What shift in perspective has allowed you to see things differently?
It may sound simple, but realizing and truly understanding that we are all different and driven by different things has made a significant impact on me. This insight has changed the way I approach relationships and leadership.
What should leaders understand about their own role and responsibility?
Leaders should understand that their role goes beyond decision-making; it's also about empathy. People spend a significant portion of their lives at work, so it's essential to create an environment where they feel they can be their true selves: valued and supported.
What do you wish you had known 10 years ago?
I wish I had understood my absolute strengths and weaknesses earlier. This would have allowed me to collaborate more effectively with people who complement my skills and focus on leveraging my strengths rather than struggling against my weaknesses.
What's your secret sauce for building a great team?
My secret sauce is recognizing the unique strengths and motivations of each team member. By embracing diversity in skills and perspectives, I create a culture where everyone can contribute meaningfully and feel valued.
What’s your favorite ritual or meeting in your team?
It might sound simple, but I love starting meetings by just asking everyone how they're doing. It’s a great way to connect, build trust, and make sure everyone feels comfortable before diving into work stuff.
What do you do to maintain balance in your life?
My approach to balance might not work for everyone, but I maintain it by frequently switching between work and personal life. This means that my work often blends into my private life during times when the norm would suggest otherwise. However, we're all different, and I've found a way that works for me.
When times are tough, who or what is an anchor for you?
My daughter is my strongest anchor during difficult times. She has an incredible way of helping me see the bigger picture and reminding me of what truly matters in life, and how small my "problems" are compared to that.
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Here’s More, From Other Founders Around the World
What’s an important guiding principle that informs the way you build and run your business?
One of our core values is experimentation. Rather than get stuck in arguing about what solution may best solve a problem or play to our ego, we focus on the smallest step we could possibly take to learn whether that’s true. It moves our minds away from thinking too big without sweating the small stuff and from getting stuck in discussions rather than actually doing something to understand the possible solutions better.
What should leaders understand about their own role and responsibility?
Your own time and energy is the most precious resource you have. Use it wisely, and learn what gives you energy, and what saps you. In the early years of building something, you need to throw a huge amount of time at it - and do many things you perhaps don’t like doing. But as you scale, it’s vital to take a step back and build a business that can grow rapidly beyond the time you put into it.
What’s a guiding principle that informs the way you build and run your business?
One of our core values at Cozero is radical candor. It is the idea that the willingness to repeatedly enter uncomfortable situations to speak the truth benefits everyone in the long run. We believe that in order to grow and improve as an organization, we need to create an environment where our team is not afraid to challenge processes and decisions. Making this a core value guides us in difficult situations when it’s not clear which road to take.
What's a mistake that you're happy you've made?
I'm happy I chose a highly regulated market, even though it was tough. It taught me a lot about patience, attention to detail, and the importance of doing things right. These lessons have made me better at what I do.