Why subscribe?
Because the leadership field has a bullshit problem, and you know it.
You’ve read the books with the author’s face on the cover and no references in the back. You’ve sat through the keynote about “authenticity” and “alignment.” You’ve watched the feed fill up with AI-generated wisdom from people who’ve never fired anyone, never managed up, never stood in front of a team at 6am when the plan just died.
I got tired of it. Welcome to The Updraft.
The rules here:
If I can’t cite it, I won’t claim it. I learned to read scientific literature as a grad-school chemist. Every big claim traces to a study, and the references are at the bottom of every post.
It has to be usable. A decade leading high-performance teams taught me that advice you can’t run on Tuesday is just entertainment. Field guides, checklists, and lit reviews, built to be raided and returned to.
No bullshit. I write for the people in the struggle and who want things to be better tomorrow. The ones running teams, plants, programs, and projects. Not proven (lol) leaders. Becoming ones.
At least once a week, usually more. The most important step is always the next one:
The longer game
I co-founded Kestryl Edge, where we run research-backed leadership and EQ workshops for organizations doing serious, high-consequence work. The Updraft is where I think in public and build the permanent library.
Start with the manifesto. Then go raid the field guide or the reading list. Welcome to the flock.
— Dan
