Happy holidays everyone!

Lots to be grateful for this holiday season.

Couldn’t be more thankful for the growth of the RevGenius Community (surpassed 40k GTM professionals this year), RevRoom launch (exclusive executive leadership community launched this year), and this personal project of mine, the Collab newsletter (which just surpassed 2,400 subscribers this week!).

This issue marks my second collaboration for this newsletter.

Hearing different perspectives from different successful revenue collaborators helps us all learn and improve. It also builds community.

Last week we featured Lisa Kelly, a senior executive RevOps fractional, consultant, and advisor.

This week the spotlight is on David Maxey, who’s both a VP of RevOps and a fractional leader in his off hours.

He’s going to walk through the importance of focusing on the ‘why’ today with fractional (collaborative) leadership and in the upcoming weeks add in the ‘what’ and the ‘how’.

I hold both Lisa and David in the highest regard for their experiences in driving outcomes at a high level.

Let’s dive in…

The Big Idea

Focusing on the ‘why’

Part 1: Uncovering the 'Why'

Welcome, fellow executives and leaders! I'm excited to share my insights on leadership, especially the often-overlooked 'why' aspect.

This is the first part of a three-part series where we will explore the 'why', 'what', and 'how' of successful leadership.

Having navigated from scouting to the corporate world and into entrepreneurship, I've realized the transformative power of understanding the 'why' behind every decision and strategy.

Let's dive into this journey together!

My Leadership Journey

• Scout Leader Beginnings: My leadership path started as a scout leader. Here, I learned the basics - guiding others, setting goals, and the importance of understanding the reasons behind actions.

• Restaurant Business Rigor: The restaurant industry taught me operational rigor. It's a fast-paced world where efficiency and understanding the 'why' behind every decision are crucial.

• Corporate America to COO: In corporate America, I climbed from an Account Executive to COO. This journey was about much more than just business strategies; it was about understanding the deeper motivations and goals of the organization.

• MBA and Entrepreneurship: Pursuing an MBA opened new horizons. Post-MBA, starting my consulting business was a natural step, combining my experiences and knowledge to guide other businesses effectively.

For a detailed view of my professional journey and endorsements, check my LinkedIn profile.

The Importance of ‘Why’ in Fractional Leadership

Fractional leadership, a unique role often part-time but immensely impactful, involves stepping into various organizations and quickly making a difference. 

The biggest challenge? 

Not getting lost in the immediate 'what' and 'how', but digging deep into the 'why'. 

Understanding the 'why' means grasping the core values, mission, and underlying issues of an organization. 

It's about connecting strategies with these core elements to drive genuine, lasting change.

This understanding transforms a good leader into a great one, turning short-term fixes into long-term successes.

Benefits of Focusing on 'Why'

• Attracting Right Clients: Leaders who emphasize 'why' draw clients who value depth and long-term solutions.

• Effective Solutions: Understanding the 'why' leads to more effective, sustainable strategies.

• Reputation and Network: This approach builds a reputation for thoroughness, attracting strong referrals and a professional network.

Applying the 'Why'

To uncover the 'why', start with open-ended questions, listen actively, and delve into the organization's history and culture. 

Reflect on past experiences, as I did with my scout leader background and corporate roles, to find parallels and insights.

Conclusion

In summary, the 'why' is the cornerstone of impactful leadership.

Stay tuned for the next parts of this series, where we'll explore the 'what' and 'how'.

Meanwhile, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn for more insights and discussions.

2 Resources

I. Don’t Get Left Behind: The Ecosystem-Led Marketing Train

Scott Barker of GTM Partners explores how ecosystem-led growth has been and continues to gain momentum as a go-to-market motion. (read GTMnow’s article here)

II. Product-led growth isn't going to save you in 2024, so what will?

It’s no secret that most B2B tech companies have had a less-than-ideal 2023. It has been full of layoffs, diminished growth, and missed revenue goals. Everyone is determined to have a better 2024, with the future of many companies depending on it. (read Pavilion’s article here)

3 Collaborators

I. Abi Williams

Abi was put on my radar by an outstanding go-to-market leader Jonathan Moss. She has over 20+ years of experience in VC & PE-backed companies in B2B, B2C2B, SaaS, Big Tech, Ad Tech, and Martech in the EMEA & global markets with a focus on revenue growth, monetization, digital transformation, GTM strategy, corporate strategy and leadership development. Businesses reach out to her for: fractional CRO work, C-Suite & Executive Coaching, and to be a GTM Advisor. (Follow her on LinkedIn)

II. Liza Adams

Following a successful exit at Encompass Technologies, Liza currently serves as a fractional CMO, go-to-market exec advisor, and applied AI consultant to high-growth B2B tech and tech-enabled companies.

With over 20 years of experience in the B2B SaaS, IaaS, artificial intelligence (AI), cloud, and networking spaces, her track record includes successfully taking public and private companies, ranging from $40M to $4B in revenue, to the next level of growth. Notably, she’s held go-to-market executive roles at Encompass, Smartsheet (SMAR), Pure Storage (PSTG), Brocade (now AVGO), Juniper Networks (JNPR), Level 3 Communications (now LUMN), Virtela (now NTT.F), and WilTel/WorldCom (now VZ). (Follow her on LinkedIn)

III. Shane Jamison

Shane works with founders, execs, and sales leaders to scale their sales org. During his 20+ year career he worked in Sales Leadership and Strategic Advisor roles; being a part of GTM teams that have grown from $1M to $30M ARR, and $50M-$250M. His mission is to help generate drastic growth for teams and organizations from start-up phases to the next level, by leading and mentoring talent into top producers and sales leaders who consistently produce. (Follow him on LinkedIn)

Thanks for reading!

Have any awesome folks you’d like to refer?

Reply to this email and let us know what you’d like to see more. And a big thank you to all who made it to this point.

Until next week,

Jared

3 ways I can help you scale your business with Collaboration:

1. Join RevGenius (free).

2. Introduction to collaborators to help your business scale (reply for intros).

3. Promote yourself in this newsletter and to my 40k personal following on LinkedIn (LINK).