[The Leadership Style of Tumblr CEO, David Karp ]

Industry Leader Profile: David Karp

The Leadership Style of Tumblr CEO, David Karp
Miranda Patton
Northwest Missouri State University

Media Business and Entrepreneurship

Dr. Jodell Strauch
10 March 2015

[The Leadership Style of Tumblr CEO, David Karp]

The three basic qualities that make a leader are: vision, passion, and

integrity (Albarran, 2013). The founder and CEO of Tumblr, David Karp is passionate
about the million-dollar company he created and has a clear vision of where it is headed
and how to manage his employees. Karp is a young entrepreneur, having started his
company at the age of nineteen he accomplished many successes, and in 2013 he sold his
company to Yahoo for $1.1 billion dollars and still remains the CEO.
Karp is a millennial and manages his business in a different way than his other
CEO counterparts. He started his business with a vision and has continued to build upon
that vision with the help of professionals who are more experienced than he is. His
experience with management is significantly different from what we are used to seeing
today.
I'mveryantischedule.Exceptforboardmeetings,Idon'treallyschedulethings
orkeepacalendar.Ithinkappointmentsarecaustictocreativity.It'ssofrustratingwhen
you'reinthemiddleofagreatconversationorworkgroove,andyourealize,"Oh,I've
gotanappointment.I'vegottobolt."Ipreferthe"let'sjustcalleachotherwhenweneed
somethingorwanttohangout"approach.Thatway,Ineverhavetocancelonpeople,
whichisalwaysabummer.PeopletellmeIneedanassistant,butIdon'twantone,Karp
said(Welch,2011).
Hisapproachisverynontraditionalinthissense.Karpfallsmoreintothe
transformationalleadershipstyleinwhichheconstantlysellshisvisionandleadsthe
changeneededinanorganization(Albarran, 2013). Hedoesthisbycontinuously
consultingtheprofessionalshehashiredtoworkforthecompany.Karpalso

[The Leadership Style of Tumblr CEO, David Karp ]

communicateswithhisemployeesdifferentideastheyhaveandhowtoimplementthem
intothewebsite.
Karpdoesnotfollowaspecificmanagementtheory;heismoreofaprogressive
leader.TheclosesttheoryofmanagementthathepossessesisTheoryY;thistheoryof
managementiswhenmanagersdonotrelyoncontrolandfearbutintegratestheneedsof
theworkersinsteadandthoseoftheorganization.Employeescanalsoexerciseself
controlandselfopportunityandthemangersrolecentersonmatchingthetalentsofthe
individualwiththeproperpositionintheorganizationandprovidinganappropriate
systemofrewards(Albarran, 2013). AccordingtothearticlefromEntreprenuer.com,
Karps3leadershiptechniquesincludefindingyourideaeditor,donttrytodo
everythingyourself,andwhenleadingateam,channelyourinnerSteveJobs.
Anideaeditorissomeonetobounceideasoffofforyourvisionofthecompany.
By2008,Karp'sdesiretofocussolelyonproductdevelopmentpushedhimto
hireapresidenttohandlethebusinessoperations.AndastheTumblrteamcontinuedto
grow,Karpneededtolearnhowtobealeader.(Fell, 2013).
Insteadoftakingonthisextrawork,Karphiredsomeonewhowasqualifiedin
thisfieldandwhowoulddowell.Hisweakspotwasmanagerialskills;sincehecame
intothemarketsoyounghisexperiencewaslessthanhissubordinateemployees
experience.ChannelingyourinnerSteveJobsmeanstohavepassionandenthusiasm
abouttheproducttheyaresellingandthattheemployeesshouldsharethesameideals.
Karpsyoungagealsopresentsdrawbacksinhismanagerialstyle.Heisnot
patientwithunsatisfiedcustomers.

[The Leadership Style of Tumblr CEO, David Karp]

WiredreportsthatwhenauseremailedTumblramidsomesiteissues,Karp

copiedhiswholeteamonhisreply,whichsaid,Wehavenointerestincustomersthat
willgooutoftheirwaytodiscourageourentireteamPleasegoaway.(McGregor,
2013).
Thistypeofcustomerserviceishandledpoorlyandcannegativelyaffectthe
company.SinceKarpisyounger,hisarrogancehasnothadtimetodiminish
significantly.Hefailstotakeintoaccountacustomerscomplaintsassumingthatthe
problemiswiththecustomerandnotwithhiscompanyorstaff.Karpistalentedinthe
fieldofsocialmedia,havingbeenanadvisortoPresidentObamassocialmediateam.
However,helacksskillswhendealingwithcommunication,bothinternallyand
externally.Whenheannouncedhewaslayingoffhiseditorsandwriters,hehadnt
writtenthestatement,thelaidoffeditorinchiefhad.Thisposedsomeproblemssincethe
statementwaswrittenpoorlytoreflectbadlyonKarp(McGregor, 2013).
Inmyopinion,themostimportantcharacteristicinbeinganeffectiveleaderis
communication.ThroughoutmyjobexperiencesIhaveseenaconsistentprobleminthe
workenvironmentandthatisemployeesnotcommunicatingeffectivelywitheachother
andcausingconfusionandstress.WhenIamleadingagroupprojectorhelpingsomeone
atworkIemphasizetheneedforcommunication.Ialsowantmysupervisorsto
communicatewithmeaswell,somethingassimpleascheckingintoseehowIamdoing
letsmeknowtheyareinvolvedwiththeiremployees.Internalandexternal
communicationisveryimportant.Whenspeakingtocustomers,Karpdoesnotshow

