Lessons Learned: The Importance of Humility and Collaboration in Leadership from Jina Kim

As a leader who's learned from their own failures and successes, Jina Kim shares her insights on how course correction, genuine connection with team members, and unblocking problems can lead to improved employee happiness and ultimately, customer satisfaction.

1. A leader should remain humble and open to learning from everyone, including new intern employees.
2. Course correction is essential for a leader; making mistakes is an opportunity to improve and grow.
3. At Carta, Jina Kim helped startups with customer journey, go-to-market strategy, and growth.
4. Early in her career at eShares (now Carta), Jina received negative feedback from a coworker, which made her reevaluate her communication style.
5. Success is not permanent, and relationships should never be taken for granted; empathy and humility are crucial for leaders.
6. Everyone has unique experiences and insights to share; collaborative environments can lead to better solutions and results.
7. As a manager, taking on the toughest job demonstrates leadership and earns respect from the team.
8. At Carta, managers were seen as coaches, helping the team understand and learn from their mistakes.
9. Personal coaches can help individuals stay on track and find their unique path to success.
10. Informal coaches or mentors can be valuable resources for guidance and support.
11. Trust is essential in leadership; good leaders motivate and care for their team members, fostering a genuine connection.
12. Employee happiness contributes significantly to customer happiness.
13. Empowering employees to achieve their career goals benefits both the individual and the startup.
14. As a leader, unblocking problems for your team is crucial; addressing difficult situations can build trust and demonstrate support.
15. A coach's role is to help individuals understand their mistakes and improve for the future.
16. Creating an environment where people feel comfortable expressing differing opinions leads to better outcomes.
17. Leaders should focus on facilitating growth and improvement, both for the company and individual team members.
18. Jina's KPI (Key Performance Indicator) is seeing the "aha moment" on founders' faces when they understand how her work helps their startups grow.
19. Jina aims to bring resources and support to startups outside of Silicon Valley, helping them create better work environments for their employees.
20. By learning from mistakes and continuously course-correcting, leaders can help their teams and companies succeed.
21. A leader should be open to feedback and willing to adapt their communication style as the team grows.
22. Great leaders empower their team members to reach their full potential while fostering a positive work environment.
23. Embracing a coaching mindset can help leaders guide their teams toward success and growth.
24. Personal coaches, mentors, or role models can provide invaluable guidance throughout one's career.

Source: EO via YouTube

❓ What do you think? What is one thing you can learn from Jina Kim's leadership style and how can you apply it to your own leadership journey? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!