Meta exec shares what she's learned from Mark Zuckerberg after working with him for nearly 20 years

• One of Meta's longest-tenured execs shared insights from nan 19 years she's worked pinch Mark Zuckerberg.
• Head of merchandise Naomi Gleit talked astir lessons from his activity connected "Lenny's Podcast."
• She said 1 of her biggest takeaways is focusing connected what you tin control.

A Meta exec precocious reflected connected immoderate of nan lessons she's learned from astir 2 decades moving pinch institution cofounder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

Naomi Gleit was worker No. 29 astatine nan institution erstwhile it was still called Facebook; today, she is Meta's caput of merchandise and its second-longest-serving employee aft Zuckerberg himself. She talked astir her acquisition moving pinch Zuckerberg for complete 19 years during an episode of "Lenny's Podcast" released Sunday.

"I ever opportunity Mark is simply a learn-it-all, not a know-it-all. He is nan fastest personification astatine upskilling of anyone I've ever met," she said. Gleit cited arsenic 1 illustration when Zuckerberg took up learning Mandarin and became 8th-grade fluent successful a twelvemonth arsenic 1 of his yearly individual challenges.

Gleit besides recalled Zuckerberg's "four steps to really to attack life" from a clip astir a decade agone erstwhile they taught an after-school people astir really to build a business successful an East Palo Alto mediate school.

She recalled a instruction they taught successful that class, pinch Mark penning connected a chalkboard:

1) Love yourself.

2) Only past tin you genuinely service others.

3) Focus connected what you tin control.

4) For those things, ne'er springiness up.

"In that you tin spot immoderate of what I deliberation we each spot successful Mark, for example, for those things ne'er springiness up, he has that facet of him and it makes sense," Gleit said. "For me, number 3 is really nan hardest, which is 'Focus connected what you tin control' because I deliberation I astir apt deliberation I tin power much things than I really can."

Gleit besides talked astir Meta's civilization astir feedback.

"One point I deliberation Mark has done really good successful wide is conscionable person a culture, including connected his activity team, of group who springiness him feedback," she said.

"I deliberation a batch of times arsenic you get much successful aliases arsenic you person much fame aliases if you person much wealth, you suffer having an meticulous feedback loop and group whitethorn not want to beryllium 100% honorable pinch you for various reasons," she added. "And Mark has tried to guarantee that he himself has an meticulous feedback loop, aliases we arsenic a institution person much of an meticulous feedback loop, by surrounding himself and our activity squad and creating a civilization of giving nonstop and honorable feedback."

Another Meta exec, CTO Andrew "Boz" Bosworth, antecedently talked astir Zuckerberg's attack to feedback. Bosworth said that Zuckerberg will "most often show you that you're wrong" earlier asking group what they deliberation of nan thought successful an effort to "pressure test" it. Oftentimes, he will yet instrumentality nan suggested changes, Bosworth said.

Zuckerberg has besides been known to beryllium nonstop successful his feedback for nan company, saying during a municipality hallway successful 2022 that, "realistically, location are astir apt a bunch of group astatine nan institution who shouldn't beryllium here," Reuters reported astatine nan time. A twelvemonth later, during Zuckerberg's "year of efficiency," Meta gave thousands of labor subpar capacity reviews, The Wall Street Journal reported. Layoffs followed arsenic nan company's organizational building sewage flatter.

Zuck celebrated his institution turning 20 years aged successful February and much precocious reflected connected his 2 decades astatine nan helm of nan tech giant.

"One of nan things that I look backmost connected and regret is I deliberation we accepted different people's position of immoderate of nan things that they were asserting that we were doing wrong, aliases were responsible for, that I don't really deliberation we were," he said past month.

He has besides talked astir changing his nationalist image complete nan years.

"Being awkward and getting antagonistic feedback connected really I came crossed decidedly made maine much observant and scripted," Zuckerberg said successful July. "Still not my champion thing, but getting a spot much comfortable conscionable being maine arsenic I get older."