Interview with Anne Perlman, CEO, MOAI Technologies, February 2, 2000
W = Wharton     AP = Anne Perlman

W: What are three ways that leadership in e-businesses differs from leadership in traditional bricks and      mortar businesses?

AP: Leadership qualities really do not differ between these two types of businesses yet the pace in an e-business may be much faster. Qualities that determine a true leader in any business are:

• The ability to articulate the company vision, and act upon it.  

• The ability to motivate and inspire the staff.

• The ability to represent the company to a variety of stakeholders (employees and their friends and families, customers, vendors, investors) and outsiders such as press and analyts in an accurate and motivating way.

• The ability to balance all of the corporate issues such as increasing the customer base and providing sufficient staffing to support that base, as well as balancing revenue goals with our need to continually invest in our corporate infrastructure.

W:  How do you lead in a fast growth environment?

AP: With fearless optimism.  I believe the company can achieve the mission.  We are continually pushed by the competition but never them catch us and I am never be satisfied with what we do and always seek continual improvement.

W:  What are the necessary qualities of a successful leader in the Internet economy?

AP:  A leader must be absolutely consumed by the business, a good listener, ask a lot of questions, be able to motivate people and balance all aspects of the business without losing sight of the company’s competitive edge and a leader must be very passionate about customers.

W:   In the past leadership has been defined in the context of classic business environments. Going forward what criterion would you use to measure leadership success? (External measurement of success.)

AP:  Criteria to consider are whether the company is building a strong, sustainable business model that is meeting needs of our customers and providing a needed solution that meets the industry’s needs.

W:  As a leader, what are your top three priorities in order of importance and why? (i.e. Raising money? Hiring? Improving the product?)

AP: Our main priority is growing a successful, sustainable business.  This requires:1) Attracting and retaining talented employees.  2)  Creating and re-creating, as necessary, a viable business model. 3) Ensuring we deliver a solution that meets the market’s needs.

W:  What tools do you find necessary or useful when seeking to motivate individuals to follow (“catch”) your vision?

AP:  I hire people who are smarter than me.  I motivate them with tough goals and lots of praise when we attain them.  I leave them to achieve them except when they need help and I keep the team focused in the direction of the vision.  It’s also critically important to be a good listener and make decisions quickly. 

W:  What kind of culture exists at your company?  How did you establish this “tone” and why did you institute this particular type of culture?

AP:  We have a culture of empowerment.  Internet companies must move very quickly to anticipate and respond to the market’s needs and requirements.  Empowering our employees to respond quickly and move forward on important issue makes us most successful.