Empowering Leadership: Persistence, Adaptability, and Self-Awareness with Tom Heiser

Aug 21, 2025

Tom Heiser, a seasoned technology executive with impressive leadership experience, shares his insights on empowerment and authenticity in leadership. He emphasizes the importance of persistence and adaptability in navigating career challenges. Heiser also discusses the concept of 'commander's intent' and the critical role self-awareness plays in effective management. Drawing from his journey from sales trainee to CEO, he reflects on the value of mentorship and emotional intelligence in fostering team growth and resilience.

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INSIGHT

Constant Reinvention Drives Career Growth

Tom Heiser emphasizes constant reinvention as careers progress across roles and company stages.
He urges curiosity and stepping beyond comfort zones to acquire new skills and grow.

ANECDOTE

Humble Start At EMC

Tom recounts starting as EMC's 45th employee with a business card that read 'telemarketer.'
He used that humble beginning to highlight luck, ambition, and learning from talented colleagues.

ADVICE

Develop Personal Management Tenets

Build and use personal management tenets drawn from mentors and experience to guide decisions.
Share and iterate them with others to teach and scale leadership habits.

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In this episode of the Revenue Builders Podcast, hosts John McMahon and John Kaplan are joined by Tom Heiser, a distinguished technology chairman, CEO, and board director with extensive leadership experience. The episode delves into Heiser's career journey from a sales trainee at EMC Corporation to leadership roles in multiple private equity-backed companies. Key topics discussed include the importance of empowerment in leadership, the value of persistence and adaptability, self-awareness, and the impact of authentic and vulnerable leadership. Heiser also shares insights from his personal mentors and experiences, including the concept of 'commanders intent' and the critical role of understanding and evolving within one's career.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Learn more about Tom Heiser:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-heiser-83b86680/

Watch Force Management’s Panel Discussion on AI in Sales Leadership: https://hubs.ly/Q03rlW4Z0

Download the CRO Strategy Checklist: https://hubs.li/Q03f8LmX0

Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0

HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT

[00:03:52] The Importance of Reinvention and Growth
[00:04:48] Impact of Force Management
[00:09:50] Tom Heiser's Management Tenets
[00:23:06] The Role of Self-Awareness in Leadership
[00:33:13] The Power of Passion in Leadership
[00:34:17] Understanding Emotional Proprioception
[00:35:21] The Importance of Self-Awareness
[00:37:00] Embracing Vulnerability and Authenticity
[00:40:54] Empowerment: The Key to Effective Leadership
[00:49:43] Commander's Intent and Leadership Strategies
[00:58:26] Persistence and Determination in Leadership
[01:01:05] Learning from Adversity

HIGHLIGHT QUOTES

[00:05:41] "You constantly have to reinvent yourself. What got you here is not gonna get you to where you want to go."
[00:21:59] "When I told them what to do, I owned it. When they got there, they owned it. That was a force multiplier."
[00:58:42] "Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
[00:59:32] "What's the difference between an EMC sales rep and a pit bull? The pit bull eventually gives up."
[01:01:04] "Tough times are not fun, but look at them for the learning experiences they offer."