<![CDATA[The Best Leadership Newsletter Ever: 🎙️ Audio Thoughts]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/s/audio-thoughtshttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ne_2!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F74253464-637d-41e9-a58d-a35a9c7b9d73_500x500.pngThe Best Leadership Newsletter Ever: 🎙️ Audio Thoughtshttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/s/audio-thoughtsSubstackMon, 06 Jul 2026 19:20:33 GMT<![CDATA[Why Most Feedback Is Useless]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/why-most-feedback-is-uselesshttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/why-most-feedback-is-uselessFri, 03 Jul 2026 13:17:59 GMTGetting feedback is a good thing. Almost everyone will tell you that.

You already know this. I hope you know this, but bear with me for a second here anyway.

The best leaders are the ones who are open to feedback. They’re curious, even coachable. And it’s not beneficial to anybody to operate in a bubble.

Trust me on this, because I did exactly that for most of my life. I’d brainstorm on my own. I’d try to solve problems on my own. It’s not the easiest way of doing things, and I learned that the hard way.

Because the better way - and the way that’s always better - is to ask for input. Stay humble and let other people’s perspectives help shape your own thinking.

Feedback from the right person at the right time can change everything. I’ve had single honest conversations shift the entire direction of my companies. Heck, I’ve had conversations that changed the direction of my life. A well-timed, honest observation delivered in a way that people can hear can save someone from really bad decisions.

So yes. Get feedback. Value it.

But there’s another part of this that’s really important. The part I said I was going to come to.

The Two Kinds Of Feedback People

There are two kinds of people when it comes to getting feedback:

The ones who ask nobody. And the ones who ask everyone.

Do you know which one you are?
Because both types have a problem.

One group is scared of being wrong. The other is scared of being right.

And there’s a part of this that nobody’s telling you about either of them.

It’s this…

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]]><![CDATA[You Don't Have A Time Management Problem | The Lie 40,000 Books Keep Selling You]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/you-dont-have-a-time-management-problemhttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/you-dont-have-a-time-management-problemFri, 26 Jun 2026 14:03:07 GMTThere are over 40,000 books on time management listed on Amazon right now.

Forty thousand!!!

There are apps and frameworks and courses and coaches that have entire productivity philosophies dedicated to helping you get more done in less time.

And I’ve tried a lot of them throughout my life.

If you’re like me, and most other people out there, you use some of these productivity philosophies and it feels a lot better for like two weeks. Then you’re back to the same problem you had before.

In fact, you should go listen to a little rant that I had about Atomic Habits. I think you’ll like that one.

The Thing Nobody Selling You A System Wants Me To Tell You

The reason none of these really work to solve the problem you’re trying to solve is because there’s a thing everyone who’s selling you time management systems doesn’t want me to say.

But I’m gonna say it anyway.

You don’t have a time management problem.

I know. It feels wrong.

You’re saying, “Jeff, I have a time management problem. I don’t even know why I am listening to you. I’m busy, I’m overwhelmed. There’s not enough hours in the day to get done what I want to get done. And if that’s not a time management problem, then what is?”

Well, listen, I’m glad you spoke your mind to me. Honesty is really important in our relationship, so I appreciate it.

And let me be fair to some of the 40,000 authors out there. Those systems aren’t useless. Time blocking works. A good to-do list helps. I’ve got an awesome to-do list. It’s really long. And getting your calendar under control matters a lot.

But none of those cure the problem. They’re just treating the symptom.

It’s Not The Problem You Think

Time management isn’t a time problem. It’s a

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]]><![CDATA[The Main Cause Of Stress At Work | 60 Years Of Research Just Debunked Everything]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/the-main-cause-of-stress-at-workhttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/the-main-cause-of-stress-at-workFri, 19 Jun 2026 13:34:58 GMT

The Journal of Vocational Behavior just published what I believe is the most comprehensive analysis of workplace stress ever done.

515 studies. Over 60 years of research. 800,000 workers.

