The Black Widow Mistake - Part 1 (Hall of Fame Guidance)

Manager Tools

Mike Auzenne

Management, Leadership, Strategy, Feedback, How-to, Skills, Advice, Development, Careers, Coaching, Business

4.6 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 25 August 2025

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

The Black Widow Mistake is named after the red, angular figure eight markings on the abdomen of the dangerous female black widow spider. The mistake that many aspiring executives make is to start narrowing their development at the same time that their executive role requires them to be thinking more broadly, including outside the organization. It can put a stop to your upward development.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, folks, this is Mark of Manager Tools. We've got a special treat for you this week and next week on
0:04.4	Mandator Tools. Recently, Mike and I recorded an executive tools podcast called The Black Widow
0:10.7	mistake. I happened to mention it to a few people in the Manager Tools community. They were
0:15.1	immediately very interested. And Mike and Sarah and I quickly realized that, in fact, it had
0:20.8	implications for managers as well.
0:23.0	And we thought we'd release it to you as a special addition of manager tools.
0:28.2	And perhaps some of you will realize that you're probably at a point in your career,
0:32.0	we ought to start thinking about getting an executive tools license.
0:35.0	So here it is, the Black Widow mistake. It's a two-parter. Enjoy.
0:40.4	Welcome to Executive Tools, the Black Widow mistake. Part one. This cast answers these questions.
0:47.9	What is the Black Widow mistake for executives and aspiring executives? Where should I focus my
0:52.7	learning as an executive? How can I use AI to facilitate
0:56.4	my learning? Well, if you want to answer these questions and more, keep listening. Here we go.
1:02.2	With Q4 quickly approaching, now is the time to plan. Manager Tools is here to support your
1:06.8	organization's training needs, and we recommend reaching out to Maggie as soon as possible to discuss availability and option. We offer proven guidance across a range of topics, including
1:16.3	managerial training, professional communications, hiring, interviewing, senior development,
1:21.1	executive strategy. When you're preparing managers or enhancing professional communication,
1:27.4	whether you're aligning senior leadership
1:29.1	or asking your managers for more, we have tailored programs to support you at every level.
1:34.8	Contact us at customer service at manager dash tools.com.
1:38.9	Okay, Mark, you've got my curiosity.
1:42.0	Now, this is folks.
	...

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