Replace himself.
Odd that his initial priority upon becoming CEO is to think about leaving– to be able to fire himself and yet have the company still run smoothly.
I asked him why– and he told me that “everyone is replaceable”.
A strong leader has a duty to build others up so that he can be replaced.
Yet when you lose a key employee or even a co-founder, as I did recently, your company shouldn’t be so dependent upon them that it would go under.
Or that key team member be so important that they have leverage over you, so they can take advantage of you, inadvertently or intentionally– my mistake, too.
Thus, your first task even as a founder or entrepreneur– large or small– is to replace yourself and make sure everyone else does the same.
I wish I heard such wisdom sooner– how about you? And how does this change your perspective or what you do next?
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is a former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on Google and Facebook ads for Nike, Quiznos, Ashley Furniture, Red Bull, State Farm, and other organizations that have many locations.
He has achieved 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs because of his partnership with universities, professional organizations, and agencies. Companies like GoDaddy, Fiverr, onlinejobs.ph, 7 Figure Agency, and Vendasta partner with him to create training and certifications.
Dennis created the Dollar a Day Strategy for local service businesses to enhance their existing local reputation and make the phone ring. He's coaching young adult agency owners who serve plumbers, AC technicians, landscapers, roofers, electricians in conjunction with leaders in these industries.
Mr. Yu believes that there should be a standard in measuring local marketing efforts, much like doctors and plumbers need to be certified and licensed. His Content Factory training and dashboards are used by thousands of practitioners.
