Our Biggest Challenge: Coping with Change
October, 2022
Brian Wolff
President and CEO
Parker Technology
What makes a leader? Leaders put their people ahead of themselves and set the conditions for individuals in their organizations to have the tools and the latitude they need to make their own decisions for the greater good of the company. Good leaders aren’t afraid to roll their sleeves up and do the dirty work that must be done, shoulder-to-shoulder with their colleagues. Good leaders seek to align the organization around common and fulfilling goals through shared values and a relentless, but fun pursuit of continuous growth and improvement.
What is the difference between a leader and a manager? When I think of a manager, I think of someone seeking to manipulate and control something to meet a rigid and fixed goal. In contrast, I see a leader as someone who does just the opposite: they build a team of like-minded, talented people and then set them free towards a north star to achieve more than any of them ever dreamed possible.
How do you motivate yourself to see things anew every day? I wake up every morning with unbounded optimism to find the good in all situations and believe that obstacles are speed bumps to be driven over, not yielded to. It’s easy to see things anew each day when you surround yourself with ambitious, like-minded people committed to doing their best work every day to achieve bigger and better. Progress gets made through incremental and unrelenting forward momentum, born out of the smallest successes stacked up over time.
What are the biggest challenges you face today in 2022 as a leader? The biggest challenge in 2022 is coping with change – the change in attitudes of people towards work and the changes taking place in the industry. The challenge is to motivate every person in our company to come to work and do their best work, knowing it’s contributing in a mighty way to our mission, and helping everyone understand that our company is not just keeping up with the changes, but leading the change.
Do the “C” titles make a difference and if so, how? Yes! Leadership matters! Consciously and unconsciously, people follow leaders and people want to be led. Rudderless ships run aground. The human spirit seeks purpose and leaders help their people find purpose and fulfillment in the work that must be done every day to help the company thrive in an ever-changing world. There are countless examples of companies that lost their way when leaders weren’t present or bad leaders took the helm.
From historical figures to people in public eye, who would you want to be your leader/CEO? I would want Abraham Lincoln to be my leader for two reasons: Lincoln set aside his ego and made space at the table for other strong leaders to bring their talents to his cause, all while leading those individuals with an unwavering pursuit of doing the right thing, even if it was hard. He did hard things for the right reasons.
What are the essential ingredients for a successful team? Through the work we’ve done together at Parker, I’ve learned the essential ingredient of a team is the magic of alignment. Teams must be aligned on the values most important to their company’s success; they must be aligned on the priorities of the company, and they must be aligned on putting the people that work for them first.
What is your dream job? In many ways, I’m doing my dream job now because I’m working with a team of people that I genuinely enjoy every day. Our team laughs, works hard, debates, and gets things done. I’m working in an industry that mirrors my personality well in that I don’t necessarily need or want the spotlight, but I do want to be recognized and appreciated for a job well done and/or for making other people’s lives easier. //
Brian Wolff is President & CEO at Parker Technology
