Take Initiative: Interview with Lior Koriat, CEO of Quali
I recently went one on one with Lior Koriat, CEO of Quali.
Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?
Lior: I started out as a pilot for the Israeli Air Force. After my military service, I went to study computer science and economics in Tel Aviv then started my own company for system engineering where I did a lot of projects in aviation, robotics, and simulation.
I also led the architecture and design of the first autonomous vehicle that was built in Israel. Many of those technologies you still see today in autonomous vehicles.
Eventually, I had the chance to join Quali as a VP of R&D when we founded the company. Then became the COO, and later CEO and board member at Quali.
Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?
Lior: This is a complex question, and it has many perspectives and dimensions. Clearly, there is a different emphasis on different skill sets at different stages of the company: when growing an idea into a small product; when taking a product to the market and crossing the chasm; when scaling the company up; when addressing broader markets; etc.
As your company grows, you have to be prepared to redefine roles within the organization. In the early stages, the founders and executives must be really involved in each and every element of the company—every sale, every customer conversation. As the company transitions to a growth mode, you must build a team that can execute well without the need for the founder to be involved in every conversation, and an executive team that can manage well according to the vision of the company. The challenge is not only crossing that barrier but also developing and reshaping the team as you're doing that. It's not trivial.
The role of the CEO must also change throughout this journey. But no matter how the CEO role evolves, the founder CEO must be the one to carry the vision flag and repeatedly communicate it internally and externally.
Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading and managing teams?
Lior: First and foremost, I believe in leading by example and nurturing the right culture in the company. Instilling and promoting core values like integrity, accountability, trusted partners, teamwork and the ongoing pursuit of excellence.
Additionally, you must set and communicate a crisp and clear agenda for the company, the investors and yourself. Coach and develop all teams around you in such a way that there isn’t a weak spot. You must motivate and instill a sense of urgency, and have people believe in the mission. The more you communicate and share your vision, the more it becomes the employees’ vision as well.
You must practice self-growth throughout this journey. The same applies to your team. Hire talent as you scale up - start where everybody is a “jack of all trades” and gradually surround yourself with people who are better than you in every function. The stronger the team is, the better you can execute. By the way, it would be a mistake to hire for scale too soon…
Know how to gradually “give grounds” and delegate as the company scales up. You also need to understand your changing responsibilities as the company grows.
Lastly, focus on what you need to get right, and stop worrying about all the things you did or might do wrong.
Adam: What are the most important trends in technology that leaders should be aware of and understand? What should they understand about them?
Lior: As everything becomes more digital and more software is being developed, there is a growing dependency on automated access to infrastructure and cloud. And due to the fast-evolving infrastructure technology, the skillset barrier for automating infrastructure grows, and the resources to master it are scarce. As a result, the challenge of making automated infrastructure available to developers in a safe and productive manner has become the biggest bottleneck for DevOps.
And It’s not just spinning up that infrastructure, but also managing it—maintaining security and compliance, and controlling cost—which traditional methods of automation don’t do, especially as businesses scale.
Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?
Lior: Effective leadership is very important for achieving goals through the power of the team. Communication and guidance are critical to employee retention, team productivity, customer satisfaction, and meeting company goals. This is extremely important when you’re growing fast. Alignment and communication throughout the company are crucial to your success, regardless of how talented your team is.
To lead is to influence. And to influence, you must be trustworthy and transparent. You should also understand what motivates your team and encourage them to take initiative.
Practice the same core values that you preach and demand the same from your team. You also need to listen and make sure your team knows their voices are heard and their input matters.
Lastly, be decisive and quick to execute. Your team needs clear guidance and direction. It is better to act decisively even if your tactics are not the best, and unless there is a compelling reason to change course, focus on achieving the objective.
Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?
Lior: First, you should have a role model. Someone you look up to and can learn from. These can be different people in different junctions in life.
And like with every other goal you set for yourself, you must practice and advocate excellence and learn from your and others’ experiences in order to get to the next level.
Lastly, be humble, make a positive impact on people’s lives and inspire others.
Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives and civic leaders?
Lior: Some of the core principles of every leadership role, especially an entrepreneurial one, should be:
Don’t be afraid to take initiative.
Be accountable. Avoid making excuses for lack of success and take responsibility for your choices and actions. Self-reflect and learn from every experience.
Clearly communicate your vision to your team, company, investors or constituents, and enable them to succeed.
Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing and branding?
Lior: First you must simplify your message as much as you can, so everyone can understand it and can then explain what your company does without you in the room.
Additionally, invest in high-quality content to get your company and products noticed and clearly differentiated from competitors and alternatives. Make sure such content and the ability to experience your product are easily accessible and are not gated.
Lastly, build a consistent onboarding process for your sales and entire field team and incorporate a certification program to promote the necessary level of seriousness.
Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?
Lior: I’ll probably attribute this to my days in the Air Force. As a leader, you must be able to make your decisions no matter the uncertainty. As long as you are very disciplined in your execution, it is important that you make your decisions promptly and avoid hesitation. Initiative, assertiveness, and discipline are key to operating in any situation, and clear guidance will promote better teamwork.
Adam Mendler is the CEO of The Veloz Group, where he co-founded and oversees ventures across a wide variety of industries. Adam is also 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. Adam has written extensively on leadership, management, entrepreneurship, marketing and sales, 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. 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.
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