Lean on me, when you’re not strong

Media People Newsletter
Written and curated by Victor Genova · Nov 3, 2025 · Issue #29

Welcome to the twenty-ninth issue of the Media People Newsletter. In this edition:

• LEADERSHIP: Lean on me, when you’re not strong

• PERFORMANCE: Your time vs the 9-5

• PODCAST: ThinkStart.ca’s, Mohit Rajhans

• ARTIFICIAL WISDOM: Your AI-powered fortune cookie

• HUMOUR: Tractors won’t replace horses

• Subscribe to the Media People Podcast on YouTube

• Subscribe to the Media People Newsletter

LEADERSHIP

Lean On Me, When You’re Not Strong

…I’ll be your friend. I’ll help you carry on”

Bill Whither’s 1972 hit, Lean on Me, might be the unofficial anthem for executive coaching. But what happens when a coach or mentor isn’t available to lean on?

In this piece from Harvard Business Review, author Katie Best argues that when executive coaching is out of reach, self-coaching is a vital survival skill for leaders facing complexity. She introduces the SOLVE framework:

1. State the problem

2. Open the box 

3. Lay out the solution 

4. Venture forth 

5. Elevate your learning 

Best points out that clarity in framing the problem helps leaders go from overwhelmed to strategic, while digging into data and assumptions prevents quick fixes that don’t stick. The “lay out the solution” and “venture forth” stages stress context-fit plans and taking action with awareness of pitfalls. Finally, the “elevate your learning” step ensures that solving one problem becomes a growth moment, not just a check-the-box moment. Best emphasizes that self-coaching doesn’t replace a skilled coach, but it empowers leaders to lead themselves when no external coach is available.

PERFORMANCE

Your Time vs 9-5

• Wake up at 4am.

• Drink Water.

• Meditate.

• Journal.

• Get sun on your eyes.

• Workout.

• Consume a smoothie made entirely of things you cannot pronounce.

• Make $1M before noon.

Behold! The cookie-cutter routine (faux?) LinkedIn over-achievers push on their followers. They want you to believe that success starts before the sun rises.

But is this really the case? Is success something more attainable by morning people? 

Yes, and no. According to a 2021 academic paper, researchers found that participants' cognitive performance was optimized best when they worked during their preferred time of day.

The focus shouldn’t be on getting up early, but rather whether or not an early start is consistent with your optimal work time.

MEDIA PEOPLE PODCAST

ThinkStart.ca Award-Winning Speaker and Consultant, Mohit Rajhans

Episode 121 of the Media People Podcast is LIVE with ThinkStart.ca Award-Winning Speaker and Consultant, Mohit Rajhans. We chat:

🎯 The new Minister of AI portfolio
🎯 Future-proofing your skills
🎯 Mohit’s go-to resources for learning a new platform
🎯 How ThinkStart.ca has evolved since our last episode
🎯 Why it’s wrong to think AI is a young person’s game

The full episode is available here.

ARTIFICIAL WISDOM

Your AI-Powered Fortune Cookie

HUMOUR

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