# #275: Ania Smith, CEO, Taskrabbit – Take risks that teach you something

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-leaders-lead-with-david-novak-223023/275-ania-smith-ceo-taskrabbit-take-risks-that-teach-you-something
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-leaders-lead-with-david-novak-223023/275-ania-smith-ceo-taskrabbit-take-risks-that-teach-you-something.md
Podcast: [How Leaders Lead with David Novak](https://stenobird.com/podcast/how-leaders-lead-with-david-novak-223023)
Published: 2026-01-22T06:00:00+00:00
Episode link: http://howleaderslead.com/podcast/
Audio file: https://chtbl.com/track/DCB44F/traffic.megaphone.fm/DVL2118051083.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/how-leaders-lead-with-david-novak-223023/episodes/275-ania-smith-ceo-taskrabbit-take-risks-that-teach-you-something
Duration seconds: 3388

## Resource

When Ania moved to the US from Poland at the tender age of 12, she didn’t speak a word of English. Today, she’s the CEO of Taskrabbit, after building her leadership chops at Walmart, Uber, and Airbnb. You don’t get that kind of career trajectory by playing it safe. In this episode, Ania shares how taking bold risks has helped her succeed, and why she’s building a culture where people are encouraged to be bold, experiment, and learn both from what works and what doesn’t. If you want to move faster this year, this episode will get you going! You’ll also learn: How to be your own customer What no one tells you about agile companies One strategy that keeps long-term thinking front and center A unique framework for balancing life, work, and family Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The How Leaders Lead App⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Daily Insight Emails⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: One small (but powerful!) leadership principle to focus on each day Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.

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