Ask Yourself What Is Best for the Company: Interview with Clea O'Hana, Co-Founder and CEO of Wishi
Several years ago, I interviewed Clea O'Hana, co-founder and CEO of Wishi, in an interview originally published in Thrive Global. Here is an excerpt from our interview:
Adam: What are the key steps you have taken to grow your business? What advice do you have for others on how to take their businesses to the next level?
Clea: The key steps would be having a clear strategy, understanding your customer’s needs, and really creating value for the customer. I would also ensure a strong product market fit first and testing with a small number of customers before spending too much on growth.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?
Clea: Make sure you are hiring “soldiers” that are ready to go through thick and thin with you. Especially the first hires. Make sure you are hiring “experts” in their own domain. Make sure you hire people that can take feedback – easier said than done.
Adam: In your experience, what are the defining qualities of an effective leader? How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Clea: The qualities of an effective leader would be a positive thinker, data-driven decisions and not ego-driven, ability to make quick decisions and tough choices, trusting your team, curious to always learn and grow. Leaders need to have really good mentors and do some self-learning via books, online classes, etc.
Adam: What are your best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?
Clea: Make sure you are passionate about what you’re doing and know that you wouldn’t want to do anything else before starting an entrepreneurial journey. If you feel someone on your team isn’t right from the start, cut it short. And when you’re making decisions - hiring, firing, personal interests, etc. - only think about the company’s interest. Ask yourself – what is best for the company?
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Clea: Never postpone something you can do now.
Adam: What can anyone do to pay it forward?
Clea: Offer your time without expecting anything in return.
Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one-on-one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.
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