Elevate Simply

In my experience… problem-solvers are a leader’s secret weapon

In a previous role I had accountability for quality-engineering (aka testing) at a software company. Our job was to find defects in the...

Brett Simpson

Oct 9, 20193 min read

In my experience…adaptability is a differentiator

I had the good fortune of securing my first job out of graduate school midway through the second and final year. Receiving and accepting...

Brett Simpson

Oct 3, 20193 min read

In my experience…(sincere) invitations change lives

I admire people who appear comfortable in any situation. They walk into a room and seem to know exactly what they’re doing by easily...

Brett Simpson

Sep 26, 20192 min read

In my experience…resource management requires foresight

I was watching a soccer game the other day (unsurprisingly), observing the various people involved…athletes, coaches and referees. They...

Brett Simpson

Sep 20, 20193 min read

In my experience…Perspective matters

I was at a collegiate soccer match recently and crossed paths with the winning coach afterward. I said, “Good game, coach”, because...

Brett Simpson

Sep 12, 20193 min read

In my experience…Role can be different than title

My daughters played soccer for many years and on several occasions switched teams. With each move came the angst about what position...

Brett Simpson

Sep 6, 20193 min read

In my experience…persistence is a virtue

I enjoy hearing about the life journeys other people take and how they arrived at today, regardless of profession, age, background,...

Brett Simpson

Aug 29, 20192 min read

In my experience…effective communication starts with listening

Leaders have a natural tendency to be problem-solvers. This is part of what makes them leaders. Their ability to manage a multitude of...

Brett Simpson

Aug 22, 20194 min read

In my experience…leadership is rarely an individual effort

Early in my career one of my goals was to manage people. That was a goal for two reasons. First, the ability to manage people was...

Brett Simpson

Aug 14, 20193 min read

In my experience…goal-setting works

Even though I’ve done a million things, there are a million more I want to do. Some of the things I’ve done have been planned and others...

Brett Simpson

Aug 7, 20193 min read

In my experience…finding balance is about control

If I’m passionate about something, I have a high threshold for energy that I’m willing to dedicate to it. I’m essentially all-in, which...

Brett Simpson

Aug 1, 20192 min read

In my experience…receiving feedback is a skill

Performance reviews were a huge deal early in my career. They happened formally once a year and determined my raise, bonus,...

Brett Simpson

Jul 25, 20193 min read

In my experience…naiveté is a competitive advantage

The benefit of experience is assumed to be that it leads to knowledge, better decision-making and even confidence. Those gray hairs and...

Brett Simpson

Jul 19, 20192 min read

In my experience…everyone is a brand

I created my first resume in college when looking for internships. I wish I still had it although I’d probably cringe or laugh reading...

Brett Simpson

Jul 10, 20193 min read

In my experience…survival requires simplification

We’re all managers, even if that’s not what it says on our business cards. We manage time, relationships, health and money. We also...

Brett Simpson

Jul 5, 20193 min read

In my experience…status reports are soul-crushing progress-killers

Status reporting is a way of life in most organizations. It seems like everything is tracked all the time. I’ve seen thousands of...

Brett Simpson

Jun 27, 20194 min read

In my experience…paying it forward works

When was the last time someone helped you? When was the last time you helped someone? Hopefully the answers are easy to come by and...

Brett Simpson

Jun 20, 20192 min read

In my experience…insight should address three questions

Learning is an outcome of work. I learn from every project I work on and every team I work with. The ideal result of learning is...

Brett Simpson

Jun 13, 20192 min read

In my experience…there’s not enough of the right communication

Our lives are filled with communication, yet that communication seems incomplete. I see this all the time in organizations. They have...

Brett Simpson

Jun 6, 20193 min read

In my experience…limitations are opportunities

In a recent conversation with a colleague I realized my natural tendency is to look for limitations in ideas, strategies and operations...

Brett Simpson

May 30, 20192 min read

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In my experience… problem-solvers are a leader’s secret weapon

In my experience…adaptability is a differentiator

In my experience…(sincere) invitations change lives

In my experience…resource management requires foresight

In my experience…Perspective matters

In my experience…Role can be different than title

In my experience…persistence is a virtue

In my experience…effective communication starts with listening

In my experience…leadership is rarely an individual effort

In my experience…goal-setting works

In my experience…finding balance is about control

In my experience…receiving feedback is a skill

In my experience…naiveté is a competitive advantage

In my experience…everyone is a brand

In my experience…survival requires simplification

In my experience…status reports are soul-crushing progress-killers

In my experience…paying it forward works

In my experience…insight should address three questions

In my experience…there’s not enough of the right communication

In my experience…limitations are opportunities