Conscious leadership: Unlocking vision, strategy and purpose | JM Nickels (Uber, Waymo, DoorDash)

Introduction to JM (0s)

• To achieve clarity on one's objective function, it can be helpful to consider the perspective of one's future self, as this can provide insight into what truly matters in life, such as personal relationships (10s).
• Most people tend to avoid thinking about their own mortality, but acknowledging and accepting that life will come to an end can help punctuate reality and prompt a reevaluation of priorities (43s).
• JM Nichols has held various leadership positions, including product leader at Uber, Waymo, and DoorDash, as well as engineering manager at Groupon and equity trader at Getco (55s).
• At Uber, JM built and launched the first version of Uber Pool and led the team responsible for the infrastructure and algorithms powering the company's matching and pricing systems (1m7s).
• At DoorDash, JM served as head of product for the DoorDash platform, and at Waymo, he led product for the commercialization of autonomous ride-hailing and last-mile delivery (1m16s).
• JM recently returned to Uber to lead product for the Mobile team (1m27s).
• This conversation with JM is a unique blend of heart, skills, soft skills, tactics, and emotions, and is expected to provide valuable insights and lessons for leaders and individuals (1m31s).

Conscious leadership explained (2m2s)

• Conscious leadership is a phrase that refers to having influence in the world and becoming more aware of one's interior world, including background, biases, and inherited belief systems (2m35s).
• Leadership is broadly defined as having influence in the world, and by this definition, everyone is a leader because they all have influence in some way, whether it's on family, community, or the world at large (2m43s).
• The concept of leadership is not limited to managers, but rather it's about the influence one has on others, such as on children, partners, or community, and how one shows up in the world (2m52s).
• The "conscious" piece of conscious leadership refers to becoming more aware and waking up to one's interior world, including learning more about oneself and taking responsibility for one's influence (3m11s).
• Conscious leadership involves becoming more aware of one's biases and inherited belief systems, which can often go unquestioned and lead to conflict, and taking responsibility for the influence one has (3m21s).
• Taking responsibility for one's influence is a key aspect of conscious leadership, and it involves acknowledging and owning the impact one has on others and the world (3m36s).

The power of soft skills (3m41s)

• The concept of soft leadership and the power of soft skills is crucial for success, as it allows leaders to influence others without being the loudest voice in the room (3m41s).
• Theodore Roosevelt's quote "speak softly and carry a big stick" emphasizes the importance of balancing soft skills with authority (4m1s).
• As a leader grows in their career, they may evolve from being the loudest voice in the room to sitting back and creating space for others to contribute (4m7s).
• Senior leaders must be aware of power dynamics and imbalances in the room, where junior folks may not feel comfortable speaking up (4m32s).
• To address this, leaders can make a conscious effort to be more mindful of their influence and create space for others to share their thoughts (4m47s).
• This approach is particularly important for senior leaders, as they have more opportunities to follow up on discussions and don't need to "win" every argument (4m56s).
• In contrast, junior leaders may feel more pressure to make a strong impression in meetings, as they may have fewer opportunities to present their ideas (5m4s).
• Pendo is an all-in-one product experience platform that helps companies understand how users interact with their products and turn those insights into action (5m13s).
• The platform offers features such as product analytics, in-app guides, user feedback, and session replays to help companies optimize their products (5m40s).
• Over 10,000 companies use Pendo, and it offers a free certification course to help product leaders grow and advance in their careers (6m6s).
• The Enterprise Ready conference is a one-day event in San Francisco that brings together product and engineering leaders to discuss the future of Enterprise SaaS (6m38s).
• The conference features speakers from companies like Open AI, Vanta, and Dropbox, and covers topics such as advanced identity management, compliance, and encryption (6m49s).
• The event is free and offers detailed insights from industry leaders who have experience navigating the challenges of building for the Enterprise (7m14s).

