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Making Yourself a CEO

bhorowitz.com

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Re: Making Yourself a CEO

#11

Post by untog »

mratzloff wrote: post #9

This reminds me of the first time I fired someone. I spent probably a week mentally planning how to do it--thought about how the conversation would go in the car, in the shower, before I went to sleep. The guy had a wife and kids and I was getting ready to put him in the unemployment line. I felt especially guilty because he shouldn't have been hired in the first place; we were desperate at the time. That was a mista…

I will always be thankful to a former boss of mine, who took the lead on firing a developer that just wasn't up to scratch, and asked me to be present when it happened.

He kept it very, very short- the rationale being that if someone is expecting it, then they know the reasons why. If they aren't expecting it, then the shock means they're unlikely to listen to anything else you tell them anyway.

If they want feedback at a later point, great. But in that moment, it's easier on both of you to just get it done.

Re: Making Yourself a CEO

#12

Post by woodchuck64 »

"Don’t clown people in front of their peers."

Okay, I gotta know: how did that strange typo-- down/clown-- get in there? That seems like a scanning error, not typing error.

Edit: Oops, I learned a new verb. Thanks!

Re: Making Yourself a CEO

#13

Post by bmelton »

woodchuck64 wrote: post #12

"Don’t clown people in front of their peers." Okay, I gotta know: how did that strange typo-- down/clown-- get in there? That seems like a scanning error, not typing error. Edit: Oops, I learned a new verb. Thanks!

What makes you think it's a typo?

From (of all places) Urban Dictionary:

  clown: To laugh, make fun of, or find joy in a 
  person or event. Almost always used in a derogatory 
  or degrading fashion.

Re: Making Yourself a CEO

#14

Post by tedmiston »

woodchuck64 wrote: post #12

"Don’t clown people in front of their peers." Okay, I gotta know: how did that strange typo-- down/clown-- get in there? That seems like a scanning error, not typing error. Edit: Oops, I learned a new verb. Thanks!

Not a typo -- lingo from hip hop. B. Horowitz is a big hip hop fan. He invests in Rap Genius.

On a related note, I think "Birthday Song" was included at the top of the post because it tries to hide nothing. The lyrics are honest & straightforward much like how he argues feedback should be.

Re: Making Yourself a CEO

#15

Post by tedmiston »

kruken wrote: post #3

Sage advice not just for CEOs but for anyone leading a team. Direct, constructive feedback is a great way to encourage open communication. Give early, give often.

I recently joined a team where the leader is very good about giving honest, no-BS feedback while being polite and respectful. It rubs off on everyone on the team. It might seem like a subtle difference, but this improves everyone's attitudes vs. those with a less-experienced leader. Having a team in which each member can give/receive feedback well makes the group experience _much_ better.

Re: Making Yourself a CEO

#16

Post by ScotterC »

mratzloff wrote: post #9

This reminds me of the first time I fired someone. I spent probably a week mentally planning how to do it--thought about how the conversation would go in the car, in the shower, before I went to sleep. The guy had a wife and kids and I was getting ready to put him in the unemployment line. I felt especially guilty because he shouldn't have been hired in the first place; we were desperate at the time. That was a mista…

Reminds me of the advice I sought on my first time firing someone. "Don't make it bitch fest'. Just lay it out and that's it. At this point, only give feedback if they ask for it."

It really framed my thinking for management in general and this post is fantastic for shoring up the rest of it.

Re: Making Yourself a CEO

#17

Post by sdh »

Are these real CEOs or idealized CEOs? I've worked for CEOs who were horrible people and yet extremely successful (ie: running profitable businesses and having repeat success).

Sadly, the nice CEOs I've had were failures building companies.

From my observation, the quality that defines a CEO is that they are oblivious to their own faults and the feelings of others.

They are like bad dancers with confidence. They have no idea they look like an idiot or that they're making you uncomfortable, and if they did, they wouldn't care.

Re: Making Yourself a CEO

#18

Post by dools »

rweba wrote: post #7

I liked his last sentence "This is how you get made" as it seems to simultaneously allude to the concept of "Made Men" in the American Mafia and to Horowitz's penchant for putting quotes from gangsta rap in his blog posts :-)

You mean "Made Women"?
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