What they discovered is probably going to surprise you.
It surprised me.

The Leaders With The Wrong Answers

If you ask leaders what stresses their people out the most, you’re probably going to get the same answers every time.

Impossible deadlines. Toxic coworkers. Too much work and not enough time to do it. Maybe a bad manager or two thrown in there.

Those are all reasonable guesses.

They’re also all wrong. They aren’t the thing that stresses people out the most at work.

To be fair, all of those things are genuinely stressful. I’m not saying they’re not. A toxic coworker does not create a relaxing experience at work.

But they’re not the biggest stress creators.

It’s not even close.

The #1 Reason People Are Stressed At Work

The number one source of stress for workers - bigger than deadlines, bigger than toxic coworkers, bigger than bad management - is this:

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]]><![CDATA[The Loyalty Double Standard]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/the-loyalty-double-standardhttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/the-loyalty-double-standardFri, 05 Jun 2026 13:19:30 GMTI was on a call with one of my clients yesterday. He’s a VP at a Global 100. Big company. You know them.

He had just talked with one of his top employees who, let’s call Lisa.

Lisa’s great at her job. He knows it. I know it, and I’ve never even met the woman. She’s that good.

My client had been proactively making changes to better support Lisa and make sure she really understood how valued she was at the company. He was getting her more staff, more resources, and really defining a clearer path of growth for her.

But then Lisa quit. Completely out of the blue.

My client told me that he can’t believe she did that. He said, “I put my neck on the line to get her the team structure she wanted. I thought she’d be more loyal.”

Meanwhile, four months earlier, the company laid off 7% of its workforce, including four people on Lisa’s team, and my client was the one who informed the people that they were being laid off.

During one of the meetings he had with the people he was laying off, the person said to him, “I thought this company wasn’t gonna do layoffs. I thought you said you’d stay loyal to us.”

So this seems like a pretty good time for you and I to have a conversation about loyalty, don’t you think?

So let’s have it.

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]]><![CDATA[Donald Trump Understands Communication Better Than Most Leaders]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/theyre-not-avoiding-the-meeting-theyre-avoiding-you-trump-defense-democratshttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/theyre-not-avoiding-the-meeting-theyre-avoiding-you-trump-defense-democratsFri, 29 May 2026 13:03:37 GMTDonald Trump is remarkably good at communication.

I’m not saying he’s accurate with his communication.
I’m not even saying he’s truthful with his communication.

I’m just saying that he’s masterful at it.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about how Democrats aren’t fighting Trump enough. They’re not out there arguing with him or proving his points wrong.

They’re just sitting around complaining.

Let me give you a different perspective on this. It’s why I think Trump is such a masterful communicator, but it also is an indicator of how much influence and trust you have in your workplace.

But first Trump,

Trump Pulls. Democrats Push.

Trump defends whatever he says.

He always has a position where he’s defending the every-person.

  • He’s defending the Iranians from oppressive leadership and freeing them so they can have a better life.

  • He’s giving all Americans more jobs through the immigration policy.

  • He’s lowering prices and increasing our country’s wealth through tariffs, and everybody’s gonna get some of that money back.

These are his defenses. Everything he’s doing is defending the people. That’s how he positions it, and that is the masterful part of it.

Because the Democrats don’t act as defenders, they act as prosecutors.

They’re not defending people in most of their arguments.
They’re prosecuting Trump.

This is a critical lesson in how to communicate effectively and how to increase your influence.

Let me explain.

I’m gonna start with a real world example.

A Real-World Example Of Prosecution vs Defense Communication

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]]><![CDATA[Open Door Policies Are A Lie]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/open-door-policies-are-a-liehttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/open-door-policies-are-a-lieFri, 22 May 2026 12:03:20 GMT70% of companies have an open door policy.

Seventy percent!

That’s basically every place you’ve ever worked.

The open door policy has been around for a hundred years. I’m not going to give you the reason why it started, but I’ll just tell you that it made sense then and it makes sense now. Because the idea’s really good.

