S8 E26 The Driver, The Explorer, The Crusader, The Captain The Driver is product focused with Jeremy Gray

Episode 26 The Driver, The Explorer, The Crusader, The Captain The Driver is product focused. Identifies his own self with the products success The archetypical driver, the driver’s driver Steve Jobs. Obsessed on product design. Capable of seeing how a market was developing and identify product solutions that the market would want, even before the market knew it wanted them, iPod, not only revolutionary but beautiful as well. Does not need to be tech solution Steve Brightman developed a great business installing coin operated washing machines and dryer in apartment buildings in New York City. “Your greatest strength begets your greatest weakness.” Shakespeare Drivers can be so product focused that their love of product takes it far beyond commercial usefulness. Drivers can be difficult. Steve Jobs was famously impatient, petulant, and tough with the people around him. But his treatment of people, though not laudable, emanated from his passion for perfection. To learn more about Steve Jobs management style Ctrl+Click Here The Explorer is focused on the problem or puzzle. Tend to be systems thinkers Attracted to complexity Fascinated by problems that others have not yet been able to find a solution. How to connect with friends at college was the problem facing Mark Zuckerberg How to use the internet to sell cars as the question the founders of dealer.com were asking. Their weakness is that they can lose interest once the problem has been solved. Because they are analytical they can see their employees as inputs rather than human beings The Crusader thinks about the mission and a business builds up around the mission. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, founders of Ben and Jerry ice cream founded their business in a disused gas station in Burlington Vermont. To engage their customers they used to show free movies and hand out free ice creams. Although a high end product they cultivated a down to earth image For years the kept the top salary to 5x the lowest salary. Their mission to bring intensely flavored ice cream to their customers shaped the way they grew their business. To learn more about Ben and Jerry’s path to growth Ctrl+Click here The weaknesses of the crusader is the very passion that drove them can lead to hiring errors. They attract and hire people who are similarly motivated by the sense of purpose. Rather than assessing their competence. Angelo Pizzagalli owner of the largest construction companies, also in Vermont put it like this “we hired people we wanted to have breakfast with” The Captain is focused on the team. They see themselves as managing through we rather than me. They like to have other people’s ideas on strategies on decisions that build the business rather than impose them on others Does not mean they are indecisive or do not have a clear vision on where they want to go When Jack Ma had the idea for Alibaba he gather 17 friends in his apartment to get their thoughts on his idea. While Captains can be good improvisors, they may over delegate and lose close contact with the changes that are happening on the frontlines of their businesses. All four personalities have their own path to building a successful business. Each has its own mixture of strengths and weaknesses.