The genius of Zappos founder Tony Hsieh, who died last week, was his ability to create a culture that cared for employees and customers, writes friend Sarah Lacy. She compares Hseih to Willy Wonka for his inventiveness, camaraderie and because he "lived to surprise and delight people at every turn." Full Story: LinkedIn (11/28)
How to create communities that welcome the world People want to feel part of a group, but groups need leadership or else they become divisive, run by fear and devoid of truth, writes Susan Fowler. "More than ever, we need moral leaders with the awareness and ability to create tribes that thrive through choice, connection and competence -- not just for the sake of the tribe, but for the world that encompasses the tribe," she writes. Full Story: SmartBrief/Leadership (11/25)
The hiring manager will not see you now Job interviews are increasingly being conducted with the interview answering video questions on their own time or by writing out responses to scenarios. These asynchronous techniques not only save time for recruiters, who spend a lot of time scheduling interviews, but can reduce bias in hiring. Full Story: The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (11/27)
POLL QUESTION: Have you done a nontraditional interview?
Amazon's workforce has nearly doubled over last year, adding nearly 1,400 workers a day, to 1.25 million global employees -- and that doesn't include the 100,000 seasonal employees this holiday. The company now has created more jobs in the U.S. than any other company in the past 10 years. Full Story: Fox Business (11/27)
Balancing Yourself
Psychologists offer tips for staying mentally healthy Psychologists have been busy researching the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of people around the world and finding methods to help them maintain a healthy mindset, Psychology Today reports. Some of their findings include the need to practice self-control to be able to maintain productive routines; the benefits of a positive mindset in preventing COVID-19-based stress; and a number of effective coping strategies. Full Story: Psychology Today (11/25)
This might turn out to be the sequel to "American Animals," the movie about the bungled 2004 theft of John James Audubon's "The Birds of America" by hapless students at Transylvania University in Lexington, Ky. After searching for nearly 20 years among the 130 miles of shelved books at Cambridge University, the head librarian has classified several of Darwin's notebooks as stolen rather than misplaced. Full Story: The Hill (11/25)
Sharing SmartBrief on Your Career with your network keeps the quality of content high and these newsletters free.
Open, honest communication is the best foundation for any relationship, but remember that at the end of the day it's not what you say or what you do, but how you make people feel that matters the most.
Tony Hsieh, entrepreneur, former CEO of Zappos 1973-2020
SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - Browse our portfolio
