MG204 2025 - Lecture 9 - Key Takeaways by Paroma Bhattacharya

240012652

2025-07-24 10:17:33 UTC

I realized how organizational culture can deeply influence individual behavior and decision-making, even more than formal structures. The example about how subtle norms shape employee actions really stood out.

240012652

2025-07-24 10:18:18 UTC

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xingyuy4 — 2025-07-24 10:25:25 UTC

I was surprised to learn how informal networks often drive more effective communication than official hierarchies within organizations. This shifted my understanding of how real influence flows in the workplace.

240019589

2025-07-24 10:31:32 UTC

What struck me most was the adaptive power of informal networks during crises. When our systems crashed last semester, our student group bypassed official channels to reorganize via WhatsApp—mirroring how employees in the case study used grassroots communication to pivot faster than top-down directives allowed

240015919

2025-07-24 11:22:00 UTC

Informal networks can be more adaptive and influential than formal hierarchies, especially during crises.

240023115

2025-07-24 11:35:13 UTC

Sometimes it is important to let out a team member who doesn’t fit the organisation culturally - even though he has good expertise. Difficult decisions are needed to keep the organisation healthy.

240014573

2025-07-24 11:38:13 UTC

A key takeaway for me was how the relative importance of vertical leadership and shared leadership depends on what life stage an organisation is at. For instance, in the pre-formation stage, vertical leadership may be particularly important, but then after team formation shared leadership likely becomes more important.

240003574

2025-07-24 11:48:29 UTC

My biggest takeaways were the struggles of starting a company. A founder mentioned how hard it is to fire people at first, and that’s something I wouldn’t have thought of. Additionally, I found the customer-first approach interesting. Customers are a huge means of capital and it is apparent when a company values them.

240003605

2025-07-24 11:49:03 UTC

What I was surprised to learn was that it’s better to let go of an employee that doesn’t fit into the company in terms of culture and value. Even if they are extremely technologically skilled it will be better in the long run and for the overall work culture.

240013141

2025-07-24 11:51:21 UTC

My biggest take away was the importance of letting someone go should they not fit company culture. Being able to have a cohesive company culture is extremely important, especially in a companies infancy.

240020095

2025-07-24 11:51:59 UTC

My biggest take away from this class was to not try to keep people that doesn’t fit the organisation and expect them to change because the longer you hold them the worse it is. Although firing people is a difficult decision to make but it does get easier.

Also there is no exact answer as to whether shared leadership or vertical leadership is better in a start up company. The style should change as the company evolve.

240011578

2025-07-24 11:53:01 UTC

A big takeaway for me was the difference between vertical leadership and shared leadership. I had not heard of these terms before, so I enjoyed getting to learn about how vertical leadership is person-focused and emphasized the role of an individual leaders, while shared leadership is process-focused and emphasizes leadership as a team. Both of these leadership types can be effective, it just depends on the company and what stage it is in.

202399777

2025-07-24 11:53:52 UTC

Informal networks often enable a lot more effective communication compared to formal hierarchies. Did not know that before but the moment you think about it it makes sense.

240014467

2025-07-24 11:54:36 UTC

My biggest takeaway is how leaders can influence a company’s culture and norms. Lancelot shared a clear example demonstrating how one employee was able to influence the opinions and work ethic of others. He stated that when someone is negatively influencing a company’s culture, it is better to let them go early.

240003696

2025-07-24 12:01:08 UTC

The part that I found most interesting from this lecture was when we were discussing about vertical and shared leadership. Where vertical leadership focuses on transforming a leader’s mindset and worldview, instead of just adding new skills. And how shared leadership is a team-based approach where leadership responsibilities and influence are distributed among multiple members, rather than being concentrated in a single formally appointed leader. This takes me back to when I was still in school and we were in this co-curricular activity where we had a team of leaders. We all shared the responsibilities of planning, carrying out the activities as well as handling the members. So in a way, we had shared leadership.

