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This story first appeared in Advisorator, Jareds weekly tech advice newsletter. Sign up to get more insights every Tuesday. On a recent evening, I had a mild panic after trying to call my wife and repeatedly getting the same error: Your call could not be completed as dialed. She was supposed to come home late that night from an out-of-town trip with some old friends, but I hadnt heard from her that day and couldnt recall the timing of her flight. If her phone was merely in Airplane mode, my calls should have gone to voicemail instead of failing to connect outright. In the end, it was just a random network connectivity glitch, solved by a reboot after my wife got off the plane. But as a member of the in-law family group chat was quick to point out, I could have avoided this brief feeling of unease by simply tracking my wifes location through her phone. Of course, Im well aware of the location-sharing features that smartphones offer. Apple and Google both make it easy to let friends and family track your whereabouts, which in turn gives those companies valuable location data (and, in Apples case, reinforces the social pressure to have an iPhone). My wife and I have just never wanted to track each other this way, having agreed that itd be creepy for either of us to do so. This weekends travel blip did not change our minds. Part of the problem is that to enable these features, your phones mapping app must check your location constantly, not just when youre looking up a business or getting directions. But the bigger concern is simply about personal privacy, and being able to go somewhere without it becoming anyone elses businesseven people you know and trust. I can see the other side of the argument: Youd regret not having this feature when you really need it, and its not like you have anything to hide. True, but thats always the kind of argument tech companies use when a product erodes personal freedoms. As a result, you can no longer walk down the street without being monitored through neighbors doorbell cams, and pretty soon you might be recorded by anyone wearing a pair of sunglasses. Meanwhile, the entire ad-supported tech economy revolves around being so invasive that it feels like your phone is recording you, which it turns out people find unsettling even when theyve done nothing wrong. While I cant control those larger dynamics, I can at least second-guess whether my own fears justify yet another layer of surveillance. No judgment if you come to a different conclusion, but Im not ready to make that leap even after some momentary nervousness. (Ask me again about this in couple years, though, when my kids have smartphones and are old enough to get into actual trouble.) How to see whos tracking your location Location sharing between iPhone users: To find out who can see your location, open Apples Find My app and head to the People tab. Turn off location sharing by tapping a persons name and selecting Stop sharing. If you do want to share your whereabouts with another iPhone user, there are several places to do so: In the Find My app: Under the People tab, tap the + button, select Share My Location, then select one or more contacts. Via iMessage: Tap + in any chat window, select Location, and choose how long to share. In the Family Sharing menu: Youll find this under Settings > Family > Location Sharing. Selecting a person here will also share the location of all your Find My-compatible devices, including Apple Watches, iPads, and AirPods. In Apple Maps: Swipe down and select Share Location. This only shares your current location and does not automatically update. Location sharing is indefinite when enabled through the Family Sharing menu. Note that once youve shared a location with someone, they can set up notifications for each time you leave an area, arrive at a place, or fail to show up at a location during a set schedule. Your approval is only needed for recurring alerts, not one-time notifications. As an alternative to sharing your location indefinitely, consider sharing for just one hour or the rest of the day. You can choose this option in the Find My app or iMessage, but not the Family Sharing menu. Location sharing for Android and Google Maps users: The Location Sharing menu in Google Maps. Google has its own location sharing system that works across Android and iOS. If you have an iPhone and arent sharing through Apples Find My app, you ay still be sharing through Google Maps instead. Heres how to see who can track you via Google Maps: In the Google Maps app (iOS and Android): Tap on your profile picture, then select Location Sharing. (Those youve shared with in the Find Hub app will also appear here.) In the Find Hub app (Android only): Just look under the People tab. (Those youve shared with in Google Maps will also appear here.) Location sharing in the Find Hub app for Android. If you do want to share your location with others, you can do so by hitting the + button in the menus above. Both allow you to share for one hour, the rest of the day, or indefinitely, while the Find Hub app has an additional option to share for a limited number of hours. As with Apples system, anyone who can see your whereabouts can also set up alerts for when you leave or arrive at a location. Youll get an email when this happens, but the only way to disable it is to stop sharing entirely. This story first appeared in Advisorator, Jareds weekly tech advice newsletter. Sign up to get more insights every Tuesday.
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At the Exceptional Women Alliance, we enable high-level women to mentor each other to achieve personal and professional happiness through sisterhood. As the nonprofit organizations founder, chair, and CEO, I am honored to interview and share insights from thought leaders who are part of our peer-to-peer mentoring. This month, I introduce you to Malika Begin, the CEO and founder of Begin Development, an organization development firm based in Malibu, California. Known for her signature approach to building heart-centered, high-performing cultures, Malika partners with leading organizations to strengthen executive teams, design transformational leadership programs, build cross-functional trust, and create systems where people and performance thrive together. Malika believes the most effective leaders of the future will not only embrace technology but will also deepen their humanity. In her words, Self-awareness isnt softits strategic. Q: Everyones talking about AI, productivity, and innovation. Why talk about self-awareness right now? Malika Begin: Because the more the world automates, the more human leadership matters. AI can replicate skills, but it cant replicate self. When everything is shifting around you, knowing who you areyour values, your patterns, and your impactbecomes your anchor. You have to be clear on your motivators, how you engage with others, and how you distinctly move through the world. AI can replicate skills, but it cant replicate self. Brené Brown often says that leadership used to be about muscle, then brains, and now its about heart. I couldnt agree more. The heart of leadership is self-awareness. Its empathy. Its the courage to show up as you are. The leaders who know themselves and are committed to continued growth and development make better decisions, build stronger teams, and create workplaces where people actually want to stay and invest. Q: Youve said that professional assessments are mirrors, not boxes. How does that fit into this idea of human and heart-centered leadership? Malika: Tools like CliftonStrengths, DiSC, Strengths Deployment Inventory, or Enneagram dont define you; they describe you. They give you language for what you already sense about yourself. The point isnt to label people but to understand patterns: how you lead, how you communicate, how you react under stress. That insight is gold right now. When you can name your wiring, you can also recognize it in others. Thats what builds trust, belonging, and compassion, everything that makes a team feel human and valued again. The value isnt in the label, its in the insight. Q: So, self-awareness is also about connection? Malika: Completely. Self-awareness is the gateway to empathy, and empathy is the gateway to performance. Gallup found that teams that focus on their strengths every day are six times more engaged and 12% more productive. But thats only part of the story. Leaders who understand their own style and the styles around them create psychological safety, clearer communication, and faster trust, which directly translates to lower turnover, higher collaboration, and stronger results. People dont just work better; they work together better. In a business environment where retention, engagement, and innovation drive profit, that kind of relational intelligence has real ROI. You cant automate trust. You have to build itand self-awareness is where it starts. If AI is scaling data, then self-awareness is how we scale connection. We talk a lot about psychological safety, but it starts with emotional honesty. You cant create a sense of belonging if youre disconnected from yourself. Q: You tell leaders, Stop auditioning for roles that were never meant for you. What do you mean by that? Malika: Its freedom. When you know who you are, you stop wasting energy trying to be everything to everyone. You make decisions that align with your values. You build relationships that align with your strengths. In a world thats constantly shifting, self-awareness is your competitive edge. Author Tasha Eurich told the Harvard Business Review in a podcast that self-awareness is the meta-skill of the 21st century. The best leaders arent defined by certainty; theyre defined by clarity. Q: Whats one practical way to start developing this skill? Malika: Write your superpower statement. Its one or two sentences that capture you at your besthow you show up and the value you bring. Something like: Im at my best when Im focused on possibilities and relationships. My positivity helps others feel seen and confident in their own strengths. Its not bragging. Its clarity. And clarity builds confidence. Clarity is contagious in your organization, and its the thing organizations need now more than ever. Q: If you had to summarize your philosophy of leadership in one line? Malika: When you know yourself, you stop performing and start connecting. The future belongs to leaders who lead with heart, who pair self-awareness with empathy, courage, and authenticity. Machines might build efficiency, but humans build meaning and connection. The meaning and connection are everything. Larraine Segil is founder, chair, and CEO of the Exceptional Women Alliance.
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E-Commerce
Leadership is becoming both easier and harder. Artificial intelligence has revolutionized how we work, especially over the past year, as its transitioned from a secret aid to a welcomed enterprise partner. As a partner, it streamlines work processes, leaving more time for big-picture decisions and strategizing. Each decision, in turn, becomes more impactful. And honestly, it can be overwhelming. Leaders need people around them who challenge their thinking and keep their foot on the gas for innovation. According to Harvard Business Impacts 2025 Global Leadership Development Study, respondents are looking for more strategy and creativity from leaders. People now deem skills like leading change, fostering innovation, strategic thinking, and decision making more important than last year. These insights reveal the expectations people have about business needs. How can leaders ensure they meet these expectations and rise to the occasion? They can either ask people or technology. The catch is, theyre both likely to agree with you. With people, it’s human nature to agree. Team members get in the habit of wanting to impress their boss, avoid confrontation, and be nice. Ive seen this firsthand in the two years since I became a CEO. While it can be a nice ego boost, Ive become apprehensive about any type of perennial support. WHY YES IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE Yes might be one of the most positive words in the world, but in the business world, it can be counterproductive. Why? Because its overused. We hear it too much, especially in leadership. Sometimes its hard to tell when a person is being supportive of a genuinely great idea, or if theyre just afraid to ruffle any feathers. AI has intensified this concept. Large language models (LLMs) are the ultimate yes man. Ive found they reinforce my perspective by default unless explicitly instructed to counter me. They often double down, even giving me some of my most complimentary feedback. Even when chatting with colleagues online, its so easy to merely react with a thumbs-up emoji over Slack, exacerbating this phenomenon. People and LLMs have both been trained to agree. But progress stems from challenging that status quo. Leaders responsibility now entails building teams that question both human and technology-generated work. Our value lies in asking the nuanced questions that an algorithm cant. HOW TO BREAK THE LOOP Break the loop by finding ways to incorporate dissent. For me, this opportunity arises whenever we do biannual planning at Scribd, Inc. Its a chance to dig into the nitty gritty, strategize, explore different paths, and think big. And its where I try to ensure we dont fall into the trap of silence after someone asks, Any questions? I dont pretend to know it all, but here are a few guidelines Ive found beneficial to encourage this kind of open, strategic conversation. 1. Admit your mistakes. When youre open, it reassures people that imperfection is okay. Make it clear that youre not perfect, that you dont know all the answers, and you sometimes make mistakes. This can prompt others not just to vocalize their own mistakes, but to feel comfortable pushing back and engaging in productive debate as a partner. 2. Foster a culture that treats mistakes as learnings. One thing I love at Scribd is that everyone regularly shares their wins as well as their setbacks, whether in a company all-hands, monthly metrics meetings, or just a quick update in Slack. Beyond the transparency, this allows teams to highlight what they learned when something didnt go as planned. Ultimately, thats a win. When people are afraid to fail, they become scared to try anything new. A culture of learning counters this. 3. Bring in the devils advocate. Encourage what if questions to promote deeper conversations. Model this behavior. After you propose something, instead of closing with What do you think?which can yield a one-word answerask a conversation starter like, What are the potential outcomes here, positive and negative? 4. Give context. Instead of issuing vague asks that result in employees spinning their wheels to deliver something over-the-top or not aligned with your vision, include the why. Share your intent. Where ultimately do you want to end up? This calibrates the end state, and allows the team freedom to execute. 5. Encourage your people. Build a good team around you. Make them experts in their area. Include them in decisions. Stimulate debate. Get a variety of different types of people. Encourage them to instill this behavior in their own teams. In todays world, we all need to work a little harder to break out of our comfortable bubble. Be open to learn, debate, and be wrong. And start looking at disagreement as positive. Tony Grimminck is CEO of Scribd, Inc.
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E-Commerce
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