Wolfe: Childless CEOs over 50 tend to be overly controlling operators
Josh Wolfe · #50 Josh Wolfe: Inventing the Future · Jan 22, 2019 · at 12:32
Josh Wolfe, co-founder of Lux Capital, discusses founder red flags and argues that parenting instills humility necessary for effective business management.
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“I have a really politically incorrect one, which is older CEOs that by choice, not biologically, because there's a big difference, never had children. I find that for whatever reason, they tend to be very controlling. Now, my sample size here is like five of five in, you know, CEOs, CFOs, people who were at a variety of our companies, That were over 50, never chose to have children, and I find that you maybe never experience the humility, you know, maybe never experience the fact that, you know, I mean, you've got kids, you grow up with them, you see them, they could be like little terrorists, right? You can't control them. They act irrationally. Well, sometimes your suppliers, or your vendors, or your employers, or your investors, or your board act the same way, and there's something that is very humbling about having children that I find that the best operators Tend to be able to manage their employees better when they've managed their kids well.”
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