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Thank you to the 1,400 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 questions!
I hope reading
7 Questions with Dave Gregory
helps you in your leadership.
Cheers,
Jonno White
7 Questions with Dave Gregory
Name: Dave Gregory
Current title: President & Chief Executive Officer
Current organization: Conatus3 LLC
I've been designing, developing, and delivering programs which improve organizational performance for more than 25 years. My curiosity to understand why some people consistently exceed expectations while others don't, led me into the study of organizational performance. As a Researcher at Bellevue University's Human Capital Lab and a practitioner in the field of human performance, I've developed strategic alliances and joint ventures with the most advanced science-based thought leaders in the field.

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1. What have you found most challenging as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise?
Process discipline. Many of the large enterprises I've worked in or supported design and develop excellent processes for people development. Most fail to execute due to a lack of process discipline.
2. How did you become a CEO or executive of a large enterprise? Can you please briefly tell the story?
My curiosity in human performance helped me identify that most great leaders have a passion for creating value and a willingness to continuous improve themselves as well as their people. I sought opportunities which used my strengths and focused on continuously improving the P&L for the organizations I supported.
3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?
Jeffrey Gitomer, the King of Sales and one of my coaches, taught me that I should begin each day with learning something. He suggests reading and spending time writing each morning. I begin each day by taking 30 minutes to discover something new (reading) and thinking about how to apply the knowledge to help our clients and our team. I believe physical activity is important, so I schedule time to workout every day. It's on my calendar and I use it for stretching, lifting weights, isometric exercises, or walking. My calendar is filled with activities to support our clients and people. As I mentioned, I schedule everything. If it's not on my calendar, it likely will not get done. I end the day with gratitude. I like to spend a few minutes thinking about three things which I was grateful for that day. This helps me sleep better.
4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?
A time management tip from Rory Vaden to help multiple time. Ask yourself, “What’s the most important thing I can do today that would make tomorrow better?” Then, when you are looking at your tasks and appointments, ask these four questions:
1: Can I eliminate this task?
2: If I can’t eliminate this task, can I automate it?
3: Can it be delegated, or can I teach someone else how to do this?
4: Should I do this task now, or can I do it later?
Purposeful procrastination to ensure focus on the most significant things versus just urgent and/or important.
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?
I began reading Jeffrey Gitomer's writings in about 1998. His no nonsense, practical, and common sense writing made it easy to understand and apply to sales and leadership. His 2005 book, The Little Red Book of Selling, had a profound impact on my personal plan for life and leading people. In 2015, The Sales Bible, by Gitomer reinforced many of the things I believed in, was researching and proving in organizational performance. So, not just one book, but Jeffrey's writings overall.
6. How do you build leadership capacity in a large enterprise?
One person at a time. Individualized development plans based upon their preferred behavior styles, motivators, and strengths or natural talents. Developing leaders requires individualized development planning. This must begin with bias free measurements which can be repeated to demonstrate progress.
7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise so far?
Communication is critically important. During the pandemic, connecting with people became more challenging, but not impossible. Reaching out to people in multiple ways allowed our teams to thrive and support our clients during a period when it would have been easy to step back. Find ways to communicate in multiple ways.