Keys to fostering ecosystem trust and alignment

Before embracing purpose-driven team culture, teams experience: → Individuals pulling in different directions → Disconnection and lack of cohesion → Meetings that feel like a chore → Struggles to meet targets I see it happen. The sheer frustration of watching a team drift despite everyone's best efforts. I know leaders feel overwhelmed by their team's lack of unity: → They set clear objectives, yet progress stalls. → They increase oversight, but creativity diminishes. → They communicate more, but true understanding is missing. But here's what I've discovered: You don't need to push harder. ↳ You need to connect deeper. You don't need more control. ↳ You need more collaboration. You don't need to set more goals. ↳ You need to share a vision. Stop trying to force alignment. ↳ Start fostering it through genuine engagement. But when you shift your approach: ↳ From assigning tasks to sharing purpose, you ignite intrinsic motivation. ↳ From managing people to empowering them, you unlock collective potential. ↳ From 'dictating' to really listening, you uncover unspoken challenges and untapped ideas. So, how do I align everyone towards a common goal? By embracing three core principles: #1  Understanding Purpose ↳ Engage your team in defining the "why" behind the work. ↳ Connect organizational goals to individual aspirations. ↳ Make the mission personal, so everyone feels invested. #2  Valuing Contributions ↳ Encourage diverse perspectives and ideas. ↳ Recognize and celebrate each person's unique strengths. ↳  Show appreciation not just for outcomes, but for effort and creativity. #3  Building Trust and Connection ↳ Create a safe space for open dialogue. ↳ Invest time in building relationships, not just processes. ↳ Be authentic and transparent, fostering trust through your actions. When you embody these principles, alignment becomes a natural outcome. ✅ Alignment isn't a directive; it's an evolving dialogue. It's cultivated through purposeful action that resonates with the human need for connection and meaning. P.S How do you align your team? Share your approach in the conversation below 👇 Let's help and support each other today! --- To every leader out there striving to create a purpose-driven team culture: You're part of something bigger. Let's amplify our impact: 1. ♻️ Together, we can create a ripple effect of positive change. 2. 🔔 + Laurie #leadership #strategy #collaboration #culture

Scaling a startup isn’t just about processes—it’s about trust. I’ve had the privilege of working with startup teams ranging from seed (Tiny Earth Toys) to scale (Invisible Technologies) to post-IPO (Wayfair). One lesson stands out: trust is the cornerstone of scaling and innovation. In fast-paced environments, communication breaks down, priorities shift, and silos form. The organizations that thrive are the ones that prioritize trust—between leaders, teams, and individuals. I’ve seen the positive impact of trust firsthand. In one instance, we faced a challenge where meetings took up 15% of operational time, slowing productivity. By creating a space for team leads to share ideas and drive improvements, we identified ways to work more asynchronously and reduced meeting time to under 5%. But I’ve also seen what happens when trust is lacking. I’ve spent hours overthinking emails, afraid of making a mistake that could lead to public criticism. The fear slowed communication and stifled collaboration, teaching me the importance of fostering an environment where people believe in each other’s good intentions and abilities, even when mistakes happen. Here’s what I’ve learned about building a culture of trust: 1️⃣ Transparency wins trust. Share company metrics, wins, and struggles openly. When people see the bigger picture, they align better. 2️⃣ Empathy drives resilience. High-growth environments are tough. Supporting your team during challenges creates a community where people bring their best. 3️⃣ Ownership sparks creativity. Trust your team to own their work. Autonomy leads to solutions you wouldn’t have thought of yourself. 4️⃣ Trust drives speed. When people believe in each other’s commitment and expertise, communication flows faster, and innovation thrives—even in the face of challenges. Whether you’re in a startup or a global company, trust isn’t just nice-to-have—it’s the foundation for growth, resilience, and success. What’s one way your team has built or rebuilt trust? I’d love to hear your stories!