240012138

2025-07-24 12:02:14 UTC

A key moment from today’s lectures was when Lance from the panel was discussing how hard it is to fire someone but knowing that you have to fire them due to what they are doing to your company. I can relate to struggling to be able to cut people out of my life, but I’ve learned that I need to especially when they are causing bad things to happen.

240012689

2025-07-24 12:02:47 UTC

Apart from implementing recruitment practises to hire diverse people who could address the both promotion and prevention, it is also important for businesses to give employees who are responsible for the "prevention focused" the "power" to veto certain decisions. There are instances where businesses may overrule the prevention focused concerns for the sake of profits. Moreover, it is also important to create an environment of high psychological safety and prevent employees from getting into relationship conflict

240013359

2025-07-24 12:03:05 UTC

My key takeaway was to embrace failure as a chance to improve because it can be a powerful teacher. Great teams embrace mistakes as learning moments to grow and adapt for the future.

240013050

2025-07-24 12:03:15 UTC

I loved learning about how different founders approach new challenges.

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cahelton — 2025-07-24 12:03:23 UTC

I really appreciated the time of the panel. I was able to take away a lot of information that I can now apply to my car detailing business.

240011101

2025-07-24 12:03:29 UTC

I loved hearing form the panelists! It was so nice to hear how they have solved problems that we have been learning about. It was also really cool to talk to them and work on solving their problems!

240011100

2025-07-24 12:03:30 UTC

Don’t use an either/or approach. Instead be more flexible with an and/both approach. It allows for more adaptability and care as a leader. Leading to more paradoxical leadership.

240018656

2025-07-24 12:03:34 UTC

A key takeaway I had from today’s lecture was in the panel where we were able to see and learn about practical experiences of start ups.

240008477

2025-07-24 12:03:39 UTC

A key takeaway from the lecture is that being a leader in an organization requires a lot of organizational effort and letting go of employees is very hard and stressful the first time as Lancelot pointed out.

240016700

2025-07-24 12:03:51 UTC

From entrepreneurs sharing, a star up company needs to give more trusts to employees they hire which is different to what I thought before like using transnational leadership style.

202440754

2025-07-24 12:04:02 UTC

You should not be afraid of firing people as in the long run it could help your business and you as a leader. Sometimes great relationships are maintained with the people you fired despite everything.

240011110

2025-07-24 12:04:05 UTC

I enjoyed hearing about the cases for each founder and creating a solution for them. The takeaway is that each problem needs a custom tailored solution.

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2025-07-24 12:04:07 UTC

How different startups are and unique problems they face

240007989

2025-07-24 12:04:09 UTC

Being a founder means rolling with the punches and constantly adapting. As your business grows, you will encounter challenges you couldn’t have imagined at the start.

240019480

2025-07-24 12:04:09 UTC

I enjoyed the entrepreneurship panel - the lessons about building slow and sustainably, starting out small on social media and finding customers first was particularly insightful.

Also the comment on offering equity vs salary too - customers as funding

240017448

2025-07-24 12:04:10 UTC

My key takeaway from today’s class was learning the details and thought process of what goes on behind the scenes of a new startup. And that you can do anything even if you are young

240016872

2025-07-24 12:04:22 UTC

We should focus on hiring people who have diversity to have a mix of all the cultures and not of stagnation in the organisation

240014548

2025-07-24 12:04:25 UTC

I found today to be very interesting about how important diversity and culture is within different companies. I liked to learn about the importance of different aspects when it comes to start ups.

240005535

2025-07-24 12:04:26 UTC

One major insight I gained is how significantly leaders can shape an organization’s culture and values. A single person’s behavior and mindset can influence the broader team, which is why addressing negative influences early is crucial to maintaining a healthy work environment.

240004644

2025-07-24 12:04:32 UTC

There was always this question lingering regarding the practical side of how a start up works. especially on the question mentioned in class on when is it the right time to get someone into the company and work together. And the answers that the speaker shared were really realistic on how and which moment they decided to have new hire for their company and i thought that it is true that certain things cannot be plan and only can be managed and tackled along the way.

