Hey Reader,

Welcome to the 6th edition of the 3-2-1

• (check out previous issues ​here​).

You're getting this because you care about developing people.

I write about transforming ICs -> Impact Contributors.

And today, we're talking about Universal Perspective.

Let's get into it.

3 Things for Work (in L&D)

​The Case For Writing​

• A compelling look at why to get your people writing as part of their learning. If writing is thinking, outsourcing this to AI is regressing.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Effort ≈ 4 min read

​Hiring Guide​

• You know how you never quite know what you're getting into when you hire someone? This essay helped me close that gap. I've shared it dozens of times. Hands down, the best thing I've ever read on hiring.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Effort ≈ 22 min read

​Every major business advantage we celebrate, like agility, innovation, and resilience, is just learning in disguise​

• My LinkedIn newsletter on the new competitive edge: your team's ability to out-learn the competition.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Effort ≈ 4 min read

​

2 Things for Life

​Aurabowls (YouTube channel)​

• If I'm traveling, I'll throw on this YouTube channel for a deep brain massage from this guy's Tibetan singing bowls. Give it a try if you're not happy with your sleep.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Effort ≈ zero 😉

​Everything Is Television​

• A clear lens on why our attention feels thinner and our solitude deeper. Derek Thompson argues that modern media (think social, podcasts, and even AI) is becoming a continuous “flow” of short-form video, a television-like stream that prioritizes immediacy and spectacle over depth. ​⁠
• 🏋️‍♀️ Effort ≈ 10 min read

1 Idea from Me

🏋️‍♀️ Effort ≈ 90 sec read

My parents forced me to work retail in high school (and I thought they were punishing me).

Every Sunday, I'd drag myself to a hypermarket in a poor Cape Town neighborhood to deal with difficult customers and complex return policies. I was overqualified, overprivileged, and out of my element.

But my parents saw something I couldn't: this job was teaching me lessons no private school ever could.

I learned to build relationships with people from different backgrounds. I developed the ability to handle conflict with grace. I discovered that leadership is about connection, not authority.

Years later, around a campfire at a hostel in a beautiful part of rural South Africa, I sat next to a local man who was used to working for white, privileged guys like me. After a fun drum circle session, we got chatting, and he said something that has stuck with me ever since: "You're like a boss I can talk to."

Now, I am by no means perfect. I still carry my privilege with me.

But all these years later, I realized the gift my parents gave me: the ability to relate to people from different walks of life.

The gift of the Universal Perspective.

I define the Universal Perspective as the mindset that sees the whole system rather than just one part. It’s the ability to perceive reality through multiple lenses at once: your own experience, others’ experiences, and the larger patterns that connect them.

To hold the Universal Perspective is to transcend ego and context without abandoning them. You recognize that every point of view is partial, yet each contains insight into the greater whole.

It also happens to be the perfect name for the Seek, Sense, Share framework I revealed a few weeks ago, where the ability to seek perspectives, make sense, and share your unique POV with others helps you develop the Universal Perspective.

So consider this Sunday email the official naming of my framework. You heard it here first 📌

That's it for this week - enjoy your Sunday!

I'll be back in two weeks ✌️

Andrew