My 5 Suggestions for Uber’s CEO-to-Be

Simon T. Bailey
Jul 30, 2017 · 4 min read

My first Uber experience was in Singapore in December 2013. I was blown away by the service. While the product remains strong, Uber is culturally bleeding right now, and they are on the hunt for a new CEO.

We’re in an economic climate where start-ups can take off and achieve great success, but they can just as easily fall to their competitors. For example, in recent news, Facebook’s WhatsApp Status is coming for Snapchat andSamsung is coming for Apple. It’s also notable that Microsoft made some major layoffs recently.

Similarly, Uber’s rival Grab just got $2 billion stronger.

Uber is still the 800 pound juggernaut in the category they created but they are not immune to this cutthroat marketplace.

It is a well-known fact that when a dolphin is injured in the ocean, it attempts to mask its injury. However, other sharks that sense an opportunity generally take the injured dolphin out. If the dolphin can make it to the beach, it has a better chance of being saved than swimming around as if everything is ok.

With Uber’s competition grab in Asia, they just received a $2 billion dollar round of funding and are looking to put a serious dent in their market share. Call me crazy, but if Uber starts drowning in Asia, this could send a signal to Lyft and everyone else in the rideshare space to start swimming faster to eat into their market share elsewhere.

It will take a while for anyone to catch up to Uber. However, sharks smell blood, and only time will tell if Uber will succeed.

Here are five quick suggestions for Uber’s CEO-to-be:

Rally the Uberites together and tell them what you believe and why you believe in them and their futures. Make sure they know that you are not there to fix the past but to create a better future together; everyone matters and every voice will count. Promote womento senior leadership roles, not because they are women, but because they are important to the future of your company and they have critical consensus building skills to help get things done.

Extend yourself by riding with Uber drivers around the world. The drivers have to see you as a human being — not as a figment of their imaginations sitting in a secured office in Silicon Valley. Let them then decide if you are the real deal or just trying to earn social media brownie points. They will pass on the word to their peers that you care and that they matter.

Ask everyone in the field how to make Uber better. Years ago, IBM used to hold Jam Sessions during which everyone could share how they wanted to see the organization progress. You can create an internal crowdsource extravaganza that sets the course of your future.

Engage YouTubers who influence billions around the world by asking them to be brand ambassadors for your company. I can promise you that they will spread the gospel of Uber far and wide.

Invest in the community you are in by reaching out to the least, the lost, and the forgotten. Listen, I know everyone wants you to write a check to their cause. Choose to connect with causes that your drivers believe in and that directly impact them. One example would be the Wounded Warrior Project. You may be already supporting them, but if you want your drivers to amp up the experience then give to a charity that connects with their hearts.

These are just some thoughts from one of your loyal customers who uses Uber all around the United States.

Simon T. Bailey teaches people around the world how to build a bridge from their current reality to their brilliant future. He is the author of the LinkedInLearning trainings, Building Business Relationships and Finding A Sponsor. He is also the author of the best-selling book Shift Your Brilliance: Harness the Power of You, Inc. When he’s not working, he enjoys rooting for the Buffalo Bills (hometown team), going to movies and eating hot apple pie.

Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com on July 27, 2017.

Welcome to a place where words matter. On Medium, smart voices and original ideas take center stage - with no ads in sight. Watch
Follow all the topics you care about, and we’ll deliver the best stories for you to your homepage and inbox. Explore
Get unlimited access to the best stories on Medium — and support writers while you’re at it. Just $5/month. Upgrade