Navigating Uber’s evolution (7m34s)

• The early days of Uber, referred to as "Uber 1.0" or the "Travis era," had both good and bad aspects, with a bold and audacious mission to make transportation as reliable as running water for anyone anywhere (7m55s).
• The company had a lot of energy and excitement, with a sense of doing something transformational, and the possibility of autonomy and changes in car ownership (8m27s).
• Travis Kalanick was a great visionary product leader, and his product reviews were a valuable learning experience, but the company was not a very conscious leadership place and was often stressful (8m40s).
• The company culture was driven by fear, using carrots and sticks to motivate employees, which can be effective but is not a sustainable or healthy approach (9m1s).
• The speaker's personal experience as a junior product manager at Uber was stressful, with a lot of pressure and a sense of being overwhelmed, which led to exploring inner work and meditation as a way to cope (9m27s).
• The speaker realized that even with a team of highly skilled and intelligent people, meetings could devolve into arguments and a "lizard brain" state, and that what was needed was a way to shift into a more co-creative and collaborative space (10m12s).
• The speaker became interested in bringing this type of inner work and conscious leadership to teams, recognizing the need for a more open-minded, curious, and trusting approach to collaboration (9m40s).
• Uber has transitioned through different phases, from Uber 1.0, which was described as "crazy," to Uber 2.0, characterized by Travis's departure and the board's feud, and now to Uber 3.0, which is a more stable and profitable "Navy" company, printing free cash flow and establishing the independent contractor model in many states and jurisdictions (11m5s).
• The company is currently experiencing a "Cambrian explosion" of different transportation types, expanding beyond the original UberX model to include new modalities such as reserving rides in advance, shared rides, car rentals, buses, and different supply types, including fleets and taxi drivers (11m31s).
• Uber has signed deals with various players, including Weo and Cruz, and is at the beginning of a new era in transportation, which is expected to be exciting over the next decade or two (12m1s).
• The name "uberX" originated as an internal code name and stuck, as no one came up with a better name (12m16s).
• Uber pool was previously named by the speaker, but it was later renamed to "Uber share" during an external rotation (12m29s).

Embracing emotions and inner work (12m41s)

• Emotions play a significant role in our experiences, and when we're stressed or nervous in a meeting, our initial reaction is often to suppress those emotions, but this approach can be counterintuitive and ineffective (12m41s).
• A more effective approach is to accept and allow those emotions, rather than trying to fight or suppress them, as this can create a self-enforcing negative feedback loop of stress, anxiety, and fear (13m5s).
• The phrase "what you resist will persist and what you fear will appear" highlights the importance of becoming more aware of our internal world and having agency over our experiences (13m58s).
• When we have a thought that triggers stress or anxiety, it can create a cognitive-emotive loop where we're stuck in a cycle of stressful thoughts and unpleasant feelings, but allowing those thoughts and emotions can help break this cycle (14m32s).
• The advice is to tactically allow whatever thoughts and emotions arise in a meeting, rather than trying to pretend they're not there or convincing ourselves otherwise, and to recognize that these thoughts and emotions are transient and not permanent (14m49s).
• Once we can relax and allow our emotions, we can come home to the fact that we don't need external approval to be okay, and that our self-worth and self-love should come from within (15m15s).
• Looking for approval, control, and security from the world can be a never-ending cycle, and it's only when we wake up to the fact that we're trying to complete something inside ourselves that's missing that we can start to break free from this cycle (15m51s).
• The concept of the "Hungry Ghost" illustrates that no matter how many external successes or possessions we accumulate, it's never enough to fill the void inside, and that true fulfillment comes from within (16m0s).
• Allowing emotions and thoughts, rather than resisting them, can help in moving forward and becoming more open to feedback and growth (16m19s).
• Recognizing that most situations are not permanent and that there will be opportunities for improvement and learning in the future can help in managing fear and anxiety (16m37s).
• Focusing on the work and the desired outcome, rather than on personal presentation and optics, can lead to greater success and recognition (18m21s).
• Dropping the focus on personal ego and self-centeredness, and instead tapping into a larger purpose and sense of belonging, can help in finding meaning and fulfillment (19m18s).
• Shifting from a fear-based mindset to a trusting and curious one can help in viewing feedback as a gift and an opportunity for growth, rather than as a threat (16m58s).
• Focusing on making a positive impact and creating value, rather than on personal career advancement, can lead to a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment (18m56s).
• Recognizing that there are often high stakes involved in important meetings and presentations, but that these stakes do not have to define one's sense of self-worth or identity (17m32s).
• Letting go of the need for external validation and instead focusing on the work and the desired outcome can help in finding a sense of inner peace and fulfillment (19m31s).
• When individuals truly connect with the mission of the company they work for, they tend to produce great work that gets recognized, even if they don't focus on the optics of their work (19m34s).
• To make this approach work, one needs to really believe in the importance and meaningfulness of the company's mission, which can be a challenge for people who don't care about what the company is doing (19m42s).
• Optics, or how one shares the impact of their work and represents themselves, is not as important as the actual work itself, but rather a means to an end (20m0s).
• Many people feel that there is a separation between the work and the optics of the work, where the optics are seen as a necessary but often unwanted aspect of their job (20m6s).
• While optics are important, especially for leaders and at the senior level, there needs to be a balance between the actual work and the optics, as too much focus on optics can detract from the actual work (20m30s).
• The importance of optics can vary depending on the size of the company and the level of seniority, with individual contributors (ICs) likely doing more actual work and leaders supporting and presenting that work (20m43s).
• At the senior level, optics can have a significant influence on resource allocation and decision-making, making it an important aspect of leadership (20m57s).
• However, it's essential to remember that optics are just a means to an end, and not the actual outcome that matters, which is the work and the product (21m22s).
• The Buddhist saying "don't mistake the finger pointing at the moon for the moon" is a reminder that the optics, such as presentations and OKRs, are just inputs to the output that really matters, which is the work and the product (21m29s).

