There's no one "right" way to lead a business. Today's leaders have a lot of wisdom to impart about managing the modern workforce, because each one approaches leadership in his or her own unique way. Every week, Business News Daily will share a leadership lesson from a successful business owner or executive.
- The leader: Derek Flanzraich, founder and CEO of Greatist
- Time in current position: 5 years
- Derek's philosophy: "I think in terms of mission and vision first — and I refuse to take any compromises or shortcuts to get there." (Click to tweet)
Flanzraich explains the experiences that helped form his personal leadership philosophy:
I grew up struggling with my weight, frustrated I couldn't find a health brand that could empower me to get better instead of making me feel like I was never enough. I've been on a crazy mission ever since: To help millennials think of health in a healthier way by building a new, authentic, inspiring healthy living brand. This is no easy feat. Both the magnitude of our responsibility and the importance of our opportunity is why I've taken such a careful, purposeful approach to every step of the process since we launched Greatist five years ago.
There's no logic in signing up for the excruciating journey of founding a business unless you deeply, profoundly want that business to last. I'm proud to call myself a heart-driven founder and prouder to be building the company I most wished existed growing up. That's why building this thing right is so important.
Nothing is more important to me than building the best long-term business without compromising our culture or brand. I approach the process of developing this company and its employees with absolute care and caution. When we hire at Greatist, we look for people that live our core values already — they're authentic to themselves, they're relentlessly working to improve, they're fun, and they're seeking a mission, not just a job. We trust and invest in our employees tremendously and I think, in return, that encourages the same investment in both our brand and the mission. Our employees make the company what it is, not the other way around.
I started this company because I strove to build something that mattered, something that I'd be proud to share with the world. I never could have done it or survived it alone. That's why we believe the faster our team members grow, the faster Greatist grows.
