Dr. Dupe Burgess

You’re never too important to be kind.

There's a misconception that being kind is weak.

But true leaders lead with humanity not authority.

It costs nothing, but the impact is priceless.

8 ways to lead with kindness:

1. Lead with gratitude
↳ A genuine “Thank you” goes a long way.

2. Assume positive intent
↳ Default to trust; people tend to rise to it.

3. Make space for all voices
↳ Ask, pause, and truly hear the quiet ones.

4. Offer help before they ask
↳ Ask people, “How can I support you?”

5. Give credit, take responsibility
↳ Elevate your team, own the hard moments.

6. Listen like they’re the only one there
↳ Put your phone down and give full attention.

7. Celebrate people’s wins, big or small
↳ Public praise builds confidence and culture.

8. Remember the small details & moments
↳ A simple “How’s your dad doing?” matters.

Kindness isn’t a nice to have,
It’s essential in leadership.

What’s one kind gesture you’ll never forget?
Let me know in the comments below 👇

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You’re never too important to be kind.

There's a misconception that being kind is weak.

But true leaders lead with humanity not authority.

It costs nothing, but the impact is priceless.

8 ways to lead with kindness:

1. Lead with gratitude
↳ A genuine “Thank you” goes a long way.

2. Assume positive intent
↳ Default to trust; people tend to rise to it.

3. Make space for all voices
↳ Ask, pause, and truly hear the quiet ones.

4. Offer help before they ask
↳ Ask people, “How can I support you?”

5. Give credit, take responsibility
↳ Elevate your team, own the hard moments.

6. Listen like they’re the only one there
↳ Put your phone down and give full attention.

7. Celebrate people’s wins, big or small
↳ Public praise builds confidence and culture.

8. Remember the small details & moments
↳ A simple “How’s your dad doing?” matters.

Kindness isn’t a nice to have,
It’s essential in leadership.

What’s one kind gesture you’ll never forget?
Let me know in the comments below 👇

♻️ Repost to help your network show more kindness.
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Some weeks test you more than others.

Things don’t go to plan.
You hit a load of setbacks.
Then you question everything…!

I’ve had quite a few of these weeks recently.

And this quote always sticks with me:

- When your mind is weak, the situation is a problem.
- When your mind is balanced, it’s a challenge.
- And when your mind is strong, it’s an opportunity.

The situation itself may not change. But how you see it does.

In the moment, it’s easy to spiral.
But with more distance, the same situation looks different:

Something to solve, to learn from,
Or even to push you in a better direction.

And as a founder or leader - we need to get good at looking at the whole picture.

A few things that help:

→ Give yourself time before reacting
→ Focus on what you can control next
→ Don’t let one moment define everything
→ Consider what the situation is trying to teach you

Challenges are part of the process.
But how you respond is what shapes the outcome.

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Success isn’t always about persisting.

It’s also about knowing the right time to leave.

When we're unfulfilled, so many factors can make us feel “stuck”:

- Fear of change.
- Feeling too comfortable.
- Waiting for the ‘perfect’ time to go.

Not every journey is worth continuing.

Learn when it’s right to quit.

9 signs that it may be time to move on:

1. Feeling undervalued
↳ Your efforts are often overlooked or dismissed.

2. No work-life balance
↳ Work consumes your time, and overtakes life.

3. Lost passion for work
↳ The fire that once fuelled you is gone.

4. Dread going into work
↳ Every Sunday night, the anxiety kicks in.

5. Values no longer align
↳ You feel out of sync with company values.

6. No growth opportunities
↳ Your potential feels stifled with no path forward.

7. Mental health is suffering
↳ Work stress is impacting your well-being daily.

8. Unsupportive or toxic leadership
↳ Poor leadership is creating negativity.

9. Feeling bored, unchallenged or stagnant
↳ You’re no longer learning or pushing your limits.

Have you experienced these signs before?
Share your experience in the comments👇

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If you get defensive about feedback, you fail twice.

