5 Things / Humility
This week I had some important conversations with my team about the future of our little company, where we’re going, and what we have to do to get there. As a CEO and leader, I’m making big decisions and taking massive risks. It’s scary but it’s less scary when I admit how scary it is, and when my team shares their fears, too – and we all move forward anyway with humility and our shared sense of purpose.
I was reminded this week that sometimes big risks don’t pay off. Layoffs and hiring slowdowns have hit tech. What we’re now seeing crystal clear is that there’s a right way and a wrong way to reduce the workforce. Shopify laid off 1000 employees - and did so with humanity and compassion.
In the letter to the team, CEO Tobi Lütke was transparent about the mistakes that were made that led to the staff reduction: Ultimately, placing this bet was my call to make and I got this wrong. Now, we have to adjust. As a consequence, we have to say goodbye to some of you today and I’m deeply sorry for that.
Lütke also gave departing employees some generous perks beyond severance pay, including still paying for internet, money for new hardware, and organizing and distributing a list of employees looking for work.
To those remaining employees, Lütke reiterated the company’s purpose: Our customers are merchants, entrepreneurs, and small business owners - the bedrock of our economy and precisely those that are typically hit hardest during recessions. Most are already feeling it. We again have a clear objective in these challenging macro-economic times, and we will use everything we’ve got to help them succeed and come out stronger. That’s our core mission.
This matters because it shows humility. The CEO, in admitting his failures, also models a way to create psychological safety.
Here are other good vibes I found this week:
2. VP Aims for Inclusivity: “I Am Kamala Harris. My Pronouns Are She and Her, and I Am a Woman Sitting at the Table Wearing a Blue Suit.”
This week Vice President Kamala Harris introduced herself by saying, “I am Kamala Harris. My pronouns are she and her, and I am a woman sitting at the table wearing a blue suit.” Yes, this introduction was to a roundtable for disability advocates, and yes, it was mocked by some. But, this matters because providing visual descriptions benefits those who are visually impaired to ensure that everyone can have context that sighted people may experience visually. This is something I’m going to remember to do before future talks.
3. Disney Replaces ‘Fairy Godmothers’ Title at Parks With Gender-Neutral ‘Apprentices’
The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disney Parks, where children can play dress-up with the help of Disney cast members, is reopening after Covid. One change, though: cast members who work there will no longer be referred to as Fairy Godmothers in Training, but rather Fairy Godmothers Apprentices. Previously all employees, even men, at the store were referred to as Fairy Godmothers in Training. The inclusive switch to “apprentice” is just one more thing Disney has done to be gender-inclusive and matters because gender doesn’t matter in this, and many, many, many other contexts.
4. Pottery Barn Debuts 150+ Pieces of Furniture for People With Disabilities
Pottery Barn has redesigned 150+ products for an accessible home. The products include everything from mirrors that tilt so people in wheelchairs can better see themselves, to armchairs with a Powerlift feature to enable users to get out of the chair, to desks that can fit a wheelchair. The collection was curated with support from Disability Education and Advocacy Network, which is led by people with disabilities, and designers who specialize in designing for disabilities. Most notably, these products are the same price as the original version of the products. This matters because everyone should be able to enjoy that beautiful furniture.
5. HSBC Offers Gender-Neutral Banking in Inclusivity Bid
HSBC Bank UK is going as gender-free as possible. The bank removed references and requests for gender in some of its products including bank account and mortgage products, and has removed the labels “husband” and “wife” and replaced them with “spouse.” It’s also simplified its procedures for changing names to make things simpler for transgender customers. This matters because it reflects our shift towards slightly more post-gender Western cultures.
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