Hi friend,

It’s easy to get caught up in the grind of running the business or doing the work. Forecasts, team meetings, deliverables, fires. But leadership isn’t just about working in the business; it’s about stepping back to work on the business and, just as importantly, with peers who push you to think differently.

Peers matter so much. Not the ones where everyone nods politely, but the ones where you’re challenged. Where someone asks the uncomfortable question you’ve been avoiding. Where you’re reminded you’re not alone in the struggle, even if the problems are different.

I started my series of travel through the Fall and Q4 on an inspiring note at Trans4mers, an industry peer group I’ve been a part of for nearly a decade. Most recently, we met at the Cisco office and toured the renovations at 1 Penn Plaza in New York City. 

During the tour, the guide made a comment that stuck with: “If you have a full day of meetings and need a closed door, don’t come to the office. That’s not what this space is for.”

It was an a-ha moment. How often do we attend meetings, workshops, or off-sites, yet keep our phone face-up, our inboxes running, and our teams pinging? How often are we physically present but mentally elsewhere?

Peer groups are the leadership equivalent of tearing down walls and adding windows — a reminder that new light changes everything.

The higher you rise, the easier it is to get trapped in the weeds of execution or the isolation of decision-making. But the leaders who thrive aren’t the ones who try to shoulder it all themselves — they’re the ones who step back, work on the business, and surround themselves with peers who sharpen their thinking.

Don’t confuse busyness with progress. Tour the offices. Listen to the debates. Read the books. Test the tools. Keep learning. Because the leader you’re becoming won’t be built in isolation. It will be built in the company you keep.

Best, 

Kara 

Kara Rudy

COO, MarketDesign

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