Every boss strives to be the best. The best for themselves, for their team, and for their business. But what does it take to be a good leader?
Most experts agree that crucial areas must be considered to deliver a boss everyone wants to work for.
Thoughtfulness, communication, and setting clear expectations rank highly when it comes to your employees.
You must ensure your team has what they need to do the job well.
Challenging and meaningful work exercises staff creativity and inspires them to be more proactive and passionate.
Accessibility and approachability are vital in enabling employees to feel they are being heard.
And allowing staff to grow and improve is necessary, so they feel they have good career development opportunities.
But how easy is it to fulfill this list of criteria?
Marc Elkiner, the co-founder of sharingbox has been through a multitude of growing pains as he took his company from a USD 20,000 start-up to selling it during the height of the pandemic in 2020.
Elkiner believes you have to admit when you are wrong: “I was very harsh on people, and I would get mad very quickly.”
Ultimately, he adds, you need to be open to what your team thinks: “I got a lot of feedback from the team saying that it didn’t help. And so I changed, and now I’m approaching everything with a more relaxed attitude and a lot more analysis. I use a lot more understanding with the team and really come from the point of ‘let’s learn from it if something doesn’t work out.”
Marc has spent many years working with his team to create a multi-million dollar company.
With his business partner Sidney Valenta, the pair started sharingbox in 2013.
Their photo booth installations have assisted other companies in boosting their revenue and reach in the US by literally thinking outside the box.
Marc created the first cloud-based software to enable pictures to be shared in real-time, a completely innovative approach to the platform.
His expertise in the field has helped improve interaction, exposure, and engagement for mega brands, including Hermes, Adidas, and Lacoste.
And Marc’s innovative data-gathering methods mean the companies he works with can track user information to a level that had yet to be seen in the market.
Marc says he emphasizes respect and transparency: “One of the most significant values for me is transparency. I like everything to be very transparent among the team and with the clients.
“We never hide anything from the client. If something is going to be complicated, we let them know we’re working on it and trying to fix it.”
Marc adds: “There should also be respect, even for small things. For example, after a certain hour, you don’t send emails, and where we can, unless, of course, it is an event, we don’t expect people to work weekends. I used to do that. And then I realized how toxic it was.”
Marc has rebuilt his company many times in several countries – he came to the US to start sharingbox in 2016.
He says every time he employs the same set of values so he can impart valuable and actionable knowledge: “Leadership is very important for me, and you have to show the teams that you do the work just like they do.
“You can’t just tell them what to do. You have to jump in to be there to help them.”
Marc, who has been awarded the Les TOF de la COM ‘Young Hopeful’ Award for showcasing superior business entrepreneurial skills, says another aspect is having a strong business partner: “I grew up with Sidney. I adore that I work with my best friend and that we are still good friends.
“I think that’s a huge deal for us that we were able to go through creating the company together.”
“Sidney will always be honest with me. If he thinks I am doing something that isn’t right, he will tell me to stop!
“We are respectful of one another, even if we disagree. At the end of the day, we leave work at work, and it has never affected who we are. That’s important to remember when it comes to everyone on the team.”
Sidney agrees with many of Marc’s values. He is proud their business recognizes every holiday in the US office and is known for its diverse working environment.
He says: “Marc always looks at what is on the inside of a person and their ability. Within the first year of our opening New York office, our workforce had a significant percentage of LGTBQ employees, and we had a booth at Gay Pride in New York.
“Marc believes, as I do, everybody deserves an opportunity. It’s about ability, not a disability, in the workplace.
Sidney adds that Marc is also wholly invested in helping other companies in their field build their own revenues, so they can benefit from his business acumen and skills: “Marc places great importance on helping other individuals and businesses grow.
As a result, Marc and Sidney have been on panels and judged other businesses at the Photo Booth Expo – the largest photo booth Expo of its kind held in Las Vegas every year.
“We have been able to build something wonderful in sharingbox in the US thanks to having great knowledge. We want others to benefit.”
Anthony Coppers, Founder and Head of Innovation of Gradient Experiential, has worked together with Elkiner and his team on many events.
He said: “Marc’s ability to see straight to the heart of problems, show understanding on how to address them quickly, and keep the team motivated and positive are second to none. His ethos is demonstrable of all the absolutely essential qualities someone needs to be a successful and likable manager. And that only comes from a wealth of experience and expertise.”
