Milad Yek

FISH ON! What a rush 🎣
8 ft. 100lbs and an hour for .macpherson and I to reel in

POV: Me, a monkey, and a 5-hour crash course in leadership.

Spent the day in a room full of sharp CEOs, deep-diving into delegation, leadership, and something called “monkey management.”

Here’s what that means:

A monkey is the next action, task, or decision created when two people walk away from a conversation.

And here’s the trap most leaders fall into:

People bring you their monkey—
a challenge, an issue, a blocker—
and instead of coaching them through it,
you take it on.

Now their monkey becomes your monkey.
Multiply that by a team of 5–10 and suddenly…

You’re the zoo.

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What stuck with me most wasn’t just the monkey metaphor.

It was the reminder that great leadership isn’t about control—it’s about clarity. And clarity comes from how well you listen and communicate.

When someone isn’t performing or showing up the way you expect, your job isn’t to jump in and fix it.

It’s to get curious.
To ask better questions.
To understand where the breakdown really is.

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Great listeners:
• Ask open-ended questions
• Stay calm, even when it’s uncomfortable
• Reflect back what they’re hearing
• Make space for silence
• Focus on understanding—not winning

Poor listeners:
• Rush to solve
• Interrupt
• Avoid hard truths
• Ask yes/no questions
• Make it about themselves

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We also talked about what actually makes someone love their job. It’s not perks. Or titles. Or ping-pong tables.

People love their work when they feel:
• Heard
• Valued
• Challenged
• Supported
• Like they’re making a real impact

And that’s all leadership.
That’s culture.
That’s your responsibility.

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Key takeaway:
If you’re tired, scattered, and overwhelmed—
check how many monkeys you’re carrying that shouldn’t be yours.

Then ask yourself if you’re building a team that’s dependent…or one that’s empowered to solve their own sh*t.