Mike Andes argues that CEOs and founders who stop using the foundational skills that got them there—motivation, discipline, hard work, the ability to inspire and sell—lose their edge. New skills should add on, not replace what made them successful in the first place.
The best CEOs and founders in even the Fortune 500 and large companies retain the ability to inspire people. They're very motivated, they work very hard. They are able to sell. They can get on stage and sell like crazy. And so the thought that, oh, like I am, I no longer need to be motivated and work hard because I'm a good salesperson and I build a bigger business, and so I don't need to be disciplined and show up on time. Like, you cannot shed the skin that made you successful. You will have to grow. You will have to gain more skills. You have to be additive in the skills that you are acquiring, but it does not mean that you can put away the skills that you have had in the past.
