CEO.com | Dispatches from the frontiers of leadership

Michael Weening joins Clint on this episode of For Leaders to share his story of becoming the CEO of Calix and to talk about leading transformation and sustainable success. Michael learned a lot about being successful in business when he worked in Tokyo and he talks about how having a goal-centric mindset and following a strategic plan is a game changer for cohesive teamwork. He prioritizes spending time with his customers and learning from them, which is a major part of his routine as a CEO. They dive into AI and the development of machine learning, as well as how it can be used to better serve customers through the use of data. For anyone looking to advance in their career and to build a solid, customer-focused company, this episode is for you! Tune in to learn more. "Invest in the success of others to be successful...If you make everyone else around you successful, then you don't have to think about your own success. If everyone that you work with is successful, then doesn't that mean inherently you'll be successful? Because I firmly believe that."

On this episode of For Leaders, Clint meets with JR Sherman who is the CEO at RainFocus, which just happens to be one of Clint's favorite software companies. With thirty years of experience in the industry, JR has learned that the most important aspect to forging relationships in B2B is building trust. Being a CEO can mean having an unpredictable schedule, which makes it a thrilling and engaging job that demands self-leadership and focus. They also chat about AI and how it's impacting the event industry and JR shares his thoughts on the matter. JR is a conscious leader who's passionate about giving opportunities to people who work hard. You don't want to miss this episode! Tune in to learn more. "The way businesses grow in B2B is through relationships and the best way to build them is in these face-to-face environments where you can establish trust and initiate relationships."

David Light from Valisure joins Clint for this episode of For Leaders for a conversation about changing industries and identifying market needs. Valisure is an independent laboratory that conducts tests on pharmaceuticals to ensure quality and transparency and as such, their work saves lives. Clint and David dive into the sales process and what it takes to build relationships with organizations. When speaking on company culture, David explains how the profound impact they make on human lives is a main driver for what they do. David also shares what traits good leaders share and how public health needs capable, strong leaders. "I think that's one of the wonderful things of working in healthcare in general is you get to do really exciting work and build businesses and be innovative, but do that in a way that's going to hopefully, positively, impact the lives of millions of people."

Join Clint on this episode of For Leaders for a conversation with the CEO of NexusTek, Bill Wosilius. They talk about Bill's journey to becoming a CEO, including starting in the military and later getting involved with IT, leading him to where he is today at NexusTek. Cybersecurity is a hot topic right now, especially with the rise of AI, and they talk about how AI is influencing that industry. He also shares his insights into integrating a remote workforce, emphasizing the crucial role of revitalizing NexusTek's culture to enhance both employee and customer experiences. Bill offers essential advice for leaders to help them stay realistic and grounded along their journeys. "We invest heavily in leadership. I think it's critical."

On this episode of For Leaders, Clint meets with the CEO of Collective Health: Ali Diab. They talk about the creation of Ali's company and how he has totally disrupted the insurance market by offering an empathetic, people-first approach to coverage care. Ali shares his experience of integrating a hybrid work schedule as well as finding the right balance for his employees, allowing them to work remote. As a leader, you will inevitably have many experiences that shape your leadership style and Ali shares the pivotal moments that defined his career. Lastly, they touch on the current state of the United States workforce and how various factors are influencing economic growth. "You cannot motivate and orchestrate without having empathy. How can you relate to somebody and talk to them if you don't?"

Dimitri Boylan joins Clint for this episode of For Leaders for a conversation about software, founding businesses, and talent acquisitions. Dimitri has an impressive career in recruitment, co-founding HotJobs.com in 1997 and subsequently selling it to Yahoo before establishing Avature where he currently stands as the CEO. They talk about Dimitri's long history in this industry and how he came to build Avature by addressing a specific customer challenge. He shares how leadership has evolved and what it takes to be a good, dependable leader today. They also dive into the intersection of politics, science, and business. You don't want to miss this interesting episode! "My view of leadership is, you've got to start with the right ingredients. If you don't, you really can't get anywhere at all. I treat people as adults."

On this episode of For Leaders, Clint is joined by the CEO of AllSeated, Yaron Lipshitz. Having spent years in investment banking, Yaron learned how to approach business from a strategic standpoint, including how to look at the numbers and how to drive the business forward against the competition. Being a CEO demands a lot of self-discipline and communication, and Yaron explains how a CEO's self-discipline needs to extend into multiple facets of their daily life. They touch on the topic of AI affecting his industry and how they're working with this technology to progress. Yaron dives into managing and maintaining a positive company culture as the business grows and why it's important to adapt your culture as you expand. "More then anything, leadership is not about managing people, telling them what to do. It's about, in my opinion, the ability to direct people through your own actions."

Join Clint on this episode of For Leaders as he sits down with Laura Ritchey, who is the CEO of Radial. She recently joined Radial as CEO during its busiest time of the year and is looking forward to the future with a focus on innovation and growth. Laura shares what her typical day looks like and how she manages expectations, as well as how she decides to spend her time without getting lost in the details. They touch on realistically working from home and building a company culture that reflects the company's values and encourages collaboration. Laura talks about pivotal moments in her career and how they shaped her into the leader she is today. Tune in to learn more! "At the end of the day, we want to do right by our people, we want to deliver on our client promises, and we obviously want to satisfy the needs of all of our stakeholders."

On this episode of For Leaders, Clint meets with Meti Basiri who is the CEO and Co-Founder of ApplyBoard. He speaks on founding his company and how it was a grueling process to get the platform up and running with the goal of helping students around the world study abroad in English speaking countries. They discuss how AI is being integrated into this industry and just how ApplyBoard is utilizing this tool to better serve their students every day. Upkeeping a positive work culture is something many CEOs strive to do, and Meti shares how he's been able to cultivate a diverse work environment where his teams actually make an impact. He finds that by having a diverse crew, his company is empowered to reach more students of all languages and cultures around the globe and can connect them with the best education opportunities possible. "Helping the students and getting people an opportunity is the most motivating and gives me a chance to, leads to where we're going to be tomorrow. I'm very excited for the work that we're doing and our impact on people's lives."

Clint meets with Dr. Marc Boom on this episode of For Leaders for a conversation about defining culture within the Houston Methodist hospital system. Marc talks about the future of medicine being driven by advanced technology and how AI will impact different aspects of healthcare like genetics and patient data. Marc shares how he would improve the healthcare system and he delves into the fundamental issues most experience in accessing care. Too many businesses fall into the pit of focusing on one methodology of doing things, rather than exploring various options to come to the same conclusion, which can lead to polarization. Many of these issues can be solved by dealing with one another with integrity, compassion, accountability, respect, and excellence (I CARE). "I believe that when people succeed, businesses succeed. And when businesses succeed, people succeed. You can put that into healthcare and everything else as well."