Ask Yourself, Chief Revenue Officers ... Do You Have a Dan?

The complexities of managing a global business these days are immense The rate of change has increased exponentially and weamp8217re constantly trying to give shape and structure to a media industry that is evolving dailyamp160 As the saying goes weamp8217re all trying to build the plane as we fly itamp160 Add to that the need to keep connected through meetings phone email text Slack and our calendars and sanity can quickly get overwhelmedUntil I can download my consciousness into an AI assistant or split myself in two lord knows I need to lose the weight I need helpamp160 Really good helpSo I got myself a DanIt took me a minute to get to know Dan Walsh amp160I didnamp8217t point my finger at him in our first meeting and say amp8220that kidamp8217s a staramp8221 amp160We were introduced when I led the Tumblr sales team amp160When Yahoo acquired the company Dan came aboard to work on sales opsWhen I jumped to BuzzFeed and needed a head of sales ops Dan was first in line amp160By then I knew how good he was but I had no idea how great he was going to beIn the beginning it was all about speed amp160I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the org in my first 90 daysamp160 Dan required zero translation and got it instantly without having to be told twice or sometimes told at all amp160We kicked through that 90plan in 40 days and along the way Dan went from being feared and loathed by the sales team they called him amp8220Stamperamp8221 to earning their respect and friendshipDanamp8217s title is Vice President of Sales and Business Strategy but really thatamp8217s because ConsigliereBoy Genius Younger Handsomer More Affable Lee would look weird on a business card Heamp8217s an indispensable partner to me amp160He is totally unbiased and has no agenda beyond the good of the company and teammatesamp160 He is honest and critical in pressure testing my thinking amp160When we debate an idea it inevitably comes out betterLike me Dan loves few things more than identifying a problem stepping up to the olamp8217 whiteboard usually with a glass of bourbon in hand and drawing up a planamp160 But when having a Dan really becomes transformational is when we leave the whiteboard and take that plan into the organization Because I know Dan will sell it in with passion and a clear wellarticulated POVI am a firm believer in amp8220having a Danamp8221 amp160Itamp8217s about a lot more than just delegationamp160 Itamp8217s about being fearless in empowering someone you believe inamp160 Itamp8217s about finding a partner who you know beyond a doubt will champion your visionamp160 Because a good Dan will have challenged and created that vision with youEveryoneamp8217s Dan looks a little different amp160Iamp8217m in market constantly so I need a partner on the homefront implementing strategy tracking results getting feedback and helping reformulate as necessaryamp160 I need someone who can exercise my authority decisions on escalations new hires reporting to the Board and do what needs to be done in the same way I would do itamp160 Hopefully even a little bit betterOf course having a Dan requires some sacrifice on my part amp160That eternally challenging act of amp8220letting goamp8221 amp160Because having a Dan doesnamp8217t work if your Dan isnamp8217t fully empowered amp160I have to be ok with other people thinking Dan is doing the operational side of my job amp160I have to be ok with not always being the first call when a fire breaks out internallyAnd it cuts both ways amp160The organization needs to be okay seeing Dan stand in for me in meetings when Iamp8217m on the roadamp160 They need to trust that Danamp8217s decision is my decision and that theyamp8217re not going to come to me and get another answeramp160If Iamp8217m lucky my career will continue to grow amp160And one day Iamp8217ll be in a job where I can hire my own CROamp160 My first question for any prospective candidate will be amp8220Do you have a Danamp8221 amp160If they donamp8217t have a Dan I will know that they donamp8217t have a clue amp160Because in todayamp8217s world if a CRO doesnamp8217t have a trusted partner to help strategize and execute their organization will grind to a halt amp160Anyone trying to do this job singlehandedly will failAdmittedly there is one downside to having a Dan amp160Dans are inevitably destined for bigger and better thingsIamp8217m a bit sad but incredibly proud to say that Dan is getting welldeserved promotion outside the sales organization a massive role within the company that is critical to our growth amp160Nobody deserves it more than Dan WalshNonetheless I do find myself with a job opening amp160So for any aspiring Danamp8217s out there apply within amp160A taste for bourbon is not mandatory but preferredClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersamp160

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Ask Yourself, Chief Revenue Officers ... Do You Have a Dan?

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Lee Brown

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Ask Yourself, Chief Revenue Officers ... Do You Have a Dan?

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