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“You do not have to be the cleverest person in the room” – Jason Rees
Jason Rees is a customer-focused technology solutions leader with over 25 years of experience in architecting, delivering, supporting and leading technology projects for clients and customers. He is currently a VP at Oracle Corporation.
In the interview, Jason shares how playing and coaching team sports like Rugby has shaped his leadership. He talks about how as a leader, you do not have to be the most clever person in the room with all the answers, and how he sees listening to different perspectives as a superpower. He told me his leadership is not about him, but about his teams. And I found that very powerful.
He adds, “everyone wants to feel relevant. Everyone wants to feel, they understand why a big company or a small company quite frankly, is going in the direction is doing going. “
Find the full audio interview and show notes here
“I’ve had to work on reining in my natural instinct to avoid burning out!” – Kindred Motes
Kindred Motes is the founder and managing director at KMSG, which is a boutique strategy, social impact, management, and communications consulting firm. KMSG leadership brings more than a decade of communications, social impact, philanthropic, management, and digital strategy experience to its practice, including impact campaigns for or in collaboration with some of the most prominent names in the social justice, technology, policy, and philanthropic sectors:
The United Nations, The Obama White House, USAID, ACLU, Global Citizen, Netflix, Participant Media, Amnesty International, Oxfam, Google, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Vera Institute of Justice, the Foundation for Louisiana, Wallace Global Fund, and New America, among others.
He talks about how he had to work on reining in his natural instinct, which is to get excited and say yes to a project just because the organization’s mission or vision aligns with his without first considering his own likelihood of burning out from continual 16 hour days.
This year, KMSG is implementing a 4-day workweek and requiring any current or future staff or contractors to make time for their own rest, relaxation, and creativity by asking them to take a minimum of four weeks per year in paid time off.
Which in my opinion, is commendable.
Read the full written interview with Kindred
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8 Reasons We Should Know Our Values, Worth, and Purpose
How can you contribute?
Choosing Leadership is a podcast for people who know deep inside that there is more. My invitation to you is to “choose” leadership and to step up as a leader.
Subscribe to the Choosing Leadership podcast on Spotify, Google, or Amazon Music. We are also live on Apple Itunes.
I am interviewing leaders to learn from their stories – of how they came to be where they are today. These are the stories peers and friends don’t usually know, and my attempt is to bring them out. Find out what has shaped them to be the person and leader they are today.
Our journeys might not look alike. They might resemble more of a roller-coaster ride than a race track, and that is what makes each one of us special and unique in our own ways. I am deeply touched when someone takes the time to share their story with me.
If you would like to recommend someone else who I should interview, feel free to recommend them. You can send me a message on LinkedIn or send me an email at sumit@deployyourself.com.
Until the next week, keep Choosing Leadership.
With gratitude,
Sumit