Assemble War Rooms: How Jensen Huang and Lisa Su Rally Small Teams to Solve Existential Threats Fast Eight ingredients for mobilizing when the stakes are existential. Matt Hunter • March 3, 2026 If you’re leading a company right now, you probably have at least one issue that’s quietly compounding damage. A stalled launch.A reliability incident.A sales dip no one can quite explain.A competitor moving faster than you expected. Most teams handle these problems inside normal operating...
22 days ago • 7 min read
How to Give Robust Feedback A System for Delivering Truth Without Losing Trust Matt Hunter • February 17, 2026 One of the questions I get most often from founders and executives is: How do I give hard feedback without damaging the relationship? Below is the framework my co-author John Baird and I teach to founders, CEOs, and leadership teams. Deploying feedback is among the most energy-intensive acts of leadership, requiring you to hold truth and care in the same hand. Many leaders either...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Praise Publicly and Criticize Privately? Group meetings may be the best place to deliver constructive feedback. Here’s why. Matt Hunter • February 3, 2026 Most leaders follow the old adage “Praise publicly, criticize privately,” and for good reason. This approach protects morale, avoids public shaming, and makes it easier for feedback to land without triggering defensiveness. It’s a rule that prioritizes psychological safety, and in many environments, it works well. This is a solid rubric for...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
The Right Way to Hold People Accountable Feedback without follow-through often falls flat. As a leader, you have to be willing to enforce real consequences. Matt Hunter • January 20, 2026 The ability to deliver feedback and follow through with consequences are two of the core qualities of effective accountability. This comes up all the time in my coaching practice. Almost every week, I speak with leaders who are hesitant to give tough feedback—or are even more hesitant to enforce...
2 months ago • 2 min read
The Number-One Sign of a Toxic Workplace Workplace drama isn’t harmless. It’s a culture problem. Matt Hunter • January 6, 2026 When it comes to drama, tough leaders have a zero-tolerance policy. Back-channeling, gossiping, rumors, and politicking happen in almost every organization—but tough leaders know that these behaviors aren’t harmless. They’re signals that something is off. If you start to catch the whiff of drama in your organization, it’s a signal that something is not right in the...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Don’t Be Afraid of Praise A quick guide to motivate your people with the right amount of positive feedback. Matt Hunter • December 16, 2025 If you’re a reader of The Unlock, you know we talk a lot about feedback: how to give it, why it matters, and why it’s one of the most powerful tools a leader has. And we’re not just talking about constructive feedback. We’re also talking about praise. Surprisingly, many leaders I work with struggle more with positive feedback than criticism. They fear...
3 months ago • 2 min read
Embracing the Rhythm of Rupture and Repair The real magic in any relationship—whether between partners, teammates, or co-founders—isn’t avoiding conflict. It’s knowing how to repair it. Matt Hunter • December 2, 2025 Passionate debates, disagreements, and even heated arguments aren’t something to be avoided in your organization. They’re inevitable when people care deeply about the work. But what separates great teams and strong working relationships from dysfunctional ones is their ability to...
4 months ago • 2 min read
May the Best Idea Win Getting to the best idea or decision means always being willing to confront the brutal reality of the situation. Matt Hunter • November 18, 2025 One of the defining qualities of great leaders (which we’ve talked about a lot in this newsletter) is their insistence on seeking out the truth, no matter how brutal it is. Leaders who avoid the brutal facts risk making decisions based on illusions. But those who seek the truth, no matter how hard it is to hear, position...
4 months ago • 4 min read
Constant feedback is the secret superpower of great leaders Don’t hoard feedback. Give it freely, consistently and in real time to build trust and drive performance. Matt Hunter • November 4, 2025 Feedback is a major performance driver. Great leaders know this, and they don’t hold back with offering both positive and negative feedback. It’s the gift that keeps on giving: the more feedback you give, the more you get back from your people in improvement, performance and results. Feedback, when...
5 months ago • 4 min read