To combat remote work isolation, Atlassian designates one team member per week as the "Chief Vibes Officer" (CVO). This person's job is to inject fun and connection through activities like posting prompts in Slack. This simple ritual builds social bridges, leading to higher trust and better problem-solving.

A key leadership paradox is having the most communication channels but receiving the most filtered information, as people avoid sharing bad news. To get the truth, leaders must create a "listening infrastructure" by cultivating trusted confidants and actively rewarding those who deliver difficult news.

Goldcast's CMO structures her week to serve her team: a strategic leadership sync, 1-on-1s framed as "how can I help remove blockers?", and no-agenda skip-level meetings to gather unfiltered feedback. This leadership model prioritizes enabling the team over top-down status updates.

Some CEOs encourage tension between sales and marketing. A more effective model is for the CRO and CMO to build enough trust to handle all disagreements—like lead quality or follow-up—behind closed doors. This prevents a culture of finger-pointing and presents a united front to leadership.

As leaders rise, direct reports are less likely to provide challenging feedback, creating an executive bubble. To get unfiltered information, leaders should schedule regular one-on-ones with employees several levels down the org chart with the express purpose of listening, not dictating.

The CMO found the barrage of social media comments and unsolicited expert advice to be confusing and frustrating. He made a conscious decision to turn off professional networks like LinkedIn, allowing him to focus on hard data and lead his team without emotional distraction.

To break down silos, leaders should encourage teams to "move as a group." This means using shared, informal communication channels like group texts to brainstorm and tackle challenges collectively in real-time, rather than having individual members work in isolation.

The CMO role has shifted from a top-down "ivory tower" approver to a servant leader. The primary goal is to create an environment of psychological safety where even the most junior person can say, "I think you got it wrong," which ultimately leads to bolder and better ideas.

Senior leaders, like managing partners and CEOs, often carry significant burdens they cannot share with their teams or even their families. This creates a profound sense of isolation, highlighting the need for a trusted, confidential advisor.