As we approach our quarterly leadership summit, two Main Thing topics will rightly command much of our attention.
On one hand is the need to ensure relevance in the rapidly changing world shaped by AI. On the other, there’s the ongoing challenge of working together more effectively through stronger communication, greater alignment, and deeper understanding.
If those sound like competing priorities, I’m not sure they are.
One of the messages we’ve reinforced through Messaging Matters is that clarity creates confidence. That’s true whether we’re discussing emerging technology or everyday leadership. In both cases, progress depends on people understanding where we’re going, why it matters, and how we move there together.
Likewise, our work in Notion has been more than an internal technology initiative. It’s been an exercise in organizational clarity. Better access to information. Better alignment. Better communication. In many ways, it’s the same discipline required to embrace AI successfully.
I’ve never viewed AI as something to fear. Quite the opposite. It’s something to understand, learn from, and leverage. But technology alone won’t solve our most important challenges. Leadership still depends on people being aligned around purpose, priorities, and expectations.
I keep coming back to our Core Value of RESPECT: Honoring the Purpose.
Respect requires us to listen before reacting, seek understanding before judgment, and place the collective mission ahead of individual preference. If we can do that, our summit will do more than answer which is the Main Thing, it will connect them.
Most importantly, it will help ensure we’re moving toward our purpose together.