Glenn Fogel, CEO of Reserving Holdings, jokes concerning the statistic that 80 p.c of males imagine they’re within the high 75 p.c of all athletes. Fogel, who was born in Port Chester, New York, grew up snowboarding and enjoying each soccer and tennis, however he noticed early on that he wasn’t naturally distinctive at any sport. To get higher, he knew he wanted a deliberate plan of motion.
In any aggressive area, self-evaluation is simply as vital as uncooked expertise. Since there may be at all times going to be room for enchancment, so as to take action correctly, it’s important to be clear about your individual strengths and weaknesses. That is the discerning eye Fogel had as a youngster and what he brings now to Reserving Holdings, which is the mother or father firm of well-known journey and eating manufacturers like Reserving.com, KAYAK and OpenTable.
“Simply spending time doing one thing isn’t going to enhance it,” says Fogel on a latest episode of the Company Competitor Podcast. “It’s about deliberate follow the place you’re really getting suggestions and also you’re enhancing in that particular space.”
Fogel, who joined the corporate in 2000 as VP of Company Improvement, labored his means up over 17 years. Right now, he’s the chief of 24,000 workers at one of many world’s largest on-line journey platforms. The CEO was in a position to obtain all this due to classes he realized as a younger athlete. He prides himself on staying disciplined, constant and ready. He additionally appreciates exterior steering—that’s what may help to forge the most effective path ahead.
“You actually need to set that up in the beginning, how we’re going to measure whether or not we’re successful or not,” says Fogel, underscoring the necessity for he and his staff to be on the identical web page. However addressing your wants solely as soon as isn’t going to be sufficient. “You’ll have to maintain having conversations on how we’re doing, what we’re doing and what modifications we have to make,” he notes.
The CEO shared these important insights and extra on the podcast, together with:
• Push your self. As a teen, Fogel suffered a stroke. The extreme well being challenge impacted his life immeasurably. Nevertheless it didn’t outline him. As a substitute, he set lofty objectives and achieved them. “It’s about the place you derive your self-worth from,” he says. “I used to be a wise child after which I wasn’t. I wished to point out that I might be good once more.” 9 years later, Fogel graduated from Harvard Legislation Faculty with honors.
• Set your tradition. When he turned CEO, Fogel requested his staff what tradition they wished to have. They landed on the phrase, “customer-centric.” However good customer support begins first with glad workers. Right now, Reserving Holdings has received awards for worker engagement. “A CEO just isn’t the one taking the game-winning shot,” he explains. “Quite, a CEO’s job is to create the surroundings the place your gamers can thrive.”
• Teamwork results in main wins. No single individual is accountable for victory, Fogel mentioned. As a substitute, it’s at all times concerning the collective group. “You by no means noticed Nick Saban or Coach Ok throw a landing or rating factors throughout their Corridor of Fame careers,” he presents. “On the finish of the day, all people received the sport.”
