I read an amazing book called the trillion-dollar coach by Eric Schmidt. Eric distilled the rules and principles that have been taught to him by Bill Campbell. These rules and principles have helped him, and some of the best-known leaders known in the tech world take their companies to super stardom. Bill Campbell was one of the most influential background players in Silicon Valley. He helped to build some of Silicon Valley’s greatest companies including Google, Apple, and Intuit, and to create over a trillion dollars in market value. He coached leaders such as:
- Eric Schmidt, Executive chairman of Google
- Larry Page, CEO Alphabet
- Steve Jobs, founder of Apple
- Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google,
- Dan Rosensweig, CEO of Chegg,
- John Hennessy, former President of Stanford
University,
- Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook
I will save you the time of reading it and share with you the principles (See Below). These principles allowed these leaders to understand its the people that makes the company worthwhile. Some of us may not have the title of “leader”, but as individuals, we are leaders when speaking with our friends and colleagues. We can use some of the below principles to be better communicator, friends, and ultimately built trust.
Your Title Makes You A
Manager, Your People Make You A Leader.
To be a good leader, you first need to be a good manager. Don’t demand respect,
rather accrue it.
It’s the People.
The top priority of any manger is the well-being and success of her people.
Start with Trip Reports.
To build rapport and better relationships among team members, start team
meetings with trip reports or other types of personal, non-business topics.
5 Words on A White Board.
Have a structure for one-on-one’s and take the time to prepare for them, as
they are the best way to help people be more effective and to grow.
Best Idea, Not Consensus.
The manager’s job is to run a decision-making process that ensures all
perspectives get heard and considered, and, if necessary, to break ties and
make the decision. The goal of consensus leads to “groupthink” and inferior
decisions. There isn’t a head at the Round Table, but there is a
throne behind it.
Lead
Based on First Principles.
Define the “first principles” for the situation, the immutable truths that are
the foundation for the company or product, and help guide the decision from
those principles.
Manage
the Aberrant Genius.
Aberrant geniuses—high-performing but difficult team members—should be
tolerated and even protected, as long as their behavior isn’t unethical or
abusive and their value outweighs the toll their behavior takes on management,
colleagues, and teams.
Money’s
Not Just About the Money.
Compensating people well demonstrates love and respect and ties them strongly
to the goals of the company.
Innovation
Is Where the Crazy People Have Stature.
The purpose of a company is to bring a product vision to life. All the other
components are in service to product.
Let
People Leave with Their Heads Held High.
If you have to let people go, be generous, treat them well, and celebrate their
accomplishments.
Build
an Envelope of Trust.
Listen intently, practice complete candor, and be an evangelist for courage by
believing in people more than they believe in themselves.
Only
Coach the Coachable.
The traits that make a person coachable include honesty and humility, the
willingness to persevere and work hard, and a constant openness to learning.
Practice
Free-Form Listening.
Listen to people with your full and undivided attention—don’t think ahead to
what you’re going to say next—and ask questions to get to the real issue.
No
Gap Between Statements and Fact.
Be relentlessly honest and candid, couple negative feedback with caring, give
feedback as soon as possible, and if the feedback is negative, deliver it
privately.
Don’t
Stick It in Their Ear.
Don’t tell people what to do, offer stories and help guide them to the best
decisions for them.
Be
the Evangelist for Courage.
Believe in people more than they believe in themselves and push them to be more
courageous.
Full
Identity Front and Center.
People are most effective when they can be completely themselves and bring
their full identity to work.
Team
First.
You can’t get anything done without a team so the most important thing to look
for in people is a team-first attitude. That the team wins has to be the most
important thing.
Work
the Team, Then the Problem.
When faced with a problem or opportunity, the first step is to ensure the right
team is in place and working on it.
Pick
the Right Players.
The top characteristics to look for are smarts and hearts: the ability to learn
fast, a willingness to work hard, integrity, grit, empathy, and a team-first
attitude.
Pair
People.
Peer relationships are critical and often overlooked, so seek opportunities to
pair people up on projects or decisions.
Everyone
Needs to Be at the Table.
Winning depends on having the best team, and the best teams have more women.
Solve
the Biggest Problem.
Identify the biggest problem, the “elephant in the room,” bring it front and
center, and tackle it first.
Don’t
Let the complaining Sessions Last.
Air all the negative issues, but don’t dwell on them. Move on as fast as
possible.
Winning
Right.
Strive to win, but always win right, with commitment, teamwork, and integrity.
Leaders
Lead.
When things are going bad, teams are looking for even more loyalty, commitment,
and decisiveness from their leaders. When you’re losing, recommit to the
cause. Lead.
Fill
the Gaps Between People.
Listen observe, and fill the communication and understanding gaps between
people. Spot those fissures before they become deep and permanent, and act to
fix them by filling in the information gaps and correcting and
miscommunication.
Permission
to Be Empathetic.
Leading teams becomes a lot more joyful, and the teams more effective, when you
know and care about people.
It’s
OK to Love.
The people on your team are people, and the team becomes stronger when you
break down the walls between the professional and human personas and embrace
the whole person with love.
To
Care About People, You Have To Care About People.
Ask about their lives outside of work, understand their families, and when
things get rough, show up.
Cheer
Demonstrably for People and Their Success.
Don’t just sit there, stand up and show them the love for the
work they are doing.
Always Build Community.
Build communities inside and outside of work. A place is much stronger when
people are connected. Invest in creating real, emotional bonds between people.
Help
People.
Be generous with your time, connections, and other resources.
Love
the Founders.
Hold a special reverence for—and protect—the people with the most vision and
passion for the company. Campbell held a very special place in his heart for
the people who have the guts and skills to start companies.
Build
Relationships Whenever You Can.
When you’re in the elevator, passing someone in the hallway, or see your
teammates in the cafeteria, take the time to stop and chat.
Positive Human Values Generate Positive Business Outcomes.
There are things we all care about as people—love, family, money, attention, power, meaning, purpose—that are factors in any business situation. That to create effective teams, you need to understand and pay attention to these human values.
Source: The trillion dollar coach by Eric Schmidt
