As we\u2019ve all adjusted to the \u201cnew normal\u201d of work over the last few years, one thing has become abundantly clear \u2014 good leadership makes all the difference. Here at Cheesecake Labs, we\u2019ve always been passionate about leadership development, but the challenges of remote work have made that mission even more critical.<\/p>\n
So how do we cook up the best Cheesecake leaders? Here\u2019s our secret recipe for success. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n So glad you asked! All of our \u201cCakers\u201d live by the Cheesecake Labs <\/span>values<\/span><\/a>: <\/span><\/p>\n And we believe that the best way to live up to these values is through personal and professional development. That\u2019s why we have several leadership development initiatives to give each Caker the support they need and help each leader become the best leaders they can be. <\/span><\/p>\n Leadership starts with hiring. <\/b>We look for naturally curious, self-aware people when we\u2019re hiring new Cakers (something we\u2019ve done <\/span>a lot <\/span><\/i>of in the last few years as we\u2019ve grown to 100 Cakers!). <\/span>We believe that self-awareness is key to becoming a good leader.<\/b> After all, you need to be able to manage and lead yourself before you can confidently lead others. <\/span><\/p>\n And we find this self-awareness also helps create a cohesive team. Before the pandemic, we were a tight-knit team working together in an office. But we\u2019ve had to adapt to remote working just like the rest of the world. <\/span>And now, Cheesecake Labs is a remote-first company, letting everyone live their best work-from-anywhere life. <\/b>Transitioning our team to fully remote working wasn\u2019t easy, but we\u2019re proud to say that we\u2019ve managed to not only survive but thrive out of the office. <\/span>And that\u2019s large because of our agile culture that highlights transparency and accountability. <\/b><\/p>\n Leaders at Cheesecake Labs focus on building bonds between team members and creating a welcoming, safe work environment. <\/span>As Guilherme Rodrigues learned<\/span><\/a> in our leadership acceleration program, \u201c<\/span>Mistakes aren\u2019t mistakes, they\u2019re lessons. And with the emphasis on \u2018learning by doing\u2019 I get to take all the advice I\u2019m hearing and put it into practice immediately.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n That\u2019s a motto we live by \u2014 mistakes aren\u2019t failures. They\u2019re valuable learning opportunities. And creating an environment where people feel safe to make mistakes is essential to everyone\u2019s success. <\/span><\/p>\n But just because some team members have titles like \u201cTech Lead\u201d doesn\u2019t mean that they\u2019re the only leaders in the company. <\/span>Every Caker is a leader in their own way.<\/b> And our culture of feedback and communication is essential for fostering and maintaining a company where everyone has a say. Sure, senior leaders give feedback to more junior Cakers, but the batter flows both ways! <\/span>Anyone can give feedback to anyone at Cheesecake Labs. <\/b><\/p>\n And each month, we do an Employee Net Promoter Score where we check in with each Caker to see how they\u2019re feeling in their job, any concerns they have, and any feedback they\u2019d like to offer up. We\u2019re not just looking to create \u201cbosses\u201d. Instead, at Cheesecake Labs, we want to develop humanity leaders. Our leaders <\/span>listen<\/span><\/i> to the people they work with, not just for the sake of the business but for everyone\u2019s happiness and wellbeing. <\/span><\/p>\n While you can go to the store and buy a cheesecake, no sweat, sometimes it\u2019s better to put in the extra effort and make one from scratch. The same can be said for leadership development. <\/span>Every leader in our program doesn\u2019t just learn how to assign tasks and projects \u2014 they do them as well. <\/b><\/p>\n We truly believe that this is the best way to create confident and compassionate leaders. Leadership isn\u2019t just about managing people from a distance. It\u2019s about empathizing with your team \u2014 knowing how it felt when you were in their shoes, knowing what help and support you would need, and offering up that support to them. <\/span><\/p>\n As we\u2019ve learned through remote working, leaders are essential. Because we don\u2019t all see each other in the office anymore, our leaders must act as the main point of contact between their teams and the company and between team members. Each Cheesecake leader serves as a central hub, connecting everyone they work with to the company strategy, culture, and values. <\/span><\/p>\n And this connection makes it possible for Cakers to keep up with the break-neck speed of the projects we take on.<\/b> Everything we do moves <\/span>fast, <\/span><\/i>and it\u2019s up to our team leaders to make sure nobody gets left behind. Leaders listen to and support their teams whenever needed and have regular meetings and check-ins to ensure everyone is on the same page. <\/span><\/p>\n Everything we do at Cheesecake Labs is a push and pull process. And training leaders is no exception. As much as we can teach people about leadership development, management skills, and conflict resolution techniques (all of which are part of our leadership training programs), it\u2019s also imperative that leaders in training get feedback from the people they\u2019re leading. And that\u2019s where our flat structure really shines. <\/span>Since every Caker is used to giving feedback to everyone, teams must feel comfortable giving feedback about the performance and management of their leaders. <\/b><\/p>\n And as a lean organization, one of our most important goals is to always remain resilient. Change <\/span>will<\/span><\/i> come. We\u2019ve all seen it happen before our eyes. So being able to adapt to change, to bend and shift things as needed, is critical for success. <\/span><\/p>\n That\u2019s where this push and pull process truly shines. If something isn\u2019t working, we can take the time to discuss it and either come up with a solution or rework our processes to better address the problem. <\/span><\/p>\n Cheesecake Labs has gone through a massive transformation from a small startup to a bustling company, and our commitment to staying agile and nimble has helped us along each step of the journey. That’s why a leadership development program is essential.<\/span><\/p>\n So let\u2019s boil all this down \u2014 how do you go from a <\/span>babybel mini cheese<\/span><\/a> (or a <\/span>Cupcaker<\/span><\/a>, as we call our trainees) to a big cheese at Cheesecake Labs? Here\u2019s how we do it:<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re interested in learning more about what it\u2019s like to be a Caker, be sure to read our blog post <\/span>What\u2019s it like to work at a top 10 mobile app company<\/span><\/a>. And if you think you have what it takes to be a big cheese, take a look at our <\/span>current openings<\/span><\/a>! We can\u2019t wait to hear from you!<\/span><\/p>\nWhy focus on leadership development?<\/b><\/h2>\n
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What does leadership look like at Cheesecake Labs?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Every voice is heard<\/b><\/h3>\n
Autonomy is key<\/b><\/h3>\n
Strategy, culture, and connection<\/b><\/h3>\n
Keeping the wheel of cheese rolling along<\/b><\/h2>\n
How to be a big cheese<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Become a Caker and join the Cheesecake Labs team!<\/b><\/h2>\n