High‑Level Exec Practices: “If Nvidia’s CEO Doesn’t Do Weekly 1:1s, Why Should I?”
Why Meeting Rhythms Should Reflect Role, Scope, and Team Needs
A common refrain in management circles goes something like this:
“If Nvidia’s CEO doesn’t do weekly 1:1s, why should I?”
It’s a fair question—and it opens up a broader conversation about leadership, communication rhythms, and context. The truth is, leadership styles evolve with scope. What works for a CEO running a 30,000-person company won’t be the same for a frontline engineering manager or a startup founder with a 10-person team.
Let’s unpack what this mindset gets right—and what it overlooks.
1. Leadership Practices Scale with Scope
Jensen Huang (Nvidia’s CEO) likely doesn’t do weekly 1:1s with direct reports. Why?
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He’s managing a massive, complex organization
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His direct reports are seasoned executives
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Communication is structured through layers of trusted leaders
At the C-suite level, the information flow is different. The focus shifts from tactical problem-solving to strategic alignment, culture, capital allocation, and vision. That doesn’t mean communication disappears—it just looks different: structured reviews, strategic off-sites, investor calls, and exec team huddles.
If you're managing individual contributors or team leads, your responsibilities are closer to coaching, feedback, and execution—where frequent 1:1s are often more valuable.
2. Senior People Need Less, Not None
As team members become more senior, they typically need:
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Less frequent hands-on guidance
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More autonomy
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Strategic check-ins instead of tactical syncs
But they still benefit from 1:1s. The format may shift:
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Monthly or ad-hoc check-ins for senior leaders
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Agenda driven by the direct report
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Focused more on strategic blockers, alignment, and priorities
The point isn’t to eliminate communication—it’s to match it to the level of the role.
3. Don’t Copy Practices Without Context
High-profile leaders often operate with deeply embedded communication structures around them. CEOs don’t need weekly 1:1s with every person because:
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Their lieutenants run tightly aligned teams
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They’ve built systems of trust and visibility over years
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They get feedback from multiple high-leverage sources
If you’re earlier in your leadership journey or building a team from scratch, you are that system. Until that structure exists, weekly 1:1s often are the system.
4. Use 1:1s Strategically, Not Rigidly
It’s not about frequency for its own sake. The real question is:
“What does my team need from me right now?”
Maybe a new team member needs weekly coaching. Maybe a senior designer needs 20 minutes every other week to align on priorities. Maybe a burned-out engineer just needs space to vent. Flexibility matters more than mimicry.
5. What to Learn from Executives Like Huang
Rather than copying a CEO’s meeting habits, focus on why they make the choices they do:
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Delegate effectively
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Empower trusted leaders
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Focus meetings on decisions, not status
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Build high-trust cultures so communication flows organically
These are the underlying skills that allow leaders to reduce meeting frequency without sacrificing alignment.
Final Thoughts
Just because a CEO at a Fortune 500 company doesn’t run weekly 1:1s doesn’t mean you shouldn’t. Leadership practices aren’t one-size-fits-all—they’re contextual. Use weekly 1:1s where they add value. Reduce them when they don’t. And always tailor your approach to the needs of your people, not someone else’s calendar.
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