What’s In Your Left-Hand Column? | Issue 1

Let’s shine a light on the scribbles in the margins, the questions we hesitate to ask, and the curiosity within all of us.

Author

Jess Yuen
March 06, 2024

I’ve wanted to write this newsletter for years, but, frankly, I’m terrified: What if no one reads it? What if I don’t have anything interesting to say? What if people hate it? What if I can’t keep up writing it? What if, what if, what if…

- hiding in the recesses of my brain for the past decade

Hi! I’m Jess, a trusted advisor and executive coach for fast-changing companies. I’m eager, and a little nervous, to share my decades’ worth of insights on leadership and workplace culture. 

For so long, the idea of writing content felt at odds with my responsive, in-the-moment style of coaching. My executive clients appreciate my ability to meet their needs, challenges, and curiosities right then and there. How could I possibly know what you need right now, especially if I might not even know you or your company yet?! 

At the same time, I’ve noticed a trend around the lessons that pop up with most of my clients. They might take different forms or require nuance, but the kernels are similar. 

That’s why I’ve created The Left-Hand Column, a newsletter that spotlights the common concepts that arise in my practice—in the hopes that each installment will inspire leaders to create greater impact through clarity, confidence, and curiosity.

So, what is the left-hand column?

Think back to your days in school. You’re listening to a teacher's lecture, and you’ve got your textbook sitting open on your desk, jockeying for space with your three-ringed notebook. As you’re following along and taking careful notes, you might have a question or a moment of confusion. You scribble a thought to yourself in the left-hand column of your notebook—in the margins.

“I don’t get this.” 

“What does that term mean?” 

“Need more explanation.”

Instead of raising your hand, you jot it down, squeezing the words around the holes and coiled binding. 

Inevitably, when you pull a late night studying for a test or writing an essay, you realize you never got those answers. 

You’re stuck.

In my career, the left-hand column has become shorthand for all those silent thoughts and unasked questions we keep to ourselves, to our own detriment. 

The ethos of this newsletter is to shine a light on the scribbles in the margins, the questions we hesitate to ask, and the curiosity within all of us.

Now it’s your turn:

What’s hiding in your left-hand column? Hit reply and share what questions you have or topics you’d like me to cover.

Want to dive a little deeper into what a “left-hand column” is and how it can be useful for more than an eyebrow raise a decade later? Writer and lecturer Peter Senge touches on the concept in this video.

I’m hoping you find it as insightful as I clearly do!

‘Til my next reveal…

Keep reading, keep leading,
Jess

Thank you for subscribing! If you found this valuable, please share it with a friend or colleague who might find it useful, too.

For more, follow me on LinkedIn or check out my website.