8 Years. 8 Partnership Principles. 8 Business Lessons. When I launched Ultimate Partner, it was in response to a problem I had seen firsthand: Tech partnerships were broken. Vendors were speaking past each other. Partners expectations were misaligned. Co-sell was a spreadsheet exercise. And too many partner leaders were being asked to drive results—without the playbook or support to succeed. Eight years after starting a podcast - well before everyone else - we’ve built a platform—part media, part community, part executive experience—focused on helping leaders align with hyperscalers, accelerate revenue, and achieve their greatest results. We created a set of operating principles listed in the graphic below 👇 We also have unlocked 8 important business lessons I’ve learned along the way: 1️⃣ Great partnerships start with alignment. If your offer doesn’t align to the hyperscaler’s priorities and seller incentives, you’re invisible. 2️⃣ Co-sell isn’t about connection—it’s about execution. Success comes when you have the systems, people, and rhythm to activate and scale alignment. 3️⃣ Marketplace is not optional—it’s a competitive advantage. Customers are buying differently. If you’re not marketplace-ready, you’re already behind. 4️⃣ Your brand is your entry ticket. Whether you’re an ISV, GSIs, or a services-led partner—clear positioning and a compelling narrative open doors. 5️⃣ Partner success depends on internal alignment. The best partner leaders don’t go it alone—they bring the C-suite including sales, marketing, and product along for the ride. 6️⃣ Communities like #UPX accelerates results. Insights from peers, shared strategies, and access to ecosystem leaders can compress years of learning into days. 7️⃣ Agility beats scale. The winners in this new partner economy are fast, focused, and ready to pivot with the market. 8️⃣ The ecosystem is your growth engine. When you stop thinking like a vendor and start acting like a multiplier, that’s when transformation happens. ⸻ If you’re building in this space, leading partner strategy, or trying to grow through ecosystem alignment—these lessons are for you. And if you’re not plugged into Ultimate Partner® yet… now’s the time. Reach out to John Menzione, Susan Tommy or me to learn more! We’re just getting started. #UltimatePartner #TechPartnerships #CloudGTM #EcosystemStrategy #CoSell #MarketplaceGrowth #PartnerLeadership #BusinessAlignment

💥 Reflections from the front lines of Open Source AI leadership (weekend edition!) 💥 Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to help shape some of the most impactful open source AI ecosystems in the world. As Executive Director of LF AI & Data Foundation (70 technical projects, 100+K contributors from 3000+ organizations) and the founding Executive Director of the PyTorch Foundation (a foundational pillar of the modern AI ecosystem), I witnessed firsthand how open source projects become global platforms and what it takes to make them sustainable, collaborative, and trusted. Here are three lessons that guide how I think about open source, AI, and building thriving ecosystems: 1️⃣ Neutral governance is non-negotiable: No matter how innovative the technology, ecosystems don’t scale without trust. At LF AI & Data, neutrality was the cornerstone. We built a space where companies, universities, researchers, and individuals could collaborate as equals. For PyTorch, the foundation provided structure and clarity as the project expanded beyond Meta. ⭐ Shared governance, transparent decision-making, and foundation support are critical to long-term success. ⭐ Trust is the catalyst for investment, contribution, and long-term strategic alignment. It fuels the virtuous cycle of [Project ➡️ Product ➡️ Profit ➡️ Project], as described by Jim Zemlin of The Linux Foundation, that sustains and scales open source innovation and keeps the contribution machinery going. 2️⃣ Community-first approach: Open source isn’t just about publishing code. It’s about investing in the people who build, test, document, and advocate for it. We spent an incredible amount of time supporting contributors and maintainers. ⭐ Empowering contributors isn’t extra work: it’s THE work. ⭐ Behind every successful open source project is a core group of maintainers and contributors who need support, visibility, travel support, cloud credits, and the infrastructure to scale their impact. We provided that, day in and day out. 3️⃣ Strategic alignment is everything: Open source can’t operate in a vacuum. We made it a priority to align our foundation efforts with the strategic needs of the broader AI ecosystem: from interoperability and responsible AI to security, compliance, training, certifications, events, and partnerships. Equally important was ensuring that our efforts created ⭐ tangible value ⭐ for our members and supporting organizations. When open source helps companies accelerate their internal R&D, reduce duplication, and build on shared innovation, the impact becomes more visible, impactful, measurable, and scalable. These lessons are relevant for anyone building or maintaining open source at scale. 👉 If you’re exploring how to scale your open source initiative or structure it for long-term success, feel free to reach out. Thanks for reading & enjoy your weekend! #OpenSource #AI #OSPO #Sustainability The Linux Foundation Linux Foundation Europe Linux Foundation Japan

3 Key Steps to Building Trust and Alignment in Corporate Sustainability Building trust and alignment around sustainability can be challenging, especially when working with diverse teams. As sustainability professionals, we often ask others to embrace new practices for goals they might not fully buy into. So, how do you build that trust and alignment quickly and effectively? I've found success with a three-pronged approach: 1️⃣ Engage Individually: Personal interactions matter. One-on-one meetings help address individual concerns, provide tailored information, and build personal connections. This approach helps in understanding different perspectives and securing buy-in. 2️⃣ Engage as a Group: Team collaboration is powerful. Group meetings foster shared understanding, collective problem-solving, and a sense of community. It’s an opportunity to align efforts and demonstrate the collective impact of our actions. 3️⃣ Reinforce Through Consistent Messaging: Consistency is key. Regular updates and clear, consistent messaging reinforce the importance of our sustainability goals. Continuous reinforcement keeps everyone aligned and motivated. By using this three-pronged approach, you can effectively build trust and alignment around sustainability. Step by step, trust and alignment grow stronger. Have you tried similar strategies in your work? Share your experiences and tips in the comments! #Sustainability #ESG #ClimateAction #Leadership #Teamwork #ProfessionalGrowth

