Lead Upwards

Table of contents

1. Cover
2. Title Page
3. Copyright
4. Dedication
5. Introduction: Why Startup Leadership Matters at Every Levelintroduction
   1. NOTES
6. PART I: BECOMING A STARTUP EXECUTIVE
   1. CHAPTER ONE: What It's Really Like to Be an Executive at a Startup—and How It's Different from Being a Director or Manager
      1. WHAT DOES A STARTUP EXECUTIVE REALLY DO?
      2. A STARTUP EXECUTIVE'S SCHEDULE: A WEEK IN THE LIFE, AT A GLANCE
      3. OTHER DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NON‐EXECUTIVE AND EXECUTIVE ROLES
      4. OWNING THE “WHY” OF THE WORK
      5. DEPARTMENTAL UNDERSTANDING BEYOND ONE NARROW AREA
      6. RESPONSIBILITY FOR BUILDING AND LEADING A HIGH‐PERFORMING TEAM
      7. SIMPLY PUT: IT'S A BIGGER COMMITMENT
      8. LESS COMPANIONSHIP AND CAMARADERIE WITH OTHER NON‐EXECUTIVE STARTUP EMPLOYEES
      9. EXECUTIVES HAVE THE MOST CONTEXT OF ANYONE IN THE DEPARTMENT
      10. WHO'S QUALIFIED TO BE A STARTUP EXECUTIVE?
      11. WHAT QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS ARE ESSENTIAL ON THE JOB AS A STARTUP LEADER
      12. MANY SCALING STARTUPS BRING IN LEADERS FROM BIG COMPANIES
      13. EXECUTIVE COACH AND FORMER MICROSOFT NORTH AMERICA CFO JOHN REX: ADVICE FOR SCALING STARTUP LEADERS
      14. SCALING IS HARD IN BOTH DIRECTIONS
      15. LEARN TO DELEGATE WITH CAPABLE TALENT AS YOU SCALE
      16. EARLY‐STAGE STARTUP VS. SCALE‐UP LEADERSHIP MINDSET
      17. STARTUP LEADERS CAN'T GET STUCK AT 30,000 FEET
      18. NOTES
   2. CHAPTER TWO: Bridging the Transition from Manager to Executive: How Leaders Got Their First Role
      1. MAKING THE LEADERSHIP TRANSITION: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE “FULLY READY” TO GO FOR IT
      2. HOW THEY GOT THEIR FIRST EXECUTIVE ROLE: REAL STORIES FROM STARTUP EXECUTIVES
      3. MINDY LAUCK ON BEING A NON‐FOUNDER STARTUP TEAM MEMBER PROMOTED TO EXECUTIVE, AND THEN CEO (TWICE!)
      4. CHALLENGE FOR FIRST‐TIME EXECUTIVES: SAM MCKENNA SHARES HER STORY OF BEING PROMOTED TO VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES
      5. MAKING THE TRANSITION BY LEARNING TO WORK DIFFERENTLY
      6. FROM BIG COMPANY LEADER TO STARTUP EXECUTIVE: COO ERIN RAND'S STORY
      7. NAIL THE LEAP: START AS A “HEAD OF” AND MAKE THE TITLE OFFICIAL ONCE YOU'VE PROVEN YOUR SUCCESS
      8. CONSULTING AS A PATH TO DE‐RISKING YOUR FIRST EXECUTIVE ROLE
      9. NOTE
   3. CHAPTER THREE: Understanding and Evaluating Your Fit at Various Startups
      1. CHOOSING A STARTUP THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU
      2. WHY QUESTIONS MATTER
      3. SOME SAMPLE QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE IN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS
