Sally Henderson with Rob Pierre on growing Jellyfish from six people to 2,200 and what removing every line manager taught him about how high performance teams work

But before we start, can you just help us understand your personal definition of high stakes? How would you describe what high stakes are in a very human, simple way?

Okay.

So high stakes are, I would say having a dream, so a mission And a dream, and actually not putting any constraints to that dream, and then putting together the right people, the right methodology, the right technology, creating real initiatives with distributed accountability to achieve what actually seems, in some cases, either impossible or unrealistic.

Now, a lot of people talk to you about your goals, and if you're gonna have SMART objectives, which are specific, measurable, agreed-

Right

... and that word realistic.

Yes.

So-

High five

...

I think that we just need to stretch our paradigm on what we think is realistic or what's possible.

And sometimes I think what high stakes, um, means to me is putting in, showing up, having the output.

You will always be measured, and you will always be looking at the outcomes, but it's actually showing up, and dedication, and perseverance, and it can happen very organically.

All the, all, all the, the metaphors, you know, eating an elephant mouth.

Yeah, one bite at a time.

One bite at a time, and all of those things, which sounds terrible when you say it.

But-

[laughs]

... um, it's, it's one of those things that I, I'm happy having that dream and that mission and that goal, but you've gotta make sure that there is actually a process and a methodology, and that you put the right amount of time and patience into achieving that goal.

But, um, it's people driven as well, I think.

There's, there's so many components to that question, and I-

I know

... put it in a human way, is that, um, you can't do it all alone, and bringing together the right people, distributing accountabilities based on people's superpowers, understanding that what makes somebody great and the traits that make them great often cast an even bigger shadow.

Very true.

And most people concentrate on the shadow.

But before we start, can you just help us understand your personal definition of high stakes? How would you describe what high stakes are in a very human, simple way?

Okay.

So high stakes are, I would say having a dream, so a mission And a dream, and actually not putting any constraints to that dream, and then putting together the right people, the right methodology, the right technology, creating real initiatives with distributed accountability to achieve what actually seems, in some cases, either impossible or unrealistic.

Now, a lot of people talk to you about your goals, and if you're gonna have SMART objectives, which are specific, measurable, agreed-

Right

... and that word realistic.

Yes.

So-

High five

...

I think that we just need to stretch our paradigm on what we think is realistic or what's possible.

And sometimes I think what high stakes, um, means to me is putting in, showing up, having the output.

You will always be measured, and you will always be looking at the outcomes, but it's actually showing up, and dedication, and perseverance, and it can happen very organically.

All the, all, all the, the metaphors, you know, eating an elephant mouth.

Yeah, one bite at a time.

One bite at a time, and all of those things, which sounds terrible when you say it.

But-

[laughs]

... um, it's, it's one of those things that I, I'm happy having that dream and that mission and that goal, but you've gotta make sure that there is actually a process and a methodology, and that you put the right amount of time and patience into achieving that goal.

But, um, it's people driven as well, I think.

There's, there's so many components to that question, and I-

I know

... put it in a human way, is that, um, you can't do it all alone, and bringing together the right people, distributing accountabilities based on people's superpowers, understanding that what makes somebody great and the traits that make them great often cast an even bigger shadow.

Very true.

And most people concentrate on the shadow.