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Creating My Operating Manual

Most CEOs spend years trying to get their teams to “get them.” I got tired of that game. So I wrote my own Operating Manual.

I didn’t overthink it. I just uploaded every personality test I’ve ever taken into ChatGPT, added my quirks (a nonverbal learning disorder, a fast-paced NYC edge, and the frameworks I use for trust), and let it spit back something my team could actually use.

Turns out, being explicit about how I work isn’t just helpful—it’s liberating. It removes the guesswork. It gets people aligned faster. And for someone like me—whose wiring isn’t always what people expect—it’s been a game changer.

Snapshot

I’m a high-velocity, vision-driven entrepreneur who moves fast, thinks strategically, and values clarity.

I lead with conviction, work best with autonomy, and bring energy to anything that builds, disrupts, or scales.

I’m most effective when surrounded by people who execute with excellence and communicate without fluff.

I’m also an Eager Belonger, which means I seek belonging through many different pathways, including being on teams and working closely with colleagues I build a relationship with.

I have Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NVLD), which means I process the world through language and logic more than tone, long prose, or vague visual cues.

Core Traits

– Vision-focused and outcome-oriented
– Decisive and fast-paced
– Comfortable with risk and ambiguity
– Direct and persuasive communicator
– Delegator and detailer
– Emotionally perceptive but logic-led
– Challenging of bureaucracy and groupthink
– Language-focused processor (NVLD)
– I believe nothing is impossible

What Energizes Me

– Bold, strategic thinking sessions where solutions are identified
– White space to build something from scratch
– Rapid experimentation and iteration
– Working with confident, competent people
– Autonomy with clear ownership
– Seeing momentum and measurable impact
– Seeing others get shit done and work fast
– Feeling deeply connected to a mission or team

What Drains Me

– Bureaucracy, red tape, or slow decision-making
– Repetitive tasks and rigid processes
– Passive-aggressiveness or ambiguity
– Being micromanaged or slowed down
– Over-explaining or excessive context-setting
– Social disconnection or performative culture
– Visual ambiguity or unclear expectations (NVLD)

How to Work Best With Me

DO:
– Be clear, concise, and direct
– Own your role and outcomes
– Flag issues early, with solutions
– Push back unemotionally if you disagree
– Show momentum and learning

DON’T:
– Wait for permission or over-explain
– Rely on meetings to get work done
– Default to group consensus
– Dwell in problems without motion
– Manage up with flattery or vagueness
– Assume tone or nonverbal cues will land (spell things out)

How I Build and Maintain Trust

For me, trust is everything. I define it through three lenses:
– Competency – Show you know your craft and keep sharpening it.
– Reliability – Do what you say you’ll do, consistently.
– Sincerity – Speak the truth, even when it’s hard. Mean what you say.

When all three are present, we move fast, we go deep, and we win together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why should a CEO bother writing an Operating Manual?

Because your quirks, blind spots, and decision-making style already drive your team’s daily reality. Putting it in writing saves them months (or years) of trial and error.

Think less résumé, more cheat sheet: how you make decisions, what energizes or drains you, how to push back on you, what you value in a team, and how you behave under stress.

Not if you do it right. The point isn’t to glorify yourself—it’s to remove friction for the people who work with you. Done well, it’s a tool for clarity, trust, and faster execution.

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