Crafting strategy and vision (21m46s)

• To improve in strategy and vision, it's essential to find a mission that you're passionate about, as it serves as the fuel and motivation to develop a strategy, and working in an area you're passionate about is the first step (23m3s).
• Immersing yourself deeply in a specific area and gaining expertise over time is crucial, as it's hard to come up with a great strategy if you've only been working in an area for a short time (24m11s).
• Focusing on a specific area for an extended period, such as 10 years, allows you to develop a deeper understanding of the nuances and complexities involved (24m24s).
• People often talk about first principles thinking, but it's essential to understand the underlying principles and fundamentals of a problem to develop an effective strategy (24m56s).
• Having a tremendous amount of passion for the work you do can be a significant motivator, especially when you consider the potential impact it could have on people's lives and the future (23m30s).
• Revolutionizing transportation, car ownership, autonomy, and the future of cities is an example of a mission that can be exciting and motivating, especially when considering the potential benefits for future generations (23m40s).
• Developing a strategy for a specific area, such as improving the healthcare system, can be challenging if it's not an area you're passionate about or have expertise in (23m7s).
• It's essential to be willing to put in the time and effort required to develop a deep understanding of a specific area, rather than jumping between different areas or expecting a quick fix (24m15s).
• Questioning the status quo and identifying inefficiencies can lead to opportunities for innovation, such as rethinking the need for 4,000-pound vehicles to transport humans short distances, which could be replaced with more efficient modes of transportation like bikes and scooters (25m12s).
• Imagining a future scenario, such as what San Francisco or another city might look like 10 years from now, can help develop a clear picture of what the future could hold, including changes to transportation, parking, and living arrangements (26m18s).
• Developing a picture of the future can help identify first principles that will be true in the future, such as the widespread adoption of autonomy in transportation, which can be extrapolated from current trends and technological advancements (27m5s).
• The cost of vehicles and sensors will likely come down, making autonomy more affordable and accessible, and remote support will also become more cost-effective (27m17s).
• The concept of induced demand suggests that making autonomous cars cheap and widely available could lead to increased demand and congestion, rather than reducing traffic, as more people would be likely to use the service (27m47s).
• Economists have observed the concept of induced demand in other areas, such as the increased use of text messages when they became free, and the addition of lanes to highways, which can lead to increased traffic rather than reduced congestion (27m51s).
• Understanding the underlying dynamics of future trends and technologies, rather than trying to predict which companies will win or lose, can help inform strategic decisions and innovation (27m29s).
• The future of transportation is likely to involve shared rides, various form factors of bikes, scooters, and mini golf cart-like vehicles, as people will continue to prioritize convenience and affordability, especially for short distances like three miles (28m24s).
• To think about the future, one can start by visualizing what it might look like in the next five or 10 years, considering trends, trajectories, and what the world might move towards, absent of personal influence (29m5s).
• This thought process can be done in two ways: either by thinking about the future in general or by applying a lens of how a specific product or strategy might influence the outcome or benefit from it (29m22s).
• Both approaches can be useful, as being aware of the relationship between one's actions and the future trends can help identify potential tailwinds or headwinds (29m52s).
• Visualizing the future is not limited to industries like transportation, but can be applied to any field, including B2B SaaS payroll apps or photo-sharing platforms, by considering how people might work, be paid, or interact with technology in the future (30m13s).
• The process of visualizing the future can be iterative, involving both individual contemplation and team discussions, and can be facilitated by finding quiet, contemplative spaces, such as going for a run or hike (30m49s).
• The first step in visualizing the future is to get out of the day-to-day craziness and find a space for quiet contemplation, which can help generate ideas and get things started (31m6s).
• Many product managers and leaders have back-to-back meetings, leaving little time for other tasks, which is not an effective way to work (31m9s).
• It's essential to carve out time for oneself to get out of the day-to-day craziness and think about the future, 5-10 years from now (31m27s).
• This time can be used to develop a vision for the future, which can then be shared with teams and iterated upon through co-creation (31m41s).
• Co-creation involves bringing people together to discuss and build upon ideas, similar to Pixar's "Brain Trust" approach, where there is no judgment or attachment to being right (32m23s).
• This approach allows for exploration and riffing on ideas, and can be an effective way to develop a vision for the future (32m41s).
• Vanta is a platform that can help companies with security practices, risk assessment, and compliance, and can automate many of these tasks (32m51s).
• To stimulate creativity and thinking, it can be helpful to not listen to anything while driving, and instead let the brain wander and come up with new ideas (33m43s).
• This approach can be challenging, but can lead to interesting and valuable ideas (34m6s).
• To stimulate creativity and new ideas, it's essential to take time to disconnect from constant information intake, such as podcasts or music, and instead engage in activities like hiking or simply being present during daily commutes, which can lead to surprising insights and innovative thinking (34m30s).
• A recent experience in a brainstorming meeting led to the realization that the future of mobility business at DoorDash requires a more complex and multi-faceted approach, moving away from the simplicity of a single product like UberX (35m9s).
• The development of a multi-year product and overall strategy for the mobility business at DoorDash involves considering various factors, including the integration of different types of supply, such as taxi and fleet providers, and demand channels, like shared rides and reserved rides (35m14s).
• The future of the Marketplace at Uber is characterized by multimodality, complexity, and the need to balance supply and demand, requiring a deep understanding of how to price different products relative to each other, rank them, and allocate trips (35m48s).
• The dynamics of the Marketplace involve feedback loops into pricing and matching, making it a challenging but exciting space to build and innovate (36m43s).
• The goal is to create a Logistics Marketplace Tech that is unparalleled, taking into account the unique requirements of the physical world and the complexities of different supply and demand channels (36m55s).
• To become better at strategy and vision development, it's crucial to dive deep into the complexities of the business and the market, which is essential for creating great, interesting, and innovative strategies and visions (37m35s).

