Top 5 Survival Skills for Leaders (in Silicon Valley)
The unsavory truth of the nature of leadership in Silicon Valley
“The true price of leadership is the willingness to place the needs of others above your own. Great leaders truly care about those they are privileged to lead and understand that the true cost of the leadership privilege comes at the expense of self-interest”
“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”
Great inspiring quotes for my wall, both virtual and cubicle but Im not crazy to implement them. Since you love countdowns, here are my top 5 lessons in response to the Simon Sineks of the world. Welcome the new rules of the game…
#5. Talk First, Act Later (or Never)
Always be talking, listening is for losers. Never propose a fresh idea, always refurbish proposals from the team with some minor tweaks and claim it with the final stamp of your approval. Always be the first and the last person to speak at any meeting but ensure you leave the action items to the team. Its after all a team effort and they need to feel part and parcel of the success.
Power Tip: Drop a name when someone questions your judgement. e.g.: My criteria for MVP is spot on, its how we launched new products at Google and Eric Ries also vetted it. Differences in context i.e. product, corporate size, target market, team constitution etc, nothing should deter you.
#4. Love Thyself…Humbly
Promote humility in the workplace and never be a bystander to any injustice committed by a team member. After all you are the reason for all that the team has achieved so you cannot afford your star performer to be disgruntled. Your team does not need to know that your vision and experience is the reason for their success but make sure you bring it up at the next board meeting. At the next launch party give the team some lip service, who does not love a pat on the back?
Power Tip: Followers love confidence, flaunt it, never exhibit even a hint of doubt in your plans. e.g.: This marketing tactic to reduce our CAC is dope, none of the other idiots (competitors) would ever be able to think of it.
#3. When the Going Gets Tough Then Bail out First
The headline says it all.
Power Tip: Keep a low profile. Float the rumor through your close affiliates that the lack of vision of the CEO is preventing you from bringing the company back on its growth trajectory. Before leaving, rub it into the team morale by thanking them for their phenomenal work and that you would love to work with them in the near future.
#2. Keep Them Hungry, Keep Them Foolish
Never let your team be complacent, always keep them on their toes. If they get what they are worth they will not go that extra mile, so make “uncomfortable” their new friend. Your first response to any proposal for new ideas should be “No”, let them strive to find the answers until they get it to a place when you can use lesson#5. Do not overuse “No”, for irrelevant inconsequential decisions, tell them they are responsible for it so they should be using their judgement.
Power Tip: Always maintain your authority with “healthy” criticism to make it fairly evident that they are foolish but balance it with the hope that you will continue to give them opportunities to grow in their chosen career path. e.g: If your employee asks “Why are we choosing this strategy?” answer glibly “Duh…to increase revenue”, like it was not even a question worth responding to. If a couple of your brown nosers are in the vicinity then crack a smile at them for dramatic effect.
#1. Be Slick, Be Glib, F@$# You
Without this skill, all the other lessons are dead wood. If you are not both slick and glib you better acquire a true skill to be an individual contributor. You should be capable of convincing everyone else in the room about your point of view now, irrespective of what your stance was yesterday. Use the age old tactics of glossing over details, hyperbole, complex terminology, focusing on irrelevant parts of the problem etc. At the end of the exchange, even if you did pick up some ideas from others summarize your point of view with appropriate twists to the hijacked ideas. Leave them challenged, hungry and foolish with a long list of tasks on their plate while you plan your weekend golf.
Power Tip: You either got this in you or you have’nt, no tips can help.
