From 600+ conversations with the world’s leading thinkers.
Projects often don't just go wrong; they start wrong. The seeds of failure are often sown right at the beginning, leading to problems later on. Recognising this, successful project leaders invest in thorough planning and simulation upfront, understanding that a project's success is largely determined by how it starts.
Too often I feel there is also a search for 'the next' Steve Jobs or Joanna Shields. These are extraordinary people and yet I believe we should not treat entrepreneurialism as requiring a narrow checklist of certain characteristics. The key both in the US and the UK is to have hand-raisers – people who want to take a chance, and get involved.
Being an entrepreneur, or even running a large organization, is like being a society builder. The system is bigger than any individual. When you build a business, you're architecting and constructing something substantial.
I recall attending an annual event at the Albert Hall hosted by the Institute of Directors. The chairman, at 75, admitted he'd changed his mind—success, he concluded, truly lies in your ability to connect and resonate emotionally with people, thereby inspiring them to action.
Everyone in a high functioning organisation is simultaneously a teacher and a student. They will have been taught by others, and will be teaching others.
The ability to build trust is an essential human skill but it's not easy to build trust relationships quickly and certainly not in the midst of crisis. That comes from consistent behaviour that demonstrates integrity, honesty, truthfulness, and keeping one's word.
We embrace imposter syndrome because it gives us a chance to get off the hook. If you're an imposter it feels like the kind, mature thing to do is to not ship the work and to say, 'no, this isn't for me to do…' In fact, imposter syndrome is a symptom that we are leading because leaders are doing something that's never been done before and so of course you will feel like an imposter, because you are one!
My mindset changed from thinking that tomorrow I may be freed, to realising that unless I did something myself, nobody would come and rescue me. One of the ways I gathered strength was by constantly plotting my escape.
I remember at Netflix, after we went public, the parking lot changed from old Volvos and station wagons to Mercedes' and BMW's. That really made me happy; not the cars per-say, but the fact that all those families could now send their kids to school and college.
Different things energise different people. I get energised from building things that people like. I've met people who are totally motivated by being in the press, or motivated by money, and so many things… but for me, it's about making sure people enjoy the things we're building.
Some of the most valuable lessons are not from seeing how they've dealt with success, but how they've dealt with failure and come back stronger and more determined to succeed.
My mindset changed from thinking that tomorrow I may be freed, to realising that unless I did something myself, nobody would come and rescue me.