Question
Was there a spark that kindled your interest before you ever seriously considered being a Chief Executive?
Answer
Spencer loves being a Chief Executive
Being a CEO is not the same as being an entrepreneur. An entrepreneur is a mindset you are in, not the action you are taking. The role that I play day to day is that of a CEO. That consists of three main things: 1. Setting the vision for the company 2. Recruiting the best possible people for the company 3. Making sure there is enough money in the bank & that fiduciary responsibilities to shareholders are met. Besides these three items - I spend the majority of my time working on product development & processes. Most of this boils down to design, which we care about deeply here at Sokanu.
Question
What was the most important thing you did to become a Chief Executive?
Answer
Spencer Thompson
Get rid of any ego and put people first. That, and learning as much as I could about human psychology as possible.
Question
What is the most important skill for someone who wants to become a Chief Executive?
Answer
Spencer Thompson
Empathy, humbleness and a relentless focus on the company, not yourself. Read about what becoming a Level 5 Leader is - http://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/level-5.html
Question
What was the most rewarding experience in your career as a Chief Executive?
Answer
Spencer Thompson
Still going, and still early. But easily the most rewarding experience is simply working with the people that I do. Companies are made up of a few things, and people are by far the most important.
If Spencer can do it, sokanu
Questions For Spencer
Question
Jocelyn McLean wants to know:
What book would you recommend to an aspiring Chief Executive?
Answer
Spencer Thompson
Spencer hasn't responded yet. Nudge Spencer to let them know you're interested in their answer.
I remember having a dream when I was in my late teens about being in a building with thousands of people. For whatever reason, I interpreted that dream to meaning that I was the CEO of that group of people. I started on the quest of learning more about what CEO's do and their specific purpose within an organization. Being an entrepreneur is completely different than being a CEO, and I intend on getting to stage two of that as quickly as possible.