      4. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS
      5. RESEARCH THE COMPETITION/MARKET
      6. RESEARCH THE TEAM THROUGH YOUR CONNECTIONS AND/OR PUBLIC REVIEW SITES LIKE LINKEDIN AND GLASSDOOR
      7. ASSESS THE CO‐FOUNDER RELATIONSHIP
      8. UNDERSTAND THE STARTUP'S STAGE AND HOW IT ALIGNS WITH YOUR GOALS
      9. DO YOU ALIGN WITH THE LEADERSHIP TEAM?
      10. OTHER KINDS OF FIT TO LOOK OUT FOR
      11. SOME EXAMPLES OF FIT
      12. ASSESS THE MATURITY OF YOUR STARTUP'S DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION
      13. WHAT'S YOUR STARTUP‐STAGE RISK TOLERANCE?
      14. HOW MUCH EXECUTION AND “GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY” ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH RIGHT AWAY?
      15. DETERMINING YOUR IDEAL STARTUP STAGE
      16. NOTES
   4. CHAPTER FOUR: Landing Your Next Startup Executive Role: Leveling Up Within Your Current Organization or Seeking a Role Elsewhere
      1. MY FIRST EXECUTIVE ROLE: JOINING AN EARLY‐STAGE STARTUP AND GETTING PROMOTED TO VP
      2. HOW ANALIESE BROWN, VP OF PEOPLE AT CAMPMINDER, GOT PROMOTED INTO HER FIRST EXECUTIVE STARTUP ROLE
      3. GENERALIST TO SPECIALIST: HOW TO “COME UP” AS AN EXECUTIVE IN YOUR AREA OF SPECIALIZATION
      4. LEARN TO BALANCE THE TACTICAL AND THE STRATEGIC
      5. UNDERSTAND BUSINESS AREAS OUTSIDE YOUR “COMFORT ZONE”
      6. EMBRACE A LEARNING OR “GROWTH” MINDSET
      7. HOW NICOLE WOJNO SMITH, VP OF MARKETING AT TACKLE, GOT HER FIRST EXECUTIVE ROLE BY LEVELING UP WITHIN HER THEN‐ORGANIZATION
      8. HOW SMITH “LEVELED UP” BY BUILDING A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE C‐LEVEL TEAM
      9. MASTERING DATA‐DRIVEN STORYTELLING AROUND BUSINESS OBJECTIVES
      10. GAIN A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF CROSS‐FUNCTIONAL PARTNERS AND THEIR ROLES
      11. PARTNER CLOSELY WITH YOUR FINANCE LEADERSHIP (UNLESS YOU'RE THE CFO; IN THAT CASE, PARTNER WITH EVERY OTHER EXECUTIVE TEAM)
      12. START UNOFFICIALLY RECRUITING YOUR “BENCH” DREAM TEAM FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT
      13. LEVELING UP IN THE ENGINEERING SIDE OF THE BUSINESS: JEFF AMMONS
      14. LEARNING TO LET GO OF BEING THE ONE TO WRITE CODE AND SHIFTING TO EMPOWERING HIS TEAM
      15. ON INTERNAL PROMOTIONS: NICK MEHTA'S PERSPECTIVE AS CEO OF GAINSIGHT
      16. GETTING HIRED: LANDING THE ROLE
      17. INTERNAL PROMOTIONS TO EXECUTIVE ARE POSSIBLE, BUT NOT AT EVERY COMPANY
   5. CHAPTER FIVE: Get the Offer and Secure Your Executive Seat
      1. FIND YOUR FIRST (OR NEXT) EXECUTIVE ROLE
      2. INTERVIEWING FOR YOUR EXECUTIVE ROLE
      3. NAVIGATING THE OFTEN BYZANTINE STARTUP HIRING PROCESS
      4. THE INTERVIEW PROCESS
      5. UNDERSTAND THE PRESENTATION TECH STACK AND PRACTICE YOUR PRESENTATION WITH FRIENDS
      6. MEETING WITH THE CEO: UNDERSTAND THEIR VISION
      7. WHEN THE STARTUP'S HIRING PROCESS GOES AWRY
      8. GETTING THE OFFER
      9. COMPENSATION BREAKDOWN
      10. NEGOTIATING THE OFFER
      11. DO YOUR RESEARCH
      12. RISK VS. REWARD: A NOTE ABOUT EQUITY
      13. FIND OUT THE PERCENTAGE OF EQUITY BEING RECEIVED AND ITS CURRENT VALUE
      14. UNDERSTAND YOUR VESTING SCHEDULE IN YOUR OFFER
      15. HIRE AN ACCOUNTANT AS SOON AS YOU ACCEPT AN OFFER
      16. A NOTE ON EARLY‐STAGE EQUITY
      17. HIRE A LAWYER TO REVIEW YOUR OFFER LETTER AND CONTRACT
      18. NEGOTIATING YOUR TITLE
      19. CASH VS. EQUITY: FOOD FOR THOUGHT
      20. MORE ON EQUITY AND CAP TABLES FOR UNDER‐REPRESENTED STARTUP LEADERS
      21. A WORD: IF THE DEAL GOES SOUTH WHILE YOU'RE IN NEGOTIATIONS
      22. AFTER YOU SIGN THE DEAL
      23. NOTES
7. PART II: GETTING STARTED: NAIL YOUR FIRST 90 DAYS
   1. CHAPTER SIX: Define Your Goals and Align with Your CEO and Board on Success
      1. YOUR FIRST 90 DAYS: ONBOARDING TO YOUR NEW ROLE AND PROVING YOUR VALUE TO THE ORGANIZATION
      2. DON'T BE SHY ABOUT MAKING AN IMPACT RIGHT AWAY
      3. GET POINTS ON THE BOARD EARLY BY FOCUSING ON ACCOMPLISHING SEVERAL LOW EFFORT, HIGH IMPACT INITIATIVES IN YOUR FIRST 90 DAYS
      4. WORK WITH YOUR CEO TO IDENTIFY SUCCESS
      5. “ARE WE SEEING THE SAME GAME?”
