Training & Development

85% feel anxious stepping in front of an audience. And that’s perfectly normal. But here’s the thing: Leadership isn’t about having the loudest voice – it’s about commanding attention with confidence and clarity. Here’s how to do exactly that - even if speaking in public makes you nervous: 🔹 Grab Attention Fast You only get 10 seconds before people switch off. Skip the “Thanks for having me.” Lead with something bold, surprising, or personal. 👉 Example: “Everything you believe about leadership? It’s likely wrong.” 🔹 Command the Stage Your non-verbal cues speak before you open your mouth. Stand upright, hold eye contact, and pause intentionally. This signals authority - even if you’re nervous inside. 🔹 Slow Down and Stay Clear Anxious speakers often race through words. Slow down. Keep sentences sharp and pause often.  Remember: Impactful communication is about connection, not perfection. 🔹 Create Interaction, Not a Performance Forget memorizing scripts. Instead, invite your audience into the conversation.  👉 Example: “Who here has faced this challenge before?” 🔹 Leverage the BMW Principle True confidence = Body + Mind + Words working in harmony. BODY: Breathe, ground yourself, and use meaningful gestures. MIND: Focus on serving your audience, not impressing them. WORDS: Be clear, avoid fillers, and embrace pauses. 👉 Example: Before stepping up, pause, ground your feet, and remind yourself – they need this message. 🔹 Handle Q&A Like a Leader Q&A often derails weak communicators.  Use the ABC Technique to stay on message: A: Answer briefly. B: Bridge to your key point. C: Communicate with clarity. 🔹 Close with Impact Too many talks fade at the end. Be intentional. End with a single clear takeaway and inspire action.  👉 Example: “If you remember one thing — let it be this: [insert key idea here].” Leadership isn’t about loving public speaking. It’s about making people listen. 💡 What’s your best tip for owning the room? Share it below ⬇️ 📌 Follow me, Oliver Aust, for daily leadership communication insights that make people listen.

Even though I’m a much better Python than JavaScript developer, with AI assistance, I’ve been writing a lot of JavaScript code recently. AI-assisted coding, including vibe coding, is making specific programming languages less important, even though learning one is still helpful to make sure you understand the key concepts. This is helping many developers write code in languages we’re not familiar with, which lets us get code working in many more contexts! My background is in machine learning engineering and back-end development, but AI-assisted coding is making it easy for me to build front-end systems (the part of a website or app that users interact with) using JavaScript (JS) or TypeScript (TS), languages that I am weak in. Generative AI is making syntax less important, so we can all simultaneously be Python, JS, TS, C++, Java, and even Cobol developers. Perhaps one day, instead of being “Python developers" or “C++ developers,” many more of us will just be “developers”! But understanding the concepts behind different languages is still important. That’s why learning at least one language like Python still offers a great foundation for prompting LLMs to generate code in Python and other languages. If you move from one programming language to another that carries out similar tasks but with different syntax — say, from JS to TS, or C++ to Java, or Rust to Go — once you’ve learned the first set of concepts, you’ll know a lot of the concepts needed to prompt an LLM to code in the second language. (Although TensorFlow and PyTorch are not programming languages, learning the concepts of deep learning behind TensorFlow will also make it much easier to get an LLM to write PyTorch code for you, and vice versa!) In addition, you’ll be able to understand much of the generated code (perhaps with a little LLM assistance). Different programming languages reflect different views of how to organize computation, and understanding the concepts is still important. For example, someone who does not understand arrays, dictionaries, caches, and memory will be less effective at getting an LLM to write code in most languages. Similarly, a Python developer who moves toward doing more front-end programming with JS would benefit from learning the concepts behind front-end systems. For example, if you want an LLM to build a front end using the React framework, it will benefit you to understand how React breaks front ends into reusable UI components, and how it updates the DOM data structure that determines what web pages look like. This lets you prompt the LLM much more precisely, and helps you understand how to fix issues if something goes wrong. Similarly, if you want an LLM to help you write code in CUDA or ROCm, it helps to understand how GPUs organize compute and memory. [Reached length limit; full text: https://lnkd.in/dS_buaTu ]