Balancing vision and execution (41m16s)

• There are two main problems people have with vision strategy: how to get better at it and how to balance it with execution, as spending too much time thinking about vision can hinder progress (41m17s).
• Finding a balance between vision and execution is crucial, as going too far in either direction can be detrimental; for instance, focusing too much on vision can lead to getting stuck in "Theory land" (41m50s).
• An example of this imbalance is the early Uber team's attempt to create a surge pricing algorithm, which resulted in a beautiful whiteboard diagram but failed to consider the practicalities of execution (42m3s).
• On the other hand, focusing too much on execution can lead to a "ready, fire, aim" approach, where progress is made without a clear direction or consideration for potential problems (43m35s).
• DoorDash, in particular, was prone to this approach, with leaders jokingly referring to it as "ready, fire, aim" (43m41s).
• Achieving a balance between vision and execution is dynamic and requires adjusting to the situation; for example, during times of soul-searching or pivoting, it may be necessary to ease up on execution and focus on strategy and vision (44m5s).
• Ultimately, finding the right balance between vision and execution is key to success, and it's essential to be able to adjust and adapt to changing circumstances (43m59s).
• There are times when a company's strategy and vision are clear for the next six months to a year, and the focus shifts to executing and getting things done, with a "pedal to the metal" approach (44m26s).
• Mark Zuckerberg discussed how once Facebook's team aligns on a direction, they will push through obstacles and make progress, creating a "mark-shaped hole in the wall" (44m44s).
• Spotify has a core value that "talk is cheap," which means that discussing and refining ideas is seen as a virtue, as it costs little to no money, and the company spends a lot of time discussing until they're sure something is right (45m16s).
• This approach is similar to Jeff Bezos' saying, "I like a crisp dock and a messy meeting," where Amazon values clear and well-articulated written narratives, but also encourages discussion and debate in meetings (45m44s).
• Daniel Ek, the CEO of Spotify, shared this value, highlighting the importance of refining ideas through discussion before taking action (45m14s).