      6. ADVICE FROM A CEO TO STARTUP EXECUTIVES: REMEMBER THAT THE CEO ROLE IS TOUGH
      7. ONBOARDING SUCCESSFULLY AS A STARTUP LEADER REQUIRES BALANCING SHORT‐TERM WINS WITH LONG‐TERM PRIORITIES
      8. SETTING YOUR OBJECTIVES AND KEY RESULTS (OKRs)
      9. SETTING OKRs—EXAMPLE: SAMPLE MARKETING OKRs
      10. OKRs AND BONUS COMPENSATION
      11. DELIVERING YOUR FIRST QUARTERLY BUSINESS REVIEW (QBR)
      12. HERE'S A GUIDE FOR WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR FIRST 90‐DAY QBR PRESENTATION
      13. NOTE
   2. CHAPTER SEVEN: Build Key Relationships: CEO, Board, Team
      1. BUILDING A RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR CEO AND/OR CO‐FOUNDER
      2. HERE'S A SAMPLE CEO 1:1 AGENDA
      3. BUILDING TRUST WITH YOUR CEO: VALUES ALIGNMENT
      4. SET UP COMMUNICATION EXPECTATIONS WITH YOUR CEO AND LEADERSHIP TEAM
      5. GET TO KNOW YOUR CROSS‐FUNCTIONAL PARTNERS AND BUILD RAPPORT
      6. LEARN HOW YOUR KEY STAKEHOLDERS LIKE TO WORK
      7. DON'T BE AFRAID TO DISAGREE—RESPECTFULLY
      8. WHY COMPANIES BRING IN “BIG COMPANY EXECUTIVES” AND HOW TO WORK WITH THEM IF YOU'RE COMING FROM A STARTUP BACKGROUND
      9. BUILDING STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH YOUR BOARD
      10. MANAGING TO YOUR BOARD'S EXPECTATIONS
      11. LEARN THE INTERESTS, HOBBIES, AND FAMILY MEMBERS OF YOUR EXECUTIVE TEAM
      12. NOTE
   3. CHAPTER EIGHT: Know Thyself: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Areas to Improve
      1. YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOURSELF AS A STARTUP LEADER
      2. IDENTIFYING YOUR STRENGTHS
      3. WEAKNESSES: THINGS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL IMPOSTER SYNDROME UNTIL YOU ADDRESS THEM
      4. EXPECT TO HIRE AROUND YOUR WEEKNESSES BUT SEEK TO UNDERSTAND THEM AND NOT AVOID THEM
      5. UNDERSTANDING HOW TO HANDLE WEAKNESSES
      6. MEASURING YOUR EFFECTIVENESS AS AN ENGINEERING LEADER: GET HONEST ABOUT YOUR SKILLS AS YOU TRY TO LEVEL UP
      7. BEING HONEST ABOUT OUR STORTCOMINGS: ENTREPRENEUR RAND FISHKIN'S PERSPECTIVE
      8. IDENTIFY: WHAT ARE YOU NOT STRONG AT THAT YOU'LL WANT TO IMPROVE?
      9. HIRING FOR COMPLEMENTARY SKILLS
      10. GOING DEEPER: GETTING TO KNOW OUR MOTIVATIONS
      11. FOCUSING ON ADDING VALUE, REGARDLESS OF TITLE
      12. EMBRACE IMPROV AS A WAY TO BECOME A MORE PRESENT, COLLABORATIVE LEADER
      13. GET TO KNOW YOURSELF THROUGH “PERSONAL RETROSPECTIVES”
      14. UNDERSTANDING OUR PRIVILEGE AND HOW IT IMPACTS OUR WORK
      15. EMBRACING ALL OF OURSELVES, INCLUDING OUR “SHADOW” SIDES
      16. ARE YOU OUTSOURCING A PART OF YOURSELF TO YOUR TEAM?
      17. CREATING HEALTHY BOUNDARIES
