1. What have you found most challenging as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise?

In addition to being a servant leader, I am an inveterate problem solver and an inherent achiever. So, I often find myself with multiple commitments. Over the years, I’ve used several tools to manage my time: focusing effort on advancing strategic agenda, mapping and prioritizing initiatives against timelines, disciplining myself to be structured, delegating and empowering staff, and collaborating with peers to share enterprise execution.

2. How did you become a CEO or executive of a large enterprise? Can you please briefly tell the story?

Step up for the tough jobs, think big picture, and maintain focus on vision. Archbishop Desmond Tutu often says, “Think globally, act locally.” In the enterprise, be part of the solution by coming forward to take on difficult or complex problems. In working on the solutions, come from the perspective of what’s best or healthiest for the organization. Involve others in the process, and keep stakeholders informed so they can support and own the solutions. Don’t get discouraged and don't let up. Flex with new challenges while maintaining focus on strategic direction.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

Structuring my day is critical to my special brand of “time management.” I begin my day with self-care such as meditation and exercise. I have an Old English Sheep dog (Theodore Augustus Farmer, “Teddy”), so walks are obligatory. When jogging or walking, I have time to think, review the previous day’s activities and organize my thoughts for the day. Mornings are my time for connecting with people, so I carve out about an hour to reach out to staff, leave my office “door” (virtual door in COVID) open for impromptu mentoring, or just chat with my mentor and peers. I devote time in the morning to read and respond to emails, meeting read-ahead material, and any work documents needing my attention. In the morning time remaining, I work on strategic initiatives at hand. At lunch, I take time to catch up with the world in the news, and read a little for professional development. My afternoons are typically peppered with meetings, with board work in between them. In the late afternoon/early evening, I respond to emails and work on internal duties such as employee awards, updating dashboards, reviewing and approval actions, etc. This is also the time – in addition to weekend – when I work on some of my community projects. In the evening, I carve out time for family, talking to and dining with my spouse and any adult child who is available. Late evenings and weekends, I connect with friends or prepare for the next day, including reading materials for projects. The last thing I do before turning off the light is read for myself then I give thanks prayerfully.

4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

Always be in a learning mode. Supported by open-mindedness and patience, listening and learning skills have made me a better problem-solver and decision maker. It’s okay to be impatient to get things done, but don’t be impatient about absorbing new ideas, different viewpoints, technological advances, market trends, sociological evolution, political forces, etc..

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

Courage: The Backbone of Leadership, by Gus Lee and Diane Elliott-Lee. The book bolstered my confidence to incorporate a moral compass in my thinking and decision making in the corporate world. The book has fortified my resolve to speak up when moral and ethical considerations are the driving forces for “doing the right thing.”

6. How do you build leadership capacity in a large enterprise?

Feed the pipeline at all levels, and then invest in new hires -- be a role model and mentor; offer meaningful incentives and quality-based motivators.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise so far?

In the time of COVID, my company saw a need to support the medical world with health data. Following the lead of Chief Health Officer, I stepped up to build a network of large technology companies (Apple, Google, Amazon, etc.) that agreed to develop, establish, populate, and maintain a national database of reported cases, histories, treatments, and outcomes. I reached out to existing colleagues and new contacts in more than a half dozen Fortune 50 companies, sharing my vision and plan and asking for their ideas. Together we put together a feasible solution that could be pulled together quickly, albeit with a lot of dedication, hard work, and overtime. Established from concept to operation in less than a month, this repository has served as a medical knowledge base for all the medical practitioners on the front line of battling the pandemic.