Laren Perkins: Leading with the Head and the Heart in Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is in Lauren Perkins' DNA. An expert at scale, she started and helmed multiple companies before pivoting to corporate innovation and venture building, helping thousands of startups and corporate innovations succeed. She’s best known as a General Assembly founding instructor, Columbia University entrepreneur in residence, the Managing Director at Microsoft for Startups and the author of The Community Manager's Playbook.

The conversation explores the importance of leading with heart while still being mindful, the qualities of successful founders, and the balance between stability and agility in organizations. Lauren Perkins emphasizes the need for leaders to be authentic to themselves, rather than trying to emulate someone else's leadership style. She also discusses the importance of building cultures that support the health and well-being of employees and improving the failure rates in startups. Lauren's new book, 'Think Like a Brand, Act Like a Startup,' is recommended for entrepreneurs and innovators who want to drive growth, impact, and innovation.

For more on Lauren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenperkinscmo/

Her new book, Think Like a Brand; Act Like a Startup is out now! https://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Brand-Act-Startup/dp/1639090363/ref=asc_df_1639090363/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=692875362841&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11172267022998943586&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9004483&hvtargid=pla-2281435177658&psc=1&mcid=3463ecc9c75b3168b7b14ee18acf519e&hvocijid=11172267022998943586-1639090363-&hvexpln=73&gad_source=1

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Takeaways:
- Entrepreneurship can be influenced by early exposure to entrepreneurship and a supportive environment.
- Customer discovery and market research are crucial for startup success.
- Feedback and open communication are essential for building a strong organizational culture.
- Leading with both the head and the heart can create a more empathetic and supportive work environment. Leading with heart while being mindful creates a better culture in organizations.
- Successful founders are those who understand their own leadership style and are authentic.
- Building cultures that support the health and well-being of employees is crucial for sustainable performance.
- Improving the failure rates in startups requires a focus on resourcing and supporting entrepreneurs.