Cook's Connections (Blog)

If you don’t know the kind of person I am
and I don’t know the kind of person you are
a pattern that others made may prevail in the world
and following the wrong god home we may miss our star.

For there is many a small betrayal in the mind,
a shrug that lets the fragile sequence break
sending with shouts the horrible errors of childhood
storming out to play through the broken dyke.

And as elephants parade holding each elephant’s tail,
but if one wanders the circus won’t find the park,
I call it cruel and maybe the root of all cruelty
to know what occurs but not recognize the fact.

And so I appeal to a voice, to something shadowy,
a remote important region in all who talk:
though we could fool each other, we should consider–
lest the parade of our mutual life get lost in the dark.

For it is important that awake people be awake,
or a breaking line may discourage them back to sleep;
the signals we give–yes or no, or maybe–
should be clear: the darkness around us is deep.

Star Splitter

by Robert Frost
But the first thing next morning we reflected
If one by one we counted people out
For the least sin, it wouldn’t take us long
To get so we had no one left to live with.
For to be social is to be forgiving.

As we end this week, Mozilla arrives at yet another inflection point in our history.  Many have already offered their views and insights on our leadership changes recently.   Like Here:  Mozilla Is Human

The best I can offer is to try to help everyone remember Mozilla’s roots and to remind everyone that a company builds its culture everyday. Mozilla has always built our culture the way we build our software – open source and transparently (view source).

From John Liilly’s Poetry and Pragmatics and Glass House

to Deb Cohen’s Holding Space and Finding My Own

to Reid’s reminder today to “Let’s not waste a good crisis”.

Now is the time to double down on everything that’s great about Mozilla.
Now, more than ever, is the time to show the world WHO Mozilla is, WHY we exist, and HOW we operate. Now is the time to lean in hard.

As Churchill said,“If you are going through hell, keep going”.  Or you may prefer Robert Frost version “the best way out is always through”.

I’ll end with more of a list from the top of my head.  A running list of the values and behaviors that have created Mozilla’s culture over time:  (you can add your own in the comments)

“It’s the People”:  People create culture from a shared purpose, values and behaviors.  Mozilla creates space for people’s “best of”.   This environment in turn attracts more talent and the upward spiral of knowing more, doing more, and being better.

Operating Openly:  Minimum Requirements
Leading with Respect
Having an Opinion
Sharing It
Listening for the Best Idea
Being Accountable
Learning a lot
Teaching a little

“You’re Right” are 2 very powerful words
Let’s Fix It are 3 words that should follow

Behaviors Required?
Personal Authenticity…it’s ok to be vulnerable.  It’s ok to say you don’t know.  It’s important to say “we’ll figure it out together”
Modeling Accountability
Ferocious Integrity
Capacity and Willingness to Connect with Others Deeply.
Trust requires Transparency
Being an Empathetic Ambivert (as in ambidextrous to both extroverts and introverts)
Showing Up, Digging In, and Being Yourself.

On Leadership:
LEADERSHIP is not a title and it’s not management it’s a BEHAVIOR….anyone can exhibit it.
We model courage or cowardice and leadership everyday.
Every time we show up and/or FAIL to show up.
Every time we use our voice.

On Culture
I’m looking at the Culture when I’m looking at YOU (and your behaviors)
You Are the Culture (in the way you show up)
I am the Culture
We are the Culture

Please turn to the Mozillian next to you…and let’s begin again.