      18. NOTES
   4. CHAPTER NINE: Learn the Company Culture and Define It with Your Team
      1. UNDERSTANDING STARTUP VALUES
      2. COMPANY VALUES DRIVE BEHAVIOR
      3. OTHER WAYS CULTURE IS IMPACTED BY VALUES
      4. BUILDING TRUST AMONG YOUR TEAM AS A STARTUP LEADER
      5. CREATING A CULTURE THAT ISN'T “ALWAYS‐ON”
      6. CREATING INCLUSIVE TEAMS WHERE INDIVIDUALS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS CAN EXCEL TOGETHER
      7. CREATING “BALANCE” ON TEAMS
      8. CREATING HEALTHY WORK EXPECTATIONS THAT SUPPORT INCLUSIVITY AMONG YOUR TEAM
      9. CULTIVATE PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY ON YOUR TEAMS
      10. COMPASSIONATE BOSSES MAKE PEOPLE'S LIVES BETTER, SO ASPIRE TO BE ONE OF THEM
      11. GET TO KNOW YOUR TEAM AS INDIVIDUALS
      12. NOTES
8. PART III: BUILDING AND MANAGING YOUR TEAM AND DEPARTMENT
   1. CHAPTER TEN: Recruit Smart and Build Belonging
      1. RECRUITING NEW TEAM MEMBERS
      2. WHAT TO DO IF YOU'VE INHERITED A TEAM
      3. HIRING YOUR TEAM
      4. DESIGNING YOUR ORGANIZATION CHART
      5. HIRING TIP: CREATE A SCORECARD
      6. REDUCING BIAS IN THE HIRING PROCESS
      7. CULTIVATING EQUITABLE, DIVERSE, AND INCLUSIVE TEAMS
      8. HIRING PEOPLE: HOW TO RETAIN TALENT ON YOUR TEAM IN TODAY'S COMPETITIVE LABOR MARKET
      9. NOTES
   2. CHAPTER ELEVEN: Alignment: Set the Strategy to Get Your Team Working Toward the Same Vision and Goals
      1. HELP YOUR TEAM TO UNDERSTAND THE MISSION AND THE “WHY” BEHIND THE STRATEGY
      2. SETTING OKRS WITH YOUR TEAM
      3. BONUSES TIED TO OKRS
      4. UNDERPERFORMING TEAM MEMBERS
      5. GET IN THE WEEDS IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF PROBLEMS
      6. LEAD WITH THE BEHAVIOR YOU WANT TO SEE
      7. CONFLICTS ON YOUR TEAM: HOW TO IDENTIFY AND WORK THROUGH THEM
      8. PAY ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS LONGER THAN FEELS NECESSARY
      9. NOTES
   3. CHAPTER TWELVE: Attunement: Creating a Culture Where People Contribute Their Best Work
      1. BEGIN WITH THE GOAL IN MIND: EMPLOYEE EMPOWERMENT
      2. MAKE BUILDING A HEALTHY CULTURE A TEAM PRIORITY
      3. TEAM EMPOWERMENT STARTS WITH BUILDING TRUST
      4. GET SUPPORT ALONG YOUR JOURNEY THROUGH A SUPPORT CIRCLE
      5. ENSURE YOUR TEAM HAS ENOUGH RESOURCES TO BE SUCCESSFUL
      6. LET YOUR TEAM KNOW YOU, TO THE DEGREE YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH
      7. EMPOWERING YOUR TEAM TO DELIVER AND LET GO OF TASKS IN YOUR “ZONE OF EXCELLENCE”
      8. BUILD PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY BY CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE MISTAKES ARE HANDLED WITH CARE, NOT BLAME
