909. The Evolution of His Best Self

David Hassell

“Because my mom had a vision of what was possible for a better life, she gave me a clipping from the New York Times when I was in about seventh grade. It was something to the effect of “Even a great idea is only an idea until you make it real.” I took that clipping and put it on the mirror in my bedroom. There was something in that quote that really sparked the idea that I could actually go out and create things.”

David Hassell is a business columnist, speaker and entrepreneur who believes that when leaders institute practices that support each person in becoming their best self, high performance and uncommon loyalty naturally result. He is co-founder and CEO of 15Five, whose team has developed industry leading performance management software that includes weekly check-ins, OKR tracking, one-on-ones, and peer appreciation. David also co-created the science-inspired Best-Self Management methodology that helps leaders address hidden factors that stimulate sustainable growth and development–like intrinsic motivation, strengths and psychological safety. 15Five practices Best-Self Management and uses their 15Five software internally, which they credit with their near zero attrition, rapid growth, and awards like Inc.’s Best Places to Work.

The Most Impactful Turning Point?

“I joke that in my first business I was chasing the money, but there was no passion. In my second business, the kite surfing business, I was chasing the passion, but there was no money. And there wasn’t any element of passion and fulfillment around using my gifts and talents to really make a positive impact in people’s lives. It was an evolution of coming to the realization that I wanted more…that I could bring those things together. And that was the catalyst for the business I am in today.”

The Most Powerful Lessons and Experiences?

1. “I definitely had an entrepreneurial orientation. I remember even in second grade, starting a mock business with one of my best friends and by eighth grade we were producing chocolate in my basement and selling it to the kids at school.”

2. “There was a math teacher in high school who saw something in me, and supported me, and ended up writing a glowing recommendation for college that I think played a strong role in me getting accepted to Tufts and going on to study computer engineering”

3. “I joined an organization called EO, the Entrepreneurs’ Organization, which is a global network of CEOs and founders who have businesses of a certain size. Prior to that, I really did not know much about leading a business. So, I got to learn a lot of the fundamentals about actually running a business, not just being entrepreneurial and having an idea and going to start something.”

4. “The book “Unique Ability” from Strategic Coach® was really, really big for me. It talked about the idea that we all have a certain set of things we are really passionate about and another set of things that we are naturally good at. And when you find that intersection, they call that your unique ability®. That, combined with meeting Simon Sinek and learning about the concept of purpose from him, was a huge turning point for me because I realized that to be fulfilled I would need to be doing something that was innately purposeful for me.”