America’s first Black female billionaire shares 2 leadership questions she asks herself daily

While at Black Entertainment Television (BET), employees often referred to its cofounder, Sheila Johnson, as the “conscience of the network," she says.?

“My leadership style was getting to know every one of the employees. I didn't want to sit on the sixth floor and feel like I couldn’t get to know my employees.”

She still carries this attitude as CEO and founder of the luxury property portfolio, Salamander Hotels and Resorts, where she eats lunch with rank-and-file employees, greets them by name, and inquires about their day. “Employees like connection with their leadership,” Johnson says, noting that such connections inspire and motivate employees to perform their jobs well and excel. “I never want to feel as though I am not humble enough or vulnerable enough to get to know them.”

Moreover, she says, leaders exemplify how they want the company to run. Employees watch how leaders behave, carry themselves, speak to their direct reports, and they mirror those actions. “If you don't set those examples in the very beginning, your company will start falling apart,” Johnson says. She reflects on her final days at BET, rife with poor behavior, including theft, infidelity, and even drug addiction. Rather than cutting out the tumors at the source, she says, the company was constantly putting band-aids on problems. “We lost our way very early because of a lack of leadership. The vision disappeared, and I was constantly fighting to plug up the hole.”

Hubris among leadership was also to blame. “Some people felt they were untouchable. They were reading their own press releases, thinking they’re all that and a bag of chips, and took their eye off the ball,” she says. “You cannot take your position of power for granted. I certainly don’t.”

Johnson points to her real estate portfolio, which boasts hotels and resorts in Aspen, Washington D.C., and Jamaica. “I’m walking around my hotels looking for spots on rugs and sending photos to room service. I’m helping servers bus tables when our restaurants are packed. I don't think any job is below me, and that's my leadership style.”

Leadership Tip of the Week ??

Johnson says every CEO should ask themselves two questions when they wake up every morning: What did I do wrong the day before? What can I do better? Asking these questions not only positions one to continuously improve their management and the broader business performance, she says, but also instills humility in a leader.

Leadership Next

Co-CEOs of the world's largest architecture firm, Gensler建筑设计事务所 , say rows of desks are out, and workspaces that feel more like hotel lobbies are in.?

In this episode of Leadership Next, hosts Alan Murray and Michal Lev-Ram chat with Diane J. Hoskins, FAIA, NCARB and Andy Cohen, FAIA about the return to work trends revealed in Gensler's 2023 Workplace Report and how the design of office spaces should change to accommodate these trends. They also discuss how they've been able to successfully navigate being co-CEOs for 18 years.

Listen to the?episode ?and?subscribe ?to Leadership Next wherever you listen to podcasts, or read the full transcript?here.

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-Ruth Umoh , Fortune’s Leadership Editor