Welcome back to our blog series “Grown, not Born” where we share insights from remarkable leaders and top-tier managers. Vidal Meric is COO of IVY.com and former COO of Kano Computing. A Columbia graduate, and trained team & executive coach, Vidal works holistically with CEOs and their businesses to double their customer, prospect, and employee experience.

Sarah: Hello Vidal, thank you for taking the time to meet with me. Can you tell me a little bit about your career?

Vidal: Sure. I’m the COO of IVY; we help organizations become twice as good in delivering value for their customers, prospects, and employees leveraging our own methodology and through actionable insights we’ve curated from interviewing 200 top business thinkers every year. 

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I’m passionate about making an impact in any organization working toward a challenging audacious goal—whether it’s a business, a nonprofit, or any other group of humans with common purpose. I believe learning together is the ultimate path to succeeding together. It’s much easier to learn in a group than on your own, so we try to create that environment, whether it’s with individuals, their families, or peers, through our content and methodology.

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Before IVY, I was the COO of Kano Computing, a leading EdTech hardware and software business. I’ve had a varied career, but what’s been consistent is my passion for deep learning, connection, and helping people reach their potential.

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I believe learning together is the ultimate path to succeeding together.

Sarah: Can you tell me about your first month as a manager?

Vidal: It was tough. The first person I managed quit three months in, just before her probation period ended. I took it really hard. I’m an introvert, and suddenly I had someone sitting next to me whose time I was responsible for. I was junior at the time and found the whole thing uncomfortable. I’d been a lone wolf, used to doing everything myself, so I didn’t know how to delegate. I could teach, but trusting someone else was a big challenge.

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Then, the second person I hired quit after six months. That hit me even harder because I started to wonder if I was just a bad manager. But by the third hire, things clicked. We worked together for four years, and I’m really proud of the impact we made together. We’re still good friends, and it was great to see her grow and eventually move on to an even cooler job.

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Honestly, though, I still find management one of the most challenging aspects of my own performance. I can handle high-stakes, high-pressure situations—like talking to investors about multimillion-dollar deals—much more easily than giving tough feedback to someone I manage. It’s just more stressful for me.

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Sarah: What was one of the first mistakes or failures you had as a manager?

Vidal: One of the big ones was not engaging enough. I avoided interacting with my team because it felt like a distraction from the work I needed to do. But that was a massive mistake. Those people were there to help me, and by keeping my distance, I wasn’t helping myself or them. It became a vicious cycle: I felt guilty for not being more involved, so I avoided the situation even more. It was a failure to delegate and trust, and I learned that the hard way.

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It was a failure to delegate and trust, and I learned that the hard way.

Sarah: How do your emotions impact your management style?

Vidal: Early in my career, I think I tried to ignore my emotions—I thought that was what strong leaders did. But now, I’m much more open about how I feel, and I try to communicate that to the people around me. I’m deliberate about keeping things positive because I don’t want to bring negativity into anyone else’s day. Management is so interpersonal, and if you’re emotionally off, it affects your team.

For me, it’s important to acknowledge emotions and be conscious of how they affect the people I work with. Everyone has different energies, and those dynamics can really shape how effective a team is.

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For me, it’s important to acknowledge emotions and be conscious of how they affect the people I work with

Sarah: How do you manage your emotions to avoid affecting your team negatively?

Vidal: I think the key is being aware of when you need to act a little bit. Sometimes, as a leader, you need to play a role. You might not feel great, but your team doesn’t need to take on your stress. Leadership is a bit of acting, and you have to project positivity even when you don’t feel it. It’s exhausting sometimes, but it’s part of the job.

At the same time, you need an outlet for those emotions. For me, that outlet isn’t in the workplace—it’s important to have someone you can talk to who can handle those feelings without it affecting your professional relationships.

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You need an outlet for those emotions. For me, that outlet isn’t in the workplace.

Sarah: How do you assess performance within your team?

Vidal: I think a lot of people expect a manager to give a specific metric, but for me, it’s about commitment. I value loyalty and the willingness to make yourself uncomfortable for the sake of your peers. If someone shows up with the right attitude and takes responsibility, that’s a huge marker of good performance for me. Skills can always be developed, but behaviors and attitudes are harder to change.

I’m aware that not everyone has the same approach I do, though. I’m someone who views work as part of life rather than a separate thing, so I need to remind myself to manage people the way they want to be managed, not just the way I would.

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Sarah: Finally, how do you differentiate between management and leadership?

Vidal: For me, leadership is more about inspiration, crisis management, and forward-thinking. It’s motivating people and having a vision. I’m comfortable in that role—it feels positive and forward-lookinFor me, leadership is more about inspiration, crisis management, and forward-thinking. It’s motivating people and having a vision. I’m comfortable in that role—it feels positive and forward-looking.

Management, on the other hand, is much more about the day-to-day. Sometimes it feels like you’re the one reporting to your team and making sure they’re successful. I’ve been trained in management best practices, but training and execution are quite distinct! Leadership feels like freedom and duty; management feels more like a responsibility. It’s a challenge, and I’m still working on developing myself every day

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Sarah: Yes, having a growth mindset is important to overcome these challenges. Thank you so much for your time.

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