The Full Stack Leader

Lead with context, not control.

Marty Cagan, via Reed Hastings

Screenshot from an email newsletter Marty Cagan sent in December 2023; see also this article from December 2020. This concept is a key tenet in Marty’s book, EMPOWERED.

I believe the original source is Reed Hastings, the co-founder and executive chairman of Netflix.

A culture that values people over process, emphasizes innovation over efficiency, and has very few controls.

Our culture, which focuses on achieving top performance with talent density and leading employees with context not control, has allowed us to continually grow and change as the world, and our members’ needs, have likewise morphed around us.”

From the book, No Rules Rules by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer.

(Emphasis added.)

Full-stack leaders create a container for good work — operating well at all levels, including delegation. Providing the necessary context (vision, mission, strategy, and tactics) instead of simply commanding others to do the work.