Ryan Plesko

Management is a tricky responsibility. Erica Burnett wrote to me: “There are only two ways in which companies achieve greatness: by tyranny and by teamwork. The former won’t keep the valuable people around for too long — they’ll move on to a better opportunity. But the latter will ensure that people invest themselves in your company and keep it growing.”

I am a big believer in open and transparent team relationships. I feel that keeping a small team level enables them to better attain their goal and grow as a team. While everyone in a team has a specific role, an open line of communication amongst all ensures mutual trust and respect. The hardest role in a team, though, is that of the leader.

Leadership roles are roles that have to be maneuvered very carefully. Dwight Eisenhower said, “In order to be a leader a man must have followers. And to have followers, a man must have their confidence.” Great leaders make people feel as if they are at the center of any project, not at the periphery. They empower their team and instill them with the feeling that their efforts make a difference to the success of the project. Work that has meaning and teams that function as one are more successful and happier overall. Getting someone to do something because they want to do it is always going to produce better results.

Bullies rarely lead effectively — it is the leaders who are loved that succeed. Treating people in a condescending, overly hierarchical, or deceptive manner will only divide a team. It causes resentment and anger and is unnecessary. Nobody is right all the time. John F. Kennedy said, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” As a successful leader you have to be open to new ideas, flexible in your thinking, and a member of the team — not somebody outside of, or over, it. You have to trust your employees/teammates as much as they need to trust you — respect cannot be a one way street.

I’m reminded of a quote I read from Venture Hacks, “You need to act more like an employee, and your employees need to act more like CEOs.” If you empower your employees, if they are working out of respect and not out of fear for getting fired, you will get better results and have happier employees. You will create great work. You will grow. You will be respected. Let your employees, if they are the type, take some ownership and pride in building something. Encourage them to grow professionally. After all, building themselves builds the company through association.

Great companies are innovative, open to new ideas, new ways of thinking, and continue to morph and change. Companies that resist change and continue with outdated processes eventually whither and die.

Work as a team… Do good… Be more open… Be a family… Embrace new ideas… Create something amazing…