[The Leadership Style of Tumblr CEO, David Karp ]

effectivecustomerserviceskills;insteadheinsultsthecustomertakesthecomplaintasa
personalattackonhimselfandhisstaff.
Leadersshouldalsobeknowledgeableabouttheindustrytheyareinandableto
makedecisionsforthecompany.ThisissomethingIstillstrugglewithandamworking
onimproving.IvebeenindecisiveforthelongesttimeandthelastthingIwanttosayin
asituationwhereIneedtomakeanimportantdecisionisIdontknow.
Throughmyworkexperience,IhavefoundthatIdontworkwellwithothers
whohaveapoorworkethicandlie.Unfortunately,Ihaveexperiencewithpeoplesuchas
thisanditnotonlyfrustratesmebutalsoreflectspoorlyonmewhenIcannot
communicateeffectivelywiththem.Inordertoworkwithsomeone,wedonotneedto
havethesamepersonalities,aslongastheydontclash.Iworkbestwithpeoplewho
complimentmyskillset.Ineedtoworkonmyexternalcommunicationskills;Iwork
bestwithsomeonewhohasastrongexternalcommunicationbackground.Thisway,I
canlearnfromthem.Mystrengthisorganizationandtimemanagement;Icanbethe
plannerofaworkgroupandcommunicationwitheveryonetoensurewearealldoingour
parts.Thisworkswellwiththosewhodonotplanasmuch,thiswaywedonotclashon
ideas.
KarpsleadershipstyleisdifferentfromwhatIhaveworkedunder,mostly
becausewearecloserinagethananysupervisorthatIhaveworkedwith.Heismore
focusedonthecreativesideofTumblrandtheproductdesign.Heconstantlyconsults
withhiswebsiteeditorsonhowtomakehisideasfeasiblefortheTumblrwebsite.WhatI
wouldhavetroublewithwhenworkingunderhimarehiscommunicationskills.Hehas

[The Leadership Style of Tumblr CEO, David Karp]

weakcustomerserviceskillsthatwouldmakehimapublicrelationsnightmare.
However,hisgoodqualitiesoutweighthebad.Heconductsacreativeenvironmentand
triestokeepanopenspaceforhisemployeestocommunicatewithhim.Karpalsoseeks
inputfromhisdesignteamforideashehasandacknowledgesthattheyhavemoreskillin
thatareathanhedoes.
EveryMondaymorning,wehaveanallteammeetinginourconferenceroom,a
placeIdesignedtobequietandcozy.Therearenoconferencetables;justa
couchandafewcomfortablechairs.Ourcustomersupportteam,agroupofeight
peopleinVirginia,attendsviaSkype,Karpsaid(Welch,2011).
ThistypeofworkenvironmentisdifferentfromwhatIhaveseen,however,I
wouldfeelmorecomfortableinalessformalsettingatabusinessmeeting.Overall,
KarpsstyleofconductingbusinessismorecloselyrelatedtohowIworksinceweare
bothmillennial.Ifeelthattheyoungergenerationwouldworkbetterwithhimbecause
wecanagreeonthesameidealsandworkenvironment.Thesocialmediaindustryis
constantlychangingandrequiresalotofcreativework.Karpisefficientincreatingideas
andusinghisideaeditorstohelpbuilduponthem.Heisalsoskilledinobtaining
feedbackfromtheemployeesthatthehiresforspecificaspectsofthewebsite.
WhatwecanlearnfromKarpsmanagementandleadershipstyleishowto
channelourcreativity.Hisideaofanideaeditorisacleveroneandwouldbeusefulin
theworkplacetoalwayshavesomeonetogotowithyourideasandbuilduponthem.
Sometimesourideassoundgreattousbutmaysounddifficultorcrazytoothers.

[The Leadership Style of Tumblr CEO, David Karp ]

Workingandcommunicatingwithyouremployeesisimportantaswellasadmittingyou
arentskilledinalldepartmentsofabusinessandhiringateamthatismorequalified.
Karpispassionateabouthisjobandisconstantlyseekingnewwaystoappealto
thelargeaudiencethatusesTumblr.SomethingIhavealwaysenviedinpeopleispassion
andacleargoalfortheirfuture.IttookmeyearstofigureoutwhatindustryIwantedto
workin,eventhroughmycollegecareer.NowIknowIwanttoworkinthemedia
industrybecauseitisalwayschangingandIcancontinuouslylearnwhileonthejob.

[The Leadership Style of Tumblr CEO, David Karp]

Reference Page
Albarran, A. (2013). Theories of Management. In Management of electronic and digital
media (5th ed., pp. 67-83). Boston, Massachusetts: Wadsworth/Cengage
Learning.

Fell, J. (2013, May 21). 3 Leadership Lessons From Tumblr's David Karp. Retrieved
March 9, 2015, from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/226788

McGregor, J. (2013, May 21). Five factoids about Tumblr CEO David Karp. Retrieved
March 9, 2015, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/onleadership/wp/2013/05/21/five-factoids-about-tumblr-ceo-david-karp/

Welch, L. (2011, June 1). David Karp, the Nonconformist Who Built Tumblr. Retrieved
March 9, 2015, from http://www.inc.com/magazine/201106/the-way-i-workdavid-karp-of-tumblr.html