Published on September 11, 2015

Adapt & Evolve

In this series, professionals share how they embrace the entrepreneurial mindset.

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Being the boss has enormous responsibility. Not only do you impact the success or failure of your business, you impact the success or failure of your employees. Early on in the startup phase of our company, I knew only one way how to lead. And that was with high intensity, 100 mph, win at all cost, uber-competitive type of mentality. I drove people and pushed them to their limits assuming their limits were just as high as mine. And if they couldn’t produce at the level I expected them to, well then, they were on the other end of my wrath. 

 

It worked for a while as we experienced tremendous growth, garnering many accolades including being honored as the fastest growing privately held company in Silicon Valley. Having competed in sports and athletics most of my life, that’s how I was coached and that’s what I knew and felt most comfortable with. However, I later realized that we weren’t going to continue to grow if I continued to lead that way and only that way.

 

We went through some tough patches just like many other companies during the “Great Recession” and we experienced some attrition that we had never really experienced before. I had to reinvent myself and had to adapt my leadership style that was going to be more sustainable for long term success. I’m still super-competitive, I’m still intense, but now I’m more than just that. I lead in various other ways and often show a softer side, a more empathetic side that I never showed anyone in the past.   

 

Being the boss means letting everyone get to know the real you and learn from the real you.  Having evolved my leadership style from a “one-gear” bicycle to a “10-speed” bike has done wonders for our company. We are back on track and stronger than ever before.  Our team is even more dynamic and more diverse as well.  With a strong mix of all genders, ethnicities, religions, and age groups, we are truly a melting pot.  We wouldn’t be where we are today if I didn’t learn how to adapt and evolve.  There’s never been a better time for me than now to #BetheBoss .

 

About the author: Song Woo, President and CEO of Lighthouse Management Group is an award winning staffing industry executive and employment expert. Featured in both print and electronic media for expertise in employment trends and career management. Honored in the San Jose Business Journal’s “40 under 40” list of 40 high performing executives under the age of 40 to watch and tabbed as a "Rising Star". In addition, Lighthouse Management Group has also been honored as the #1 Fastest Growing Private Company in Silicon Valley.