Ada Chen Rekhi
Executive coach and co-founder of Notejoy; earlier held leadership roles at SurveyMonkey and LinkedIn.
Ada Chen Rekhi did not write this page.
We collected these quotes from things they published elsewhere, and every quote links to where it was said. They have no account here and have not endorsed this site. Quotes are word for word; the short line under each one is our own restatement, not their wording. Their own site. Is this you? Claim it or ask us to remove it. Or tell us what is wrong here.
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Their wordsA common assumption is that people don’t like being told what to do. Often, it’s the exact opposite — most of the time, team members are eager to please their leaders and want more feedback. By telling others what to do, you’re removing the guesswork and making everyone more effective.
↗Conflict is the #1 most underrated skilladachenrekhi.substack.com 1st of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsIt’s not your job as a leader to be liked. (In fact, being universally liked is probably an negative signal to your effectiveness.) It’s your job to help grow the people around you and help the team achieve their goals.
↗Conflict is the #1 most underrated skilladachenrekhi.substack.com 2nd of 3 in this piece
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Their wordsThe more that I’ve worked with teams and leaders, the more convinced I am that mastering conflict is a differentiated and high-value skill that unlocks the team. On an individual basis, it’s also powerful. The ability to tell someone, clearly and kindly, that something needs to change is important regardless of whether you sit at the top of the org chart or at the bottom.
↗Conflict is the #1 most underrated skilladachenrekhi.substack.com 3rd of 3 in this piece
- 5 days earlier
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Our reading
In the Bay Area everyone feels behind, which makes much of the work performative and non-strategic.
Their wordsThe downside is worth considering as well. Everyone constantly feels behind. The pressure to keep up with the Joneses means that sometimes the work is performative and non-strategic - you’re not doing what you’d want to do, you’re doing it mostly because everyone else is doing it too. Most of my friends feel intense pressure to spend their evenings keeping up with the latest tech because the market is changing so fast.
↗Reflections on 18 months away from the Bay Areaadachenrekhi.substack.com
- 7 months earlier
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Our reading
A leader whose team is executing well should not jump back into the work; doing so obstructs it.
Their wordsThe problem is that this instinct is backwards. Your team is doing great because you’ve delegated well. Jumping back into work not only isn’t helpful, it’s obstructive. So if that’s no longer your job, what is?
↗The Hardest Part of Scaling: Feeling Like You're Not Doing Enoughadachenrekhi.substack.com 1st of 2 in this piece
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Our reading
Leadership at scale includes a second job: the long-term foundational work only the leader can do.
Their wordsJob #2 is the one nobody puts in the job description. The simplest way I’ve found to define it: what are the things that only you, in your role, can do? Usually those things are long-term foundational work that set you up for success before you need them. Internally, that means culture, goal alignment, and team cohesion. This is the stuff that fails only when it’s not there. Externally, it means cultivating the investors, customers, and advisors you’ll need before you know you need them.
↗The Hardest Part of Scaling: Feeling Like You're Not Doing Enoughadachenrekhi.substack.com 2nd of 2 in this piece
- 3 months earlier
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Our reading
Candidates who reach an offer should negotiate, because the company is already committed to them.
Their wordsOn the other side of the desk, as a hiring manager, I have often seen candidates make a similar miscalculation. Most candidates don’t negotiate. What they don’t appreciate is that if they’ve made it through the full interview cycle to get an offer, the company is committed to them. The worst thing that would happen is that their ask is declined.