🦋 What 78 Days in a Basement Taught Me About Leadership

In 1999, I was in Belgrade, Serbia. It was a warm March day when the air-raid sirens shattered the calm. I remember rushing with my parents to the basement, my heart pounding, not fully understanding what was happening. NATO bombing of Serbia had started.

Our entire apartment building emptied into the basement. Neighbors huddled together, faces pale with fear. We transformed that cold, concrete space into a shelter — lining up beds, stacking blankets, sharing what we had. At first, we thought it would last a few days. It went on for 78.

When people ask me about that time, my mind is filled with a strange mix of distress… and joy. Why joy? Because in the middle of uncertainty and fear, I saw our community coming together. People shared food, cigarettes, drinks, jokes — anything to make this odd reality survivable.

With school closed, my friends and I became inseparable. We spent endless nights playing chess, joking around, trying to push back the shadows of fear. In between air-raid sirens, we’d grab a basketball or a football and play outside, stealing small pockets of normal life. The community didn’t just help us endure — it gave us moments of laughter and connection in the midst of chaos.

That is the power of community — to make even the hardest moments bearable, and where fear loses its grip because you’re never facing it alone.

Today, we’re building on last week’s newsletter - AI will create even more demand for deeply human skills. Community building is one of the most important ones 👇

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🤖 AI’s Hidden Risk: Isolation

We live in a world where AI is revolutionizing how we work, learn, and connect.

But research is starting to show maybe a less visible side effect: isolation.

When AI can brainstorm, edit, and advise, it’s tempting to skip the messy, time-consuming process of involving others. The result? We get more done—but talk less. We gain efficiency—but lose connection.

And while efficiency is useful, it’s community that makes us resilient. Just as our basement shelter made fear bearable, strong communities today are what make uncertainty and disruption survivable—and even transformative.

🤝 Why Communities Matter—in Life & Business

• Build trust in a trust-scarce world – In an AI-driven era, trust is the new currency. Communities create spaces where relationships are real and credibility is earned through direct connection.

• Unlock human potential – We grow faster, think bigger, and recover from setbacks more easily when surrounded by people who challenge and support us.

• Drive collective change – From civil rights movements to entrepreneurial revolutions, lasting transformation comes from groups rallying around a shared mission.

• Fuel loyalty – People stay with organizations that make them feel part of something bigger (think Patagonia or Lego).

• Spark innovation – Communities create constant feedback loops that sharpen products, services, and strategy.

• Boost talent retention – People don’t leave workplaces where they feel seen, valued, and connected.

• Build resilience – A strong community will rally to support you during crises, not just celebrate you in good times.

👉 The Most Potent Tool For Leading Change!

To lead successful sustainable change in the complexity of the 21st century, the most effective way is start creating a small movement-like community that leads change together. This approach helps you build allies faster, share commitments and tasks to accomplish more, and distribute the heat that changemakers usually face. You'll prevent burnout, foster resilience, learn faster together, and have more fun! And if you leave for any reason, multiple others will sustain and continue the work.

You can apply this approach anywhere - work, school, neighborhood. All you need to do is change your mindset. Before taking any action against the status quo, first talk to a few people. Tell them what you see, what you want to change, why they should join, and ask them who else would be interested.

🛠 How to Build a Community

1️⃣ Anchor it in shared purpose – Clarify your "why" will send the signal to the right people to join. It gives the collective direction and shared values proposition.

2️⃣ Recruit for values - Talk to people, have many 1 on 1 conversations, ask them who else could join. Share your “why”, ask them for theirs.

3️⃣ Build Relationships - people come for the purpose, and stay because of personal connections. Spend time to get to know people, and enable them to get to know each other to build trust.

4️⃣ Encourage participation – Give members a voice. Host discussions, run challenges, invite peer-led events.

5️⃣ Blend online & offline – Even rare in-person touch-points deepen trust exponentially.

6️⃣ Spot & empower connectors – Recognize and support members who naturally bring people together.

7️⃣ Celebrate together – Publicly honor wins, losses and contributions. Recognition is community glue.

Charles Vogl, in The Art of Community, identifies 7 principles that help communities thrive 👇

🚀 5-Minute Action Item

Here are some ideas where you could start:

• Think about a change you are leading now - who else could you involve to start building your mini-community? Go talk to them!

• If you already have a community: Host a 30-minute conversation on a shared challenge. Have 1 on 1 with a member that you don’t know that well. Introduce two other people who you think should connect.

In an age of rapid change, the leaders who build strong communities will be the ones who build the future. Community-building is the most important skill for leading change in 21st century ✊

PS 👇

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I'm launching a community for ambitious builders and visionaries ready to pursue their biggest ideas and grow into who they need to be to achieve them.

This space will enable us to support each other's boldest worthy ideas, enhance our leadership through peer coaching, workshops, simulations, and meetups. The concept is still evolving in its early stages.

To ensure meaningful connections, I'm starting with just 120 members. Interested? Join the waitlist 👉 HERE for updates.