After spending three decades in the aerospace industry, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is for different sectors to learn from each other. We no longer can afford to stay stuck in our own bubbles. Take the aerospace industry, for example. They’ve been looking at how car manufacturers automate their factories to improve their own processes. And those racing teams? Their ability to prototype quickly and develop at a breakneck pace is something we can all learn from to speed up our product development. It’s all about breaking down those silos and embracing new ideas from wherever we can find them. When I was leading the Scorpion Jet program, our rapid development – less than two years to develop a new aircraft – caught the attention of a company known for razors and electric shavers. They reached out to us, intrigued by our ability to iterate so quickly, telling me "you developed a new jet faster than we can develop new razors..." They wanted to learn how we managed to streamline our processes. It was quite an unexpected and fascinating experience that underscored the value of looking beyond one’s own industry can lead to significant improvements and efficiencies, even in fields as seemingly unrelated as aerospace and consumer electronics. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s more important than ever for industries to break out of their silos and look to other sectors for fresh ideas and processes. This kind of cross-industry learning not only fosters innovation but also helps stay competitive in a rapidly changing market. For instance, the aerospace industry has been taking cues from car manufacturers to improve factory automation. And the automotive companies are adopting aerospace processes for systems engineering. Meanwhile, both sectors are picking up tips from tech giants like Apple and Google to boost their electronics and software development. And at Siemens, we partner with racing teams. Why? Because their knack for rapid prototyping and fast-paced development is something we can all learn from to speed up our product development cycles. This cross-pollination of ideas is crucial as industries evolve and integrate more advanced technologies. By exploring best practices from other industries, companies can find innovative new ways to improve their processes and products. After all, how can someone think outside the box, if they are only looking in the box? If you are interested in learning more, I suggest checking out this article by my colleagues Todd Tuthill and Nand Kochhar where they take a closer look at how cross-industry learning are key to developing advanced air mobility solutions. https://lnkd.in/dK3U6pJf

Louder for the people at the back 🎤 Many organisations today seem to have shifted from being institutions that develop great talent to those that primarily seek ready-made talent. This trend overlooks the immense value of individuals who, despite lacking experience, possess a great attitude, commitment, and a team-oriented mindset. These qualities often outweigh the drawbacks of hiring experienced individuals with a fixed and toxic mindset. The best organisations attract talent with their best years ahead of them, focusing on potential rather than past achievements. Let’s be clear this is more about mindset and willingness to learn and unlearn as apposed to age. To realise the incredible potential return, organisations must commit to creating an environment where continuous development is possible. This requires a multi-faceted approach: 1. Robust Training Programmes: Employers should invest in comprehensive training programmes that equip employees with the necessary skills for their roles. This includes on-the-job training, mentorship programmes, online courses, and workshops. 2. Redefining Hiring Criteria: Organisations should revise their hiring criteria to focus more on candidates’ potential and willingness to learn rather than solely on prior experience or formal qualifications. Behavioural interviews, aptitude tests, and probationary periods can help assess a candidate's ability to learn and adapt. 3. Partnerships with Educational Institutions: Companies can collaborate with educational institutions to design curricula that align with industry needs. Apprenticeship programmes, internships, and cooperative education can bridge the gap between academic learning and practical job skills. 4. Lifelong Learning Culture: Encouraging a culture of lifelong learning within organisations is crucial. Employers should provide ongoing education opportunities and support for professional development. This includes continuous skills assessment and access to resources for upskilling and reskilling. 5. Inclusive Recruitment Practices: Employers should implement inclusive recruitment practices that remove biases and barriers. Blind recruitment, diversity quotas, and targeted outreach programmes can help ensure that diverse candidates are given a fair chance. By implementing these measures, organisations can develop a workforce that is adaptable, innovative, and resilient, ensuring sustainable success and growth.

A recent Huberman Lab guest (their episode will be released soon) who is a world expert on memory teaches that genuine curiosity significantly ramps up levels of neural activity in human brain circuits that release dopamine, which in turn allows deeper, more stable learning. This makes sense and yet is an often overlooked aspect of “increasing dopamine” for the sake of learning and plasticity. I’m not a big fan of most prescription approaches to dopamine augmentation unless there is a clinical need. Curiosity, however, is something we can all leverage.