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mchowdhury10_2 — 2025-07-24 12:04:35 UTC

Today’s lecture emphasised the importance of Both/And leadership balancing paradoxes like vertical and shared leadership, promotion and prevention focus, and learning from both success and failure. Building innovative, purpose drives teams requires inclusive leadership, continuous learning, and a culture that embraces risk and growth together.

240008132

2025-07-24 12:04:36 UTC

My key takeaway today is from the panel discussion. I had to respond to Lancelot’s challenge and I got to learn that your should really think before you hire someone. The same goes for firing people. I would be the type to not want to fire someone or wait to be but I should not. It would be better for me and the company.

240016886

2025-07-24 12:04:47 UTC

My biggest takeaway came from Lancelot when he talked about how important cultural fit is in an organization. He said it was better to let someone go before they can infect the culture with a bad attitude or work ethic. This is very important in producing a positive, motivated organization because everyone must be on the same page. This is why recruiting for culture fit is quite an important thing to do.

240004741

2025-07-24 12:04:49 UTC

My biggest takeaway from today’s lecture is that informal networks in a company often make communication easier and more effective

240008802

2025-07-24 12:04:53 UTC

True innovation thrives when purpose leads the way. Great leaders build cultures of curiosity, empower teams to experiment, and stay rooted in values — creating organisations that don’t just grow, but matter.

240014497

2025-07-24 12:04:55 UTC

One key takeaway from today’s lecture is about the importance of diversity and inclusion in teams and organizations but also situationally when working with various teams to tackle different problems. I also learned from talking about the entrepreneurial challenge that Lance presented us with as my group was able to talk about a real company’s challenge and come up with an innovative idea.

240001392

2025-07-24 12:04:58 UTC

It was really interesting to meet the panel and hear different start up owners share their journey and have a qna about the same.

240020976

2025-07-24 12:04:58 UTC

My key takeaways was from the chat with the founders where one of them quoted Steve jobs talking about that you don’t hire someone to manage them to hire smart and quality people that are able to collaborate with themselves to give them autonomy for motivation

240004402

2025-07-24 12:04:59 UTC

The panel with the professionals has undoubtedly been one of the most impactful activities of these lectures.

I am saying this truly, who concretely work can give a feedback that matches reality and that’s why you can really have an idea of how things we study reflect to the real world. Really enjoyed!

240015145

2025-07-24 12:05:01 UTC

Todays lecture has been so interesting and having the opportunity to come face to face with someone that went through and entrepreneurial process is inspiring. The journey is definitely not easy, but the outcomes may be gratifying.

240001888

2025-07-24 12:05:04 UTC

I really loved the lecture panel. I was able to to learn about startups in a way that I’ve never before. The problems and solutions to scaling, who to bring on and how, and how per se le come up with ideas.

240022601

2025-07-24 12:05:07 UTC

The key takeaway was that it is important to implement continuous learning as well as not micromanaging every single step of employees. It is vital to let them emerge and lead they own small teams to enhance diversity, creativity and healthy team building.

240013140

2025-07-24 12:05:14 UTC

It was amazing to have founders share their experience, we learned a lot about innovation and specially common problems in startups. For parachute16 it would be interesting to implement an event where Saudi startups present themselves to the UK investors this way they would understand how good they are and hopefully invest in them

240018366

2025-07-24 12:05:18 UTC

This lecture with three actual entrepreneurs was super useful as I can see how different types of leadership can vary in the real world, from a more cv-focused recruitment perspective to a more practical one, depending also on the geographical location of those cultures, and what could have been their actual consequences.

240004403

2025-07-24 12:05:18 UTC

A takeaway I took from the speech of the three founders is that your path will not be linear and you have to combine different things and aspects of your life but you will do it. It gave me motivation and energy to try.

