How to Find Your Footing in a Shifting World
Leading in today’s economy isn’t about being the loudest person in the room; it’s about having the stamina to stay present when things get messy.
We are currently watching a "harsh system reset" happen across global energy and markets, and the winners are those who can move past over-thinking and simply commit to a vision.
In this 56th edition, we share three stories of leaders who stopped waiting for 100% certainty and started building something that lasts.
Stay tuned until the end of this newsletter to catch our last week’s poll result about what truly makes our professional friendships strong!
How to Command Quiet Authority Through Honest Presence
Most of us feel pressured to act like we have all the answers, but staying silent while waiting for a "perfect" plan can leave your team feeling stranded
In our latest Life Lesson Learned stories, Tim Dickey takes us back to the 2010 Haiti earthquake to show how real authority is about showing up when things fall apart, even if you are still searching for the facts.
Here’s our key takeaways:
🔑 Look for Ways to Help, Not Just Give Orders: Leadership isn't always about your title; it’s about being in the right place to help a fellow human being.
Tim reminds us:
“Leadership really is not about kicking indoors in the military. It's about being in the right place at the right time to do the right thing.”
🔑 Get the Team Moving to Stop Over-Thinking: The biggest trap for smart leaders is "analysis paralysis"—waiting for a perfect map before taking the first step.
Tim’s strategy is to get the work started and adjust as you go:
“It’s a 'take charge, get work done, we'll adjust as we're in-flight' type of leadership.”
🔑 Use "I Don't Know" to Build Real Trust: Admitting you don't have an answer isn't a weakness; it shows you value the truth more than your own ego.
Tim notes:
“They're going to appreciate your candor and your directness and your honesty.”
💡 Did You Know?
- Optimized heavy-lift airlift networks can increase disaster aid delivery by 30% in the first 96 hours. (Guadagno et. al)
- Leaders who actively listen boost employee job satisfaction by 22% and retention by 25%. (Bravely)
- 85% of employees trust leaders who openly admit mistakes and gaps in knowledge. (Amy Gibson)
Real leadership isn't about a flawless record; it’s about having the heart to be present during a crisis and the guts to be vulnerable with your team.
Replay + Resources
📺 Watch this week’s Life Lesson Learned series in YouTube:
- Life Lesson Learned: Operation Unified Response
- Life Lesson Learned: Introverted Leadership
- Life Lesson Learned: I Don't Know is an Answer
Catch next week’s Life Lessons Learned in Tim Unscripted!
📬 Get most of the insights from Tim!
→ Company Website: Improving
→ YouTube Channel: Subscribe here!
→ LinkedIn Newsletter: The Great Inversion
How to Move from a Secure Office Job to a Visionary Energy CEO
Have you ever felt that "tug" that you were meant for more than just a steady paycheck?
In this week’s Top Voice Podcast, host Michael Lopez talks with Sharita Humphrey, who tells the story of how she left her secure government auditor job to build sustainable energy for rural communities.
Here’s our key takeaways:
🔑 Build a Safety Net So You Can Be Brave: Sharita didn't just quit on a whim; she saved two years of salary so she wouldn't have to scramble for just any client. She explains:
“I had two years of my salary saved up... because I knew entrepreneurship was scary.”
🔑 Focus on Problems That Last for Decades: Sharita’s companies, Change in Motion and Eco Power, focus on geothermal energy that can power rural towns for 30 to 50 years.
🔑 Stop Letting Your "Quiet Nature" Hold You Back: To win, Sharita had to stop seeing herself as just a "quiet introvert" and start seeing herself as the owner of a vision.
She asks every leader:
“How can you talk about the vision that you have for your business [if you hide]?”
💡 Did You Know?
- With 20% of new businesses failing in their first two years, having this "Safety Net" is a masterclass in staying alive. (Entrepreneur)
- This is a huge opportunity, as data centers are expected to double their energy use by 2026. (International Energy Agency)
Becoming a CEO isn't just a title change; it’s an identity shift where you stop being just a "team player" and start being the one who owns the future.
