A team, not a family
And the CEO is the captain
In 2021, Tobi Lütke (Shopify CEO) sent a letter to managers reminding them the company is a team, not a family. I love this analogy.
It’s a very simple analogy you can understand it in many different ways. A team has one objective: score and win. Your goal is to score, not to check if your mom is cheering for you from the sidelines.
There is no need to discuss, share or agree on religion, beliefs, or political opinions. Team members don’t have to listen to the talk from the drunken uncle (and the following drama) at the Christmas dinner. They only need to win.
Team members will rise and shine. Once they reach their full potential, their skills can stall, and the quality of their work may plummet. The star from yesterday may not be the star of tomorrow.
Success does not always replicate. A great player may do well in one team but not in another.
Some players may get injured. Put them on the bench for enough time to allow them to come back at their full potential.
Each player needs different levels of attention. You need to have time in person to understand what they value and how you can remove obstacles so that they only focus on scoring.
In a startup, the CEO is the captain. One of his jobs is to recruit world-class players and find great potential in candidates. If the team is not winning, it is his fault, and needs to face the mirror and change plans or leave the playing field.