Serving as a Partner in the Age of Ecosystem-Led Growth In today’s digital economy, growth doesn’t come from going it alone—it comes from building a connected ecosystem. As CEO of Connectbase, I’ve seen the power of serving not just as a vendor, but as a true partner to your wholesale buyers and channel partners. It’s how we unlock Ecosystem-Led Growth—together. Being a partner today means showing up where your partners are—not expecting them to swivel-chair between systems, portals, emails, and spreadsheets. It means embedding your capabilities into their workflow with precision, trust, and transparency. At Connectbase, we believe growth starts with five pillars: 1. Location Truth – A foundation of accurate, validated location intelligence. 2. Inventory Truth – Real-time visibility into what’s available, where, and from whom. 3. Insights on TAM – Understanding total addressable market by location, not just zip code. 4. Ecosystem Fabric – A digital api thread that connects suppliers, partners, platforms, and buyers without friction. 5. Presence Where It Matters – Be available in the tools and processes your partners already use, which means you need an API strategy that scales. Together, these drive Transparency, Trust, and Transactions. What does that look like in action? Helping partners identify opportunities with data that makes sense for their business. Enabling them to quote with precision and purpose—instantly and accurately. Supporting ordering with assurance, because confidence builds repeat business. Maintaining truth and trust, from data accuracy to delivery to billing. This isn’t just about technology—it’s about mindset. When we act like partners, we build ecosystems that scale. When we lead with transparency, we earn trust. And when we focus on enabling transactions, we drive real, measurable growth. Let’s start building it—one trusted connection at a time. #EcosystemLedGrowth #TransparencyTrustTransactions #ConnectivityEvolved #Connectbase #LocationTruth #DigitalTransformation #B2BPlatform #ChannelPartnerSuccess #BuyersCloud

From Ego-System to Eco-System: The Leadership Shift That Lasts We often think of leadership as a way to achieve goals and drive performance. But what if leadership wasn’t just about results and milestones? What if it was about seeing the whole picture—every decision, every relationship, every ripple effect? Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the final Perfection in Buddhism: Wisdom (Prajñā). It’s not just about being smart or making quick decisions—it’s about seeing beyond self-centered goals and adopting a holistic perspective. The Shift: From Ego-System to Eco-System When leadership evolves from “What’s in it for me?” to “How do we all thrive together?”, something remarkable happens. Leaders who grasp interdependence understand that every choice impacts customers, teams, and society. System thinking reveals that a decision made in one area reverberates throughout the organization and beyond. Why System Thinking Matters in Leadership In a world that often glorifies individual success, it’s easy to lose sight of the bigger picture. But leaders who think in ecosystems, rather than silos, foster environments where collaboration, loyalty, and sustainable success thrive. ✔ Wisdom Isn’t Just Intelligence—It’s Perspective. It’s not about being the smartest person in the room. It’s about connecting the dots and seeing how actions shape outcomes. ✔ Innovation Comes from Collaboration. When we move beyond ego and listen to diverse perspectives, we tap into collective intelligence—a resource far more powerful than isolated brilliance. ✔ Resilience Grows from Connection. Teams that feel valued and seen are more resilient to change. When people sense that their contributions matter, they stay engaged—even when challenges arise. How to Apply System Thinking in Leadership: 1. Pause Before Acting: Before making a big decision, step back and assess how it might affect the entire ecosystem—not just your immediate goal. 2. Foster Cross-Functional Collaboration: Create panels or discussions that gather insights from different departments. This encourages innovation and a holistic perspective. 3. Adopt a Communal Mindset: Remind your team that individual success is tied to collective well-being. When one thrives, we all thrive. Final Thought: Wisdom is not about being the loudest or the smartest. It’s about seeing beyond your own needs—moving from ego-driven leadership to eco-driven coherence. 📌 The real power of leadership is not just in making progress, but in creating an environment where everyone moves forward together. ↳ What’s one leadership mindset that has changed how you approach your role? Let’s discuss. #LeadershipWisdom #SystemThinking #CoherentLeadership #EcoSystemLeadership #LaraReflections