Welcome to the second full week of 2025 and your new Thursday edition of “The Pursuit” newsletter. Here’s what you need to know in under 2 minutes…

What tech leaders should be thinking about this week: Uncovering opportunities to set a higher-bar. Our culture is great at defining (and measuring) performance. But outside of sales organizations, more tech leaders need to specify (and showcase) what “great” is for their teams. To build a truly engaged team, individuals will thrive when they know what outcomes exceed expectations and how to get there through best-in-class behaviors. Managers, don’t forget to ask yourself these questions as well!

Why this is important: According to the “Fixable” podcast with Francis Frei and Anne Morriss, the way to bring out the best in others (a demonstrate your own leadership capabilities) is by showing both devotion to the individual/team’s success AND setting a high-bar of achievement. Across tech teams, individual contributors who want to create impact (and/or get promoted) are looking for cultures that exceed in both areas. This is especially true during the early part of the calendar year, when folks are creating resolutions to excel both personally and professionally.

Simple “Go-Do’s” for tech leaders/performers: Take 15 minutes and ask yourself the following questions to ensure you’re defining both “good” and “great” for you and your team(s):

• What projects + initiatives have a clear opportunity to be “great” and what’s a better set of KPIs (and timing!) to demonstrate this high-bar?
• Who’s doing “great” work now, and how can I incorporate their winning “what” & “how” into my work or team?
• How will I demonstrate this greater impact to my leadership team (up), my peers (across) and folks reporting to me (down)?

Value Add – Additional ways to show-up as a leader: We have our first three-day (holiday) weekend coming-up. If more “balance” and/or “health” is on your 2025 resolutions list, this is a perfect opportunity for some practice. This weekend:

• Let your team know that no work is expected over the holiday weekend/Monday. You need to follow this rule, too!
• Discover something new to do on Monday that can contribute to the experience of others (ideas: volunteer, read a leadership book, get your family outside, etc.)
• Incorporate “So how did you spend the weekend?” into your team meetings next week and be ready to answer that question yourself!

Know someone who’s looking for quick/easy ways to show-up better as a tech leader/performer? Forward them this mail or sign them up at the bottom of the Engaged Pursuit homepage.

Here’s to your (new & improved) Engaged Pursuit!