 @execleadersip]

🥃 Consider Constraints
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❌ Wishful Thinking: More freedom = better outcomes.
✅ Truthful Thinking: Constraints breed creativity.

I know... it seems counter-intuitive, especially in an era where limitless possibilities are celebrated. But here's the reality...

Unlimited resources and time often lead to complacency, not innovation.

I understand the appeal of boundless freedom. "Autonomy at all costs!" It promises an open field for creativity and exploration.

Experience and evidence suggest otherwise. Constraints force us to...

→ Look beyond the obvious
→ Think differently
→ Find solutions that we might never have considered under different circumstances.

It's not about stifling creativity; it's about channeling it more effectively.

Parkinson's Law illustrates this perfectly: work expands to fill the time available for its completion.

→ Given too much time, we dawdle.
→ Given too little, we focus.

This isn't about pushing for unrealistic deadlines or setting up your team for failure. It's about understanding the power of constraints to sharpen focus, enhance efficiency, and drive innovation.

By setting tighter timelines—wisely, not arbitrarily—we encourage our teams to think more creatively, to reprioritize, and to leverage existing resources more effectively.

CTAs:

→ Embrace Constraints: Instead of viewing limitations as obstacles, see them as opportunities to innovate and streamline processes. Challenge your team to find creative solutions within set boundaries.

→ Set Strategic Deadlines: Use deadlines as a tool to encourage focus and efficiency. Align these with your team's capabilities and the project's goals, ensuring they are challenging yet achievable.

→ Cultivate a Startup Mentality: Encourage a mindset that thrives on making the most of available resources. Promote agility, flexibility, and the willingness to pivot as key virtues in your team's approach to problem-solving.