A recent article titled, Four Leadership Lessons From Tech’s Titans, would provide excellent points for a meaningful discussion with your direct reports and with your leadership team. Jeff Lefevere of Fusion Alliance pinpoints four areas that “tech titans” like Jeff Bezos, Sergey Brin, Larry Page and Mark Zuckerberg all emphasize in their leadership philosophies.
Lefevere explains that the Investor Letters for these entrepreneurs’ companies all contain “four common threads and essential truths that anybody in business can apply to their situation.” Though these insights and principles come from “tech titans,” they should be reflected in every organization in all industries, including healthcare!
The four common threads Lefevere identifies in these companies are:
- Align your business toward a big mission
- Think long term
- Hire good, smart people and giving them meaningful work
- Relentlessly focus on your customers
The first common thread Lefevere points out, “Align your business toward a big mission,” is essential for organizations that want to build employee loyalty and foster enthusiasm and commitment. Lefevere notes that, “It is a long held management truth that employees want to rally around something bigger than themselves.”
The concept, “Think long term,” should be an obvious element of any business that hopes to grow and endure, but as Lefevere points out, “In an, ‘Information saturated, do more with less, what have you done for me today’ work culture, the temptation is to worry about the future in the future.” However, organizations that want to last long term must first think long term. “Enduring companies do not take short cuts, nor let their employees take short cuts.”
The third principle emphasized by Tech’s Titans, “Hire good, smart people and giving them meaningful work,” should resound with any leader who has dealt with the hiring process. Hiring the best of the best and providing them with fulfilling work is much easier said than done, but extremely important for the overall success of any organization. Lefevere notes, “If you want to soar with the eagles, don’t (hire) turkeys. Talented people want to work with other talented people. Hiring average people leads to an average organization.”
Lastly, Lefevere points out that these top entrepreneurs practice this essential business principle: “Relentlessly focus on your customers.” Lefevere states, “Everybody who gets up in the morning and walks into an office does so in service to a customer. Our sage business leaders don’t forget this.” Business really is all about serving customers – the better you serve your customers (and patients), the better your business will be.
So, how about you and your leadership team? Are these four key business principles evident and prevalent throughout your organization? You, your leadership team, and your entire organization can’t help but benefit by discussing, refocusing on and applying the insights of “Tech’s Titans:” align your organization toward a big mission, think long term, hire good, smart people and give them meaningful work, and relentlessly focus on your customers!
