When I became a CEO for the first time, there were several things I wish I had known. These are the hard lessons learned that I discovered along the way, as I took on the role.

1. 10 MISTAKES
I MADE AS A
FIRST TIME
CEO
Mark Rickmeier
Chief Executive Officer, Table XI
www.TableXI.com
www.Walkshop.io
RESEARCH / STRATEGY / DESIGN / SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

2. But First.
I wanted to give credit to the person who inspired me
to create this presentation.
Miriam Isaac created the "8 Mistakes I made as a
first-time UX Manager" presentation which was really
well done. Thank you for the inspiration.
RESEARCH / STRATEGY / DESIGN / SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
For more UX tips and insights, you can
follow her on Instagram @misaac85 or
on LinkedIn (Miriam Isaac)

3. You made the move
from management to
CEO. But...
Mark Rickmeier
Chief Executive Officer, Table XI
www.TableXI.com
www.Walkshop.io
People look at you differently now.
They used to ask “What are next quarter’s numbers?”
and now they ask “Where will be in 10 years?”
They used to ask “What are we doing this month”.
Now, “Why are we doing it? What’s our purpose?”
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4. Hard lessons learned the
hard way.
Mark Rickmeier
Chief Executive Officer, Table XI
www.TableXI.com
www.Walkshop.io
I’m new at this. And I make mistakes.
These are the 10 things I wish I had known before I
accepted the role… and if I’m honest… that I am still
learning to this day.
If you are taking on a similar role - what do you with you
had heard early on?
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5. 1.
Busy is the new stupid.
Mark Rickmeier
Chief Executive Officer, Table XI
www.TableXI.com
www.Walkshop.io
As an individual contributor on a team, or even as a
team lead, I associated being busy with creating a lot of
value. In this role however, being chronically busy
generally means I am not focusing on the bigger
picture at all. Being busy isn’t a virtue - it’s a weakness.
You have to give yourself time, space, and permission to
think - away from emails, meetings, twitter, and slack.
RESEARCH / STRATEGY / DESIGN / SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

6. 2.
Put your own oxygen
mask on first.
Mark Rickmeier
Chief Executive Officer, Table XI
www.TableXI.com
www.Walkshop.io
In the pre-take off safety video, we are always told to
put on the oxygen mask first before helping others. But
rarely do most new leaders do this. We prioritize sales,
the business, and others over our own health.
You need to take care of yourself in order to take care of
others around you.
RESEARCH / STRATEGY / DESIGN / SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

7. 3.
Your culture is evolving,
even if you invest or not.
Mark Rickmeier
Chief Executive Officer, Table XI
www.TableXI.com
www.Walkshop.io
A company culture is always evolving. Whether you are
investing in it or not - the company is changing around
you. You should always be intentional about it -
cultivating the culture that will bring out the best in
your team tomorrow. Or it will surely move away from
you.
RESEARCH / STRATEGY / DESIGN / SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

8. 4.
Celebrate failure if you
want innovation.
Mark Rickmeier
Chief Executive Officer, Table XI
www.TableXI.com
www.Walkshop.io
RESEARCH / STRATEGY / DESIGN / SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT
You can’t (nor should) but the catalyst for all innovation.
But you can foster an innovative culture that
experiments and takes risks. Talk about failure- openly.
As CEO, the mistakes you make will be bigger than
anyone else’s. If you can learn and grow from those
failures - so can the team.

9. 5.
Explain the problem -
not the solution.
Mark Rickmeier
Chief Executive Officer, Table XI
www.TableXI.com
www.Walkshop.io
It is tempting as the new CEO to always lay out your
solution and vision. But you aren’t an oracle and all
answers should not come from you. Instead, ask the
right questions, define the right problems to solve, and
let the team create the solutions to drive the business
forward. Engage them with the problem - don’t
demotivate them with only implementing your ideas.
RESEARCH / STRATEGY / DESIGN / SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

10. 6.
Being vulnerable may
be more important than
being right.
Mark Rickmeier
Chief Executive Officer, Table XI
www.TableXI.com
www.Walkshop.io
When people have concerns, it is tough to say “I don’t
know yet”. Being honest about a problem and asking
for help to find the solution can be better than privately
working on the solution and waiting to communicate
the fully thought through idea.
RESEARCH / STRATEGY / DESIGN / SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

11. 7.
Delegation is a skill that
must be practiced.
Mark Rickmeier
Chief Executive Officer, Table XI
www.TableXI.com
www.Walkshop.io
Just like public speaking, delegation is a skill that must
be coached, practiced, and learned. Back to mistake #1
- it is vital to give yourself time to think. And the only
way to do that is to delegate effectively. It is harder than
you think to delegate the right things and follow up
well (without micromanaging). Ask for feedback often.
RESEARCH / STRATEGY / DESIGN / SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

12. 8.
Don’t be the first to
speak.
Mark Rickmeier
Chief Executive Officer, Table XI
www.TableXI.com
www.Walkshop.io
When a tough question is raised, or a difficult subject
comes up, don’t take the bait to speak first. Let the
team weigh in and encourage input around you. Don’t
take the oxygen out of the room by always speaking
first. Write down your ideas, and if no one else has that
thought, you can always chime in later. Better still - try
to go a week with only asking the right questions.
RESEARCH / STRATEGY / DESIGN / SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

13. 9.
Don’t get lonely.
Mark Rickmeier
Chief Executive Officer, Table XI
www.TableXI.com
www.Walkshop.io
It is hard when you no longer have others in the same
role, with the same pressures and responsibilities as
you. As CEO, there are things you just can’t say to your
employees or to your clients. You need peers, you need
support, and often need space away from the office.
Find a group with like minded folks you can learn from
and give yourself space to learn and discuss topics
openly.
RESEARCH / STRATEGY / DESIGN / SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

14. 10.
Growth does not equal
Great.
Mark Rickmeier
Chief Executive Officer, Table XI
www.TableXI.com
www.Walkshop.io
Americans have an odd understanding of success. We
tend to measure everything quantitatively and equate
success with financial figures and income. Ask yourself
what success really looks like and what contentment
feels like when you get it right. Strive to be truly
successful - which may have nothing to do with top line
growth or income.
RESEARCH / STRATEGY / DESIGN / SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT