The Change Republic ← All editions

Aug 15, 2025

Newsletter 014

Mount Ararat was easier than...

 

Time to read: 8 minutes

What we are unpacking today:

    1. The Return That Actually Works

    2. The Culture Test Nobody Talks About

    3. My AI Tip: Gemini Storybook 

 

there,  The Return That Actually Works

 

Mount Ararat: 5,137 meters, conquered, doesn't grow taller. ↠ My inbox: 1,293 emails, grows while you climb.

Many of you are returning from vacation these days, and if you're like me, that first days back overwhelming.

And it used to to wreck me. That Sunday night dread, the overflowing inbox, the feeling that maybe I should have just stayed away forever. 

This year was different. After Ararat, I moved to lower elevation (and more rainclouds) and I understood. I was trying to control the wrong things.

Thumbs up to everyone in thermo jacket on the last days of July.

Here's what I mean: We can't control the 1,293 emails waiting for us. 

We can't control the urgent meetings that somehow appeared while we were gone.

But we can control our return strategy.

My favorite discovery? The "soft landing" approaches that actually work:

  1. Buffer day: Keep your out-of-office on but work behind the scenes—sort, prioritize, plan without the pressure tor respond immediately

  2. Morning scan: First morning is just for scanning and sorting emails, no responding allowed until you see the full picture. Use Copilot ‘s suggestions!

  3. Three things only : Pick only three priorities for day one, not your entire to-do list

  4. Meeting block: No new meetings on your first day back—catch up first, engage second

  5. Energy Check: Schedule your hardest task for when you naturally have the most energy, not when others expect you to tackle it. We are only humans!

 

 

The Culture Test Nobody Talks About

 

Remember the coaching client I mentioned who was torturing himself trying to fit into a corporate culture that celebrated everything he wasn't? Here's what I didn't share.

During one of our coaching sessions, I asked Matteo (name changed) to describe how he had changed since joining the company. It didn’t take long for him to list.

He replaced "I think" with "I believe"—because thinking showed uncertainty, but believing showed leadership. He started every email with corporate speak that made him cringe. "Circle back" instead of "let's chat" "Leverage core competencies", "synthetize", "optimize", all that jazz.

The worst part? He had stopped asking questions entirely. In his mind, management should know everything. So he sat in meetings, confused but silent, nodding along while being really lost. 

We mapped out all these tiny betrayals of self. Each one seemed small, harmless even. 

But together? They'd erased him completely. He'd become fluent in a language that wasn't his, playing a character he didn't recognize.

You guessed right. The breakthrough came when he finally asked himself: What if the problem isn't me? What if I'm not failing to be professional enough—what if this place is failing to be human enough?

Now, he's at a company where "I don't know, let's figure it out" is seen as honest, not weak. Where his natural curiosity is an asset, not a liability. He still knows all those corporate buzzwords. He just doesn't need them anymore.

 

 

My AI Tip: Gemini Storybook 

 

After so many of you downloaded my quick book "A GenZ's First Book on Executive Coaching" (which I created with ChatGPT in 20 minutes), I have discovered something even more interesting—Google's Gemini Storybook feature is changing how we communicate at work. You just need a free Google Account.

I uploaded a picture snapshot of my son with our dog, it became a mountain adventure story that passed the ultimate test—Gen Z actually liked it.

The tool itself is simple—you give it a prompt, it creates an illustrated story with narration. Originally meant for kids' bedtime stories.

AND! Here is what you can do as well for work: 

  • Creating onboarding guides that people actually remember. 
  • Explaining technical concepts without the technical language. 
  • Making change management feel less scary and more like an adventure.

 

The magic isn't in the technology. It's in how stories bypass our defenses and speak directly to understanding.

When was the last time you remembered a PowerPoint slide? Now, when was the last time you forgot a good story?

 

Did you miss our last newsletters?

Inboxes can get a little crazy, right?  Just in case you missed them, here are the links to our previous newsletters:

  • Newsletter #13: I’m sharing how smart experimentation can outpace perfect planning, why small AI trials beat waiting for certainty, and how changing your goal mid-climb can transform the outcome. → LINK HERE
  • Newsletter #12: I’m sharing how toxic workplaces can bury your self-trust, why AI might feel safer than human feedback, and how our new AI coach is helping people rebuild clarity and confidence → LINK HERE
  • Newsletter #11: I’m sharing why your humanity—not just intelligence—will set you apart in an AI-first world, how co-creating with AI can transform coaching, and what to do when your confidence takes a hit in times of change. → LINK HERE

 

Thanks for reading. Just drop a quick reply if you have any feedback.

Wishing you a great weekend ahead.

 

Warm regards,

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