Adam Bryant, Corner Office, New York Times; Interview with Michael Lebowitz, founder and C.E.O. of Big Spaceship, a digital marketing and communications agency; Hey, Rock Stars: Take Your Show Someplace Else:
"Q. Who were some important mentors for you?
A. I haven’t really had a lot of mentors. I’ve had to sort of figure things out for myself, because I’ve had a lot of whatever the opposite of a mentor is. I’ve learned a lot from seeing what didn’t work. There should be a word for that kind of boss —“dismentor” or something...
Q. So what kind of culture did you want to create when you started your company?
A. Probably the biggest lesson I learned as we started to grow was — and this is a more sanitized version of the expression we use — “Don’t hire jerks, no matter how talented.” I became very attuned to this early on, when we were still a small start-up, and you’re doing everything you can to maintain a positive framework. So I’m looking for people I like, because I’ve seen how, no matter how talented they are, the negative is always going to pull down any positive. The second- or third- or fourth-best candidate who isn’t a jerk is going to ultimately provide way more value. Because we learned that early on, we’ve always guarded against that sort of rock-star culture."
Showing posts with label good fit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good fit. Show all posts
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