How Rebecca Minkoff And Other Top Performers Motivate Their Teams

Share the power and you’ll multiply your team’s productivity, say these top executives.

Empower Employees To Be The Boss

“I view each person who works with me as an entrepreneur. We want to encourage people [to think of themselves as] owners of their area. It’s easier to recognize standout talent when you allow them to showcase how they ideate, or what they’d do.” —Rebecca Minkoff, cofounder, Rebecca Minkoff

Manage Together

“Develop a strategy with a team, rather than for a team. They’ll [be more willing to] push the boundaries if they are the ones who helped set the boundaries inthe first place.” —Ashley McCollum, general manager, BuzzFeed’s Tasty

Share In Everyone’s Agony

“I make their problems my problems. This notion that we’re in it together gets people motivated. They don’t have to solve problems by themselves.” —Osman Khan, cofounder and CEO, Paddle8

Find inspiration In Your Business’s Impact

“Remember your customer. There is nothing like the enthusiasm of a 2-year-old driving a [play] bus to remind you why that budget needs to be completed.” —Regina Asborno, deputy director, New York Transit Museum

A version of this article appeared in the February 2017 issue of Fast Company magazine.