You fail to learn today.
And you stop people from teaching you tomorrow.

That line from Adam Grant has stuck with me — because it’s so true.

Most people say they want feedback.

But when they get it, they explain, justify, or ignore.

You can’t grow if you’re too busy defending yourself.

Being coachable is what keeps you moving forward.

The best people I’ve worked with share one trait: they’re open to feedback (even if it stings a bit).

Here’s what helps me stay coachable:

1. Pause before reacting
↳ Feedback isn’t an attack, it’s information.

2. Listen for the truth, not the tone
↳ Don’t miss the lesson because of the delivery.

3. Ask clarifying questions
↳ Understanding is more important than agreeing.

4. Act on it quickly
↳ The faster you apply it, the faster you grow.

5. Say thank you
↳ Feedback really can be a gift, so treat it that way.

If you can’t handle the truth, people stop telling you.
And that’s when your growth slows down.

Stay coachable, and stay curious!

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The moment you start showing up, the opinions follow.

Because, sadly, not everyone likes you putting yourself out there.

And often, the criticism isn’t the interesting part. It’s who it comes from

Typically, it’s not from people taking risks or putting themselves out there, but from those watching from the sidelines.

The people who are actually doing the work:

- Are usually too busy to criticise
- Understand how exposing it feels
- Know there’s no such thing as perfect

Criticism almost always comes from those who aren’t doing much.

A few reminders that help me when doubt creeps in:

→ Being visible will always attract opinion
→ Who the feedback is coming from matters
→ Going silent doesn’t move anything forward
→ If you’re being visible you’re already ahead of most
→ Most people aren’t actually judging, they’re projecting

You don’t need universal approval to keep doing what you’re doing.

You just need the courage to keep going despite the noise.

And the higher you go, the quieter it gets.

Has this ever stopped you from posting or sharing something? I’d be interested to hear in the comments.

Thanks Jen Blandos for the image!

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You can never really lose when you invest in yourself.

Because you are the asset.

We spend so much time building other things:

Company, career, team, reputation.

It’s easy to forget: you are the constant beneath it all. Which is why investing in yourself isn’t optional, it’s essential.

→ Your skills.
→ Your mindset.
→ Your health & wellbeing.

You are the greatest project you’ll ever work on.

As a founder I’ve had to reset and reinvest in myself more times than I expected.

Programmes, courses, books, coaching.

And often it’s not about consuming everything.
It’s about finding the one thing that moves you forward and actually using it.

It’s uncomfortable every time, but it always pays off.

Because when you improve, everything you touch improves too.

→ The business grows because you grow.
→ The team strengthens because you do.

That’s why investing in yourself isn’t self-indulgence,
It just makes good sense.

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Most people never chase their biggest goals — because they ask all the wrong questions.

We’re conditioned to plan for failure.
To protect ourselves.
To imagine the worst-case scenario.

I used to spend so long weighing every possible risk.

→ What if I’m not ready?
→ What if it doesn’t work out?
→ What if I make an idiot of myself?

But that kind of thinking doesn’t keep you safe —
it just holds you back.

Then I realised:

“What if I fail?” and “What if I succeed?” are two sides of the same coin.

- Both carry risk.
- Both create change.
- Both make you uncomfortable.

But only one opens doors and propels you forward.

Fear isn’t a stop sign.
It can be fuel that pushes you forward.

So the next time fear rises up, some better questions might be:

- What if I succeed?
- What if this works better than I imagine?
- What if this is the moment that changes everything?

Because it might!
And that possibility deserves a chance.

The only thing scarier than failing is never finding out how far you could have gone.

Thank you Dan Murray🧠 for the image!

P.S. I share more reframes like this in my newsletter Growth Tactics: https://lnkd.in/ekfMRpWJ

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Most people put far more effort into everything else than themselves:

Their jobs
Their life goals
Their businesses

It’s easy to forget: you are the constant beneath it all. Which is why investing in yourself isn’t optional, it’s essential.

