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Your new boss didnt even offer you a glass of water? my mother had questioned me in disbelief. After how many interviews? You should not take that job. I am telling you not to take that job. I had received a call from a recruiter to interview with one of the biggest beauty brands in the world. This was my chance to catapult my career into a company that didnt often have job openings at my level, but didnt have the best Glassdoor reviews. And I didnt have time to ask too many questions. The recruiter had given me 48 hours notice to come in and do interviews. I had shared with my mother that I did close to a dozen in-person interviews, 30 minutes each, back-to-back. During those interviews, no one ever offered me a glass of water. Not the recruiter who greeted me. Not the other individuals who interviewed me. And no, not my future boss. I remember that at some point I had to use the bathroom. My future boss seemed annoyed that I asked where the ladies room was. I scurried into the bathroom quickly, not wanting to be late for the next interview. This was one of the handful of times in my career that I didnt listen to my mother. The recruiter made me an offer the next day, and I accepted on the spot. I was desperate to work at this big beauty brand with a fancy title that I know so many other candidates were vying for. And my future boss did, indeed, go on to display many characteristics of a bad boss. Other than the water test, as I coined it, thanks to my mom, I have missed a number of other red flags during interview processes. Now I coach individuals who are looking for their next opportunity to watch for these three signs; they may indicate you are about to work for a bad boss: 1. Doesnt seem interested in interviewing you In that specific interview at a beauty company, I remember my future boss walking in late, with no apology, sitting down abruptly and firing off the first question. He was scrolling on this phone as I tried hard to be energetic to get his attention. After I was done with that answer, there was a long awkward pause, and then he stumbled, asked another question, and was staring out the window. For most of the interview, he was slouched away from me, fidgeting with a pen, and barely made eye contact. If your future boss is distracted or disengaged, without any explanation, this could be a telltale sign of what its like to work for them. But also could signal bigger issues brewing at the company. They may be overwhelmed by work and not capable of staying present in the conversation. They may be forced into hiring someone for their team. They may be disgruntled or disinterested in their work. Study their body language, and non verbal cues, as well as what they dont say and what they do say. If they are unhappy, chances are this will impact how they manage you. 2. Makes sarcastic comments about your résumé or the company Is Been-gali really a language? Or did you just make that up to sound impressive? joked a potential future boss. This was in an interview I had a few years after I had worked at that big beauty brand. Why dont you say something? Like Hi . . . my name is . . . In my additional information section on my resume, I listed I was fluent in Bengali. After what I thought was a pretty good interview, this potential future boss doubted if Bengali was even a language. He did it right at the end of the interview as I was about to walk out. I spotted this red flag, so when the recruiter called, I declined to go any further in the interview process. During the interview, watch for comments like these from a potential future boss, either about your résumé or the company youre interviewing for. Making fun of activities in your additional information section:You volunteer at a nonprofit?So are you one of those do-gooders?You have a black belt in karate?Can you show me some of those Mr. Miyagi moves? Dropping sarcastic comments about former companies on your résumé:I cant believe you worked at that competitor.Their products suck.How did you get a job at that place?Arent they bankrupt? Sharing disparaging comments about the current company:I hope they warned you that this place is a real mess.Well, we are hiring for a number of roles right now, tough times here. Watch for even an innocent joke, an offhanded comment or sarcastic remark. It may be a window into their leadership style or dysfunction occurring at the company. Takes Up Most of the Air Time Finally, I once was interviewing at a software company where the future potential boss would ask a question and go on to answer it himself. Lets talk about a time when you failed to lead a project. I remember once when I was After he talked and talked, I was able to squeeze in a quick response until he interrupted me again. He asked another question, and then another, and pretty much took up all the air time in the interview. I barely had time to share about my experiences. If you witness a future potential boss talking incessantly, answering their own questions, or interrupting you in an interview, this could be a sign they have some bad behaviors. If you do end up working for them, be prepared that they might talk more than they listen. They may ignore or dismiss your ideas. They may lecture you instead of coaching and collaborating. They may also be the type of boss who believes its my way or the high way, and makes decisions on their own without the teams input. If you dont see any of the red flags in an interview process, and end up working for a bad boss, dont beat yourself up. Most future bosses should be on their best behavior, trying to court candidates during interviews. Finally, if you are actively looking for a new job, you may see some of these red flags and still choose to accept the job. For many of us, the reality of having bills to pay can outweigh any potential bad boss behavior. Spotting these red flags can help prepare you for what it might be like to work for this future boss, and at this future employer.
