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Kurgan: Leaders shouldn't assign tasks they were never willing to do

Stephane Kurgan · Stephane Kurgan: Lessons Scaling King from 100 Employees to 2,400; How to Find Great Talent | E1041 · 20VC with Harry Stebbings · Jul 28, 2023 · at 16:36

Stephane Kurgan, former COO of King and Venture Partner at Index Ventures, addresses the traditional management adage about task assignment and executive roles.

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“Well, I think you shouldn't ask people to do what you haven't been willing to do at some point in your career. I mean, obviously, as things evolve, you know, the highest impact you might have with, for your shareholders and your company and your team might not be, you know, the some of the most mundane tasks. But, you know, if you were never ready to do them at some point in your career, that's probably not something you should be asking.”

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Disclosure
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