As I previously mentioned, listeners appreciate the variety of guests featured on The "I" in Win. Leaders, regardless of the profession, are tasked with leading people & therefore must find the balance between what's best for the individual & for the team/organization. Episode 24 features David Annis, who is the COO and co-founder of Parallax, a professional services automation software company helping digital agencies and tech consultancies grow profitably. I was linked to David by a former player who raves about Parallax's people-first culture.
My main takeaways:
- Attitude and effort is what matters.
- Most are thrust into a leadership position and make a million mistakes along the way. However, leaders owe it to those they lead to constantly improve and not take the opportunity for granted
- Try to surround yourself with people who are more talented and smarter, and then create opportunities for them to provide impact & grow themselves
- Clarify what success looks like so that people you lead feel they have an opportunity to make that impact, to succeed, & have the support to grow
- Like a team or a family, work can be about something "bigger." Work can be more than just a paycheck if the leader creates that environment
- Leadership is not about the accomplishment of getting that title. And then maybe the compensation that comes along with that title. It's really about being of service. That's what leadership is. It's not about being the one in charge. It's about being the most influential supporter