That looks like:

- Your health — so you actually have the energy to do the work
- Your mindset — so you can adapt when things don’t go to plan
- Your network — so opportunities come through people, not luck
- Your skills — so you keep growing rather than standing still

You are the greatest project you’ll ever work on.

As a founder, I’ve had to reset, refocus, and re-invest in myself more times than I expected, even in the past year alone.

It’s uncomfortable every time.
But it always pays off.

And everything else tends to follow.

What’s one area you’re consciously investing in this year?

Image: Tobi Oluwole

Most people never chase their biggest goals — because they ask all the wrong questions.

We’re conditioned to plan for failure.
To protect ourselves.
To imagine the worst-case scenario.

I used to spend so long weighing every possible risk.

→ What if I’m not ready?
→ What if it doesn’t work out?
→ What if I make an idiot of myself?

But that kind of thinking doesn’t keep you safe —
it just holds you back.

Then I realised:

“What if I fail?” and “What if I succeed?” are two sides of the same coin.

- Both carry risk.
- Both create change.
- Both make you uncomfortable.

But only one opens doors and propels you forward.

Fear isn’t a stop sign.
It can be fuel that pushes you forward.

So the next time fear rises up, some better questions might be:

- What if I succeed?
- What if this works better than I imagine?
- What if this is the moment that changes everything?

Because it might!
And that possibility deserves a chance.

The only thing scarier than failing is never finding out how far you could have gone.

Thank you Dan Murray for the image!

P.S. I share more reframes like this in my newsletter Growth Tactics: https://lnkd.in/ekfMRpWJ

♻️ Repost to inspire someone who needs to hear this.
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“Go big or go home”

How many times have we heard this phrase.

Especially in the startup world.
Usually from someone who isn’t taking the risk.

From what I see, this is the fastest way to burning out, running out of cash, losing momentum.

A business, a new career path, a side project - most success stories do the opposite:

- Keep it simple
- Test before scaling
- Sell before building
- Validate as much as possible

Starting small isn’t playing it safe, it’s just the smart this to do.

Faster feedback.
Less downside risk.
More room to adapt.

Going “big” sounds brave, but as a founder or leader, the goal is to stay in the game, and build something that works.

And you don’t get there by making it harder than it needs to be.

Thank you Tobi Oluwole for the post - it resonated!

♻️ Repost to remind your network: starting small usually wins.

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There’s can be nothing worse than hitting a goal but still feeling like you lost.

You can get the deal, close the investor, land a client.

But if you had to compromise yourself to get there, it won’t feel like much of a win.

If you lower a standard, agree to something that doesn’t sit right, or let go of your values, it just won’t feel like success.

And the opposite is true as well:

You can fall short of a target and still walk away knowing you did it properly.

Whether it’s saying no, keeping your word, or not compromising how you treat people.

One thing I’ve learnt:
Leadership is a constant test.

A few things that help you hold the line:

→ Put standards in writing
→ Decide your non-negotiables
→ Walk away if something feels off
→ Surround yourself with people who call you out
→ Remember: reputation compounds (good or bad!)

Because if the price of winning is your principles, it’s not really a win.

And if you hold your values but miss a target, it’s not really a failure.

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We spend so much time building things for other people.

A company, project, team, pushing for the big numbers and the next target or milestone.

And that can be a great thing.

But, without noticing, we can start treating ourselves like an afterthought.

Other things become the main project.
And we become something to fit around it.

Which is the wrong way round.

Because the reality is, your energy, mindset, health, skills and abilities are what upholds everything else.

And if those things aren’t growing too, the foundations start to crack.

So here’s a useful question:

Are you investing in yourself with the same seriousness you invest in work or business?

Because the truth is, you are the most important project you will ever work on.

