'Fight bullsh*t and bureaucracy': OpenAI's Sam Altman shares leadership lessons
Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, has shared valuable insights on effective business strategies and team dynamics in a blog post titled "What I wish someone had told me." This self-reflection comes on the heels of all the drama that occurred at OpenAI last month. In November, OpenAI's board unceremoniously ousted Altman from the CEO position. However, after lots of back and forth, Altman was reinstated as CEO and the board got a whole new makeover.
Don't let organizational structures hamper productivity
As per Altman, when you come across nonsense or unnecessary rules, challenge them, and encourage others to do the same. "Fight bullshit and bureaucracy every time you see it and get other people to fight it too," he writes in his blog post. He also advises to not let the structure of the organization "get in the way of people working productively together."
Getting started and getting things done
In another piece of wisdom, if you are kicking off anything big, you need "optimism, obsession, self-belief, raw horsepower and personal connections." But when it comes to getting things finished, Altman suggests, having "cohesive teams, the right combination of calmness and urgency, and unreasonable commitment (toward your work)." Altman highlights the scarcity of long-term focus in businesses and advises against short-term concerns about others' opinions, suggesting that this worry diminishes with time.
Recruitment, iteration, and understanding business dynamics
Another key point Altman emphasizes is spending more time on recruitment and taking risks on individuals with high potential. He highlights the critical role of fast iteration, suggesting that quick corrections can compensate for initial errors. "Plans should be measured in decades, execution should be measured in weeks," he notes. Altman also warns against fighting the fundamental laws of business, comparing them to the laws of physics, and notes the unpredictable qualities that emerge as a business scales.
On inaction, resilience, and more
Altman says that inspiration doesn't stick around forever, and time flies by quicker than we realize. Divulging on it further, he says, "Inaction is a particularly insidious type of risk." Altman talks about being resilient, saying, "Get back up and keep going." One of the greatest things life has to offer, according to Altman, is getting the opportunity to work with "great people." For him, it's all about the results. What you achieve matters most, not just following a process.
It's been a 'crazy year' for Altman
In a different post on social media platform X, Altman expressed that "it's been a crazy year" for him. He said, "I'm grateful that we put a tool out in the world that people really love and get so much benefit from." He further mentioned, "I am glad that 2023 was the year the world started taking AI seriously."