The idea being that “my door is always open. Come talk to me anytime. I want to hear what’s on your mind.”

It says, I’m approachable, I’m accessible. I care about you. I’m the kind of person that you can be open with and trust.

I’ve had open door policies throughout most of my career, I actually believe leaders, when they say they have an open door policy, they mean it.

The intention is good. It’s really good.

Unfortunately, open door policies suck.

Open door policies do not create psychological safety in your company.
They destroy it.

They’re the worst things you can do for your company.

Let me explain why.

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]]><![CDATA[Core Values Mean Nothing]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/core-values-mean-nothinghttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/core-values-mean-nothingFri, 15 May 2026 13:31:01 GMTIt’s Netflix’s fault.

You see back in 2009, they put out a deck about the Netflix culture that has since become pretty darn famous. If any PowerPoint can be considered to have gone viral, this one is probably the biggest influencer of them all.

In fact, Cheryl Sandberg once said it’s one of the most important documents to ever come out of Silicon Valley.

If you haven’t seen it, I’m going to put a link in the show notes here. That Netflix document reshaped how companies thought about culture and it led to the onslaught of company core values.

Today most companies have core values. They’re usually some beautiful words that they’ve come up with to define what they stand for. Most often it involves some form of integrity, collaboration, client focus, and probably innovation.

I’m sure you’ve seen them time again, probably on a wall in some office. Maybe on your wall.

But here’s the thing about core values: they mean nothing. I don’t say that to get your goat. I don’t even know what the phrase get your goat means.

Companies don’t call me when things are going well. They call me when they have problems. When they have complex issues that need some simple and fast solutions.

That’s when I get the call, and that’s okay because that’s what I do. And I love it.

One of the first things I’ll ask them, if I can’t find it online, is whether they have core values and what those values are. Some do, some don’t. Honestly, the ones who don’t have values are oftentimes in better shape than the ones who do.

Because for most companies, core values aren’t so much a healthy foundation of the culture, as they are a horrendous liability. And if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’re probably part of the problem.

Let me explain.

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]]><![CDATA[Nobody Else Gets To Decide If You Failed]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/nobody-else-gets-to-decide-if-you-failedhttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/nobody-else-gets-to-decide-if-you-failedFri, 08 May 2026 13:31:15 GMTI tell people I started three companies and each of them were acquired by public conglomerates, and that’s correct, but I always leave out one thing, which is the fourth company. That fourth company did well for a few years and then it crashed and burned. I won’t give you the details, but I was telling another entrepreneur about it today.

And, the fact is, that one day I had to fire 35 people. It was a bad day, a really bad day. My wife at the time, and I ended up getting separated that week too. So what would’ve been a bad day, was a bad time in my life and I felt like a failure.

The reality is, after I sold my first company, I was 30 years old, maybe 29.

I felt like a failure then too. I felt like I didn’t achieve what I wanted to.

I felt like I couldn’t achieve what I wanted to, that I couldn’t do what other people did.

And that’s why now I cringe when people say someone either succeeded or failed. And you hear it all the time about entrepreneurs. He sold his company so he succeeded. She didn’t IPO. So the whole thing was a failure.

I was talking to a client today who has an early stage business. Been going for a couple years. It’s doing fairly well, but still trying to find its footing.

Suddenly, over the last month or two,

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]]><![CDATA[Atomic Habits Is Brilliant. And Wrong.]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/atomic-habits-is-brilliant-and-wronghttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/atomic-habits-is-brilliant-and-wrongFri, 01 May 2026 13:32:35 GMTI am gonna assume that James Clear is a very intellectual, hugely insightful and really nice chap. I don’t know him, I never met him.

He wrote a brilliant book called Atomic Habits. You probably read it, but if you’re one of the seven people in the world who hasn’t, here’s the basic summary.

If you focus on small, consistent habits that allow you to improve 1% per day, you can radically transform your life.

Now here’s my take on it.