Everything else is built on top of you.

So the business isn’t the only thing that needs developing.

You are.

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Build relationships with people who will mention you when opportunities arise.

That’s one of the best lessons I learnt over the past year.

Most opportunities don’t arrive directly.

They come through:

- A conversation you weren’t in
- Being remembered at the right moment
- A recommendation made without you asking

Looking back at the past year, most of the most important opportunities I had — meeting board members, investors, a coach — didn’t come from me pushing or pitching.

They actually came through other people.

So here’s a reminder: relationships matter more than just being visible.

A few things I’ve learned about building the kind of relationships that actually lead somewhere:

→ Be useful before you’re impressive
People remember how you helped them think, and what you taught them.

→ Do good work consistently
That reliability compounds, making it easy for others to put your name forward.

→ Stay in touch without any agenda
Check in when you don’t need anything! Totally changes the dynamic.

→ Treat people well when there’s nothing to gain
That’s what shows your true character.

→ Say what you think and mean what you say
You build trust by being predictable and reliable.

Opportunities rarely come directly.

They usually come through other people.

What’s one relationship that’s made a bigger difference to your career than you expected?

Follow Dr. Dupe Burgess for more.

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They say you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

And it’s so true:
What we consume daily shapes how we think.

What we scroll, listen to, read, spend time with matters.

Something I learned as a founder:

→ You can’t feel focused if you’re taking in noise.
→ You can’t feel confident if you’re consuming content that makes you doubt yourself.

It doesn’t feels like a big decision in the moment, but it compounds.

Environment influences thinking.
Thinking influences actions.
Actions shape outcomes.

A few simple checks:

→ Pay attention to how you feel after consuming
→ Be selective with what you give attention to
→ Spend time with people who support you
→ Reduce inputs that drain your energy

You don’t need to control everything.

But being a bit more intentional with what you take in can make a bigger difference than you think.

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That moment as a founder or leader when everything feels like it’s unravelling...

That’s the bit we don’t talk about enough.

Founder and leadership life comes with so much uncertainty.

- The deal that falls through.
- The hire that doesn’t work out.
- The unexpected pivot or change of plan.

Or, just no immediate proof that you’re on the right track, and seemingly lots of problems.

But something I’ve noticed over time:
↳ Some of the moments that felt like things were falling apart were actually turning points.

It’s not that every setback is a positive.
But that not every disruption is a disaster.

A few thoughts to help re-frame things:

→ Zoom out before you react
→ Separate emotion from facts
→ Ask what this situation is teaching you
→ Remember discomfort often signals growth
→ Focus on the next decision, not the whole future!

When you’re building something, stability isn’t constant.

Sometimes things shift before they strengthen.
And what feels like falling apart becomes the start of something better.

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Stick to your game. You can’t win someone else’s.

The moment I learnt this, everything changed.

Many years ago, I believed that to succeed I had to:

- Play safe
- Do what others did
- Follow the status quo

I ended up burnt out & disillusioned.

The whole game changed when I realised:

No one can outdo you at being you.

- Your skills
- Your perspectives
- Your past experience

→ Your uniqueness isn’t a weakness, it’s your edge.

And we all have one.

The way to win is to figure out your edge, and use it.

6 ways to find your unfair advantage:

1. Spot what feels effortless
↳ The things you do on autopilot are your strengths.

2. Identify your weird skill mix
↳ Unusual combos bring unique solutions to issues.

3. See where others struggle
↳ What’s easy for you but a challenge for most?

4. Follow your energy & joy
↳ What excites you so much you’d do it for free?

5. Own your full story
↳ Your past and failures give you a unique edge.

6. Turn pain into power
↳ What did you overcome that others struggle with?

Most people play by someone else’s rules
Then wonder why they lose.

Start leveraging your unfair advantage instead.

The moment you do this
↳ You start winning.

What’s your unfair advantage?
Let me know in the comments👇

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It’s so easy to get caught up striving for success, money & power.

