Working with me is a matter of trust and respect. Here’s how.

1. Own what you do. Take charge. Know why you do it and do it for that reason. Not for what you think I want. There’s no “What do you want me to do?” or “As you wish” I want you to do nothing. You do*.*
   1. You’re Proactive. Take on stuff you see sitting around. Respond to questions you can contribute to, not just what you’re asked.
   2. You need no follow-ups. There’s no “I couldn’t do because …”. Drive it forward yourself.
   3. Harass me for info or help if needed. Suggest a “default solution” you’d do if I (or anyone else) doesn’t respond in time. Follow up. Then move forward.
   4. You have full authority. You and your tasks are your own “universe”. You’ll get it done independently. Only this enables true parallelism. Only this can scale.
2. You’re better than me. I’m not territorial. Not only do I not mind – I want you to be better. Nothing impresses me more than you showing me expert knowledge I don’t have.
3. You Disagree, and back it up. Question everything all the time. Our Secret to Success is to be a bunch of “Nay Sayers”.
4. You make mistakes. Don’t be afraid of making one. I love mistakes. It means you make decisions. Integral part of the learning process.
   1. Don’t make mistakes twice. Mistakes are part of the learning process. You learn from your and others’ mistakes and increment your knowledge constantly.
5. You’re lazy. I don’t admire hard work, but smart work. No busywork. Identify patterns. Automate them. Constantly eliminate. Get it done in less time.

Micro-managing is the last thing I want. You’ll see me giving you a lot of freedom.

Yet, if I start setting reminders, having to ask for status, or see things falling between the cracks, it’s because my trust has begun crackling. That’s when we need to hit the reset button, sit down, talk, analyze and move things out of the way.