I also like how different backgrounds can combine and add different value

240022229

2025-07-24 12:05:30 UTC

The most important thing I learned was how leaders shape a company's culture. Lancelot's example showed how one person can affect the attitudes and work habits of others. He emphasized that it's best to remove those who damage the company's culture quickly.

A key point for me was the impact leaders have on company culture. Lancelot provided a good illustration of how an employee can sway others' opinions and work ethic. He argued that dealing with negative cultural influences early on is crucial. I took away from this that leaders are vital in setting company culture. Lancelot's story highlighted how a single employee can impact others' views and work habits. He made the case that it's better to address negative influences swiftly.

240014948

2025-07-24 12:05:37 UTC

The presentation of managers and how they created startups with real life struggles also with employees and how they managed them and find always alternative solutions

240020710

2025-07-24 12:05:43 UTC

A key takeaway from this lecture is how leaders in companies, whether startups or true organisations have to be conscious of the culture in which they are operating. It is an important factor aswell when deciding to expand into a new market.

240020935

2025-07-24 12:05:54 UTC

Today's session revealed key startup insights: success hinges on flexible hiring timing, founder-driven culture, and adaptability in uncertainty. The most valuable lesson was balancing bold vision with pragmatic execution - starting small to validate ideas before scaling. Age proves irrelevant when combining passion with strategic thinking. This reshaped my understanding of sustainable entrepreneurship.

240013620

2025-07-24 12:06:01 UTC

I really enjoyed hearing from the panelists and hearing the stories, especially about scaling the e-bike repair into mainland Europe. As someone who does not know these markets well, it is interesting to hear how the greener transport methods work.

240015175

2025-07-24 12:06:36 UTC

My takeaway from today’s lecture is that informal networks and powerful communication often drive more impact than formal structures.

240014499

2025-07-24 12:06:42 UTC

In today's lecture, I learned that good leaders balance sharing leadership with taking charge, depending on what the team needs.

240012447

2025-07-24 12:07:09 UTC

I feel that for me, something i’m coming away from this lecture with is a more cemented and concretized vision for how the experience of leading a startup could play out. Having a southern african background, my learning is very oriented around learning from what’s worked in Western industrial practice and applying it to the southern african business realm. For this reason I’ve appreciated the different leadership models that are specified for startups and innovative teams.

240011277

2025-07-24 12:07:43 UTC

In today’s class I was able to better understand and process what leadership styles I am good at versus what I need to work on. I typically have a vertical leadership style however the lateral or collaborative one is often much more effective once moving past the first stages of starting a venture. The panelists were also inspiring in sharing how they have moved past their challenges in their own startups. I enjoyed the activity where we were able to help solve an issue for them.

240019742

2025-07-24 12:09:55 UTC

In today’s class, what struck me most was the idea that the first people you bring into a startup aren’t just employees — they shape the soul of your venture.

We spoke about “Both/And” thinking — how early-stage leaders must hire for skill and shared purpose. It reminded me that leadership isn’t about choosing the best resume, but sensing who will walk beside you when things get hard.

We also discussed creative ways to find the right people — not just through interviews, but through real conversations, shared trials, and understanding their why.

It made me reflect on the kind of team I’d want to build — one that’s brave, kind, and believes in something bigger than a job.

240017519

2025-07-24 12:10:32 UTC

What I learned in this lecture is that founders should emphasized that leadership directly shapes company culture – influential individuals can sway team attitudes, requiring swift action on negative influences. Critical success factors include flexible hiring, balancing bold vision with pragmatic execution (start small, validate), adaptability in uncertainty, and fostering continuous learning without micromanagement. Founders highlighted cultural awareness for expansion and diverse teams' value in driving innovation. Personal takeaways included age irrelevance with passion/strategy, the nonlinear startup journey requiring life integration, and hiring smart collaborators for autonomy. Discussions on scaling challenges in areas like e-bike repair provided unique market insights. Steve Jobs' hiring philosophy (hiring smart people to collaborate, not manage) was noted.

