Leadership Lessons from Tony Colon: Diversity, Instinct, and Financial Wisdom

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08/21/24 • 51 min

The "Dear Future CRO" Podcast by GrowthQ

Welcome to the Dear Future CRO Podcast powered by GrowthQ! In this episode, our host and Founder of GrowthQ, Esther Ayorinde-Iyamu engages in a compelling conversation with Tony Colon, SVP for Customer Success at ServiceNow. Tony takes us through his diverse career journey from his early life in Chicago to pivotal roles at Salesforce and Cisco. He emphasizes decision-making using both data and instinct, the value of ideas from diverse perspectives, and the importance of innovation within companies. Esther and Tony discuss the significance of learning from those making high-stake decisions and listening to frontline employees. They also dive into personal experiences, including handling racially insensitive situations, the impact of their upbringings, and building a sense of community at work. From the future of AI in customer success to Tony’s desire to educate future generations on financial management, this episode is rich with insights for aspiring leaders. Tune in for an inspiring and thought-provoking discussion geared towards shaping the future for Customer Success Leaders everywhere.

Timestamp Topics

00:00 Excited for guest, Mr. Tony Colon, SVP.

03:49 Upholding family legacy, providing generational opportunities, diversity.

07:37 Proud of breaking through, connecting diverse cultures.

12:09 Creating community through shared interests and passions.

14:11 Craving connection, seeking real talk in loneliness.

18:31 Immigrant parents' struggle and financial focus.

23:01 Unintentional mentorship led to love for programming.

26:31 Shifted careers after ten years, joined Cisco.

27:45 Transitioned from Cisco to hardware, then software.

33:07 Microsoft's copilot, our digital assistant, aids productivity.

35:22 Fear of speaking up hindered career success.

40:28 Career journey, challenging comment, vulnerability, leadership example.

41:33 Reflecting on confronting racism and fostering change.

46:27 Encourage and support innovative ideas from everyone.

48:55 Tony recognized for generosity, success and kindness.

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Timestamp Topics

00:00 Excited for guest, Mr. Tony Colon, SVP.

03:49 Upholding family legacy, providing generational opportunities, diversity.

07:37 Proud of breaking through, connecting diverse cultures.

12:09 Creating community through shared interests and passions.

14:11 Craving connection, seeking real talk in loneliness.

18:31 Immigrant parents' struggle and financial focus.

23:01 Unintentional mentorship led to love for programming.

26:31 Shifted careers after ten years, joined Cisco.

27:45 Transitioned from Cisco to hardware, then software.

33:07 Microsoft's copilot, our digital assistant, aids productivity.

35:22 Fear of speaking up hindered career success.

40:28 Career journey, challenging comment, vulnerability, leadership example.

41:33 Reflecting on confronting racism and fostering change.

46:27 Encourage and support innovative ideas from everyone.

48:55 Tony recognized for generosity, success and kindness.

Previous Episode

Allison's Journey: Embracing Vulnerability and Authenticity in Leadership

GrowthQ Community, in this insightful session with the amazing Allison West Hughes, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, Allison shares her transformative journey of embracing vulnerability and authenticity in her leadership style, thanks to the groundbreaking work of Brene Brown. We dove deep into the challenges and rewards of uncovering, the importancei of embracing your authentic self, being open about personal struggles, like disabilities, in the workplace and being intentional about what support and accommodations looks like.. Allison's experiences at Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco, Telcos, and ServiceNow taught her invaluable lessons about building trust, optimizing sales, and navigating complex stakeholder dynamics. Her resilience and intentional approach to professional development are truly inspiring. Allison's advice for future CROs? Embrace patience, enjoy the ride, and cultivate strategic partnerships within your organization. Trust me, you don't want to miss out on the wisdom she dropped in this session. Head over to the Dear Future CRO Podcast powered by GrowthQ to catch the full episode now!

Timestamp Topics

00:00 Resilience is my superpower in career setbacks.

05:33 Excitedly explored technology, then transitioned to leadership.

08:04 ServiceNow growth, leaders' impact, career development opportunity.

12:36 Overcoming disability fear to seek global role.

15:48 Microsoft launched new roles, hired 500 sellers.

19:45 Microsoft's seasonal operations and travel for planning.

20:52 Satya emphasizes growth, innovation, and global diversity.

24:06 Global role at Servicenow expanded my mindset.

29:06 Embrace mistakes, acknowledge, apologize, and improve leadership.

32:12 Intentional career development through reading and curiosity.

34:21 Encourage future leaders to enjoy the journey and develop critical cross-stakeholder partnerships.

Next Episode

Mastering Overlay Sales Leadership: Garrett Claridge’s Guide to Building Trust and Managing Teams

Welcome to the "Dear Future CRO Podcast," powered by GrowthQ! In today's episode, we have the privilege of speaking with Garrett Claridge, the Regional Sales Leader of the West Coast for Cisco Webex, based in Seattle. Garrett shares his invaluable insights on understanding your business's impact on customers and bosses, the essence of curiosity, networking, and being open to change for ambitious leaders.

Garrett delves into his diverse career journey, from starting in sales with a small telecommunications provider to managing large accounts at Cisco during the financial crisis. He offers a behind-the-scenes look at transitioning from a specialist role to a leadership position, including the challenges and triumphs he encountered along the way.

We'll explore his experience as a global account manager at Amazon, the critical role of technical sales, and the collaboration between sales and product teams. Garrett also provides a candid perspective on the significance of building personal connections, establishing credibility, and driving change within teams.

Join us as we uncover how Garrett's leadership style turned his team around during the COVID-19 pandemic, leveraging remote work and cloud technologies to retain and acquire customers.
This episode is packed with wisdom for aspiring leaders looking to make an impact in their careers.

00:00 Curiosity led to graduate school and new opportunity.

03:47 Found amazing leaders, intentional about career path.

07:49 Navigating complex sales roles with multiple stakeholders.

10:53 Importance of technical sales at Amazon highlighted.

15:47 Garrett's diverse sales experience and leadership journey.

17:53 New leaders must establish credibility and captivate.

21:36 Overlays support and overlap across regions.

24:32 Build personal connections by understanding team members.

28:44 Building relationships, understanding goals, and adaptability.

30:28 Team effort during COVID led to success.

35:20 Teams cover west, deep tech expertise, cloud.

37:47 Effectively communicate business impact for future success.