Great Tools We Love for Leaders

Every year we like to look back at the tools we used to be successful.  What worked and what didn’t and get our toolbox ready for the next year. With the holidays quickly approaching we wanted to share what tools we loved from this year and will be using next year as well.  We’ll also highlight some alternatives.  Let us know what you think of these tools in the comments below.

Mobile Communication

We are fans of Apple products and the iPhone is no exception.  We’ve been long users of the iPhone because it just works.  It has a phenomenal App Store, sleek design and lots of accessories available.  This year we moved to the iPhone 12 Pro Max.  The new iPhone gives us all the screen real estate we could want, super fast 5G networking and an amazing camera.  We use it as our main computer when we’re away from the office.  It’s able to use all of our most important business apps and tools with minimal compromises. We recommend going for the lower storage model and moving your documents and photos to the cloud.  This is a great way to save a little money on the device and keep all of your content and work synced and safe.

Check out the iPhone 12 Pro Max on Apple.com

Are you a fan of Android?  We recommend the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G. This has a ton of power with the flexibility of Android.  Samsung is a heavy weight in the mobile computing space and their devices are used by millions.  You’ll easily be able to find accessories and support.

Check out the Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G on Samsung.com

Getting Down to Work

We mentioned previously that we are big fans of Apple.  That applies to our choice of laptops as well.  While we can use our Phones to get a lot of work done, sometimes we need a full computer to help us do the heavy lifting.  We opt for Apple’s Macbooks when we need that extra power.

This year we went with the MacBook Air.  Apple recently updated their MacBook Air with their own home grown processors they refer to as the Apple M1.  This puts a ton of power into a tiny package.  Not only are these new laptops more powerful than most laptops on the market, they are also whisper quiet, have batteries that last all day and into the next and are super light and thin.

The other advantages of going with a Mac are baked right into Mac OS 11.  You get full integration with your Apple iCloud account so all of your files, photos, notes, work life etc stay fully synced and available across all of your devices.  The same apps that work on your phone now work on your laptop too.  You can even send and receive text messages from your MacBook.

Check out the new MacBook air on Apple.com

Not a fan of the Mac or you need to use Windows?  We recommend Lenovo’s great thinkpad lineup.  Specifically check out the Lenovo Thinkpad T490 S. It has good looks, power and great battery life.  Lenovo also makes some of the best laptop keyboards in the industry.  They are a dream to type on. 

Check out the ThinkPad T490S on Lenovo.com

Thin and Light Computing

Need to compute thin and light while on the go?  Check out the iPad Air.  You’re probably surprised that we didn’t say iPad Pro.  The new iPad Air offers the same gerat processor, compatibility with Apple Pencil for taking notes and other accessories like the magic keyboard.  It fits in any bag and uses the exact same apps as your iPhone so everything stays perfectly in sync.  You can even use a mouse on the iPad now so it may replace your computer entirely.  There’s no real alternative to the iPad for tablet computing so you won’t see us recommend anything else. If you’re picking up an iPad Air we recommend pairing it with the Magic Keyboard and Apple Pencil.  They’re truly fantastic.

Check out the iPad Air on Apple.com

Listen Up

When you’re on a call or consuming media you need a great pair of headphones.  This year we’re using the Apple AirPod Pros.  These sleep headphones provide great sound, long battery life and a comfortable fit.  The AirPod Pros add adjustable fit and noise canceling features that are not available in the regular AirPods.  Trust us these features are worth it.  You’ll love the AirPod Pros and because they’re bluetooth they’ll work with any of your bluetooth devices. 

Check them out on Apple.com

Prefer to steer clear of the Apple camp?  We think you’ll love the Google Pixel Buds.  These styling wireless earbuds offer the same great sound, noise canceling and battery life that you get from the AirPod Pros at a fraction of the price.  They’re available in a number of cool colors too!

Check them out on Google.com

Carry On

You’ll need a way to carry around that Laptop, iPad, Phone, AirPods and keep everything safe and secure.  We love bags that allow you to keep your gear with you and safe. We have a couple of great bags that we love and are carrying into next year.

If you’re looking for classic good looks, functionality and durability we recommend the Flight Bag Leather Briefcase from Saddleback Leather.  This briefcase has classic good looks with all the functionality that you expect from a work ready bag.  It’s full grain leather construction means that it will last a lifetime and being made of leather ensures it only looks better with age.  

Check out the Flight Bag at SaddlebackLeather.com

We also love the Coach Metropolitan Softbag in Leather.  This stylish backpack has the good looks you want and the convenience of a full featured backpack.  This bag will let you pack all of your gear and throw it on your back leaving your hands free to show your boarding pass or purchase a coffee. 

The leather construction and classic Coach good luck are all here too.  You won't have to worry about the durability of this bag and it’s good looks are right at home on the weekend or in the office.

Check out the Metropolitan Softbag at Coach.com

Those are some of the things we’re carrying.  What are you carrying?  Let us know in the comments below.