It’s complete bullshit.

The Math Works. The Logic Doesn’t.

From a mathematical perspective, the 1% principle makes sense. It simply takes the concept of compound growth and applies it to daily habits. It’s fifth grade algebra. Improving by 1% every day is one to the 365th power, which results in a 37.7% increase at the end of the year.

The math works. And that’s all fine and nice. But there’s a very big and hugely incorrect assumption with his premise. It’s this:

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]]><![CDATA[Why Your Best Decisions Might Be Your Worst]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/why-your-best-decisions-might-be-your-worsthttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/why-your-best-decisions-might-be-your-worstFri, 24 Apr 2026 13:12:06 GMTYou didn’t hire the best candidate. You hired the best candidate compared to the seven people you saw before her.

That’s not a hiring decision. That’s a comparison. And those aren’t the same thing.

This episode is about the bias nobody catches because it feels exactly like careful thinking. And the one question that exposes it before you make a decision y…

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]]><![CDATA[The Conversation You Keep Skipping]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/the-conversation-you-keep-skippinghttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/the-conversation-you-keep-skippingFri, 17 Apr 2026 13:31:07 GMTYou spent weeks building the perfect plan. You thought of everything.

Then you rolled it out... and nobody cared.

Not because your team is lazy. Because you forgot to have this conversation.

This episode is about the one conversation most leaders skip that determines whether a plan actually works.

--

Are you ready to see your Unconscious Operating System?

Once you see it, you’ll never be able to unsee it again.
Sign up for the FREE Leadership Diagnostic Workshop.

www.thebestleadershipcompany.com/leadership-diagnostic-workshop

]]><![CDATA[The Problem With Promotions]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/the-problem-with-promotionshttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/the-problem-with-promotionsFri, 10 Apr 2026 13:33:17 GMTEvery promotion is a message. And your team is reading it whether you like it or not.

When you promote loyalty over performance, you just told your best people exactly how much their work matters.

Spoiler: they’ll act accordingly.

This episode is about what your last promotion really said about you.

--

Are you ready to see your Unconscious Operating System?

Once you see it, you’ll never be able to unsee it again.
Sign up for the FREE Leadership Diagnostic Workshop.

www.thebestleadershipcompany.com/leadership-diagnostic-workshop

]]><![CDATA[The 5 Skills That Decide Who Gets Promoted]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/the-5-skills-that-decide-who-getshttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/the-5-skills-that-decide-who-getsFri, 03 Apr 2026 13:30:49 GMTNotes From This Week

There are 5 skills that every company needs every employee to master. The catch? They don’t teach you how to do them. That’s all on you. And if you don’t figure it out, somebody else is always going to get that promotion.

Listen to this rant, and let me know your position on the matter (my contact info is below)

--

Are you ready to see your Unconscious Operating System?

Once you see it, you’ll never be able to unsee it again.
Sign up for the FREE Leadership Diagnostic Workshop.

www.thebestleadershipcompany.com/leadership-diagnostic-workshop

--

The Best Leadership Newsletter Ever (join 14k subscribers) :: www.TheBestLeadershipNewsletter.com

Coaching, Consulting + Keynote Speaking :: www.TheBestLeadershipCompany.com

Contact Jeff Matlow ::
hello@TheBestLeadershipCompany.com

]]><![CDATA[We're In A Loneliness Epidemic]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/were-in-a-loneliness-epidemichttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/were-in-a-loneliness-epidemicFri, 27 Mar 2026 22:14:37 GMTNotes From This Week

Are you more lonely than you were seven years ago? Because we might be in a loneliness epidemic and nobody is recognizing it - or looking for a cure. It’s not going to magically change on it’s on.

Listen to this rant, and let me know your position on the matter (my contact info is below)

--

Are you ready to see your Unconscious Operating System?

