The Quiet Operator

The Quiet Operator

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Naming What Doesn’t Exist (Yet)

In fast-moving companies, naming something might seem like a small act—just semantics. But in practice, it’s one of the most powerful tools we have. Naming creates identity. Identity creates motivation. And in ambiguous environments, identity is what gives people something to align to when the path isn’t

The Connector’s Advantage: Bringing Calm to Chaos

The best way to describe what I do in moments of ambiguity is this: I create clarity without taking control. At GitHub, I’ve often stepped into what I call “the grey”—spaces where decision-making is fuzzy, ownership is unclaimed, and good people are spinning because no one has defined

Showing Up Steady When Work Is Messy

The first time a CEO left GitHub, my boss did too. I was Chief of Staff, and suddenly, everything I was building felt like it had been swept off the table. I didn’t know what I wanted next. I wasn’t a manager yet. I had no roadmap, no

You Can’t Steer a Parked Car

Managers often wait for perfect clarity before making a move—but in reality, clarity is what emerges because you move. Leadership isn’t about having a map; it’s about taking the first step on behalf of others. It’s about trusting your instincts, acting in service of the work,

No Headquarters, No Problem: Behind GitHub’s Remote Work Culture

When the world went remote in 2020, most companies scrambled to figure out how to make it work—logistics, tech, schedules. At GitHub, we were already distributed. But even with a head start, the sudden shift still demanded something deeper: clarity. Intention. Shared understanding. And someone had to write it

When No One Owns It, You Probably Do: Leading in the Gaps

There’s a moment in every fast-moving organization where something clearly matters—yet no one seems to own it. It’s not on a roadmap. It’s not in a charter. And still, it lingers: unfinished, unclaimed, and increasingly urgent. I’ve come to see these moments not as accidents,