Cameron HeroldFounder of the COO Alliance & Invest In Your Leaders Training

Why Leaders Must Stop Focusing on Relationships | David Lee

24 Apr 2026 · 1 min

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In this segment, David Lee, COO of Webtoon, argues that leaders who make relationships the primary outcome risk instability because interpersonal dynamics naturally fluctuate. He emphasizes that effective leadership should instead be anchored in the company’s core mission—enabling storytellers worldwide—and in a leader’s unique ability to advance that mission. By continuously affirming his alignment with the mission, Lee finds a steadier compass for making tough decisions and navigating daily challenges.

Chapters

Framing relationships as the outcome is really dangerous when you are the COO because there are ups and downs with every relationship. And so to me, it's, it's less about how great am I feeling about how I'm interacting with a single person or group of people at the company. It's much more about do I still believe that the reason why I joined— in my case, I joined Webtoon to be part of an enormous mission that enables storytellers globally. Are we on that path? Can I uniquely help us on on that path? And if the answer remains yes, it helps me take a breath and get past the day-to-day limits that we all face when we're making tough decisions at work.