But true richness is in the things we already have.

If you woke up with even half of these, you’re already rich.

A reminder about the real luxuries in life:

1. Time
↳ A quiet morning to sip coffee undisturbed.
↳ True wealth is having time for what matters.

2. Health
↳ Walking, dancing, and laughing with ease.
↳ Without health, other ‘luxuries’ are unimportant.

3. Good sleep
↳ Waking up refreshed, ready to embrace the day.
↳ Restored energy is the fuel we need to live life.

4. Peace of mind
↳ Falling asleep without lots of worries.
↳ Inner calm gives true happiness.

5. Unconditional love
↳ Being surrounded by people you adore.
↳ Love that accepts us fully is priceless.

6. The freedom of choice
↳ Saying "yes" or "no" without fear or regret.
↳ Autonomy enables us to build our own lives.

7. Meaningful connection
↳ Sharing a laugh, a memory or a moment.
↳ Bonds that nourish us make life so much richer.

What would you add to this list?
Let me know in the comments below👇

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Culture erodes when leaders avoid hard decisions.

The best leaders act decisively to protect their teams.

As a leader, every decision sends a message.

And silence in the face of problems speaks volumes.

When you allow negative behaviour, you:

- Erode trust
- Create animosity
- Drive away high performers

5 Things NOT to do as a leader:

❌ Ignore bad behaviour
↳ Turn a blind eye, causes trust to erode fast.

❌ Play favourites
↳ Favouritism kills morale; treat everyone fairly.

❌ Avoid difficult conversations
↳ Silence equals approval; address issues head-on.

❌ Let poor performers stay
↳ Procrastination causes resentment; be decisive.

❌ Celebrate mediocrity
↳ Rewarding mediocrity devalues high performers.

5 Things to do as a leader:

✅ Uphold company values
↳ Let values guide your decisions, every time.

✅ Address issues swiftly
↳ Act quickly & set standards to protect the team.

✅ Recognise excellence regularly
↳ Shout out the wins; make great work the norm.

✅ Listen and act on feedback
↳ Turn people’s words into action, visibly.

✅ Shield the team from politics
↳ Keep drama out, so creativity can thrive.

Culture lives or dies by what leaders tolerate.
What you allow is what will continue.

What's your biggest leadership challenge right now?
Let me know in the comments👇

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The basics done right will always outshine skill.

One thing I’ve learnt in my career:

When you master the fundamentals well,
You stay ahead of the curve no matter what

10 things that require 0 talent
(but make you unstoppable):

1. Being on time
↳ Shows respect & sets the right tone.
↳ Set alarms, get ahead & plan to arrive early.

2. Work ethic
↳ Consistent hard work outshines raw talent.
↳ Put in the hours, no shortcuts.

3. Effort
↳ The level of effort reflects your commitment.
↳ Push yourself to go beyond what’s required.

4. Energy
↳ High energy drives momentum & performance.
↳ Prioritise rest & be physically active.

5. Body language
↳ How you carry yourself says everything.
↳ Stand straight, look people in the eye.

6. Passion
↳ Passion makes work feel less like a grind.
↳ Focus on what drives you, not just the tasks.

7. Doing extra
↳ Exceeding expectations is a strong differentiator.
↳ Deliver more than you promised, every time.

8. Being prepared
↳ Preparation sets you up for success.
↳ Stay ready, so you never have to get ready.

9. Being coachable
↳ Willingness to learn is a competitive edge.
↳ Accept feedback, apply it, and improve.

10. Being kind
↳ Treating others well builds lasting connections.
↳ Be respectful & helpful, even under pressure.

Which of these habits have helped you get ahead?
Let me know in the comments below 👇

📌 P.S. I share more mental reframes like this in my newsletter, Growth Tactics: https://lnkd.in/ekfMRpWJ

Image credit: Noemi Kis

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