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Earlier this week, communities around the world observed World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. It’s a day to honor those we’ve lost and recommit ourselves to preventing future tragedies. As someone who’s worked in the transportation industry for more than 25 years, I come at this topic as an insider. You may have heard the term Vision Zero in local political campaigns or public safety PSAs. Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all severe crashes. It’s not just a marketing campaign, it’s an approach to road safety that begins with this basic understanding: Severe motor vehicle crashes are preventable. The status quo believes the fantasy that traffic violence is inevitable. That there’s nothing we can do. The truth is, we can prevent severe crashes. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"","headline":"Urbanism Speakeasy","description":"Join Andy Boenau as he explores ideas that the infrastructure status quo would rather keep quiet. To learn more, visit urbanismspeakeasy.com.","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.urbanismspeakeasy.com\/","colorTheme":"green","redirectUrl":""}} Every day, another 100 families are grieving the loss of a loved one. Every day, thousands of families are dealing with medical bills, physical therapy, loss of work, loss of mobility. Vision Zero is the strategy to end this pain and suffering. It’s a wildly different approach from the status quo in two major ways: First, people make mistakes. A transportation system needs to be designed so that when people do make mistakes, it doesn’t result in a death or serious injury. Second, safety is multidisciplinary. People are influenced by more than just street design. In Richmond, Virginia, 1 in 12 residents is dealing with a combination of substance abuse and mental health disorders. And then they get behind the wheel of a car. In other words, Vision Zero is a practical strategy to save lives that’s based on understanding human nature. So if we know how to fix this crisis, why isn’t culture changing? It’s because the average person needs to hear the personal stories about the victims of traffic violence. The power of emotion Any historian or psychologist will tell you that facts alone don’t move humans to action. Emotion moves us. It’s hard to admit, because on some level we all want to think of ourselves as rational and logical creatures. But it’s when we get emotionally attached to something that we take action. That might sound overwhelming, but let me give you an example of how culture changed just in my lifetime, and not at all based on logic. In a 10-year period, about 13 Americans died from peanut allergies. Each one of those cases was tragic. But in that same 10-year period, more than 400,000 Americans were killed in traffic crashes. And that’s not even counting the millions injured. Compare 13 deaths from a chemical reaction in the body versus 400,000 deaths from preventable crashes. An entire generation of kids was led to believe that peanuts might send one of their classmates to the hospital. The peanut became a bogeyman in neighborhoods across the country. Now you can’t get a bag of peanuts near a school, or a soccer game, or a birthday party, or even on some airplanes. In a very short period of time, America mobilized for a Peanut Vision Zero. Change is possible Im telling you this not to mock people who have to be careful around nuts, but to tell you our culture is capable of radical change in a short period of time. So when it comes to road safety: We have the data explaining whats causing tragedies. We have the engineering and enforcement solutions to prevent tragedies. We can change culture. We can stop the tragedies. Whatever your background, your economic status, your education level, your job statusyou’re a human being who interacts with other human beings. Get people emotionally connected to the impacts of traffic violence. There are many ways you might choose to do that. Maybe its playing a short video at a PTA meeting of a heartbroken parent talking about their child who was lost in a preventable crash. Maybe its inviting a survivor whos dealing with life-altering injuries to speak at a local forum. No severe crash is acceptable. If you truly believe that, youll drive carefully and youll be the person in your friend group whos always pressing on others to drive carefully. We’ve seen culture change in small and large ways. We can do this together. We can reduce life-altering crashes down to zero. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"","headline":"Urbanism Speakeasy","description":"Join Andy Boenau as he explores ideas that the infrastructure status quo would rather keep quiet. To learn more, visit urbanismspeakeasy.com.","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.urbanismspeakeasy.com\/","colorTheme":"green","redirectUrl":""}}
Category:
E-Commerce
Your new boss didnt even offer you a glass of water? my mother had questioned me in disbelief. After how many interviews? You should not take that job. I am telling you not to take that job. I had received a call from a recruiter to interview with one of the biggest beauty brands in the world. This was my chance to catapult my career into a company that didnt often have job openings at my level, but didnt have the best Glassdoor reviews. And I didnt have time to ask too many questions. The recruiter had given me 48 hours notice to come in and do interviews. I had shared with my mother that I did close to a dozen in-person interviews, 30 minutes each, back-to-back. During those interviews, no one ever offered me a glass of water. Not the recruiter who greeted me. Not the other individuals who interviewed me. And no, not my future boss. I remember that at some point I had to use the bathroom. My future boss seemed annoyed that I asked where the ladies room was. I scurried into the bathroom quickly, not wanting to be late for the next interview. This was one of the handful of times in my career that I didnt listen to my mother. The recruiter made me an offer the next day, and I accepted on the spot. I was desperate to work at this big beauty brand with a fancy title that I know so many other candidates were vying for. And my future boss did, indeed, go on to display many characteristics of a bad boss. Other than the water test, as I coined it, thanks to my mom, I have missed a number of other red flags during interview processes. Now I coach individuals who are looking for their next opportunity to watch for these three signs; they may indicate you are about to work for a bad boss: 1. Doesnt seem interested in interviewing you In that specific interview at a beauty company, I remember my future boss walking in late, with no apology, sitting down abruptly and firing off the first question. He was scrolling on this phone as I tried hard to be energetic to get his attention. After I was done with that answer, there was a long awkward pause, and then he stumbled, asked another question, and was staring out the window. For most of the interview, he was slouched away from me, fidgeting with a pen, and barely made eye contact. If your future boss is distracted or disengaged, without any explanation, this could be a telltale sign of what its like to work for them. But also could signal bigger issues brewing at the company. They may