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Forbes
31-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Act Like A Founder: Why Enterprise Leaders Need An Entrepreneurial Mindset
Jani Hirvonen is Global Head of Channel Partnerships at Google. In large organizations, it can be easy to stay in your lane. You just need to hit your targets, manage your team and move on to the next quarter. But the leaders who thrive, especially in dynamic and competitive environments, aren't only quota chasers focused on short-term wins. To truly drive customer value and long-term growth, they need to think and act like entrepreneurs. That doesn't mean breaking rules or going rogue. It means owning the business beyond your job title. It means helping the whole organization win. And while that might sound like a stretch in a large, matrixed organization, it's exactly what separates the good from the exceptional. When leaders adopt a founder's mindset, when they approach each decision with the question, 'What would I do if this were my company?'—they begin to lead differently. They start to build bridges, solve problems end to end and focus relentlessly on outcomes, not just outputs. Think Like A Founder, Not A Function In big companies, specialization is necessary, but it's also where alignment can break down. For example, maybe one team handles onboarding while another manages growth and still another takes care of renewals. From the customer's perspective, it's all one journey. So, if you're not thinking across functions, you're creating friction. That's why I tell every new hire: Act like a CEO. Your 'book of business' isn't just your pipeline. It's the full end-to-end experience of your customer. If this were your company, what would you change? What would you fix? Where would you remove friction? Owning the business means you don't wait for alignment. Instead, you create it. You collaborate across silos, take accountability for outcomes and optimize for the whole, not just your part. And you do it all with the customer at the center. Rigor + Innovation = Real Growth There's a myth that execution and innovation are at odds with each other, but in reality, you need both. Sales is inherently execution-focused, but without fresh ideas, there's nothing new to execute on, which equates to no new value for the customer. The trick is to treat innovation like a series of experiments or pilots. Controlled, scrappy, measurable. Some will fail. That's fine. What matters is the learning and the signal that you, as a leader, are making space for people to be bold and innovative. The leaders who do this well balance discipline with creativity. They model curiosity, reward initiative and share the results of what worked—and what didn't. Innovation doesn't have to be flashy. Sometimes it's a small tweak to how a team collaborates or a new way to structure a customer conversation. When people see that those shifts lead to impact, they start thinking more like builders. Alignment Isn't About More Meetings One of the biggest challenges inside large companies is getting teams to move in the same direction. Too often, people approach cross-functional work with a 'how can you help me?' mindset. That's a dead end. Real alignment starts when you take time to understand your partners' goals. Not just your own. Then connect those goals to customer outcomes and the broader business. That's where real momentum starts to build. Strong cross-functional leaders don't rely on calendar invites. They rely on trust, repeatable systems and clear customer feedback loops. If customer insights don't reach product, marketing or operations, the system is broken. Alignment is not a once-a-quarter sync. It's an operating rhythm with shared ownership. Principle-Based Leadership Is The Throughline In a dynamic market, everything can shift—budgets, headcount, strategy. The one thing that shouldn't is your principles. When pressure hits, you fall back on what you believe. For me, that starts with leading through clarity. Be clear about your values, your expectations and your nonnegotiables. Set the bar high, and don't take your foot off the gas just because things are going well. Clarity isn't rigidity—it's resilience. When your team knows what you stand for, it doesn't have to guess. And when cross-functional teams agree on principles up front—like customer-first thinking—decisions get faster and alignment gets easier. Yes, you need to hit your numbers. But revenue is a milestone, not a destination. Great sales leaders think in years, not quarters. That means building customer roadmaps, not just closing deals. It means being there after the ink dries—helping customers grow, expand and advocate. You become a partner, not just a provider. When you lead this way, growth becomes sustainable, retention improves and customers become collaborators. You want your team thinking like an ecosystem, not just a sales org. Don't Wait For Permission Too often in big companies, people wait. For consensus. For a greenlight. For a moment when it's 'safe' to lead. Real progress happens when you lead with courage. If you can help the business win, do it. Think bigger than your title and lead beyond your team. Act like a founder. Because in today's environment, leadership is about taking ownership of the outcomes that matter most. Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?