Once you see it, you’ll never be able to unsee it again.
Sign up for the FREE Leadership Diagnostic Workshop.

www.thebestleadershipcompany.com/leadership-diagnostic-workshop

--

The Best Leadership Newsletter Ever (join 14k subscribers) :: www.TheBestLeadershipNewsletter.com

Coaching, Consulting + Keynote Speaking :: www.TheBestLeadershipCompany.com

Contact Jeff Matlow :: hello@TheBestLeadershipCompany.com

]]><![CDATA[Stop Judging Me For The Way I Write]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/writing-with-aihttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/writing-with-aiFri, 20 Mar 2026 12:03:42 GMTNotes From This Week

It’s not about how you do the writing, it’s about how your words resonate in the end. So stop judging people for using AI as a writing partner.

Listen to this rant, and let me know your position on the matter (my contact info is below)

--

Are you ready to see your Unconscious Operating System?

Once you see it, you’ll never be able to unsee it again.
Sign up for the FREE Leadership Diagnostic Workshop.

www.thebestleadershipcompany.com/leadership-diagnostic-workshop

--

The Best Leadership Newsletter Ever (join 14k subscribers) :: www.TheBestLeadershipNewsletter.com

Coaching, Consulting + Keynote Speaking :: www.TheBestLeadershipCompany.com

Contact Jeff Matlow :: hello@TheBestLeadershipCompany.com

]]><![CDATA[[Audio Thoughts] Why The Important Stuff Never Gets Done]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/to-do-list-is-not-productivityhttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/to-do-list-is-not-productivityFri, 13 Mar 2026 12:32:15 GMTNotes From This Week

Uncover the patterns holding you back.
Sign up for the FREE Leadership Diagnostic Workshop.

www.thebestleadershipcompany.com/leadership-diagnostic-workshop/

Learn more about the free leadership diagnostic.

—

Subscribe to The Best Leadership Newsletter Ever
www.TheBestLeadershipNewsletter.com

—

About Jeff Matlow
www.TheBestLeadershipCompany.com

]]><![CDATA[[Audio Thoughts] Stop Calling It A Strategy When It's Just A Story.]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/stop-calling-it-a-strategy-when-its-a-storyhttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/stop-calling-it-a-strategy-when-its-a-storyFri, 06 Mar 2026 13:31:10 GMTNotes From This Week

Uncover the patterns holding you back.
Sign up for the FREE Leadership Diagnostic Workshop.

https://www.thebestleadershipcompany.com/leadership-diagnostic-workshop/

Learn more about the free leadership diagnostic.

—

Subscribe to The Best Leadership Newsletter Ever
www.TheBestLeadershipNewsletter.com

—

About Jeff Matlow
www.TheBestLeadershipCompany.com

]]><![CDATA[[Audio Thoughts] A Thousand Small Acts Of Courage]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/audio-bravery-and-couragehttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/audio-bravery-and-courageFri, 27 Feb 2026 15:01:11 GMTNotes From This Week

👉🏽 Learn more about Jeff Matlow here

👉🏽 Uncover the behavioral patterns holding you back
Reserve your spot for the Diagnostic Workshop.
Sign up for a chance to get a seat.

]]><![CDATA[[Audio Thoughts] Customer Service Isn't About Solving Problems]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/customer-service-isnt-about-solving-problemshttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/customer-service-isnt-about-solving-problemsFri, 20 Feb 2026 15:00:04 GMTNotes From This Week

Uncover the behavioral patterns holding you back

Reserve your spot for the Diagnostic Workshop

Sign up for a chance to get a seat.

]]><![CDATA[[Audio Thoughts] Thermometer vs Thermostat Leadership]]>https://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/audio-thoughts-thermometer-vs-thermostat-leadershiphttps://www.thebestleadershipnewsletter.com/p/audio-thoughts-thermometer-vs-thermostat-leadershipFri, 13 Feb 2026 15:02:36 GMTNotes From This Week

Reserve your spot for the Diagnostic Workshop

Uncover the behavioral habits holding you back.

Sign up for a chance to get a slot.

]]>