What book do you recommend the most?
My most recommended book is "7.5 Lessons about the Brain" by Lisa Feldman Barrett. It’s the most important book I’ve read on psychology in the last decade, and uncovers, in a simple way, the neuroscience behind how our brain works and what we can do to make it work for us more often.
What podcast do you listen to?
I regularly listen to "Rethinking" by Adam Grant. The guests often have great insight into peak performance or high-level accomplishment, are thoughtful, and with Adam deliver science-backed insights.
What's your secret sauce for building a great team?
Too many people spend time on things like values to drive the team forward. The most important thing you can do to build a great team is set high expectations. Expectations drive behavior as well or better than goals and values.
What's a skill / attitude / perspective that we should pay more attention to in the workplace?
I think we should pay less attention to who’s loudest and more attention to who’s intentional. As cliche as that may sound, the number of smart leaders I’ve coached who still listen to the loudest person is astonishing - and it’s hurting their business and team morale.
What personal habit or behavior has shaped you as a leader / entrepreneur?
I’m a big believer that you can’t perform if you’re not well - and there’s data to back this up for leaders. Leaders who engage in recovery have higher performing teams. So for me, that means: exercising regularly, meditating often, reading, writing, and deliberately taking time off.
What motivates you to work as a leader / entrepreneur?
I’m a competitor. What motivates me is the chance to build the best team, organization, or business I can build, and the chance to be better than the last version of myself.
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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 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’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.