Matt’s leadership toolkit
30 years trying to be a better leader. Big & little mistakes. Been fired. Generous mentors, friends, colleagues make me better. I owe it to them to keep growing…
Matt'sLeadershipToolkit.pdf67.1KBAI experiments | Work with me | About me | About this version
My 5 favorite tools
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Integrative bargaining
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3 duties of a board
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4 duties of a CEO
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5 types of decisions
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6 leadership styles
5 tools for experimenting
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Divide by 10
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Pretotyping
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Design Thinking
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Crossing the Chasm
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Value prop Canvas
5 tools for leading vulnerably
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Informal power
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Succession
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Hire slowly
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Conflict resolution
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The 20-year version of people
AI experiments
20 minute overview from Google LM.
Work with me
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2 hour crash: $900
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4 week sprint: $9,000
About me
I’m Matt Candler. I’ve been scaling companies and coaching founders for 35 years.
- 1996 Atlanta Olympics - I was one of the first ten people on staff at the largest peace-time event in world history.
- KIPP Foundation - I led the fastest wave of expansion at the largest charter school network in the US. My team was 37 for 38, launching schools on-time in 20 states in 3 years.
- NYC Charter Schools - I helped build the first city-wide charter school incubator in the US; 19% of kids in NYC now attend one of 275 charter schools.
- In 2006, I moved to New Orleans to serve as CEO at New Schools for New Orleans, now home to the nation’s most innovative, and far from perfect, system of schools.
- That year I started building electric motorcycles as a scheme to justify buying cool tools.
- In 2010, I launched an organization called 4.0 to help entrepreneurs explore new ways to help people learn.
- It's still going strong with more than 1,500 diverse alumni serving more than 9 million learners across the US.
- Handing off leadership to my successor took four years and taught me tons about power, identity and leadership. It heavily informs how I think about coaching founders today.
- In 2019, I started investing in the electrification of vehicles, buildings and the grid, including B2U Storage Solutions, now operator of the largest second-life electric car battery power plant in the USA.
- In 2023, I helped start one of the largest micro-grid projects in the US, Together New Orleans’ Community Lighthouse, which brings solar and storage to 85 houses of faith and non-profits across the Parish.
- In 2024, I was selected as a global all-star mentor for my coaching with technical founders in energy tech and joined the City of New Orleans transportation electrification working group.
Education
- MBA, Northwestern University/Kellogg: Decision Sciences, Education Mgmt
- BA, Duke University: math, Spanish Language
- Racial Equity Institute, Rocky Mountain School of Photography, Fuller Moto Welding Essentials, Center for Restorative Approaches, On Deck Climate Tech Fellowship
Thanks for being here. If you’ve got any questions, please reach out.
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