Lenny Distilled

Leaders create leverage by developing others

Leadership → Team Building

At my level, I want the best people under me I can have. Why wouldn't I want stronger, more capable direct reports? Frankly, that's the only way I can do less of my job.

Ethan EvansTaking control of your career | Ethan Evans (Amazon)
Supporting

The role of a leader is to see potential in people that they may not even see themselves.

Brian CheskyBrian Chesky's new playbook
Nuanced

What's leverage is if you're telling me what you should do and how you can push the company forward, that's leverage, then I'm getting more than I'd have if you weren't there otherwise I could just manage a team.

Ben Horowitz$46B of hard truths: Why founders fail and why you need to run toward fear | Ben Horowitz (a16z)
With caveats

You don't make people great. You find people that make you great, that make the company great, that you learned from, not the other way around.

Ben Horowitz$46B of hard truths: Why founders fail and why you need to run toward fear | Ben Horowitz (a16z)
With caveats

If you're a CEO, what do you know about being CFO? Like what do you know about being VP, HR? The idea that you're going to take somebody who isn't world-class at marketing and make them world class and you don't know anything about marketing, is a dumb idea.

Ben Horowitz$46B of hard truths: Why founders fail and why you need to run toward fear | Ben Horowitz (a16z)