Scale-Up Leadership Lessons I've Learned Over 9 Years as HubSpot's CEO

Regarding EV>Team>Self -- My favorite memory at HubSpot is Brian Halligan taking the time to sit us all down and watch Twelve O'Clock High. A movie about a World War II bomber unit that faltered after the general in charge valued team > mission > self. He paused every 10 minutes to ask us questions about the choices the general was making. It was one of the most unusual approaches to teaching management, but it stuck with me.

This is one of the best management posts I have ever read. Does anybody know any articles / books like this one (not giving common sense advice)?

Great read, thanks for sharing. I'm interested in learning more about the management transition discussed at the beginning though and what it looks like in practice. Once you discover that a team has lost confidence in its manager, what steps are taken to transition them? Discuss the issue, agree amicably to part ways, timing, etc? And how is that typically received?

I think all the questions are right, but I find that ENPS (like NPS) to be of questionable value, at best. (The research & calculations behind NPS are suspect and non-predictive, and are probably used in the wrong way by most organizations. I can see ENPS being even worse, especially given that most HR groups within organizations have marginal competency in what they are supposed to be competent at, much less statistics.)

Good article. Although I'm not sure the Bus Analogy is a good name. When I saw the heading I thought it was going to be something related to waiting for ages and then 3 coming at once. In actual fact the analogy is about (i) strategic direction, (ii) excited passengers, and (iii) fuel. However, buses here often go on circular routes, and many people aren't particularly looking forward to reaching their destination. Perhaps it should be a coach analogy rather than a bus analogy, i.e. long distance travel more likely to be associated with holidaying, as opposed to short distance travel often associated with commuting.

Like the idea of employee NPS

Commenting so that I can read it again and again.

It seems like the first approach could be ripe for perverse incentives. How do you prevent that? It seems like what you are proposing is too simplistic (or maybe it works for your organization based on your hiring practices, but will not necessarily work everywhere).

Also do the same rules hold for higher up in the management (like say for instance the CEO ;-)).