be overwhelmed by work and not capable of staying present in the conversation. They may be forced into hiring someone for their team. They may be disgruntled or disinterested in their work. Study their body language, and non verbal cues, as well as what they dont say and what they do say. If they are unhappy, chances are this will impact how they manage you. 2. Makes sarcastic comments about your résumé or the company Is Been-gali really a language? Or did you just make that up to sound impressive? joked a potential future boss. This was in an interview I had a few years after I had worked at that big beauty brand. Why dont you say something? Like Hi . . . my name is . . . In my additional information section on my resume, I listed I was fluent in Bengali. After what I thought was a pretty good interview, this potential future boss doubted if Bengali was even a language. He did it right at the end of the interview as I was about to walk out. I spotted this red flag, so when the recruiter called, I declined to go any further in the interview process. During the interview, watch for comments like these from a potential future boss, either about your résumé or the company youre interviewing for. Making fun of activities in your additional information section:You volunteer at a nonprofit?So are you one of those do-gooders?You have a black belt in karate?Can you show me some of those Mr. Miyagi moves? Dropping sarcastic comments about former companies on your résumé:I cant believe you worked at that competitor.Their products suck.How did you get a job at that place?Arent they bankrupt? Sharing disparaging comments about the current company:I hope they warned you that this place is a real mess.Well, we are hiring for a number of roles right now, tough times here. Watch for even an innocent joke, an offhanded comment or sarcastic remark. It may be a window into their leadership style or dysfunction occurring at the company. Takes Up Most of the Air Time Finally, I once was interviewing at a software company where the future potential boss would ask a question and go on to answer it himself. Lets talk about a time when you failed to lead a project. I remember once when I was After he talked and talked, I was able to squeeze in a quick response until he interrupted me again. He asked another question, and then another, and pretty much took up all the air time in the interview. I barely had time to share about my experiences. If you witness a future potential boss talking incessantly, answering their own questions, or interrupting you in an interview, this could be a sign they have some bad behaviors. If you do end up working for them, be prepared that they might talk more than they listen. They may ignore or dismiss your ideas. They may lecture you instead of coaching and collaborating. They may also be the type of boss who believes its my way or the high way, and makes decisions on their own without the teams input. If you dont see any of the red flags in an interview process, and end up working for a bad boss, dont beat yourself up. Most future bosses should be on their best behavior, trying to court candidates during interviews. Finally, if you are actively looking for a new job, you may see some of these red flags and still choose to accept the job. For many of us, the reality of having bills to pay can outweigh any potential bad boss behavior. Spotting these red flags can help prepare you for what it might be like to work for this future boss, and at this future employer.
Category:
E-Commerce
Executives are no longer measured by the weight of their title but by the scale of what they create, especially in an era reshaped by AI. The most effective leaders now marry vision with execution, using technology as a co-pilot to accelerate outcomes while keeping human judgment at the center. Strategy isnt declared anymore; its built in real time, constantly iterating and leveraging AI to turn ideas into outcomes faster than ever. The builder CEO is a visionary who architects systems, coaches teams, and removes obstacles through hands-on involvement. Heres how executives with a builder leadership style are involved with the day-to-day work and unite teams around a shared mission. FROM VISION-SETTER TO VELOCITY ARCHITECT The builder mindset thrives where growth, technology, and disruption collide. Customers demand speed, relevance, and trust simultaneously. Meeting those demands requires leaders who are adaptive, accountable, and relentlessly driven by outcomes. Builders shorten decision loops by being present where the work happens: sprint reviews, demos, and product trade-offs. Their involvement clarifies priorities, reduces friction, and ensures strategy is lived at every level, not left on a slide deck. Stability still matters, but speed is the differentiator. Builders create systems that allow rapid testing without recklessness: guardrails, rollback plans, and clear accountabilities. They collapse silos by taking ownership of the P&L, customer outcomes, and cross-functional metrics. Marketing, product, operations, and sales work as one team because builders demand it. Builders flatten hierarchies and empower autonomy, but with accountability. Teams know exactly which calls they can make, which require escalation, and how success is measured. When a feature underperforms, the team doesnt wait for a quarterly review. They assess metrics, test hypotheses, and implement fixes in days, not weeks. This rhythm of experimentation and fast learning ensures companies adapt in real time to customers and markets. The builder is always asking, What can we test now? and What can we improve today? BUILDERS IN AN AI-FIRST WORLD The builder archetype matters most in an AI-driven commerce environment. AI is the co-pilot bringing precision and scale, while human oversight preserves trust. Executives who design for measurement, keep human judgment where it counts, and integrate AI thoughtfully create enduring advantage. The best builders set a single customer outcome as the north star, participate directly in product reviews, require every experiment to have guardrails, and assign clear ownership for cross-functional work. They standardize where possible but keep space for human judgment where it drives value. AI, in their hands, is not a replacement but an amplifier, removing repetitive work so teams can focus on judgment, creativity, and engagement. This balance accelerates both growth and employee buy-in. THE HUMAN CORE OF BUILDING Builders arent flawless. Over-involvement can slip into micromanagement, while too much autonomy without boundaries breeds chaos. The remedy is clarity: metrics, cadence, and transparent ownership. Most importantly, builders lead with humanity. They celebrate wins, fail fast, and then mine failures for lessons, and ensure every team member understands the impact of their work. They know speed without trust is brittle, and systems without people are hollow. The modern C-suite is no longer judged by how many strategies it produces but by the outcomes it builds and the speed with which it learns. In an era defined by complexity and constant change, the builder mindset is the defining quality of leadership. The leaders who shape the next decade will be those with builder DNA. Elizabeth Buchanan is chief commercial officer of Rokt.
Category:
E-Commerce
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