CEO.com | Dispatches from the frontiers of leadership

On this episode of For Leaders, Clint is joined by Ranjit Tinaikar who is the CEO of Ness Digital Engineering. With a background in financial services and technology, Ranjit has a deep appreciation for the journey of digital leadership. They discuss what it means to be a truly effective leader not only for your teams, but for yourself, and how the same principles that apply to work also apply to leading at home. Ranjit explains how the key to staying motivated is to find something you actually enjoy doing, and building upon that to create something bigger and better; always staying future focused. They also talk about working from home and how Ranjit has been able to successfully achieve a hybrid work environment. "Leading oneself, to me, at its core is being very clear on where your ethics, values, and beliefs lie."

Nirav Patel joins Clint on this episode of For Leaders to talk about what it truly means to rise together in business. "Rise" is a driving philosophy at Bristlecone and Nirav explains how an empowered team is one that rises to achieve better outcomes. They dive into supply chain, leveraging AI, and the effects of geopolitical affairs on supply chain. Nirav talks about having green offerings and making an impact through a climate-focused lens, and how finding a solution that works for everyone requires some creativity. They also speak on the future of the workforce and how AI will be an integral part of modern business. "The rise philosophy is really focused around a culture of how we think about empowering others and letting others rise and letting them achieve their outcomes. It's only in letting others rise that we believe we rise together as a company."

Clint is joined by John Petrie from NTT on this episode of For Leaders to have a conversation about the state of current global security and warfare. As a counselor to the NTT CISO, John brings extensive experience in the cybersecurity field, where he's navigated the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of this industry. They delve into the conflict in Israel and explore the potential consequences of foreign nations either becoming entangled or withdrawn, and how America is being impacted by global affairs. They compare previous warfare to what's happening now and discuss how tactics have evolved, including how some approach the laws of war. You don't want to miss John's informative perspective - tune in to learn more! "I think as a leader you have to stay positive. That doesn't mean you don't tell the truth. It means that you have to put some of those truths in context."

Keith Nealon, the CEO of Bazaarvoice, joins Clint for this episode of For Leaders to have a discussion about scale, listening to consumer voices, and striving for greater innovation. They talk about dealing with and overcoming a common feeling many entrepreneurs and CEOs deal with that can be extremely harsh, which is imposter syndrome. Keith explains that in order to lead others, you need to be able to lead yourself or else you can't be the strong leader you need to be. You don't need to be superhuman to be successful in your career, but you do need to be your own biggest fan and supporter along the way. Keith also talks about the importance of teamwork and holding that as a core tenant when hiring talent. "That removal of worry really freed the mind. But it's part of that self-leadership is being able to figure out these tools to get a handle on yourself. Your greatest responsibility is to your own wellness."

On this episode of For Leaders, Clint meets with the CEO of Thryv, Joe Walsh. They meet to talk about all things leadership, scale, and creating a dynamic, fast-growing business. AI is booming more than ever, especially in business, and Joe talks about how AI has helped Thryv speed up their writing processes. Joe shares lessons learned as a long-time leader and how having core beliefs as a brand attracts the right talent to hire. Coming together for a cause is a huge part of making a company work cohesively and Joe speaks on taking chances on opportunities. "We make sure that there's a sense of mission and that there's a cause that we're all pursuing together. That's the connective glue that holds our business together."

CEO and co-founder of AvePoint, Dr. Tianyi Jiang (TJ), joins Clint for this episode of For Leaders to talk about his journey in tech. After witnessing the 9-11 tragedy firsthand, TJ realized that life is about pursuing your passion and creating something you can be proud of with the time you have, because everything can change in an instant. He shares his experience with founding AvePoint, and what it was like to transfer to the cloud when that was first gaining popularity. Having kept a pulse on the AI space for years, TJ's excited about modern AI innovations and he explains why we shouldn't be scared, but should take advantage of this amazing technology to propel business forward. They also talk about the benefits of going public vs staying private and navigating that market. Tune in to learn more! "These are very, very interesting times that call for leadership and responsible guidance towards AI usage. So this forces us to think long-term as well."

Scott Cutler who is the CEO at StockX, joins Clint for this episode of For Leaders. They chat about personal development for leaders and developing heightened self-awareness to become the best, most empathetic leader possible. When it comes to recruiting the right talent, Scott focuses on hiring in alignment with the cultural values of the brand because it brings in the most unique and passionate individuals to the job. They also talk about AI being a catalyst for change in tech and how it will propel the industry forward. StockX is expanding on a global scale and looking to the future, they're creating an exceptionally seamless experience for their buyers, no matter where they are in the world. "Being a great leader, again, beyond just being committed to the personal development, is how you build a great team, and kind of connecting some of these pieces together. Hiring a great team is probably one of the most important things you do as a CEO."

On this episode of the For Leaders, Michael Walrath joins Clint to talk about his entrepreneurial journey of founding Right Media, selling to Yahoo, and eventually becoming the chairman and CEO of Yext. They dig into some of Michael's most valuable lessons learned from running companies at scale and how they've helped him maneuver throughout his career. For example, moving slowly in larger organizations can actually be an asset, rather than scaling too big too fast. He talks about finding balance in his life again and being eager to get involved in investing in startups. Not only is Michael a CEO and businessman, he also co-founded Atlas Films which is known for their hit documentary, Fed Up. "You learn a lot about how many things can break and you can still succeed. So that's probably one of the great lessons is that as long as you're fall tolerant and as long as you are paying attention to what's not working, you can actually break a ton of stuff and still overall, have tremendous growth and tremendous success."

Andrew Farah, the CEO of Density, joins Clint on this episode of For Leaders. He talks about prioritizing consumer privacy and why it's so important to stay transparent so your brand attracts your ideal users. A major part of the founder's journey is raising capital and Andrew shares his experience going through raising rounds and how he changed his tactics over time to be more efficient. Good leaders are no strangers to change and should be reflecting on their past decisions to evaluate what worked well, what didn't, and what strategies they can employ to better lead their teams in the future. Teams should be made up of people who bring various cultures to the table, but who all fundamentally agree on the company's mission and values so they can work together for a common cause. "As a company's CEO, you can choose sort of a place to spike, but you can only go as deep on that spike as you have covered your weaknesses. And you cover your weaknesses by hiring for them...Your job, what you don't know, is always the constitution and construction of a team."

On this episode of For Leaders, Clint meets with Liz Wiseman who is a best-selling author, leadership coach, and the CEO of the Wiseman Group. Having an extensive background in tech, research, and development, she shares the most common qualities of great leaders who know how to be effective and make their teams smarter as a whole. She explains how viewing leadership through the lens of the customer puts things into perspective and allows us to see how leadership can have a direct impact on the customer and where changes are necessary. Good leaders understand they have a choice in the culture they create: they can choose to have a trickle down effect of negativity stemming from the top, or choose to be a positive influence on their teams regardless of how higher up leaders may act. They speak about the importance of authenticity as a leader and why it's so important to be as authentic as possible in this role. "I think a different way, and maybe a better way, to look at leadership is to look at the effect leaders have on other people."