It’s a simple concept: Good leaders breed good leaders. Behind every great CEO is a mentor that helped shape him or her, whether it was because of their kind, encouraging demeanor or their natural ability to bring a whole team together. Great managers have a lasting effect on their employees — an effect that gets called upon when they become managers themselves. We caught up with executives from three local startups who all had some great things to say about their previous managers and the influence they had on their leadership styles.
CommonBond is a marketplace lending platform that delivers competitive student loan options. Co-founder and CEO David Klein started the company in 2011 and has always remembered some of the key lessons his favorite former boss taught him.
What three adjectives would you use to describe your favorite former manager?
Kind, intense and smart.
When did you realize she was an amazing manager?
Late one night, my team was still at the office working on a particular project. When we finally finished, our manager surprised us by taking everyone out for a very (very!) late dinner where we all got to blow off some steam and enjoy each other's company. It showed me that she not only valued our team's contributions, but understood the importance of collaboration and camaraderie.
How has she influenced your management style today?
My manager struck the perfect balance between providing direction to her team and giving us the freedom to take ownership of our projects and run with them. I learned that this balance, when it's done well, is what works best for leading teams.
Snaps is a mobile messaging platform for brands. CEO Christian Brucculeri joined Snaps after connecting with founder Vivian Rosenthal. His experience facing challenges in the past — and having a manager who guided him through — helped him become who he is today.
What three adjectives would you use to describe your favorite former manager?
Analytical, articulate and supportive.
When did you realize he or she was an amazing manager?
It's easy to be a great manager when things are going well at a company. I recognized my amazing manager when things weren't going well. I think great management is helping teams stay focused and motivated when challenges arise, and this manager excelled at it.
How has he or she influenced your management style today?
I try to be analytical, articulate and supportive with my team. I do my best to stay self aware, to know where I have biases, and ensure that I can maintain an analytical, objective view of people. I work to stay honest and transparent while still being supportive.
Augury uses artificial intelligence to monitor a machine’s performance and predict malfunctions and failures. Co-founder and CEO Saar Yoskovitz used his extensive background in technology to start the company, and a lot of that called on the lessons learned from his favorite former boss.
What three adjectives would you use to describe your favorite former manager?
Empowering, candid and natural.
When did you realize he or she was an amazing manager?
I knew I was in great hands when my manager let me fall flat on my face for the first time and then showed me the way to brush myself off and keep moving forward.
How has he or she influenced your management style today?
By giving me space to grow, letting me learn from successes and failures and offering necessary course corrections, my manager taught me the art of empowering another.
Images via featured companies.
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