At 28, Kellman was running products for a company he co-founded when he was called in for a meeting because the board wasn't happy with his performance:
Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin, was almost fired by Plumtree Software, a company he co-founded.(LinkedIn)
"Every firing happens differently except in this one respect: the person being fired can't believe how fast it happens ... the chairman explained why I was being fired. I listened to him like I had never listened to anyone in my life. In 45 seconds, he did what almost no one paid to be your manager usually has the guts to do: he explained what was wrong with me as plainly as if I were a dented car.
"At the end of it, I said I wouldn't leave. I promised to change. I cried. 'Glenn,' the chairman said, looking away. 'Please.' Then he said, 'We're going to give you one more chance.' He never said why.
"I went back to work. I changed. All the things I imagined my successor doing, I did. The company went public. The CEO and I became good friends. I was able to look on my eight years there as a success, not a failure."
"Since then, I've never stopped feeling lucky. It’s important for a CEO to feel lucky ... Feeling lucky also fills you with love. Most CEOs walk around the office like we own the place, without realizing that the place itself isn't worth owning: a business's value comes from the people who walk out the door every night, who have to decide each morning whether to walk back in. One of the simplest things you can do as a leader is honor their choice, and appreciate their work."
Source: LinkedIn
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