The 100th Zach on Leadership Article
I’ve made it to 100. I’ve been at this for two years now, writing weekly musings on technology leadership issues. On this milestone article, I believe it’s worth reflecting on why I am doing this and how it’s going.
Why
I like to write. My normal day-job requires a lot of in-person interaction, which I enjoy, but it taps my energy. Writing this blog forces me to draw inward periodically to focus my thinking and form ideas. It’s restorative for me.
Sharing my lessons learned isn’t only for you, but it’s also for me. Writing down my principles is form of accountability toward a higher way to lead. If I ever act in a way that is inconsistent with my espoused principles, my team is quick to call me on it, saying “didn’t you write a blog about that?” I write about a high-standard of leadership. I aim to live up to it every day.
I write into a void. There’s a niche that I’m fulfilling. LinkedIn is full of marketing materials and news resharing. It’s short on real stories from real practitioners. I’m harnessing the power of social media to interact with technology leaders around the globe and that’s cool.
How it’s going
Every blogger suffers from the same delusions of grandeur. Will this be the article that goes viral? When will someone important notice how cool I am? Will a big publisher ask me to write a book? All of these thoughts are hubris. I’m not a famous celebrity. I’m just a guy working at a company, trying to lead as best as I can, writing my field notes along the way. That’s worth doing in and of itself.
So if going viral and becoming famous isn’t the goal, then what is? This blog started out and continues to be my gift to the community. Leadership is hard. Leadership is also quite lonely at times. Leaders need encouragement from each other. This is my way of doing my part to pay it forward.
Looking back
It’s funny. Sometimes I pour my heart into an article and nearly no one reads it. Other times, I write something catchy and it takes off. Through the miracle of web analytics, I know exactly how many people read what I write. I thought I’d mark this 100th article with a look back to my top 10 most-read articles from the past two years. Here’s my greatest hits. If you are a new reader, then perhaps you are seeing these for the first time. If you’ve been with me for a while, check these out again. According to the all-knowing internet, this is my best material:
Here’s a Radical Concept: Interview for Jobs and Tell Your Boss About It
So You’re Telling Me There’s a Chance: The Joy of Buying Technology
The Jedi Mind Trick: How to Influence Others Without Them Knowing It
I Know This Because Tyler Knows This: Leadership Lessons from Fight Club
That’s the top 10. Did your favorite make the list? Let me know in the comments below. I hope you enjoyed the look back. I truly appreciate all of my readers, especially those that comment and share. I’ll do my best to write another 100 articles for you soon.