      9. CONSIDER INSTITUTING A “NO MEETING” DAY
      10. A WORD ON BEING A MEMBER OF AN UNDER‐REPRESENTED GROUP AND NAVIGATING MAKING MISTAKES
      11. CREATE A ROADMAP WITH INDIVIDUAL PREFERENCES AND AGREEMENTS FOR WORKING TOGETHER AS A TEAM
      12. NOTE
   4. CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Building a High‐performance Team Culture
      1. STEPS TO BUILDING A CULTURE OF SUCCESS
      2. CREATING A PERFORMANCE CADENCE WITH YOUR TEAM
      3. THE 1:1S WITH YOUR DIRECT REPORTS
      4. CREATE BETTER 1:1S BY ASKING BETTER QUESTIONS
      5. GOAL SETTING AND OKRs
      6. CARVE OUT TIME TO TALK CAREERS AND GIVE FEEDBACK
      7. SMALL GESTURES ADD UP TO A CARING MANAGEMENT STYLE
      8. MEETINGS: HOW MANY DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BE IN?
      9. IS THIS MEETING SET UP TO FAIL? HERE ARE WARNING SIGNS THIS WON'T BE A PRODUCTIVE MEETING
      10. MANAGEMENT TIP: DON'T SEND “CAN WE TALK” MESSAGES TO YOUR TEAM
      11. BE EMPATHETIC TO WHAT PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH WHILE SETTING HEALTHY BOUNDARIES
      12. BUILD FEEDBACK INTO YOUR REGULAR COMMUNICATION AND PROCESSES
      13. BEWARE THE PITFALLS OF “SKIP LEVELS”
      14. SOLVING CONFLICTS ON YOUR TEAM
      15. ENSURING YOUR TEAM (INCLUDING YOU) TAKES ADEQUATE TIME OFF
      16. TAKE TIME TO REALLY UNPLUG YOURSELF TO SHOW YOUR TEAM THAT'S THE CULTURE
      17. CULTIVATE AS FLEXIBLE A WORK ENVIRONMENT AS POSSIBLE
      18. EMBRACE FEELINGS WHILE ESTABLISHING HEALTHY BOUNDARIES AROUND HOW YOU DEAL WITH THEM
      19. DEFINING SUCCESS AND TRUE OWNERSHIP
      20. GET YOUR REPORTS TO THINK LIKE OWNERS
      21. A NAVY VETERAN SHARES THE CASE AGAINST COMMAND AND CONTROL LEADERSHIP
      22. HAVE YOUR TEAM'S BACK
      23. LET YOUR TEAM KNOW IT'S SAFE TO MAKE MISTAKES, AS LONG AS THEY LEARN FROM THEM
      24. TEACH YOUR TEAM TO PROBLEM‐SOLVE AND LET THEM DO THINGS IN DIFFERENT WAYS THAN YOU WOULD
      25. IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE A MANAGER, DECIDE TO CARE ABOUT PEOPLE PROBLEMS
      26. INVEST IN LEARNING HOW TO BECOME A MORE INCLUSIVE LEADER
      27. HAVE FUN AS A TEAM!
      28. PRACTICE REPAIR AND BUILD IT INTO YOUR TEAM RHYTHM
      29. DO RETROSPECTIVES TO ENSURE THE TEAM SHARES THEIR VOICES AND GROWS WISER
      30. RETROSPECTIVE PROCESS (START–STOP–CONTINUE)
      31. NOTES
9. PART IV: MANAGING YOURSELF AND YOUR EXECUTIVE COMMUNICATION
