Avoiding the Pitfalls of Developing an Ownership Culture
Clarifying ownership creates agency. Giving people agency grows the capacity of the people and the organization. But it’s not easy. Here are some traps to avoid.
Developing an Ownership Culture
Clarifying ownership creates agency. Agency tends to increase effort and initiative. When you take agency away, people shrink.
The CEO's Communication Compass: Accuracy vs. Precision
Be clear. Be brief. Focus on the future. This will make you a better communicator, and help your team and your investors stay aligned to the mission.
Why Your Startup Needs a Compensation Strategy
A strategic compensation plan attracts top performers, boosts morale, and fuels your startup's success. Click to learn why yours needs one!
Navigating the Pitfalls of Action-Oriented Leadership
A bias to action is often a step forward. However, unreflective action faces some common pitfalls. This post delves into the delicate balance between driving immediate results and fostering long-term team growth. We also include two powerful examples of this style of leadership in action.
Bias Toward Developmental Action
Never just do the work. Always use the work as an opportunity to develop your team. This accelerates your transformation.
Startup Breakpoints and Evolutions
As startups begin to scale, they hit very predictable breakpoints where things start to go off the rails organizationally. At each of these points, the founders need to evolve their mindsets and the systems they use to run the company.
Never Climb Alone: Wisdom Partners and Your Frontier
I helped start Wisdom Partners to provide today’s founders the support I wish I had when I was a CEO of a quickly growing company. We want to be your partners on your frontier.
Self-Awareness Toolkit for Teams
Improving self-awareness is the foundation to almost all growth as leaders. We need help becoming more self-aware.
Self-Awareness Toolkit: Individuals
Improving self-awareness is the foundation to almost all growth as leaders. Cultivating awareness of our emotions, motivations, thoughts, and triggers enables us to make more intentional choices and have healthier interactions.
Triaging Fires Without Kneecapping Your Team
When fires emerge, triage them to determine the right level of engagement and the right people to be involved. When things catch on fire, the best thing to do is put them out as soon as possible, right? Not necessarily. Jumping to solve every fire subtly conditions your team to ring your alarm at every whiff of smoke.
Beyond the Three Musketeers
As you grow, your leadership team has to shift from the Three Musketeers (who do the work) to the Coaching Staff (who develop the team). Start-ups often begin as a tight-knit team of rebels tackling challenges head-on. However, as a company grows, the founders’ leadership style must shift from doer to coach – focusing less on tasks and more on people.
Ike’s Love and Ownership
Ike’s Love and Sandwiches is a Bay Area staple, and it’s built on love. When we heard how Ike does his own internal work and helps his team live out their values, we knew we had to share their story as a beautiful example of Ownership Culture.
Ownership Culture Manifesto
At Wisdom Partners, our mission is to help high impact leaders make their dent in the world. We do this through community, experienced coaches, paradigm shifting experiences, training and tools. This transformation is built on the principles of Ownership Culture – the leadership approach behind today's most successful companies. This is our manifesto.