As a founder, do you have to be an asshole to be successful? Jason Modemann from Mawave explains why fear culture and ego are more likely to harm startups in the long term.
Why are toxic people often perceived as particularly strong entrepreneurs? Jason Modemann, CEO of the Mawave agency, explains why high standards have nothing to do with a culture of fear, why direct communication is often misunderstood and why successful leadership does not automatically mean being difficult as a person.
Anyone who has been in the startup or corporate bubble for long enough these days will hear the same question over and over again: Do you have to be an asshole in business to be successful?
Sure, the question seems provocative at first. But it doesn’t come by chance. Because the business world – and especially LinkedIn – celebrates characteristics that are rather problematic in normal social life: extreme self-confidence, permanent performance orientation, emotional distance and the ability to convince other people.
Many of the world’s most famous founders are glorified for exactly this. For example, in almost every Steve Jobs documentary there is this one sentence: Employees were afraid of meeting him in the elevator. Nevertheless, the Apple founder is still considered the blueprint of the brilliant entrepreneur.
In my opinion, this view of success is not only morally wrong, but also strategically wrong.
High standards only work if people can work without fear
Many founders believe that maximum pressure automatically leads to maximum performance. In the short term, this may sometimes even be true: employees work longer and more intensively and decisions are made more quickly.
In the long term, constant pressure to perform and standards that are too high also produce fear. And fear is almost never a good breeding ground for creativity, loyalty or good decisions. Quite the opposite: When employees are afraid, communication usually fails. Problems are then addressed late or not at all, risks are downplayed and errors are covered up.
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Of course, high standards are important. But they only work in an environment where people can address problems openly without immediately fearing consequences. That’s why, for example, I set up regular coffee chats for our employees – just so that they know that they can come to me with any topic and have the courage to bring things up with me.
Directness loses its value when it is disrespectful
Direct communication actually has a very simple purpose: it is intended to reduce friction in the long term and make problems solvable more quickly. Managers who communicate directly let their counterparts know where they stand and eliminate misunderstandings.
The problem: Many people confuse direct communication with emotional harshness. As if criticism should automatically be hurtful or as if respect were a sign of weakness. But emotional harshness often makes conversations unnecessarily personal. Then suddenly it’s no longer about the actual issue, but about who prevails in the room, who appears more dominant or who has the last word.
To avoid this, I try to pay particular attention to two things when working together: that my communication is direct, but always solution-oriented and that I really mean well towards the person I’m talking to. And that mistakes can be discussed openly and I also admit my own. Because that’s exactly how trust is created. And in the end, trust is the basis for direct communication to work at all.
In my opinion, it takes much more empathy than strategic ability. Because if you can read people, you communicate better. Those who understand emotions lead teams more stably. Those who can listen often make more precise decisions. And those who don’t engage in constant ego theater usually create environments in which others develop their full potential.
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Maybe that’s exactly the truth behind the myth of the psychopathic entrepreneur: you don’t have to be humanly difficult to become exceptionally successful. Some were just that anyway.
Jason Modemann is the founder and managing director of the social media agency Mawave Marketing. At 27, he manages 150 employees. Mawave’s customers include Red Bull, Nike and Lidl. He is also the author of the book “Always hungry, never greedy.”