   1. CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Level Up to Scale with Your Startup
      1. MAKE AN INVENTORY OF THE THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO WORK ON
      2. HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF WORKING WITH AN EXECUTIVE COACH
      3. BEYOND COACHING: THERAPY IS A GREAT OPTION
      4. YOUR GROWTH IS UP TO YOU
   2. CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Leading in a Post‐covid World
      1. AS THE WORLD HAS CHANGED, PRIORITIES HAVE SHIFTED FOR MANY OF US
      2. SINCE REMOTE WORK IS HERE TO STAY, HERE'S HOW TO DO IT: IDENTIFY AND SOCIALIZE THE SYSTEMS YOU'LL USE FOR COMMUNICATION AND TRACKING WORK
      3. PLAN TO WORK AROUND TEAMS' SCHEDULES AND TIME ZONES
      4. CREATE PREDICTABILITY IN YOUR OPERATING CADENCE
      5. LEVERAGE OKRs TO KEEP EVERYONE ALIGNED
      6. TAKE EXTRA TIME TO CHECK IN ON HOW PEOPLE ARE DOING
      7. SET SAFETY PROTOCOLS AND CONSIDER HIRING A COVID SAFETY OFFICER TO GATHER IN PERSON
      8. JOSH ASHTON'S STORY: LEADING HIS TEAM AS CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER AT TRINEO DURING THE PANDEMIC
      9. REMEMBER THAT EVERYONE IS STRUGGLING WITH SOMETHING DIFFERENT
      10. NOTES
   3. CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Managing Up: How to Work with Your CEO and Board
      1. WORK WELL WITH YOUR CEO BY UNDERSTANDING THEIR PREFERRED WORK STYLE: FOUNDER HITEN SHAH'S STORY
      2. NOTE: YOUR CEO MAY NOT BE AWARE OF ALL OF THEIR PREFERENCES (BUT THEY STILL HAVE THEM)
      3. GETTING TO KNOW THE BOARD BY CONNECTING DIRECTLY WITH AT LEAST ONE MEMBER
      4. ALWAYS BE CONCISE IN YOUR COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR BOARD
      5. NICK MEHTA'S ADVICE: FOCUS ON THE METRIC THAT THE BOARDS CARE MOST ABOUT
      6. MANAGE YOUR TIME WELL DURING THE BOARD MEETING
      7. UNDERSTANDING WHAT YOUR BOARD REALLY CARES ABOUT
      8. A WORD OF ADVICE: DON'T OVER‐PROMISE TO THE BOARD
   4. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: When Things Go Pear‐shaped: Navigating Challenges, Setbacks, Failure, and Departures
      1. LEARN TO PRACTICE COMPASSION TOWARDS YOURSELF WHEN DIFFICULTY AND FAILURE HAPPEN (BECAUSE THEY WILL)
      2. PRACTICE SELF‐COMPASSION WHEN THINGS ARE HARD AT WORK
      3. UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE REACT DIFFERENTLY UNDER STRESS
      4. TREAT PEOPLE WITH RESPECT, ALWAYS
      5. WHAT TO DO IF A COLLEAGUE QUESTIONS YOUR IMPACT