Lessons from DoorDash, Uber, and Waymo (46m13s)

• Working at various successful hypergrowth companies, such as DoorDash, Uber, and Waymo, provided valuable lessons and experiences that can be applied to future endeavors (46m15s).
• The mission and strategy of Uber and DoorDash differed from the start, with Uber focusing on utilizing black cars for riders and being consumer-centric, while DoorDash focused on helping small businesses be more successful and was merchant-centric (47m2s).
• Uber's consumer-centric approach led to treating drivers as commodities, but the company eventually had to invest more in the driver side of the marketplace (47m33s).
• DoorDash's merchant-centric approach, on the other hand, aimed to help every restaurant in a city be successful and thrive on their platform, resulting in better selection for consumers (48m22s).
• The difference in approach between Uber and DoorDash can be compared to the difference between Amazon (consumer-focused) and Shopify (merchant-focused), with both strategies being effective but requiring focus and trade-offs (48m33s).
• Companies often face trade-offs in optimizing for different stakeholders, such as hosts and guests, and must make decisions based on their priorities and focus (49m8s).
• Uber was very rider-focused, while DoorDash was merchant-focused from its inception, highlighting the importance of understanding the target audience and their needs (49m19s).
• A balance must be struck between deliberation and action, as excessive deliberation can lead to inaction, while rushing into decisions can result in costly mistakes (49m36s).
• It's essential to find a happy medium between overthinking and underthinking, and it's better to be biased towards taking action and learning from the results (49m55s).
• One of the biggest failure cases is deliberating too long without taking action, which can hinder progress and prevent learning from mistakes (50m7s).
• Waymo has made significant progress in self-driving technology, but the company's experience highlights the difference between building a self-driving car on a test track and scaling a fleet of thousands of cars (50m50s).
• Scaling a fleet of self-driving cars requires a different set of skills, including operating, cleaning, charging, and maintaining the vehicles, as well as building a network and acquiring users (51m16s).
• It's crucial to recognize that building a self-driving car and scaling a fleet are different problems that require different skills and cultures (51m35s).
• When working on a project like Waymo, it's essential to be mindful that the overall vision involves multiple pillars, including the self-driving piece, scaling the fleet, financing, operating, and getting demand (52m10s).
• Conscious leadership involves bringing together various elements to achieve a unified outcome (52m29s)

The future of autonomous ride-hailing (52m32s)

• The future of autonomous ride-hailing involves companies like Waymo, Cruise, and others developing autonomy and partnering with aggregators like Uber to utilize their platforms and reach profitability (52m32s).
• Uber's strategy is to be an aggregator, partnering with various companies to have every vehicle on the platform, whether autonomous or not, and leveraging its large demand base and writer network (53m2s).
• Companies like Waymo and Cruise are exploring the path to profitability, deciding whether to go it alone and build their own ride-share networks or partner with Uber for a faster path to high vehicle utilization and scale (53m24s).
• Building a successful ride-share network requires more than just autonomy and an app, involving complex marketplace technology, rider and driver support, logistics, and regulatory compliance (54m2s).
• Companies like Waymo are hedging their bets by both partnering with Uber and building their own ride-share networks, such as Waymo One (53m36s).
• The landscape of autonomous ride-hailing is currently a mix of companies partnering with aggregators and building their own networks, with Waymo working with Uber in Phoenix and Cruise planning to return to some city next year (55m5s).
• The decision to partner with an aggregator or go it alone will depend on the company's ability to scale quickly and unlock financing for more vehicles (54m59s).

