David M. M. Taffet: 5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Became the CEO of Petal

Servant Leadership wins over “Command and Control”, always. — Growing up in a military family headed by an officerand fighter pilot, I was subjected to “command and control” management, which depends on strict hierarchy, unquestioning obedience, and little room for thinking. Young and naïve, I had no idea that this style of “leadership” was a relic of the past fueled by insecure egos.

As part of my series about the leadership lessons of accomplished business leaders, I had the pleasure of interviewing David M. M. Taffet. Over the broad sweep of his career, David’s taken on countless roles: parallel entrepreneur, venture capitalist, investment banker, fund manager, turnaround specialist, Mr. Mom, mentor, and street photographer. Three descriptive words flows through them all: Intrepid. Immersed. Inspired. David’s career has spanned law, investment banking, private equity, not-for-profits, turnarounds, buy-outs, management, and startups, including his newest venture as Petal’s Chief Executive Officer. David has 30-plus years of experience building…