Keeping Your Ego in Check

What happens when you disagree with the person you've appointed to lead your company? That's the situation John Vechey, co-founder of PopCap Games, found himself in several years ago when he hired Dennis Ryan to be his boss.

"It was my job to execute [Ryan's] new strategy, but I didn't listen," he said. "I figured that I knew everything."

Though it took some growing pains, Vechey eventually conceded to Ryan's strategy. This past summer, the company was sold to Electronic Arts for nearly a billion dollars. 

The anecdote taught Vechey a valuable lesson about running a business:

"If you do a great job hiring, you have to do a great job listening."