Tahawul Tech
22-07-2025
- Business
- Tahawul Tech
'This approach ensures that the partner's unique strengths are recognised and rewarded'
Renton D'Souza, Vice President, Comstor MEA and Priya Limaye, Partner Organisation Lead, Cisco Gulf Region discuss the value of the Cisco 360 Partner Program in this exclusive interview. How does Cisco 360 differ from the various programs Cisco has introduced throughout its 30-year history? Priya : The new Cisco 360 Partner Program represents the most significant evolution of our industry-leading partner program in nearly three decades. It is designed to accelerate the value partners bring to customers by better addressing their rapidly evolving and complex needs – modernising infrastructure, powering AI workloads anywhere, and keeping customers' organisations secure, resilient, and high-performing. The new program reflects a strategic shift in how Cisco and its partners create and deliver value for their customers in today's fast-paced, competitive market. What objectives does Cisco seek to accomplish with the rollout of the program? Priya : The program will redefine what it means to be a successful Cisco partner measuring value over transactions: how partners serve the needs and ambitions of their customers while harnessing the collective strength of Cisco's partner ecosystem in ways that drives growth. The program will elevate partners' stature with customers and upgrade the partner experience with simplified processes and new ways to plan and track performance. For the Cisco 360 Partner Program, we invited partners into the process early to help build it. Our focus is clear: helping partners achieve predictable and profitable growth. We are shifting incentives toward areas like technology innovation rooted in campus refresh, AI and security, software adoption, renewals, and deeper customer engagement to drive long-term success. How does Cisco 360 introduce a new way to measure partner value through its Partner Value Index? Priya : The Cisco 360 Partner Program introduces the Partner Value Index, a new framework that measures the partner's contributions across four key dimensions. First, it assesses the foundational aspect, which reflects the maturity of partner's lifecycle or managed services practices. Next, it evaluates capabilities, focusing on partner's investment in technical and other skills. The framework also considers performance, looking at how effectively the partner is able to land, retain, and renew customer value. Finally, it measures engagement, examining how the partner connects with customers throughout their journey. This approach ensures that the partner's unique strengths—whether in Security, Networking, Collaboration, Cloud & AI, Services and Observability, or across multiple portfolios—are recognised and rewarded. Which new designations are included in the program, and how do they enhance a partner's value to customers? Renton: Cisco is introducing two new partner designations—Cisco Partner and Cisco Preferred Partner—to replace the Gold, Premier, and Select levels. This change is designed to showcase partner investments and capabilities, helping customers select the best partner for their needs. As Cisco transitions to the 360 Partner Program, the focus will shift from traditional Architecture Specialisations to Solution-based Specialisations. Cisco is also creating next-generation Specializations for Preferred Partners to highlight their deep technical expertise in specific portfolios or across multiple areas. How is Comstor assisting partners to achieve a seamless transition to the Cisco 360 program? Renton: At Comstor, we are dedicated to helping our partners maximise the benefits of this program. We have been actively raising awareness through training sessions, webinars, and focused discussions during our channel events. Our sales and business development teams are working closely with partners to facilitate a seamless transition to the new program. Additionally, our teams are ensuring full alignment with Cisco to co-innovate and grow together. Image Credit: Comstor & Cisco
National Post
12-06-2025
- Business
- National Post
Tideworks Technology Expands Leadership to Drive Global Growth and Customer Innovation
Article content Strategic appointments strengthen customer offerings and support long-term vision Article content SEATTLE — Tideworks Technology® Inc. (Tideworks), a full-service provider of terminal operating system (TOS) solutions, has expanded its senior leadership team with the recent appointments of Frederik Stork, Julian Galvis and Subbu Bhat to vice president roles. These strategic additions mark a milestone in Tideworks' growth strategy and reinforce its commitment to expanding customer value and advancing its roadmap. Article content As part of this strategic vision, Tideworks strengthens its Professional Services division to provide TOS implementations, training and operational consulting that help terminal operators improve performance and enhance operations. Article content Frederik Stork, vice president of professional services, will lead the division. He brings extensive experience in terminal operations and optimization and will work closely with customers to maximize technology investments and help improve operational performance. Subbu Bhat, vice president of software engineering, joins Tideworks with more than two decades of experience leading global engineering teams and scaling enterprise technology. He will oversee software engineering and play a key role in evolving Tideworks' solutions and roadmap. Julian Galvis, vice president of sales and marketing, brings expertise in global market expansion and customer engagement. He will lead the company's go-to-market strategy, helping terminals align technology and services with operational goals and supporting Tideworks' continued global growth. 'Tideworks' expanded leadership team reflects our commitment to investing in people who drive long-term value and innovation for customers and the broader industry,' said Thomas J. Rucker, president of Tideworks Technology. 'Frederik, Julian and Subbu bring outstanding experience and perspective that will help us continue to innovate, scale globally and deliver greater impact to terminal operators. As the industry navigates rapid transformation, we remain focused on equipping our customers with the technology, insights and support they need to succeed.' Article content With these leadership additions, Tideworks is accelerating its roadmap by investing in a holistic, extensible platform and expanding services to help terminals around the world unlock the value of TOS data to drive operational improvements. Trusted by more than 120 terminals, Tideworks continues to deliver modern, flexible solutions, without lock-in or complexity, built to scale and evolve with customers' needs. Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Media Contact Article content Article content Article content Article content
