TWHS#067: 5 Quotes That Have Infected My Brain
Feb 25, 2025
Last week we released the 50th episode of the Tech World Human Skills podcast. In celebration here are 5 podcast quotes that have infected my brain and the lessons that go with them.
Here goes:
"Babe, Who Do You Think You Are? And I was like, I know"
Ep44: How To Thrive With Imposter Syndrome with Frances Nichols
Lesson: Be kind to yourself. You deserve to be where you are.
"Trusting the people that put you where you are, you know, they're not idiots. You know, you're there because people have recruited you, they've assessed you, sometimes extensively, sometimes less extensively, and they've decided that you should be there. So trust in those people and lean on them. And be kind to yourself"
Check out episode 44 for a much more detailed discussion on imposter syndrome.
"Be A Person Not A Personal Brand."
Ep26: Be A Person Not A Personal Brand with Scott Hanselman
Lesson: Don't think about a creating a brand. Be a great person and do a great job. Your reputation and brand will follow.
"People want me to do these talks on how to make a personal brand. No! Don't be a personal brand just be a person."
"You Don't Need To Tell Me How."
Ep1: Talking To The C-Suite with Tony Whitehorn
Lesson: Leaders in the C-Suite are more interested in what you want to do and why you want to do it. Too often people in tech explain too much detail. Focus on the WHAT and WHY when you're talking to senior leaders. Tony said:
"I found that tech people were getting into the detail, when it's actually unnecessary". "You are giving me confidence that you understand what the issues are, you understand what you need to do to solve those issues, i.e the solutions, but you don't need to tell me how you're going to do it - that's the key"
"70% of staff said their managers have the same impact on their wellbeing as their partner."
Ep48: How To Become A Human Leader with Nick Jemetta and Helen Joy
Lesson: As a leader, you have more impact on the wellbeing of your team than you might think. Lead with honesty, compassion and authenticity. You can still hold people to account and have high standards, but do it as a great human.
"It's a simple, business is not your friend, right?"
Ep40: The Top 5 Tips To Thrive In Corporate Tech with Dan Westley
Lesson: Organisations don't have loyalty. People have loyalty. A change of business direction, or an executive decision could result in your losing your job. Don't think the loyalty you have to a company will always be reciprocated.
"You sometimes do have to be a bit selfish because these organizations are generally not built on loyalty. They're just not because you are ultimately a way of them being a more successful business. And if unfortunately your business unit is not doing that, then ultimately the challenge you have is you could come under scrutiny or your organization could."
Well there we go. 5 microlearning nuggets. 5 quotes and lessons. And if you like those, there's loads more where that came from.
Check out the Tech World Human Skills podcast:
Hope this helps
Ben
