What’s the biggest change you’ve ever made and what impact did it have?
The biggest change I ever made was to hire a team, which allowed me to expand my business and triple revenue in one year. I learned that we all have our expertise, and bringing in other team members can grow your business to a level you never expected.
—Lisa Collum, CEO and owner of Top Score Writing
I started my second company in 2018, more than eight years after my first one. The biggest change I made was hiring up-and-comers—as opposed to seasoned executives—for senior positions. It’s really helped me become a better leader, since I am now responsible for coaching and mentoring in a way I’ve never been before.
— Manav Mital, co-founder and CEO of Cyral
I took a leap of faith to quit my 20-year career at Microsoft to create a new women’s digital health company, complete with things I had never done before—fundraising, starting a company from scratch, running financials, etc. It has been the most amazing growth experience. Humbling, but also invigorating.
— Jill Angelo, CEO of Gennev
Learning to adapt to crisis. Fortunately, running a business out of Houston, I’ve gotten used to this. After a series of hurricanes, we’ve had to shift our business model to what is in demand every year. Sometimes that has meant turning into a company that helps people with flood damage, and other times it has meant repurposing our party tents to be COVID-19 testing tents. Change brings about resilience that hardens leaders and managers to become great leaders.
—Robert De Los Santos, CEO of Sky High Party Rental
This article originally appeared in the January/February 2021 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
Photo by vkstudio/Twenty20.com
