Common themes of leaders who sustain excellence:
- They know why they’re there
- “They always have their eye on the why”
- “They think about success often”
- They understand their strengths and weaknesses
- “Surround yourself with people who compliment your strengths/weaknesses”
- How did Todd make a quick ascent to CEO?
- There must be an opportunity and then you “must go like hell when that happens”
- “I love the outcome, I love the impact we have”
- “When coming up through the company, I always kept an eye on the overall strategy”
- “Don’t focus on getting credit for the project.”
- “Make sure your personal goals and company goals are aligned.”
- How he does two separate CEO roles? — “Must surround yourself with people you trust”
- Calendar/Time Management
- All meetings are 15 minutes in length — This forces people to get to the point immediately
- Week unfolds:
- Front load all staff meetings by 1:00 Monday. Must be done by Monday afternoon — “What are the goals for the week?”
- Having a chief of staff is important
- Todd is an introvert and does not do back to back meetings all day. Needs 30 minutes breaks every 3 meetings to think
- “You said an important word… And that word is THINK”
- “As a manager you are responsible for the success of people.” — Management means you have a responsibility for them
- Must give feedback. Feedback is a gift. It’s generous to give feedback.
- “There’s nothing easier than sharing credit.”
- “Management is around understanding the differences in people, and getting the best out of them”
- “Leadership is about painting a vision”
- Lead with trust
- Todd’s story of his first client engagement – FAILED… How his boss responded with trust was powerful — “I trust you”
- When managing through a crisis… BE:
- How sketch comedy can help you be a better leader
- Bring your whole self to your job
- Build emotional intelligence
- Paying employees to take a class that has nothing to do with work (Learn a second language, guitar lessons, etc)
- Hiring process:
- “What are the first 5 things you read everyday?” — “Okay, now tell me the real answer. I want to learn about you, not what you think I want to hear”
- “I want to hear them defend or support an argument. It doesn’t matter what it’s about
- Books to read: The Enders Game — Incredible story about getting the best out of people and creating teams
- To be a Learning Leader? — “A process of building. It’s a thing you do.”
- “Time is a really expensive leader.” “Must always evolve and pick up lessons”