Guiding others with authority, clarity, and humility.
For anybody joining a new company, the single most important management goal is to provide clarity from the moment they enter. New hires are changing something very important about their life, and they will be seeking structure and certainty in terms of expectations from the beginning. Good managers and executives help provide that.
To maintain an organization, it’s always more empowering to practice authorship—writing things so people can learn on their own—than dictating instructions. The written word lasts longer and is more available than the spoken one, so long as it’s easily discoverable and accessible.
Listen a lot, learn from others, and don’t be territorial. Allow people to risk stepping on your toes by deliberately making them as short as possible without falling over. Outside of sports, offense is almost always taken rather than given; acting abused when there’s been no abuse is abusive itself.
Take smart chances, and always assume good faith.
Be kind and generous to those who cannot see as far as you (humbly) might be able to. Be aware of people’s strengths but also their limitations, and encourage them always, always to play to the former. Develop teams by amplifying what’s already there, instead of focusing on faults. Emphasizing this makes team diversity a resource.
This is one of the principles of the United States Supreme Court, according to Associate Justice Stephen Breyer. Very helpful when meetings get large and most participants remain silent.
Especially when building teams, always be responsive to suggestions, and always personally be responsible for outcomes.
There’s no sense in keeping secrets if there’s no reason for a team not to know something—however, protecting people’s privacy and maintaining confidence is equally important.
The CEO of an organization is its executive frontal lobe, and their decisions determine the fate of all involved—company discord is inevitable if the team has no confidence—and this includes you. Set goals on your own, and choose your mentors and leaders wisely.