Inc. sat down with Cindy Hess, Fenwick’s startup and venture capital co-chair, to discuss qualities successful companies share, standout leaders, and common legal issues.
“It all starts with leadership,” Hess said when asked to discuss the one trait that all top companies. “Every successful company I've worked with has a great leader at the helm.”
“Great leaders ultimately inspire their teams to work hard and get everyone focused on a singular vision, which is an incredibly difficult thing to do,” Hess continued.
Hess also pointed out key legal issues companies need to be aware of, including correctly classifying employees.
“The nature of the workforce is totally changing - especially with the rise of a lot of on-demand companies. I think companies really need to take the 'exempt vs non-exempt' employee issue very seriously,” she said. “New overtime rules take effect December 1st... Knowing those rules, and correctly classifying employees is pretty critical right now.”
The full interview is available through the Inc. website.