Christopher Linden’s Post

View profile for Christopher Linden, graphic

General Manager | Product and Strategy | Global Partnerships | Digital, Cloud, and Business Transformation

How a close encounter with a Great White is like business. Last week, I ran into a Great White Shark while surfing near Santa Cruz, California. Light fog and glassy, the world seemed in perfect motion. Suddenly, rising out of the water was the undeniable shape - a jagged, gray, (and seemingly growing by the second) triangular fin. You have seconds to digest your reality, moments to decide on your course of action, and less time to react. Thankfully, I'm here to tell the tale. After a few pints and a lot of internal processing about life, family, and friends, I thought about it practically in comparison to business management and leadership. Like this encounter, unexpected (sometimes big!) situations in management arise and require quick thinking and decisive action. Here are three key takeaways: 1.   Prepare your "What if?": In business, build contingency plans. Consider market shifts, customer concentration, and pivot strategies. 2.   Think beyond the surface: Don't downplay potential issues and be curious. Assess the full scope of a problem before it becomes ‘too big to handle’. 3.   Act swiftly and calmly: When facing a crisis, rely on your planning, training, and instincts. Fortify yourself, unite your team and execute without wasting energy or time. You can't control everything, but you can plan, adapt, and act decisively. In business (just as in sharky waters), it's your response that matters most. #Leadership #BusinessStrategy

  • No alternative text description for this image

Comparing your encounter perfectly captures the intensity and unpredictability of the business world. Well done! Could also just be a Santa Cruz local welcoming you back stateside. 😉 Let’s reconnect soon.

Richard van Leeuwen

Interim Manager at Leebow

2w

Wow Chris, so glad there are no Great Whites (yet) in the waters near NL😉

Like
Reply

Chilling and insightful. I get freaked out when I see a dolphin fin in the water 😆. Glad you’re ok.

Like
Reply

You got to wink at spanky when he slithers by

Like
Reply
Drew Maniglia

Thinking as a Service

2w

Must have been a surreal experience

Like
Reply
Martie B.

Experienced sales leader, passionate team builder, creative business developer

2w

Great reflection and application to our ever challenging business world. Above all, I’m so glad you’re with us to share your thoughts Chris!! Memories of our “band” forever held fondly in my heart!

Like
Reply

Holy $&@! Cant imagine the moment you lived through. Great message.

Like
Reply
sneha srinivasan

Sr. QA Engineer, Roku Inc.

2d

Nice! Your shark encounter is a fin-tastic reminder that our response to unexpected challenges truly defines us. Stay safe out there, and maybe consider a beach day without the sharks next time! 😁

Like
Reply
Jonathan Ruff

Transforming how tech businesses interact, crystallizing their proposition, purpose and creating stories to engage with their customers, employees, investors, media and partners to accelerate their growth.

2w

Great insight from a crazy situation. It’s the calm head in the chaos that prevails. A bigger boat is not always the answer

Sathish Challa

Engineering Leadership, Strong Technical Design, Development of Enterprise Products and Debugging skills, Delivery with Quality, Agile, CI/ CD, DevOps, AWS, Cross Functional and Collaborative skills and Upskilling team

2w

Good to hear you're safe. It's fascinating how you used it to highlight important business lessons. Very creative! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

See more comments

To view or add a comment, sign in

Explore topics