Stephen LynchJohn Donahoe, CEO of eBay was interviewed in the New York Times recently. Here is a summary:

The most important lesson:
You can't change people. Make sure you get them into a role where they can do what they're good at.

Management style:
Be more direct in communication. Don't sugarcoat bad news. I give people open, objective feedback in a constructive way. Whether they want to get better is their choice. I can't make them do that. I waste a lot less time than I used to, trying to make someone do something.

Questions to ask job candidates:
When have you failed and what did you learn from it? When I talk to your former boss, what will they say about you? Where do you need to learn, grow, develop?"

How to know what people in the company are thinking:
I talk to people at different levels and ask, "What are the 3 things I should know about what's going on in the company that you think I might not be aware of?" And, "If you were me, what would you do differently from what we're doing?" The people I contact like it, but their bosses don't. Any time a person leaves, I'll also reach out and ask them the same questions.

Mistakes and failure:
The best hitters in baseball strike out 6 times out of 10. The key is to get up in that batter's box and take a swing. All you have to do is hit one single, a couple of doubles, and an occasional home run out of every 10 times at bat, and you're going to be the best hitter or the best business leader around. You can't play in the major leagues without having a lot of failures.

Time management:
I try to do e-mail either first thing in the morning or in the evening, because I find if I check e-mail during the day, I go from being proactive about what I want to get accomplished, to being reactive, and that's a trap.

 
Stephen Lynch   
Chief Operating Officer
RESULTS.com