How Discomfort and Stress Create High Performance, with 15five CEO David Hassell

Brand Builder

If you're a business leader, employee happiness should never be your goal.

Sound strange? That's according to today’s Brand Builder guest, David Hassell.

David is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of 15five, software that makes continuous employee feedback simple, and helps drive high-performing cultures.

We talked to David about a wide range of subjects, but what we found most interesting was his belief that the goal of his product is not to make employees happy, but to help them become their best selves, and ultimately to create an environment where they can perform at their highest level.

15five's product and philosophy has been a huge hit with enterprises of all sizes, and they recently closed a $30.7M series B round.

We think you'll find David's point of view highly valuable - especially since we know a lot of you are working with remote employees and need an efficient feedback loop, or just want to empower your team to direct their own personal and professional growth.

Takeaways

• David tells us how he discovered the concept of 15five, and why he decided to create a company around the practice.
• David stresses the importance of having a purpose in one’s work, and tells us why he struggled with starting the right company before landing on the idea for 15five.
• David explains why he thinks the term “Human Resources” should be phased out immediately.
• David breaks down the difference between eustress and distress, and explains why discomfort actually breeds innovation.
• David clarifies that the goal of your organization shouldn’t be happiness, but high performance, and explains why.
• David tells us the most important trait he looks for when interviewing potential employees, and gives us his strategies to help find people willing to experience personal breakthroughs.
• David explains why he thinks money is a threshold, and tells us what motivates people once that threshold is achieved.

Links

• 15five.com
• @15five on Twitter
• @dhassell on Twitter
• David on LinkedIn
• David’s Best Self Podcast
• 15five's core values
• Zoom video conferencing.

Recommended Reading

• Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey
• The Alliance by Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha, and Chris Yeh
• Mindset by Carol Dweck
• Start With Why by Simon Sinek
• Simon Sinek’s TED Talk
• Unique Ability by Catherine Nomura
• Drive by Daniel Pink
• Give and Take by Adam Grant
• "The Person They'll Become" by Jason Fried

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Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.