Reid Hoffman & Jeff Berman on why the future needs re-founders
Mar 5, 2024
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Reid Hoffman and Jeff Berman discuss the concept of 're-founding' and the importance of evolving organizations while staying true to core values. They draw on insights from leaders like Satya Nadella and Dara Khosrowshahi. The conversation delves into the challenges of leadership succession and reshaping company culture in a remote work environment.
Refounding involves evolving an organization while staying true to core values.
Refounders must focus on creating lasting impact and evolving organizations to thrive beyond their tenure.
Deep dives
The Importance of Refounding in Scaling Businesses
Refounding plays a crucial role in evolving the culture, strategy, and direction of a business. Jeff Berman, the refounder behind the podcast, emphasizes the significance of taking risks, breathing new life into established businesses, and inspiring teams to embrace change. Refounders like Jeff Berman aim to create enduring institutions and navigate the evolving landscape of technology and industry trends by making strategic decisions that pave the way for future success.
Recommendations for Refounders from Reed
Reed emphasizes the founder mindset in the role of a refounder, highlighting the importance of making bold decisions that shape the company's future. Refounding involves taking risks, redefining the company's mission, and fostering collaboration to drive innovation and adapt to changing market dynamics. Refounders are encouraged to focus on creating lasting impact and evolving their organizations to thrive beyond their own tenure.
Cultural Evolution under Refounders' Leadership
Leaders like Dara Khosrowshahi at Uber embraced the challenge of reshaping company culture by involving employees in defining new cultural norms. By crowdsourcing input and aligning on thematic changes, refounders can steer organizations towards a positive cultural transformation. This collaborative approach ensures that cultural evolution is inclusive and reflective of the company's values and aspirations.
Navigating the Refounding Journey with Support and Insight
As leaders embark on the refounding journey, mentorship and networking become invaluable assets. Jeff Berman reflects on the power of mentorship in driving progress and emphasizes the collaborative nature of refounding. Harnessing insights from diverse sources, including mentors, peers, and team members, offers a holistic perspective essential for successful refounding efforts.
Reid Hoffman thinks visionary leaders should pursue a "re-founder" state of mind. In this episode he welcomes the newest host of Masters of Scale, Jeff Berman, for a dialogue that digs into a re-founder's mission: evolving an organization while staying true to core values. As the re-founder of WaitWhat, the media company that brings this podcast to life, Jeff explores with Reid their own experiences with leadership succession. And they draw on re-founding insight from all-stars like Microsoft's Satya Nadella, Uber's Dara Khosrowshahi, and Yahoo's Marissa Mayer. So reset the clock to Day 0 – because it's always a prime time for a reboot!