Leadership creates Culture, which in turn, drives Strategy
The acceleration of technical innovation and the complexity of interconnected organizations, markets and governments has challenged CEOs to lead in an uncharacteristically disruptive era. The focus has shifted to the power and potential to advances in social media and analytics to reimagine connections among people whether that’s customers, employees, partners, investors or the world at large.
I believe this has major implications for leadership, culture, strategy and structure. Companies must develop wide-open cultures and embrace the most disruptive forms of innovation possible. With technology likely to drive the most change in the strategy and structure of their organizations over the next three to five years, CEOs must have a leadership strategy that creates the primary conditions and the culture necessary for sustainable business performance and growth.
Right from the start of their tenure, I know it is critical for the CEO to choose a durable theme that highlights their leadership role and holistic, longer-term plan in which the CEO articulates, executes and elevates all elements of leadership to the highest level including innovation, markets, business models, global and local communities, and the culture within the enterprise.
While a particular leadership strategy must be unique to the organization it serves, my leadership tenets are the core to any leadership, business or human capital strategy and operational plan. It is the “software” that facilitates how things get done.
Leadership Tenets
In order to accelerate, scale and sustain I believe we must:
- Start at the top, build mindset, focus on results not tasks, and lead by example
- Take an architectural approach, drive robust planning and development based on critical roles and capabilities needed to achieve the vision and business objectives
- Develop leaders who build leaders, building company-wide leadership as a core capability across all disciplines and serves to differentiate the company
- Take an asset management discipline that measures and monitors values, capabilities, goal achievement, results, bench strength and customer impact
- Design the top team as a team, with a collective responsibility to awaken the opportunity of a fully aligned organization and be the key enabler of any impact or outcome
The deep recession of 2008, the acceleration of technical innovation and the complexity of interconnected organizations, markets and governments has challenged CEOs to lead in an uncharacteristically disruptive era.
Experience, Exposure, and Education
Select Executive Experiences
Start-up to IPO
Sliver Spring Networks, as c-level strategist and advisor, worked with key execs to enable the organization to ready itself for scale, transparency and growth by redesigning the organization, planning a new software division and establishing high performing criteria to focus the performance in the executive and management suite.
Fix-its/Turnarounds
Front Desk, Inc, as CEO, cut expenses and talent in half, rebalanced critical skills, redesigned the financial/operational model, led the design of a product strategy and enabled greater customer retention, without disrupting growth trajectory.
Corporate/Field
IBM, Microsoft, Motorola, Cisco Systems and U.S. Department of Labor, led various internal global functions and worked directly with C-suite executives to enhance company productivity, efficiency, effectiveness and growth.
Customer Contact
Front Desk, Inc as CEO led the plan, design and implementation of a customer success program that involved restricting account management, hiring a chief customer officer, and enabling the executive customer partnership program which served as a feed to product development, account management, sales. Increased NPS and decreased churn.
Product Development
TruEffect, as c-level strategist and advisor, worked with the board, CEO and key execs to plan, design and implement an integrated product management functionality as the nexus for product planning, roadmap and cross-group collaboration and execution.
Financial
Front Desk, Inc.as CEO, working with the CFO to redesign the financial plan, incentives, benefits and budget. Established the path to profitability and enabled an additional round of Series A funding from key investors.
Executive Team
IBM, Cisco, Domtar, Trueffect, Front Desk, LexisNexis, Distant Lands Coffee, NBBJ and Front Desk, as CEO or key advisor, established methods and execution for hiring, retaining, developing, governing and performing executive teams to their highest impact within the company operating model. Increased alignment, accelerated decision making, grew capability and reducing conflict while positively effecting overall company performance.
Key Executive Exposures
Lou Gerstner, then CEO IBM
As a key executive executing Gerstner’s organization development initiative I learned the importance of passion, the brevity of a plan and the systemic execution of a plan over time.
Steve Mills, then Group Executive, Software, IBM
As a key executive co- planning and supporting Mills’ organization and executive development initiatives I learned how to bring focus, discipline, mental toughness to work everyday in every situation, and that the road to success is a combination of many small steps and persistence.
John Chambers, then CEO, Cisco Systems
As a consultant working with several of his key executives (Pond, Powell, Calderoni, Proctor, Jacoby, Ahuja) routinely observed his executive interactions, synthesis of critical information and re-positioning that information into solutions to better enable their customer.
Rod Adkins, then General Manager, Pervasive Software, IBM
As a client responsible for leadership team development I learned the importance of having an inspiring vision, driving that vision into execution and balancing the long and short game of operations along with valuing, diversity and team building.
C-Suite Executive Teams
Having worked directly with over forty-five CEO and executive teams across industries, company size and global footprint has afforded me the opportunity to know what great looks and acts like and has put me in position to help the good become better, and the better become great.
Relevant Education
BA Psychology - Virginia Wesleyan College
MA Industrial Psychology - impact and effect of people at work - Fairleigh Dickinson University
PhD Psychometrics - advanced analytical models for the purpose of predicting human behavior - Fordham University
Executive Education - Harvard Business School, The Wharton School, Columbia University
I believe learning, working, living, failing fast and learning is a regenerative loop and dynamic for any successful CEO. The second you feel that “you’ve made it” and are not open to learning and expansion, remaining narrow and not increasing your breadth, is the second you become irrelevant and obsolete.
Predicting Success
There are five key building blocks that over my thirty plus year career have been cornerstones of my success as CEO and success over each of the progressive roles across my career. In essence, netted up, it has been my learning capacity and agility that have enabled me to move progressively across industries, company sizes and strategic roles.
My Core Building Blocks
Self-awareness, especially of my own strengths and weaknesses;
Mental agility, I am very comfortable and adept with complexity and making fresh connections;
People agility, I possess exceptional communication skills and knowing how to get things done through others;
Change agility, I have a passion for ideas and high interest in continuous and continual development
Results agility, I consistently have delivered results in first-time situations through my own drive and by inspiring others.
I believe learning, working, living, failing fast and learning is a regenerative loop and dynamic for any successful CEO. The second you feel that “you’ve made it” and are not open to learning and expansion, remaining narrow and not increasing your breadth, is the second you become irrelevant and obsolete.