A learning culture is not built by offering more training. It emerges where curiosity, connection, and purpose intersect. Andrew Barry, in The Curious Lion, describes learning culture as a lotus where several forces overlap. I find this framing helpful because it moves the conversation beyond HR programs and into the fabric of the organization. At the individual level, there is curiosity. People must feel invited to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and explore. Without individual curiosity, learning remains compliance. At the organizational level, there is mission. Learning needs direction. When people understand what the company stands for and where it is going, their curiosity becomes focused rather than scattered. At the relational level, there is human connection. Learning accelerates in environments where people feel safe to speak, experiment, and reflect together. The fourth circle is continuous learning. Learning must be ongoing, not episodic. Not a workshop, but a way of operating. Continuous learning ensures that curiosity, mission, and connection reinforce each other over time rather than fading after the latest initiative. When these circles overlap, deeper elements emerge: Shared vision aligns effort. Shared experiences create collective memory. Shared assumptions shape how reality is interpreted. Shared stories transmit meaning across generations. At the center sits what we call learning culture. Not an initiative, but a pattern of how people think, relate, and evolve together. The question for leaders is not, “Do we offer learning opportunities?” It is, “Do curiosity, mission, and connection truly reinforce each other continuously in our organization?” That is where learning becomes cultural rather than occasional.

I was embarrassed when we onboarded new hires. I don't have fancy collateral. No welcome videos. No searchable database. Just a bunch of Google Docs. (And a lot of my time) When I hired our first employee, I gave them these docs as part of their onboarding. I apologized that I didn’t have something fancier for them. Mentioned how we're a start-up with limited resources. But they told me they were amazed at the level of detail. And they wished they had something like that in their previous jobs. They came from a big company so my first thought was: "There's no way that's true." "They are probably used to more robust onboarding." But then our 2nd hire said the same thing. Then the 3rd. And so on. Even people outside my company applauded our process. My key takeaways: ➟ Many companies don't prioritize onboarding properly. ➟ You don't need flashy tools to set up new hires for success. Just provide the right information in a clear, organized way. Important elements of good onboarding: • Clear documentation covering roles, expectations, processes • A structured timeline for taking in information • Assigning a mentor to provide guidance • Scheduled check-ins to address questions It’s easy to assume more complexity means better onboarding. But from my experience, the basics done right go a long way. What do you think makes for an effective onboarding experience? Share below ⬇ ---- P.S. If this resonated with you, ♻ reshare to your network

90% of negotiations are won before anyone sits down. (The other 10% is just theater.) Yet most CEOs walk in knowing only what they want. Not what the other side can't live without. Here's what I learned from watching hundreds of deals: 💡 The first offer trap: Everyone thinks starting low shows good faith. But behavioral science proves the opposite. Your first number anchors the entire conversation. Start high with clear justification, and you've already won half the battle. Start low? You'll spend hours fighting to get back to fair. 💡 The silence most CEOs can't handle: That awkward pause after you state your price? Most leaders rush to fill it with justifications or concessions. But silence is your most powerful tool. Let them break it. They'll either accept, counter, or reveal what's really blocking the deal. All 3 responses give you information. Your nervous chatter gives you nothing. 💡 The alignment mistake that kills deals: I've seen CEOs negotiate brilliantly for weeks. Then their CFO kills it with one email. Get your team aligned before you start, not after. Every stakeholder should know the walk-away point. Mixed signals from your side create openings they'll exploit. 💡 The pushback moment that matters: When they push hard, your instinct is to push back. But "Tell me more about that" changes everything. It turns confrontation into collaboration. And often reveals the real issue hiding behind the objection. 💡 The fatigue factor nobody admits: After 6 hours, you're not negotiating anymore. You're just trying to end the pain. That's when bad deals happen. Know when to pause. Protect your standards. The deal will still be there tomorrow. Master these moments, and you'll close more deals at better terms. With relationships intact for the next one. P.S. Want a PDF of my "CEO Negotiation Cheat Sheet" Get it free: https://lnkd.in/dzhqxTXs ♻️ Repost to help a CEO in your network. Follow Eric Partaker for more negotiation insights. — 📢 Want to lead like a world-class CEO? Our next cohort of the CEO Accelerator starts July 23rd. 30+ Founders & CEOs have already enrolled. Learn more and apply today: https://lnkd.in/disb2iSq

