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Hi Reader, Welcome to Your Dose of Mana — a quick, weekly note with: Perspective is Everything 1 Real Story Every week — well, honestly, almost every day — my friend Gary sends me one or more of his doodles. It’s often the brightest part of my day. So, I savor it. I look. I notice what jumps out at me first… and then what shows up when I look again. I wonder about the inspiration behind each doodle and share my thoughts with him. The other day, I asked him about his inspiration behind one of them. He said, “It’s whatever you feel and see. It’s not a test.” That’s when it clicked. It’s a parallel to leadership. Because when you look at one of his doodles, there’s no single “right” interpretation. What you see depends on how you look at it. The lines, the shapes, the chaos, the order — all of it is there at once. The meaning comes from what you notice, what you focus on, and what context you bring with you. That’s exactly how leadership works. 1 Leadership Insight Leadership challenges aren’t neatly labeled as people problems, product problems, or strategy problems. They’re interpretation problems. Two leaders can look at the same situation — the same team dynamics, the same data, the same tension — and see entirely different things. One sees noise. One reacts to what’s loud. Great leaders do what art asks of us: They consider the context of their organization. They don’t just “do their jobs.” That ability — to see complexity without oversimplifying it — is what separates leaders who hold a role from leaders who truly lead. 1 Practical Takeaway The next time you’re facing a challenge, think about it the way you’d approach a doodle. First, ask yourself: Then, just as importantly, ask someone else: Not to test them. Because just like with Gary’s doodles, a different perspective can completely change what stands out — the shapes, the patterns, the meaning. Leadership isn’t about landing on the “correct” answer. And sometimes, a simple doodle is all the reminder we need. 1 Dose of Art A little whimsy. A little joy. A little doodle.
Flick me an email and tell me what you see! Doodle by Gary Schechner, 1/25/26 Even though this is a “mass email” I mean it when I say—let me know what you are up to. Reply, book a Zoom, pick up the phone. I’d love to catch up. And if leadership, culture, or people challenges are taking up too much brain space lately— Thanks for letting me show up in your inbox. More joy. Less friction. Always. |