Replay + Resources
📺 Watch the Full Episode of “The Unexpected CEO: Leadership, Risk, and Reinvention”
- On LinkedIn
- On YouTube
Join the next episode of Top Voice Tuesday with Rakshit Kharbanda in February at 12:00 PM EST on LinkedIn Live. Register here!
📬 Get the most of the insights from our featured Top Voices in this episode!
→ Company Websites:
→ Newsletter: Friday Focus
→ YouTube Channel: Subscribe here!
→ Purchase his book “CHANGE” on Amazon!
How to Protect Your Wealth Using Blue-Chip Art Strategy
To celebrate the 100th episode of Inspired Money, Andy Wang brought together top experts to explain why the $70 billion art market is currently going through a "harsh system reset.”
They shared a simple truth:
If you want to grow wealth in art, you have to stop chasing hype and start looking for quality.
Here’s our key takeaways:
🔑 Stick with "Fortress Assets" for Long-Term Stability: In a shaky market, established names like Warhol and Picasso are safer than the high-risk world of new artists.
Philip Hoffmann (The Fine Art Group) warns against treating new talent as a financial bet:
“The emerging artists are for enjoyment, for passion, not for investment. The risk is the same as a needle in a haystack.”
Scott Lynn (Masterworks) adds that data supports this move toward predictability:
“Blue chip, we see the magnitude of changes more constrained both on the upper end of that as well as the lower end of that compared to emerging.”
🔑 Recognize the Shift Toward Historical Depth: The art market often moves like a pendulum.
Natasha Degen (Sotheby's Institute of Art) observes that the recent cooling of the market has changed investor behavior:
“The speculative euphoria around these young artists gave way to a desire to find work with more historical depth.”
Scott Nussbaum (Phillips) agrees, noting that true quality acts as a hedge against volatility:
“Quality works of art by desirable artists will always seem to outperform.”
🔑 Trust Your Eyes, But Stay Humble: While we now use AI to scan $15 billion in annual appraisals, technology cannot replace the human eye or the wisdom to know what you don't know.
Nanne Dekking (Winston Artory Group) warns that overconfidence is a collector's greatest enemy:
“Arrogance is the most complicated thing in our market because you're talking about passion, you're talking about taste... never take for granted that you know everything.”
Success in art investment isn't about a quick "flip" or following the latest hype; it’s a 7 to 10-year commitment that requires deep research and the discipline to treat art as a serious asset class.
Replay + Resources
📺 Watch the full episode of this Inspired Money episode:
- In LinkedIn
- In YouTube
Join the next episode of Inspired Money on LinkedIn and YouTube Live! Stay tuned.
🔎 Explore more from our Inspired Money host and panel of experts in this episode!
→ Company Website: Winston Artory Group
→ Company Website: The Fine Art Group
→ Company Website: Masterworks
→ Company Website: Phillips
→ Company Website: Sotheby's Institute of Art
→ Company Website: Runnymede Capital Management
→ YouTube Channel: Subscribe here!
→ LinkedIn Newsletter: Inspired Money
Last Week’s Poll Results: How to Strengthen Professional Bonds
As we celebrated Valentine’s Day last week, we looked past the romance and asked our community: "What truly makes your work relationships stronger?"
Great leadership is built on a foundation of solid relationships. The community agreed that trust and honest communication are what keep teams together.
This consensus from our community is perfectly mirrored in Tim Dickey’s leadership strategy in today’s week series.
He teaches that admitting uncertainty with a simple "I don't know" is not a sign of weakness, but a powerful way to value truth over ego, fostering the deeper professional trust and honesty that our community identifies as the core of high-impact leadership.
A special thanks to our Community Voices who voted and engaged:
This is what a community looks like. When you engage—whether through voting, commenting, or sharing—you're part of a movement of leaders committed to growth, accountability, and lifting each other up.
See the full conversation on LinkedIn
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