      6. IF YOU FAIL AND GET LET GO, OR MESS UP IN A BIG WAY, YOU STILL BELONG IN THE STARTUP WORLD AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE OK
      7. WHEN YOU GET PASSED OVER FOR A PROMOTION OR A ROLE
      8. NORMALIZING SET‐BACKS AND GIVING YOURSELF PERMISSION TO FAIL AND LEARN
      9. IS IT TIME TO CALL IT QUITS? NO ONE GETS TO DECIDE WHEN YOU STOP BEING A STARTUP LEADER BUT YOU
      10. REFRAMING FAILURE AS ANOTHER LEARNING OPPORTUNITY
      11. OTHER TYPES OF SETBACKS
      12. OTHER THINGS THAT CAN GO WRONG AND HOW TO DEAL WITH THEM
      13. ADVERSITY IN THE STARTUP WORLD IS A FEATURE, NOT A BUG
      14. NAVIGATING PIVOTS SUCCESSFULLY AS A STARTUP LEADER
      15. TREAT PIVOTS AS A CHANCE TO BECOME A BETTER COMPANY
      16. IN TIMES OF CRISIS, UNDERSTAND YOUR CIRCLE OF CONTROL
      17. STAY AND ACCEPT, TRY TO CHANGE THINGS, OR LEAVE?
      18. IN TIMES OF MAJOR CHANGE, CONSIDER HAVING AN “ON THE BUS OR OFF THE BUS” CONVERSATION WITH YOUR TEAM
      19. IF YOU STAY, KNOW YOU WON'T AGREE WITH ALL DECISIONS
      20. TURNING A STARTUP PIVOT INTO A STARTUP LEADERSHIP ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITY: MINDY LAUCK, CEO OF BROADLY
      21. DON'T TRIANGULATE: IDENTIFY “YOU TWO” PROBLEMS
      22. ON THE FAME/BLAME CYCLE—WHEN THE HIGHS ARE HIGH AND THE LOWS ARE LOW
      23. DEPARTURES: WHEN IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON FROM YOUR ROLE
      24. DECIDING WHEN IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON
      25. QUESTIONS YOU CAN ASK WHEN DECIDING WHETHER TO LEAVE YOUR EXECUTIVE ROLE
      26. HOW TO LEAVE A ROLE LIKE AN EXECUTIVE
      27. HOW TO GIVE NOTICE
      28. WHEN YOU GIVE NOTICE: BE PREPARED TO BE ASKED TO CLOSE YOUR LAPTOP ON THE SPOT
      29. A WORD OF ADVICE: RESPECT THE COMPANY'S INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP) AND DON'T TAKE IT UPON DEPARTURE
      30. ANOTHER WORD OF ADVICE: BE CAREFUL ABOUT POACHING EMPLOYEES (AT LEAST RIGHT AWAY)
      31. EXERCISING YOUR VESTED EQUITY AROUND YOUR DEPARTURE
      32. TAKING TIME OFF IN BETWEEN JOBS
      33. MAKE A COMMUNICATION PLAN
      34. KEEP IT POSITIVE
      35. BEWARE THE “DILBERT PRINCIPLE” AND LEAVE WITH GRACE ANYWAY
      36. NOTES
10. PART V: PROVING, SUSTAINING, AND EXPANDING YOUR IMPACT AS A LEADER
    1. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Measuring Success: How to Know If Things Are Working
