Unexpected Leadership
Navigating the Challenges and Growth as an Accidental CEO
I never wanted to be a CEO of Curacubby. It wasn't a role I sought out. But here I am, leading a company through a challenging turnaround.
The past few months have been the hardest of my career. They've also been the most rewarding.
Stepping into this position has forced me to grow in unexpected ways. I've had to learn how to disconnect my emotions from every decision - not just some, but every single one. It's a delicate balance of caring deeply while maintaining enough detachment to make tough calls.
As I told a colleague recently: "I have to care a lot, and I can't care at all. Those are two polar opposite mindsets that I have to have."
It's a strange position to be in - taking on a founder-like role for a company I didn't actually found. We're changing everything about the business. My job is to reimagine and rebuild, not just manage what already exists.
The challenges are constant:
Leading by example in a fully remote environment where my efforts aren't always visible
Navigating the dynamics of a mostly contractor-based workforce
Balancing short-term pressures with long-term vision
Struggling to maintain any semblance of work-life balance
There's no playbook for this that I’ve found and I’ve asked around for help plenty. I'm figuring it out day by day, just like everyone else on the team.
What keeps me going is a relentless focus on learning and growth. I spend at least 30 minutes every day studying something new - right now I'm diving deep into AI and how we can leverage it. I'm not afraid to bring in coaches and advisors who are smarter than me in key areas.
My philosophy is simple: if the company is going to grow rapidly, I have to grow even faster. The same goes for everyone on the team. In a fast-moving environment like ours, the individual has to keep learning just to keep up.
I've learned that relationships are everything in a role like this. Having a network of people who will give honest feedback, point out your blind spots, and support you through the ups and downs is crucial.
At the end of the day, what you put in is what you get out. That's true for me as CEO, and it's true for every member of our team. We're building something special here, with a lot of autonomy and flexibility. But it's up to each individual to seize the opportunity to learn and grow.
This journey isn't what I expected. It's harder, messier, and more complex than I ever imagined. But I'm embracing the challenge, learning every day, and doing my best to lead us forward.
That's all any of us can do.