About a year ago, the idea of “Founder Mode” burst onto the scene when Paul Graham recapped a talk from Airbnb CEO, Brian Chesky. Brian had followed the common advice to hire good people and turn the reins over to them, but found that layers of management slowed things down and blunted Brian’s ability to steer the company.
In “Founder mode for the rest of us”, I discussed the idea that founder mode isn’t reserved for founders. Every great leader I’ve worked with operates with the level of ownership, speed, decisiveness, and attention to detail that defines a good founder. Which means you’ll encounter these leaders throughout your career… and working with them requires a completely different approach.
High-performance leaders demand more than the standard playbook for “managing up”—they move faster, dive deeper into details, and expect you to operate with the same level of ownership they do. I…
