Interview with Krista Morgan

What does it mean to be a great leader?

I think there is an opportunity to have lots of leaders. In my organization we give everyone an opportunity to lead. It’s really about the way you treat people — showing respect for them. 

I don’t like the notion of "great leaders." I feel that people take leadership in many ways and all of them are equally important. 

Leadership is not about the title, it’s about waking up in the morning and doing what you’re great at and loving what you do. 

Do you feel you're a leader? Why or why not?

Yes, I think you have to believe you’re a leader when you’re CEO of a company. I try to lead by example and motivate people by sharing a vision. I believe leaders make leadership open and enable lots of people to share in that leadership. 

I’m also focused on creating a great culture for my company and that requires me to think in terms of community rather than about myself. 

Tell a story of a time you took the lead -- what was your motivation?

I didn’t start out as CEO of P2Binvestor. My father was our CEO for the first couple of years. Early on I took ownership and leadership for critical parts of the organization such as culture. In the early days I started writing a morning newsletter to our team and that has become a central part of how we operate. 

I was being a leader without officially being the CEO, so when it was time to transition everyone knew it was the right move. I was already the leader of the company even though I didn’t have the title. That’s something I’m very proud of. Because of that, It was a very peaceful transition that didn’t disrupt the organization. 

Follow Krista Morgan on LinkedIn

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