Category:
E-Commerce
Executives are no longer measured by the weight of their title but by the scale of what they create, especially in an era reshaped by AI. The most effective leaders now marry vision with execution, using technology as a co-pilot to accelerate outcomes while keeping human judgment at the center. Strategy isnt declared anymore; its built in real time, constantly iterating and leveraging AI to turn ideas into outcomes faster than ever. The builder CEO is a visionary who architects systems, coaches teams, and removes obstacles through hands-on involvement. Heres how executives with a builder leadership style are involved with the day-to-day work and unite teams around a shared mission. FROM VISION-SETTER TO VELOCITY ARCHITECT The builder mindset thrives where growth, technology, and disruption collide. Customers demand speed, relevance, and trust simultaneously. Meeting those demands requires leaders who are adaptive, accountable, and relentlessly driven by outcomes. Builders shorten decision loops by being present where the work happens: sprint reviews, demos, and product trade-offs. Their involvement clarifies priorities, reduces friction, and ensures strategy is lived at every level, not left on a slide deck. Stability still matters, but speed is the differentiator. Builders create systems that allow rapid testing without recklessness: guardrails, rollback plans, and clear accountabilities. They collapse silos by taking ownership of the P&L, customer outcomes, and cross-functional metrics. Marketing, product, operations, and sales work as one team because builders demand it. Builders flatten hierarchies and empower autonomy, but with accountability. Teams know exactly which calls they can make, which require escalation, and how success is measured. When a feature underperforms, the team doesnt wait for a quarterly review. They assess metrics, test hypotheses, and implement fixes in days, not weeks. This rhythm of experimentation and fast learning ensures companies adapt in real time to customers and markets. The builder is always asking, What can we test now? and What can we improve today? BUILDERS IN AN AI-FIRST WORLD The builder archetype matters most in an AI-driven commerce environment. AI is the co-pilot bringing precision and scale, while human oversight preserves trust. Executives who design for measurement, keep human judgment where it counts, and integrate AI thoughtfully create enduring advantage. The best builders set a single customer outcome as the north star, participate directly in product reviews, require every experiment to have guardrails, and assign clear ownership for cross-functional work. They standardize where possible but keep space for human judgment where it drives value. AI, in their hands, is not a replacement but an amplifier, removing repetitive work so teams can focus on judgment, creativity, and engagement. This balance accelerates both growth and employee buy-in. THE HUMAN CORE OF BUILDING Builders arent flawless. Over-involvement can slip into micromanagement, while too much autonomy without boundaries breeds chaos. The remedy is clarity: metrics, cadence, and transparent ownership. Most importantly, builders lead with humanity. They celebrate wins, fail fast, and then mine failures for lessons, and ensure every team member understands the impact of their work. They know speed without trust is brittle, and systems without people are hollow. The modern C-suite is no longer judged by how many strategies it produces but by the outcomes it builds and the speed with which it learns. In an era defined by complexity and constant change, the builder mindset is the defining quality of leadership. The leaders who shape the next decade will be those with builder DNA. Elizabeth Buchanan is chief commercial officer of Rokt.
