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THE RELENTLESS QUEST TO IMPROVE
AS CEOwith Tony Haile
This presentation consists of insights inspired by 33voices® interviews with Jenna Abdou.
“It’s not about 10,000 hours of doing something. It’s about 10,000 hours
of deliberate practice where you do something, you observe what you did, and adapt to be different next time. That’s what I am trying
to do with my job. I need to get better.”
“The people who work at this company require and deserve that I am better than I am today.”
The only way to navigate your evolution as CEO is to exercise “constant vigilance.” This mentality lends to each individual,
team, and department in your organization.
On an individual level, ensure that each team member feels excited,
reassured, and prepared for growth.
“It’s not about becoming homogeneous. It’s about people coming in and giving their very best. Culture changes, becomes richer,
and more nuanced. Every single person adds a thread to that tapestry.”
“Culture is never static. If culture is static, it’s dead.”
Make it a priority that each department in your company feels that their voice is equally
heard and respected in the organization.
“It’s great to have a product or engineering driven culture, but it means that other parts of the company are lessened. Every single part
of the company has an important voice.”
Your job as CEO is “to make sure there is a good balance.”
The first step to achieve this is empowering your team members to
tell you when something is wrong. Make it clear to every team member that he or she
has a voice shaping the organization and their personal role.
Tony tells each new hire: “Your job is not only to do your job it’s to help me do mine.”
While it’s telling to encourage your team members to let you know if the
company should explore a new direction, the sentiment is meaningless unless you
listen to and evaluate their feedback.
Recognize and celebrate the value of listening.
“When you’re first starting you have this deep sense that you should be in every meeting and
immediately have an answer or opinion.
50% to 75% of the time you’re saying something for the hell of it.”
“Calm down. Have more security. Listen to people and say thank you
when they are finished.
You don’t need to add your two cents.”
Listening, digesting feedback, and preparing to address a situation is the
difference between responding and reacting.
You have two modes of thinking:
You have two modes of thinking:
System 1 is your fast, reactive thoughts.
You have two modes of thinking:
System 1 is your fast, reactive thoughts.
System 2 is your deep computing power.
You have two modes of thinking:
System 1 is your fast, reactive thoughts.
System 2 is your deep computing power.
Train yourself to default to System 2.
“If you haven’t thought through something, your System 1 is going to be doing the thinking when you
need it to be your System 2.”
Combat your System 1 thinking by writing down your challenges and goals. Writing fuels your system 2 thinking, enabling you to view daily
situations with a long-term perspective.
Whether it’s a product feature or your annual goals, think through plans and possibilities
before you make any decisions.
Ask team members to provide an in-depth agenda before meetings so you can
give them your best.
If you remember one thing as a leader, remember this:
If you remember one thing as a leader, remember this:
“The only way to ask someone for their very best is to give them yours.”
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Presentation by Chase Jennings
Insights by Jenna Abdou