6 Mark Zuckerberg Leadership Style Traits

In 2010, Time Magazine named Mark Zuckerberg as one of the wealthiest and influential personalities in the world. The whiz behind Facebook rose from an ordinary college kid to a name the whole world came to know. He founded a company from scratch and turned it into a billion-dollar business. He started Facebook in 2004 with only 7 people, and turned it into a global company employing 12,691 people as of December 2015. Another interesting fact is that when he created his Google+ account after unveiling his social network, he became the most followed Google+ person in 2011, beating Google’s founder, Larry Page, himself.

How did he manage to do all those things? How did he become a people magnet like that? What separates him from other corporate leaders?

1. He Is Full of Ideas.

Zuckerberg is not the type of person who would just rest and then do nothing after doing something big. His mind oozes with ideas, and he is not afraid to experiment. In an interview, he shared that during his college days, he would spend several hours programming every night. Half of the things he did, he did not even release. He would just show them to a bunch of his friends and then move on to another project.

2. He Does Not Do Things for Cash.

People say that if you love what you do, success and money will follow. The Facebook whiz just showed us that this can be true. “I just like making it and knowing that it works and having it be wildly successful is cool, I guess, but I mean, I dunno, that’s not the goal,” he said in an interview.

3. He Is a Hard Worker.

When Zuckerberg starts a programming project, the rest of the world is forgotten, even his own needs. He works as hard as everybody else in his company. He does not eat, sleep or talk to friends until he gets things done.

4. He Is an Encouraging and Aggressive Leader.

Mark Zuckerberg is described by his friends as someone who demands constant innovation and growth. He loves to debate and challenges. He is always pushing the envelope, and he expects people to deliver more than what is required of them. Even inside his boardroom, he is firm and stubborn. He understands how much his idea is worth and would fight for it even if it means going against the decision or opinion of his board members.

5. He Does Not Try to Micromanage Everything.

He tends to be extra assertive, and he is aware of it. This is why that although he always challenges and debates ideas with his team, he knows when to yield, and is open to suggestions from his subordinates. He gives his employees the opportunity to suggest improvements for Facebook. He tries his best not to control everything.

6. He Builds Relationships.

According to statistics, Facebook is the best company to work for in the U.S. – way better than Google. Cool perks and impressive salaries aside, it reportedly has a great corporate culture. Employees are given autonomy in their space and the leaders in the company make it a priority to connect with their employees. Zuckerberg himself tries his best to build the right relationships with his subordinates. People are able to see him practically every day. He has even chosen to work inside a clear glass-walled office where his employees can see him working. Even with his busy schedule, he is always accessible. He encourages interaction among everyone in the company by positioning himself at his employees’ levels instead of far above them.