Category:
E-Commerce
IT development has been around for more than 60 years and it has undergone radical transformations from the emergence of the first programming languages and OS development to the internet boom and the current AI era. Although programming tools and approaches are constantly changing, one thing remains constant: Only those developers who can adapt and master new knowledge and skills survive. Im the chief software officer of a 70-strong team that designs a predictive maintenance system (PdM): A solution based on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and AI. Without continuous growth, our developers cannot remain competitive. The same is true in nearly every industry; when individuals stop working on their skills, a company can lose its edge. Heres a look at how we have created a system where professional development is an integral part of the work and how we help developers avoid and overcome stagnation. MUST EVERYONE GROW? Every team has specialists who prefer routine work, and to some extent teams need those people who do well in a position that does not require growth. But for a project to develop steadily, I believe such experts should not exceed 20% of the team. If their share is higher, other developers will eventually start to emulate their passive colleagues. Optimally, the majorityabout 80%should be actively developing and improving their expertise. Not everyone in the 80% needs to generate new ideas. The driver-to-performer ratio depends on the company’s development stage. A start-up needs 80% drivers because theyre the ones who forge ahead. Conversely, in mature companies, sustainable quality leads require constant hard-skill honing rather than a fountain of ideas. DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SMALL ACTIONS Encouraging developers to advance their skills can start small. For example, one underrated tool is having a person write tests to check their code, which is mandatory for everyone on our team, including senior specialists. Many teams use code reviews more often than writing tests. But when a developer writes a test, they may find that their method or function is too cumbersome, with many exceptions and dependencies, and its almost impossible to test it entirely. As a result, they begin redesigning their code and look for solutions to improve its logic. They study additional materials, such as technical blogs and best-practice guides, and consult with colleagues to deepen their expertise. However, tests have limitations. Once a person learns patterns, writes tests quickly and confidently, growth stops and routine begins. This tempts developers to automate their work. CASE-BY-CASE APPROACH There are many reasons why professionals pause in their development. They may be satisfied with their position/skills, bored, or facing challenging external circumstances. For example, most of our developers are Ukrainian, and our work has been affected by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which has been a great stress to everyone. Team members have responded differentlyapproximately 30% lost their motivation to do anything, and another 30% have taken a deep dive into their development. One strong junior immersed himself so deeply in his studies that in just six months, he mastered senior level theory. The rest simply adapted and returned to their usual pace. After 10+ years in tech management, I realized that everyone has different motivations for advancing their skills. Your task is not to pressure them but to understand what is holding them back and what incentivizes them. Some practices that Ive found helpful when developers stagnate are: Provide new context. Offer the developer an opportunity to work on another project or change domains. A new environment presents new challenges, requires adaptation, and learning. Present challenges. Give the developer a task that requires creative thinking and independent research. Dont provide an answer. This will let them take initiative and responsibility for the result. Encourage learning. If a person seeks development opportunities provide them with resources. For example, compensate for conference or workshop participation. Adjust expectations. Sometimes a person is satisfied with their expertise. In this case, its important to agree: If the developer doesnt want growth, they dont seek promotion. Each specialist must have their own development plan. We draw it up twice a year, based on in-depth assessment. We set goals that meet the company’s expectations and the developer’s interests. THE COMPANY’S SYSTEMATIC APPROACH In my experience, developers often stop focusing on advancing their skills when they are overloaded. After intense work, they no longer have the energy to learn. Learning by working is our main principle. We believe developers can improve their skills through hands-on experience, so we integrate this approach into employee development plans. Daily: Giving them a short technical digest and work with code through tests and reviews. Two-week sprints: Each sprint includes two to three days when a developer can try a new approach, technology, etc. Once a month: Internal clubs sessions in each department lasting one hour to 90 minutes where they can share experiences, run practical workshops, and exchange best practices. Once every three to six months: Three-hour sessions with external speakers, advanced training. FINAL THOUGHTS Im convinced that development begins with dialogue. You should understand what motivates a person. I also believe that there are no wrong decisionsonly different points of view. Developers shouldnt be afraid to disagree because critical thinking and constructive discussion always help team growth. Illia Smoliienko is the chief software officer for Waites.
Category:
E-Commerce
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