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The Virtual PM

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Steve Jobs and his blind spots
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Steve Jobs and his blind spots šŸ•¶ļø {The Virtual PM Newsletter}

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, Ever heard of Steve Jobs? Yeah, the guy who revolutionized tech, design, and pretty much how we live our lives today. Yeah you probably know who he is... During the early days of Apple, Steveā€™s confidence in his vision sometimes caused him to overlook his teamā€™s concerns or misjudge what customers truly needed. Sure, his boldness brought innovation, but it also caused setbacksā€”because blind spots arenā€™t just for the...

are you double-minded?

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, Have you ever felt like youā€™re stuck between two choices, questioning every decision, and worrying about which way to go? šŸ˜µšŸ’« This ā€œdouble-mindednessā€ is something we donā€™t talk about enough in leadership, yet itā€™s so commonā€”and Iā€™ve been there myself. Itā€™s that feeling of second-guessing, of being unsure if youā€™re making the right call, and it doesnā€™t just affect youā€”it impacts everyone around you. I remember reading...

How to make people fall in love with you

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, Can I share something a bit personal? šŸ«£ For the longest time, I thought being a great communicator meant having all the right words, knowing exactly what to say, and basically being the star of every convo. I was that person who, mid-conversation, was already crafting my next brilliant response while the other person was still talking. Is this you too? It wasnā€™t until someone told me, ā€œYouā€™re such a good listener,ā€...

The Blueprint for Effortless Team Collaboration

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, According to this article by Salesforce, 86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication as a reason for workplace failures. That's HUGE. šŸ¤Æ And it's one of the reasons why I wanted to dive deep into it today. A while back, I was leading a project that seemed to have all the right ingredients: a talented team, solid objectives, and regular check-ins. But something wasnā€™t...

How to Develop Self-Awareness As A Leader

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, Okay, real talk. Have you ever walked out of a meeting thinking, "I crushed that," only to later realize... "Wait, maybe I didnā€™t?" šŸ™ƒ Same here. I once worked on a big project with a CEO, and every meeting, weā€™d leave thinking we were on the same page, only to realize later that we werenā€™t even in the same chapter. I thought we were on the same wavelength, but turns out, I was totally off. The culprit? My own lack of...

Are You Secretly Micromanaging? Hereā€™s How to Tell...

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, Ever find yourself constantly redoing tasks your team has completed because itā€™s not exactly how you wouldā€™ve done it? Been there, done that. For the longest time, I believed that if I didnā€™t have my hands on every little detail, things would fall apart. Spoiler: they didnā€™t, but my stress levels certainly soared!Let me be real with youā€”micromanaging is exhausting. And it doesnā€™t just wear you out; it holds your team...

The Learning Routine of the Worldā€™s Most Effective Leaders

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, In our last few newsletters, weā€™ve talked about the importance of continuous growth for leaders. But hereā€™s the real question: how do you actually keep learning and evolving while leading a team? I get itā€”finding the time and energy to learn something new can feel overwhelming. Thatā€™s why Iā€™m sharing five learning tactics I use to keep my mind sharp and drive innovation within my team. One thing Iā€™ve found especially...

Stop Confusing Leadership with Authority

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, Let me kickoff today's email with a story. I still remember my first leadership role back in high school at Kroger. I thought having "supervisor" in my title meant I had it all figured out. But reality set in fastā€”I learned the hard way that a title alone doesnā€™t make you a leader. Just because youā€™re in charge doesnā€™t mean people will follow you.They follow you because they want to. The biggest lesson I took from...

common leadership mistakes AI can't fix

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, I think we can all agreeā€”AI is changing the game, and it's here to stay (for good). In fact, in a Gartner 2021 survey, 69% of routine tasks typically performed by managers, such as approvals, project management, and reporting, will be fully automated by 2024, changing the nature of leadership and management roles.Despite this, a report by Forbes suggests that 91% of business leaders agree that while AI will automate...

The Leap to Leadership Coaching

Connect with Donna on LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube Hey Reader, After over two decades of project leadership, Iā€™m making a big shift. šŸš€ Iā€™ve spent years guiding teams, managing deadlines, and delivering successful projects, but one thing has become crystal clear... Leadership is the key to everything. Not just managing tasks or holding a title, but real, impactful leadership that combines soft skills, emotional intelligence, and strategy. And now, itā€™s time for me to focus on...