       1. WHO CARES ABOUT LEADING AND LAGGING INDICATORS?
       2. UNDERSTANDING THE METRICS THAT SET UP YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR SUCCESS
       3. FOCUS ON MEASURES THAT SHOW OUTCOMES VS. ACTIVITY
       4. GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT TOOLS
       5. HOW THE BOARD THINKS ABOUT YOUR INDICATORS
       6. MEASURE WHAT COUNTS AT A REGULAR CADENCE
       7. OTHER “SUCCESS” MEASURES
       8. LETTING LEADING INDICATORS GUIDE YOUR EARLY‐STAGE STARTUP GROWTH
       9. RAND FISHKIN'S ADVICE FOR METRICS: KEEP IT SIMPLE
       10. HOW TO WORK WITH YOUR CEO ON MEASURING YOUR PERFORMANCE
       11. BUILDING ACCOUNTABILITY INTO YOUR TEAM REPORTING
    2. CHAPTER NINETEEN: Communicating Your Results to Your CFO, CEO, Company, and Board
       1. WHY BOARD MEETINGS EXIST (AND NO, THEY'RE NOT JUST TO TORTURE STARTUP FOUNDERS AND EXECUTIVES!)
       2. COMMUNICATING AT THE BOARD LEVEL
       3. COMMUNICATING AT THE “ALTITUDE” OF THE BOARD
       4. HOW IS YOUR BUSINESS PERFORMING WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE GREATER MARKET (OR THE VC'S PORTFOLIO?)
       5. DO YOUR HOMEWORK
       6. BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE BOARD PRIOR TO YOUR FIRST MEETING
       7. TAKING A STORYTELLING APPROACH TO BOARD PRESENTATIONS
       8. COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT TEAM TO GET WHAT YOU NEED FROM THEM
       9. CREATING YOUR BOARD SLIDES: THINK AT A HIGH ALTITUDE
       10. HOW TO CREATE YOUR BOARD SLIDES
       11. EXAMPLE DEPARTMENT OKR SNAPSHOT SLIDE REPORTING RESULTS WITH R/Y/G
       12. OTHER TYPES OF SLIDES TO INCLUDE IN YOUR BOARD DECK
       13. THE PURPOSE OF YOUR APPENDIX AND/OR PRE‐READ MATERIAL
       14. TIP: ENSURE EVERY SLIDE HAS A NARRATIVE‐DRIVEN TITLE
       15. PRESENTATION TIPS: BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE BOARD MEETING
    3. CHAPTER TWENTY: Mentorship: How to Further Grow Your Career by Networking and Giving Back
       1. MENTORSHIP POWERS THE STARTUP ECOSYSTEM
       2. MENTORSHIP'S ROLE IN SUPPORTING DEVELOPING LEADERS
       3. MENTORSHIP IS ABOUT KNOWLEDGE AND CHEMISTRY
       4. MENTORS DON'T HAVE TO KNOW ALL OF THE ANSWERS
       5. ENLISTING YOUR OWN MENTORS: DEVELOPING A GROUP OF PERSONAL ADVISORS
       6. MENTORS CARE ABOUT YOU PERSONALLY AND CAN KEEP YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT
       7. SEEK MENTORSHIP THAT PROMOTES EQUALITY
       8. SIGN UP TO MENTOR AT AN ACCELERATOR
       9. MENTOR THROUGH AN OFFICIAL ORGANIZATION
       10. FIND COMMUNITY AND SHARE MUTUAL SUPPORT AS A “PEER MENTOR”
       11. AFFINITY ORGANIZATIONS
       12. OTHER TYPES OF SUPPORT: SPONSORSHIP AND COACHING
       13. DON'T DISCOUNT INFORMAL MENTORSHIP
       14. TAKE MENTORSHIP TO THE NEXT LEVEL: SCALE YOUR IMPACT
11. AFTERWORD
12. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
13. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
14. INDEX
15. End User License Agreement