Leadership 101 for an EdTech Startup

Our CEO and Founder, Lawrence Korchnak, recently sat down with Aude Guéneau, the CEO of Plume. You can find the full interview here. Their conversation was focused on what it takes to effectively launch a start-up. The importance of leadership was a common theme throughout their discussion. While being a leader was what she struggled with most, she stated learning to lead was what was essential to the success of her start-up. After working with numerous edtech organizations, we have learned that good leadership is crucial to the scalability of your business. What does solid leadership entail?

Set a clear vision and mission

From your hiring practices to your weekly team meetings, your mission should be at the forefront of your team's plans and actions. A clear focus not only allows each team member to know how their role fits into the bigger picture but also motivates them to excel.

Communicate with your team

Meaningful and timely communication with your team is essential. We all appreciate transparency. Especially in a start-up where funds can be tight and each person could be tasked with the workload of an entire department - communicating with your employees on a micro and macro level will increase employee satisfaction and retention.

Be okay with mistakes

You will make mistakes and so will your employees - and that is okay. Building a start-up from scratch is not easy - if it was, everyone would do it. Give yourself and your employees' grace. Learn from your mistakes and continue to push to achieve your goals.

Be approachable

Being approachable means that when your team has questions, concerns, or feedback - they will not hesitate to bring it to your attention. In a small organization, innovation is the key to success, when your employees know they can bring ideas to you it fosters a positive work climate. However, don’t be afraid to provide necessary feedback - both positive and negative.

Know when to delegate

Being a CEO/Founder, it can be hard to let go of control of things you desperately want a hand in. However, if you are a CEO with no background in sales, it might be best to let those more experienced take the front seat. Delegating tasks respectively ensures you have time to focus on what you need to do while demonstrating to your team you trust them with their roles.

At BLOQQ, we understand the nuances of leadership in a start-up. Schedule a call to discover how we help you fulfill your CEO vision.