In 2008, Michael Phelps won Olympic GOLD - completely blind. The moment he dove in, his goggles filled with water. But he kept swimming. Most swimmers would’ve fallen apart. Phelps didn’t - because he had trained for chaos, hundreds of times. His coach, Bob Bowman, would break his goggles, remove clocks, exhaust him deliberately. Why? Because when you train under stress, performance becomes instinct. Psychologists call this stress inoculation. When you expose yourself to small, manageable stress: - Your amygdala (fear centre) becomes less reactive. - Your prefrontal cortex (logic centre) stays calmer under pressure. Phelps had rehearsed swimming blind so often that it felt normal. He knew the stroke count. He hit the wall without seeing it. And won GOLD by 0.01 seconds. The same science is why: - Navy SEALs tie their hands and practice underwater survival. - Astronauts simulate system failures in zero gravity. - Emergency responders train inside burning buildings. And you can build it too. Here’s how: ✅ Expose yourself to small discomforts. Take cold showers. Wake up 30 minutes earlier. Speak up in meetings. The goal is to build confidence that you can handle hard things. ✅ Use quick stress resets. Try cyclic sighing: Inhale deeply through your nose. Take a second small inhale. Exhale slowly through your mouth. Repeat 3-5 times to calm your system fast. ✅ Strengthen emotional endurance. Instead of avoiding difficult conversations, hard tasks, or feedback - lean into them. Facing small emotional challenges trains you for bigger ones later. ✅ Celebrate small victories. Every time you stay calm, adapt, or keep going under pressure - recognise it. These tiny wins are building your mental "muscle memory" for resilience. As a new parent, I know my son Krish will face his own "goggles-filled-with-water" moments someday. So the best I can do is model resilience myself. Because resilience isn’t gifted - it’s trained. And when you train your brain for chaos, you can survive anything. So I hope you do the same. If this made you pause, feel free to repost and share the thought. #healthandwellness #mentalhealth #stress

Sustainability in Supply Chains A guide for private markets investors 🌍 Private markets investors face increasing pressure to integrate sustainability into supply chain management. This guide by PRI explains why supply chain due diligence is essential and how investors can embed it across the investment cycle to safeguard assets, reduce risks, and capture value. Supply chain risks, ranging from human rights abuses to environmental violations, have become financially material issues with direct implications for investor performance, regulatory compliance, and reputation. Human rights concerns are significant. Forced labour affects an estimated 28 million people worldwide, with rising risks in major sourcing countries such as India, Vietnam, China, Mexico and the United States. Migrant workers are particularly vulnerable, while child labour remains prevalent in high-risk industries and regions. Working conditions also present serious challenges. Excessive hours, unsafe workplaces and poor wages undermine the stability of global supply chains. These issues are concentrated in industries such as apparel, electronics, food and agriculture, construction materials and mining where oversight is often limited. Environmental risks add complexity. Nearly half of global sourcing markets face high or extreme risk of violations related to waste management, emissions and hazardous materials. Biodiversity loss and deforestation linked to commodities such as palm oil, soy and timber increase exposure to both regulatory and operational disruptions. Regulatory requirements are tightening worldwide. The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, the US Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act and the EU Deforestation Regulation compel companies and investors to identify, mitigate and report risks throughout their supply chains. Failure to comply carries financial consequences. Volkswagen shipments were detained at US ports, Shein faced delays in listing plans due to sourcing concerns and companies in Germany were investigated and fined for breaches of the Supply Chain Act. These examples show how supply chain management is now a strategic necessity. Proactive due diligence creates opportunities. Companies with strong supply chain transparency and risk management can secure contracts, improve resilience, reduce costs and strengthen their brand. Investors can leverage these practices to enhance portfolio performance and protect value at exit. The guide explains that due diligence should be present at every stage of the investment cycle. This includes governance and policies, early screening, detailed risk assessments, legal agreements, active engagement, monitoring and exit planning. Clear roles, data systems and training are critical. Integrating sustainability into supply chain due diligence strengthens both risk management and value creation. #sustainability #business #sustainable #esg