What I’ve Learned from Being a Successful Remote Leader

We are all familiar with the story of the man who began in his garage and developed a million-dollar idea. Success is seldom achieved without hard work.

It is a common misconception that successful entrepreneurs are either born wealthy or have a sudden stroke of genius. However, this is far from the truth. Those who accomplish great success by their own merit cannot be classified as lucky. Instead, they start at the bottom and put in the effort to climb their way up to become owners and managers of their own businesses.Here are some examples of such success stories in the programming industry.

One does not need to have any specific skills or knowledge to achieve success. However, we can utilise the expertise of established business owners to improve our chances of success. By studying their experiences, we can foresee potential issues and take necessary measures to prevent them from occurring.Here are the top Python skills that can be beneficial for any data scientist to have.

Sharon Koifman, the Founder and President of Works, has shared the top five most critical lessons he has acquired from his experience in the remote recruiting industry, which has led him to a leadership position. Koifman emphasises that these lessons have had a tremendous impact on his success and on the growth of the company.

  • Believe in the Impact of Your Actions
  • Culture is Formed through Connections.
  • Failure is the Key to Success.
  • Treat All Your Staff Equally and Justly.
  • Place Trust in Your Team

Acknowledge the Significance of Your Actions

Your current position in the business world is not solely attributed to the production of a profitable product or service. Merely having knowledge of your field is insufficient. To be successful, it is crucial to understand your personal drive and motivation behind pursuing any given endeavour.

It is widely recognised that trust and confidence in one’s organization is crucial for achieving success. This can be particularly challenging when promoting a non-traditional concept. Sharon Koifman introduced the concept of a remote recruitment agency a decade ago, at a time when businesses largely sought job applicants in their local area. However, with changes in the external environment and advancing technology, this perspective has transformed in recent years.

Sharon was a trailblazing remote leader who introduced a unique service that customers were willing to pay for, a remarkable achievement. The innovative nature of her approach played a significant role in her success.

Achieving success was a result of Sharon’s hard work, learning from his failures, and placing trust in his model.

Prior to founding Works, he contemplated the following two questions:

  1. What actions can I take to increase the likelihood of success?
  2. How can I offer the most value to all individuals involved?

A culture is defined by its connections.

After reviewing various literature on the topic of business culture, it is apparent that there is no one definitive answer to achieving success. Nevertheless, specific phrases including ‘company goals’, ‘values’, ‘objectives’, ‘sense of community’, and ‘ethics’ consistently recur, underscoring the significance of these elements in a thriving business.

Although Sharon Koifman acknowledged the significance of having a handbook that details the company’s values, beliefs, and objectives, she also realized that cultivating a robust culture requires more than that. For remote teams, establishing a shared sense of unity and values is a challenging task that cannot be achieved solely through organizing social events and activities. This is due to the difficulty of creating a unified identity without consistent face-to-face interaction.

Through his groundbreaking foray into remote recruitment, Sharon Koifman acknowledged the importance of culture in fostering strong connections with both employees and customers. It is not solely about defining your strategies and assessing your business’s worth, but it also involves ensuring that everyone in your network (virtual or in-person) feels valued, supported, and heard. One may wonder how he built such an impactful culture in a completely digital company. His answer was straightforward: “Because I care.”

Victory is Found Beyond Defeat

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 20% of businesses fail in their first year of operation. This statistic becomes more alarming when taking into account that around 50% of small businesses close within five years.

During its conception, Sharon Koifman established Empire Host, a company that specializes in outsourcing services. He was optimistic about the business’s long-term success; nonetheless, he was also mindful that outsourcing can be a complex route, and numerous enterprises struggle to find the suitable personnel to fulfil their available roles. As the business was not meeting his expectations, he had to make the tough decision to sell it.

What he initially perceived as failure ultimately became the driving force behind his eventual triumph. He utilized the lessons learned from his previous attempt to inform his new ideas, delivering a fresh perspective and the determination to establish Works. Works offers a flexible, remote setting where he could render top-notch technical support to other organizations.

Achieving success involves experimenting with novel ideas, acknowledging the potential for failure, and dedicating numerous hours of hard work.

Treat All of Your Employees Equitably.

Compensation for employees varies across different businesses, mostly based on the intricacy of their job functions and duties. Higher-ranking executives typically receive greater salaries due to the larger scale of their work, which involves managing more staff and projects. However, when supervisors are given preferential treatment over other colleagues, this may create a sense of neglect, ultimately leading to decreased job performance.

Fundamentally, it is crucial to treat everyone with the same level of respect and consideration that you would extend to an individual earning an annual income of $300,000. According to the proverb, “You reap what you sow,” therefore, refrain from treating others as if they are of lesser value than yourself.

When dealing with junior employees or interns within your company, it is imperative to avoid conversing with them in a manner that may imply their inferiority compared to those in higher positions. This practice can assist in minimizing employee turnover, as well as cultivating a constructive and encouraging work setting that ultimately boosts overall productivity. Prioritizing equitable and respectful treatment of everyone is of utmost importance in any organization.

Believe in Your Team

Demonstrating trust in your team entails more than merely assigning duties and steering clear of micromanaging. While initiating a new business, it is common to experience a degree of reluctance, necessitating a prudent approach in the initial phases. Nevertheless, assigning tasks to your team is only a single element in establishing trust. It is equally crucial to be available and attentively consider the ideas and recommendations of your staff.

The triumph of a business cannot be credited to the contributions of a solitary individual, but rather to the collaborative efforts of everyone involved.

However, trust can only be secured when the appropriate team is in place. While Sharon Koifman’s innovative recruitment approach may have played a role in his company’s success, it is most likely attributed to his trust and confidence in his colleagues, who have been instrumental in initiating and perpetuating the company’s foundational principles. Consequently, he has retained employees who have been with Works since its inception.

He recognizes the satisfaction derived from having the right personnel, and that’s precisely why he provides other organizations with the same opportunity.

Build a Competent Team

Assembling a thriving business is only possible with a remarkable team backing you up; colleagues who not only fulfill their designated responsibilities, but who also adhere to your company’s objectives and values. Are you in search of developers who will harmonize with your organization’s culture and embody its goals?

The exceptionally skilled team at Works boast considerable expertise in the procurement and selection of the most qualified IT professionals. Our quest is to recruit developers who possess the requisite technical aptitude and knowledge to effectively fulfill the duties of the position, while also comprehending and enhancing the principles and ideals of our organization.

Expand your search for competent employees.

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