Contrarian corner: Embracing emotions in the workplace (55m18s)

• Emotions in the workplace are often viewed as unnecessary, but whole body intelligence suggests that emotions, along with logic and data, can provide valuable insights and wisdom (55m30s).
• Emotions can be seen as energy moving through the body, often correlated with thoughts, and can be accessed by noticing physical sensations, such as where sadness or fear is felt in the body (56m12s).
• Noticing and acknowledging emotions in oneself and others can be beneficial in meetings, conversations, and reviews, and can even be voiced to others as a next step (56m52s).
• Different emotions can provide different types of wisdom, such as fear indicating something that needs attention, sadness indicating something that needs to be let go of, and anger indicating something that is not of service (57m3s).
• Fear can be applicable in certain situations, such as prioritizing safety, and can be used to inform decision-making and consideration of potential risks (57m15s).
• Sadness can be a signal to let go of something, whether it's an idea, vision, or relationship, and can be acknowledged and welcomed in order to move forward (57m46s).
• Anger can indicate that something is not serving oneself, one's people, or one's mission, and can be used to identify areas for change or improvement (58m15s).
• Recognizing and acknowledging emotions in the workplace can be beneficial, as it allows for more effective decision-making and teamwork, contrary to the common belief that emotions should be left at home (59m26s).
• Paying attention to emotions can serve as a signal to make changes or adjustments, and it's essential to take the time to celebrate successes and accomplishments (58m25s).
• Emotions can also play a role in the creative process, as they can help bring new ideas and visions into the world, and tuning into these emotions can be beneficial (58m44s).
• Bringing emotions into the workplace can change the tone of conversations, making them more open and honest, and can help teams work more effectively together (59m11s).
• Emotions can provide valuable insights and intuition, which can aid in decision-making, as the gut and lizard brain can pick up on things that need attention (59m40s).
• OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) can be a useful tool for setting goals, but it's also essential to take the time to celebrate successes and not just move on to the next goal (58m33s).

Keys to a fulfilling life (59m47s)

• A key to a successful, impactful, rich, and fun life is to have a clear understanding of one's objective function, which is often implied and inherited from values such as those from church, community, or parents, rather than being consciously chosen (1h0m13s).
• Many people, including successful executives, are driven by short-term goals and may neglect long-term effects on their personal lives, leading to problems such as strained relationships with family members (1h1m51s).
• Writing down one's values and principles, as suggested by Ray Dalio, can help clarify one's objective function and guide decision-making (1h0m51s).
• Considering the perspective of one's future self can also help in making decisions that align with long-term goals and values, such as prioritizing relationships over short-term work goals (1h2m26s).
• Being mindful of one's mortality, as advocated by Marcus Aurelius and others, can also help in focusing on what is truly important and making conscious choices about how to spend one's time (1h2m51s).
• Clinton Christensen's book "How Will You Measure Your Life" explores the idea that many successful executives may be neglecting their personal lives and relationships in pursuit of short-term goals, and offers insights into how to make more conscious choices about how to measure one's life (1h1m1s).
• An awareness of one's own mortality can have a profound impact on their life, as it can help them prioritize what truly matters and avoid wasting time on things that don't. (1h3m1s)
• This awareness can lead to a reevaluation of priorities, encouraging individuals to focus on meaningful relationships and experiences, rather than getting bogged down in non-essential tasks. (1h3m35s)
• Recognizing that life is finite can inspire people to make the most of their time, asking themselves questions like "How am I going to spend my afternoon?" and "What would I wish I had done when I'm in my last breath?" (1h3m57s)
• A quote that highlights the importance of work-life balance is: "The only people that'll remember you working late every night is your kids." (1h4m23s)

Taking responsibility and agency (1h4m45s)

• One key takeaway is to commit to breaking out of a victim consciousness mentality, recognizing that while injustices exist, many people live their lives at the effect of others and circumstances, feeling like life is happening to them (1h5m7s).
• A more empowering approach is to take responsibility for how one sees the world, acknowledging that they may not be able to change external circumstances, but can change how they relate to them and choose to see them as growth opportunities (1h5m46s).
• This mindset shift involves recognizing that one is co-creating their existence, even in situations where they play a small part, and being willing to examine how they may be perpetuating injustices (1h6m0s).
• Victor Frankl's book "Man's Search for Meaning" is cited as an example of this mindset, as he showed compassion and empathy for his oppressors despite being in a horrific situation (1h6m12s).
• Developing this skill can be a powerful unlock for people, allowing them to shift from focusing on things outside of their control to taking responsibility for their own success and taking agency in their lives (1h6m47s).
• While it may be easier said than done, especially for those facing hardships, taking responsibility and having agency can have a significant impact on one's life and career (1h7m7s).

