⚡ Get All Content for 20% Off ⚡

Leadership and Teamwork Are How You Avoid Getting Uber'd It wasn't long ago everybody wanted to be the Uber of their industry. Not any more.

By Jeff Boss

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

jetcityimage | Getty Images

Uber came out of nowhere in 2009 and completely disrupted the transportation industry. Remember that disruption doesn't mean to make a product better or faster, but to design something that didn't previously exist and create a demand for it. Henry Ford did it when he introduced that four wheel motorized "thing" known as a car that nobody ever thought they would use -- until they did. Netflix disrupted when they came up with video subscription. Nobody ever thought a subscription model for videos would work -- until it did.

Because of the Uber's success, the company has gone from a superlative, where "Uber" has been used in every context ranging from disrupting existing markets ("This is going to Uber-ize the market") to companies being pushed out of their own industry ("They got Uber'd"). There's even a website called Ubersuggest.io geared toward keyword and SEO research.

Except now, the word has become a moniker to avoid like the plague.

The world's most valuable startup has come full circle. Uber is getting Uber'd -- by itself. The $70 billion company is in chaos and struggling to establish stability. Reports are 20 employees have been fired due to sexual harassment allegations, emptying four of its top cabinet positions, and now CEO Travis Kalanick has been forced out by investors.

If that's not chaos, I don't know what is. Don't let your company uberize itself. Here are four leadership lessons learned from Uber's chaos:

1. Report across, not up.

When you report "up"you only inform your boss, but when you report "across" you inform everybody. That's why in today's constantly changing, competitive landscape, knowledge is not power, shared knowledge is power. Shared knowledge enables others to act on what they can affect (influence) and effect (change or control), and allows you to do the same. This is how you optimize your output. From there, you scale it across the organization to hone the competitive edge.

Related: Uber Needs to Recreate its Company Culture. Here's What You Can Learn From Its Mistakes.

2. Your company is an ecosystem.

What happens in one far flung corner of the company impacts all other "corners" and everything in between. Think of your company as an ecosystem with seasons, and seasons represent change; they represent healthy competition between people and departments (keyword being "healthy").

In an ecosystem, if there's only sun and no rain, then nothing can grow. If there's only daylight and no nighttime then rest and recovery become infrequent and haphazard. You need the bad to complement the good, that's how innovation occurs. However, the trick here is balance. Too much of any one "thing" is just that -- too much.

Related: 3 Ways to Create a More Dynamic Business Culture

3. Start with self.

You can't lead others until you know how to lead yourself. I've worked with many leaders who saw the problem as "out there" when, in reality, the challenge was themselves.

How you see the problem usually is the problem. Kalanick eventually realized this, stating "If we are going to work on Uber 2.0, I also need to work on Travis 2.0 to become the leader that this company needs and that you deserve." Unfortunately for Kalanick, it was too little, too late, but there are a number of ways to reframe perspective, such as by playing devil's advocate with yourself to hiring an executive coach to challenge your world views.

Related: Read Travis Kalanick's Full Letter to Staff: I Need to Work on Travis 2.0

4. Optimize your team.

Teams don't form by themselves, and teams are different than groups. The success of a team depends upon the willingness of each member to put forth effort and hold himself, each other and the team accountable.

Strong teams have a clear mission, clear roles and responsibilities, well established behavioral norms and myriad other "soft" characteristics that are anything but soft. They're extremely hard skills and practices to learn and employ but they're what turns ordinary into extraordinary and groups into teams.

Your company's product or service shouldn't have any loopholes if it's to be successful, and neither should how your business conducts business.

Jeff Boss

Leadership Team Coach, Author, Speaker

Jeff Boss is the author of two books, team leadership coach and former 13-year Navy SEAL where his top awards included four Bronze Stars with valor and two Purple Hearts. Visit him online at www.jeff-boss.com

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Side Hustle

The Remote Side Hustle a 43-Year-Old Musician Works on for 1 Hour a Day Earns Nearly $3,000 a Month: 'All From the Comfort of Home'

Sam Ziegler wanted to supplement his income as a professional drummer — then his tech skills and desire to help people came together.

Business News

Costco CFO Reveals Uncertain Fate of $1.50 Hot Dog and Soda Combo

CFO Richard Galanti reveals that the price will stay the same — but only "for a while."

Business News

The Most Unexpectedly Popular Side Hustle of the Decade Has Low Startup Costs and High Markups

A new report shows that vending machines are a popular investment — and the industry is set to grow up to $3 billion by 2031.

Marketing

Ever Wonder Why Certain Websites Rank Higher Than Yours? This SEO Expert Reveals The Secret to Dominating Search Results

It's often the smart use of SEO, now supercharged with AI, particularly in keyword optimization.

Business News

AI Is Impacting Jobs. Here Are the Gigs Affected the Most, According to an Analysis of 5 Million Upwork Postings

The researcher said in the report that freelance jobs were analyzed first because that market will likely see AI's immediate impact.

Leadership

Former Interrogator Shares 5 Behaviors Liars Exhibit and How to Handle Them

Five deceptive behaviors to look for and how to respond to those behaviors when you encounter them.