No #84 | July 16, 2023

by Matthew Boyd

Good morning, welcome to the weekly Lead It Cool newsletter.

We're already

Remember that if you're not barefoot, then you're overdressed😜. Enjoy the sunshine.☀️☀️☀️

In this week's Lead It Cool newsletter:

• ☢️👠Oppenheimer vs Barbie
• ✅Fran Drescher - Public Speaking 101
• ⌚The Best Daily Habits
• 😂Version Control
• 😎Cool Links

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☢️👠Oppenheimer vs Barbie

The Barbie and Oppenheimer movies are released this week!

To celebrate, today's article is a playful and ridiculous whimsical showdown that settles the age-old question of who would you rather have as your boss? J. Robert Oppenheimer or Barbie.

So strap on your imaginary seatbelts as we compare these unlikely bosses and determine who would make the more entertaining and effective leader.

To start things off, here's a short synopsis of each persona:

☢️Oppenheimer: Picture a boss who is always the smartest person in the room, dazzling colleagues with scientific jargon that rivals the complexities of the universe. That's Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, bringing his intellectual prowess to the workplace. With Oppenheimer at the helm, you can be assured of strategic thinking, precision, extremely high-expectations and an office that's a scientific wonderland.

👠Barbie: Now, imagine a boss who effortlessly balances creativity, fashion-forward thinking, and a can-do attitude. That's Barbie, the iconic fashion doll who has graced countless dreamhouses and inspired generations. With Barbie as your boss, expect a vibrant workplace filled with color, empowerment, and an atmosphere where every day feels like a party.

Let the Battle Begin:

🗣️Communication Style: Oppenheimer's articulate and authoritative presence would likely make your brain melt trying to keep up. On the other hand, Barbie's enthusiastic and expressive nature brings an infectious energy that will leave you smiling.

Winner: Barbie. Her ability to inspire and connect through communication is hard to resist.

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💡Problem-Solving Skills: Oppenheimer's analytical approach can tackle any problem, analyzing data with precision. Meanwhile, Barbie's imaginative thinking allows her to find innovative solutions that make the impossible possible.

Winner: Oppenheimer. While Barbie's innovative approach would be contagious, the data don't lie.

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🏢Work Environment: Oppenheimer's lab would be a hub of intellectual rigor and collaboration, creating an atmosphere of scientific discovery. Barbie's dreamhouse, on the other hand, is a realm of creativity, empowerment, and all things pink and fabulous.

Winner: TIE. It depends on whether you prefer a scientific sanctuary or a fashion-forward utopia.

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♻️Adaptability: Oppenheimer gracefully navigates the ever-evolving world of science, adapting to new discoveries, technological advancements and political pressures. Barbie, however, reinvents herself with every role and effortlessly keeps up with the latest trends.

Winner: TIE. Both Oppenheimer and Barbie excel in adapting to the changing times.

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😊Humor: Unfortunately for Oppenheimer, he doesn't have a chance here as Barbie, with her infectious laughter and playful spirit, guarantees a workplace filled with laughter.

Winner: Barbie. Her effervescent humor wins the battle of wittiness.

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In this whimsical boss battle, Barbie emerges as the victor.👠👠👠

With her creativity, empowering nature, and infectious energy, she creates a workplace where dreams could come true. And further, Aqua never wrote a song about Oppenheimer... did they???😅

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✅Fran Drescher - Public Speaking 101

Fran Drescher, former star of the tv show The Nanny, turned SAG-Aftra union president, delivered an incredible speech last Thursday to garner support for the union's job action.

Watch the speech here.

If you ever needed an example of what good public speaking looks like, this is it. Fran hits the mark in every area:

✅Constant eye contact (she never even looks at her notes)

✅Powerful and timely body language

✅Paced speaking, timely pauses and volume changes to match emotion

✅No "umms"

✅Masterful storytelling (good versus evil)

After watching this speech it's impossible not to root for her. Once this strike is over I'm sure she'll be encouraged to pursue a career in politics.

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⌚The Best Daily Habits

Prolific tweeter Mike Lamb asked his followers what is one daily habit that every successful person should have.

Here are the top ten. (My goal over the summer is a better morning routine).

1. Focus and deep work. Time should be set aside every day for the deep work to avoid the cheap dopamine hits that lead to constant distraction.
2. Intentional goals. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
3. Morning routine. What you do in the first few hours sets the trajectory for the rest of your day.
4. Self-reflection. Learn from your past mistakes to better understand future opportunities.
5. Quality sleep. Bad sleep leads to brain pain.
6. Consistency. Do something every day that moves you towards the goals.
7. Mindfulness. Take some time to enjoy the moment.
8. Exercise. Be active daily.
9. Reading. It will always calm you down.
10. Prayer. Express gratitude and be a part of something bigger than yourself.

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😂Version Control

If I were to ever start a band it would be called Version Control.

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😎Cool Links

🗣️50 Ways to Start a Conversation with Anyone. Lots of good insights here.

🌧️The economics of making it rain. I went down a rabbit hole on cloud seeding (creating clouds that make rain) this week, and this is a great overview about the industry and the potential.

🏆How the Digital Workplace Broke Our Brains (podcast). In 1992, if you said, “I’m just going to show up at my office, and I will let the day unfold as it unfolds,” you would actually probably be OK. I mean, there were some distractions, you might spend some more time at the coffee carafe than you might want to. But ultimately, you’d think, “I don’t have much to do here sitting on my desk. All right, let me pull something out, let me work on it.” It’s really more of a contemporary issue that now we have all these different sources pulling at our attention, that if you just approach your day saying, “What do I want to work on next?” you can actually lose your whole day. And the hyperactive hive mind is why.

☕😂Is Starbucks purposely misspelling your name on the coffee cups? Yes. Yes they are.

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