Lightning round and final thoughts (1h7m29s)

• Recommended books for conscious leadership and soft skills include "The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership" by Diana Chapman and Jim Dethmer, which provides valuable insights on fear, threat, trust, and the drama triangle (1h7m44s).
• Another recommended book is "Resonate" by Nancy Duarte, which focuses on developing communication, storytelling, and presentation skills by creating resonance with the audience and alternating tension between the current state and a potential future state (1h8m11s).
• The book "Resonate" is useful for vision and North Star development, as it teaches how to create a compelling narrative that inspires the audience to take action (1h8m41s).
• Allan Watts' books are also recommended for their unique blend of Eastern thinking and Western perspectives, offering a satirical and comical approach to explaining complex concepts (1h9m21s).
• Allan Watts' lectures are available on the Waking Up app, featuring around 80-100 hours of recorded content, and his YouTube videos are also worth watching (1h9m54s).
• A recommended podcast episode featuring Nancy Duarte shares her lesson on communicating a vision and is available for those who prefer listening to reading (1h10m14s).
• A favorite recent movie is "Inside Out 2", which is consistent with the theme of emotional awareness and allowing different emotional parts to coexist (1h10m28s).
• Emotions should not be allowed to dominate, as they all have wisdom, and integration is key to understanding and managing them (1h10m47s).
• The movie Inside Out is a great example of teaching emotional literacy to children by showcasing the importance of all emotions, including sadness (1h10m50s).
• A favorite product is the Eight Sleep smart mattress, which has a cover with tubes of water and a computer that can be programmed to optimize sleep temperature and quality (1h11m10s).
• The Eight Sleep mattress has sensors that measure heart rate, HRV, and body temperature, and it can be programmed to create a temperature curve that maximizes deep sleep and REM sleep (1h11m27s).
• High-quality sleep is essential for showing up with the right mindset and energy, and the Eight Sleep mattress has been helpful in achieving this (1h11m55s).
• The mattress also tracks sleep quality and provides statistics, making it a valuable tool for understanding and improving sleep (1h12m11s).
• Brian Johnson, a well-known figure in the health and wellness space, has used the Eight Sleep mattress to achieve a perfect sleep score for six months in a row (1h12m24s).
• A favorite life motto is "Beyond all polarities, I am," which serves as a reminder to let go of judgments and opinions and exist beyond the mind (1h12m45s).
• This motto is often abbreviated to "Beyond all polarities" and is used as a reminder to stay present and let go of attachments to opinions and judgments (1h13m27s).
• Another favorite quote is "Be here now," which is used to remind others to stay present and focused on the current moment (1h13m56s).
• A memorable story about working with Travis Kalanick at Uber involves a conference room with windows overlooking 11th Street, where Travis would reliably close the blinds, claiming that Lyft had drones outside spying on their presentations (1h14m57s).
• This behavior is seen as an example of competitor paranoia, with the comparison being made to NFL coaches covering their lips when giving plays (1h15m41s).
• The conversation covered a wide range of topics, with the speaker reflecting on the high stakes and competitive nature of the industry (1h15m50s).
• To find more information about the speaker's thoughts on soft skills and leadership, listeners can visit their website, rhythmofbeing.com, which features blog posts and other resources (1h16m27s).
• The speaker is also occasionally active on Twitter at @NicholsJM, but notes that they don't tweet frequently (1h16m14s).
• For those interested in working with the speaker, they do a limited amount of coaching on the side, but prioritize their day job at Uber and family commitments (1h16m37s).
• Listeners can be useful to the speaker by providing feedback on what resonated with them, what didn't, and where their energy levels increased or decreased during the conversation (1h17m0s).
• To access more content, listeners can subscribe to the show on various platforms such as Apple Podcast, Spotify, or their preferred podcast app (1h17m43s).
• Subscribers are also encouraged to provide a rating or leave a review, as this helps other listeners discover the podcast (1h17m50s).
• Additional information about the show, including past episodes, can be found on the website Lenny podcast.com (1h17m56s).