Leaders Set the Pace

Frank Slootman is one of the very best modern executives. He’s led three consecutive companies to an IPO. Data Domain, then ServiceNow, and most recently Snowflake.

He sees a common problem with young CEOs:

“They just think: ‘I hire a bunch of people, and then sit back and wait for greatness.’ They have no idea that they have to relentlessly drive every second of the day, every interaction, and seek confrontation.”

He cites the DMV as an example of an organization where the workers completely lack urgency.

“This is what naturally happens to human beings. It’s innate. We slow down to a glacial pace unless there are people who are going to drive the tempo and pace and intensity and urgency. That’s what leaders do.”

And Slootman isn’t talking about a one-time shot of adrenaline that wears off.

“It’s really hard to have the mental energy to bring that to every single instance of the day.”

If you study the greatest entrepreneurs, most of them carried a similar intensity.

Jobs, Sam Walton, Bezos, Gates all set a blazing pace. Team members kept up or were kicked out.

That’s who you’re up against. Act accordingly.

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