Cultivating Leadership: Lessons From A CEO Who Started At The Bottom

Forbes

3 days ago

Beth Forester is CEO of Animoto, a video creation platform, with 20+ years in marketing, leadership, and building customer-first products.
As CEO, one of the most rewarding parts of my position is helping people step into roles they didn't initially imagine for themselves.
My path to leadership wasn't linear or traditional. I started as an entrepreneur and small-business owner in the creative industry, and when I made the leap into tech, I had never worked in a corporate environment. I made a hard pivot into the tech world at age 46, after years of running my own creative business.
I started at Animoto as an individual contributor in marketing, and over time, I grew into increasingly senior roles: from customer owner to product marketing manager, then director of product marketing, vice president of marketing, and eventually CEO, all at the same company.
Fortunately, I had managers who guided me in learning how to gain buy-in for ideas I was passionate about. I was actively learning, constantly stretched and always engaged. That experience shaped a perspective I carry still, a deep appreciation for the quiet, steady kind of potential that doesn't announce itself. It's the kind that needs space to emerge, guidance to develop and trust to grow.
These are the principles I return to when developing high-potential employees, especially those who may not see themselves as leaders … yet.
Start By Listening
Every quarter, set aside time for one-on-one conversations with employees who show sparks of potential. These aren't performance reviews or goal-setting meetings. They're real conversations: open, candid and personal. Ask what they enjoy, where they feel stuck and what they're curious to learn.
Sometimes people have a clear path in mind, and sometimes they're figuring it out. Either way, these conversations reveal strengths that otherwise go unnoticed and let your team know their growth is on your radar, even if a formal opportunity isn't open yet.
Takeaway: Spotting potential before someone raises their hand can be the start of their next chapter.
Communicate The Vision And Connect The Dots
One of the most valuable things you can offer as a leader is clarity. When people understand where the company is headed, why it matters and how individual work connects to that bigger picture, they show up differently. They take more ownership, make better decisions and start thinking like leaders, even before carrying leadership titles.
Takeaway: Clarity builds confidence. Confident people lead.
Share Your Process
It can be easy to fall into the trap of giving directives, but that approach is disempowering and can limit growth. Sharing how you approach challenges, think through trade-offs and make decisions creates transparency and models critical thinking.
Over the years, I've found that when you bring others along in your process, it does more than build alignment. It helps others learn how to do the same. It equips your team with tools to navigate ambiguity, build sound judgment and develop the confidence to lead.
Takeaway: Teach people how to think, and you're not just building execution—you're building leadership.
Replace Micromanagement With Asking Questions
When a member of your team is stepping into something new, your instinct might be to keep them close and give hyper-detailed instructions, but micromanagement sends the wrong message. It says, 'I don't trust you to figure it out.'
I try to be present as a coach—present for checking in, offering support and serving as a sounding board—but also step back to let people own their decisions and growth.
Instead of giving people the answers, I ask questions that help them work toward a solution:
• What outcome are you aiming for?
• What are the risks?
• How confident do you feel in your approach?
This kind of coaching builds decision-making muscle. It encourages critical thinking, weighing trade-offs and taking ownership of choices. You're not hovering or micromanaging, you're creating space for people to learn how to do their best work.
Takeaway: Growth doesn't come from knowing the answers. It comes from learning how to find them.
Make It Safe To Share Unpolished Ideas
Not every good idea shows up polished. Many don't. I remember times when I held back from sharing an idea until I felt like I had every answer, but solving hard problems in a silo doesn't lead to better solutions; it slows things down.
Create a culture where people feel comfortable speaking up before they've figured everything out. Make space for early ideas through asynchronous brainstorms, open problem-solving sessions and regular cross-functional feedback. Research discussed in the Harvard Business Review (paywall) found that team members at high-trust companies (which likely includes those that create a sense of safety) are 76% more engaged, 50% more productive and 74% less stressed than those at low-trust companies.
At Animoto, one of our guiding mantras is: 'There are no bad ideas, only learnings.' When it feels safe to contribute early, we hear more perspectives, better solutions emerge and trust deepens across the team.
Takeaway: Innovation starts when someone feels safe enough to say, 'What if …'
Remember, Empowerment Benefits Everyone
Many of the strongest leaders at Animoto today started in roles without the 'manager' title. They were engaged, curious and consistently raised their hand to help. We gave them visibility, trust and growth opportunities, and they rose to the occasion.
These journeys didn't just benefit the business. They showed everyone around them what was possible. When team members see peers grow into leadership roles, it makes that path feel possible for them, too. It sends a powerful message: 'You don't have to come in with the title. You can grow into it here.'
Investing in people builds morale. But it also creates resilience, strengthens your leadership pipeline, and builds a culture where growth is expected, supported and celebrated. Investing in your people means benefits for everyone involved.
Your next great leader might already be in the room. The question is: Are you giving them the chance to rise?
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