240015763

2025-07-24 12:11:08 UTC

I loved learning about how each company has developed into what they are today. I am very interested in entrepreneurship so understanding the process that they took to grow was inspirational.

240004264

2025-07-24 12:11:48 UTC

I enjoyed listening to the difficulty of hiring practices with new founders and was inspired by the fact that the founder was running a business while in school half way around the world.

240016201

2025-07-24 12:12:16 UTC

I realize the importance of aligning employees with company culture, even if they are highly skilled, and the varying roles of leadership styles at different organizational stages.
Founders often struggle with firing employees, and a customer-first approach is crucial for success.
Tough decisions are necessary to maintain organizational health.

240017253

2025-07-24 12:12:22 UTC

I found it very interesting to hear about the situations that startup founders are placed in, once again re-stating the importance of taking on challenges with perseverance. I also enjoyed listening to each of the cases, and to have a mix of cultures within organisations.

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eamorley1 — 2025-07-24 12:17:49 UTC

I enjoyed learning/talking about ways to improve inclusion, not just diversity. Like the short film we watched yesterday, just having people of different backgrounds in the group does not achieve our goal of a well rounded community. There is more work to do when it comes to listening and accommodating everyone.

240011874

2025-07-24 12:26:06 UTC

My takeway was that sometimes for the good of the company you need fire people.

240017163

2025-07-24 12:26:37 UTC

Today’s session highlighted how informal networks and strong communication can drive real impact. I found the stories about scaling startups, like the e-bike repair business, especially insightful. Key lessons included the importance of understanding company culture, staying adaptable, and starting small to test ideas. It showed how passion and strategy matter more than age or structure in building sustainable ventures.

240004270

2025-07-24 12:38:03 UTC

Shared leadership often predicts venture performance - shouldn’t be just one leader driving the entire ship

240020039

2025-07-24 12:40:04 UTC

Entrepreneurs were so goodd

240019134

2025-07-24 12:40:59 UTC

Was great meeting the panel and hearing startup founders talk about their journeys and answer questions, it was a cool mix of stories and insights. Something different to the usual style of lecture which made it interesting.

240014887

2025-07-24 12:59:36 UTC

Todays session was about how informal networks and communication can drive the real impact

It was great listening to the panel and meeting them

It was amazing mix of insights and stories which was otherwise a different way to see things as they are. It was an amazing insightful session

240023437

2025-07-24 13:12:03 UTC

What stood out to me was the power of informal networks, especially during crises. They often enable faster and more effective communication than formal structures. This made me reflect on how real influence in organizations flows through culture, norms, and relationships not just hierarchy.

240010339

2025-07-24 17:01:29 UTC

It was so great to hear from the panelists because it is extremely informative to hear how they have implemented multiple problem solving skills using their own real world examples. So cool to hear how different challenges were approached in different ways

240002126

2025-07-24 18:54:37 UTC

My biggest takeaway from listening to the panelists during lecture was definitely how there are so many approaches of how to apply the concepts from class, each of them did something different in their businesses and yet they are all successful.

240013926

2025-07-25 01:55:00 UTC

3 real entrepreneurs gave me practical insight into how leadership can look very different depending on the context. It became clear that approaches vary not just in how people are recruited or valued (whether through credentials or experience), but also in how cultural and regional backgrounds shape what leadership means in different parts of the world.

240013846

2025-07-29 13:52:54 UTC

My biggest Takeaway is that there are so many different ways that concepts can be used, and it proves that there is a success through infinite amounts of work and application

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akshithadulam2122 — 2025-07-30 14:14:40 UTC

A key takeaway from today’s session was the importance of balancing vertical and shared leadership to suit the evolving needs of innovative organizations. I appreciated the insight that leadership is not just positional but also process-driven. This reinforced the value of fostering collective ownership, especially in dynamic and purpose-driven teams.