How To Create Value Throughout An Entire Organization with Gary Arnold

In this episode of “Show Your Value,” Lee Benson is joined by his good friend Gary Arnold, a seasoned leader with over two decades of experience in startups and Fortune 500 companies including Paypal and GoDaddy. Gary discusses the critical importance of creating value for all stakeholders— customers, investors, employees, and the broader ecosystem. Our conversation also dives into the nuances of value creation, the differences between corporate and startup environments, and the essential elements of leadership and culture in business success. This episode is a must for anyone
looking to create value in the world.

What We Talk About:

1. Introduction to Value Creation:
   • Importance of creating value for customers, investors, employees, and all stakeholders.
   • Differentiating between material, emotional, and spiritual value creation.
2. Gary Arnold’s Career Journey:
   • Gary’s roles at Amazon, GoDaddy, and PayPal.
   • Insights from his diverse experiences as a charter boat captain, ski instructor, and more.
3. Corporate vs. Startup Environments:
   • Differences in resource constraints and problem-solving approaches.
   • Cultural dynamics and leadership styles in large companies versus startups.
4. Leadership and Culture:
   • The significance of emotional energy and connectedness in driving business success.
   • The role of customer obsession and transparency in effective leadership.
5. Practical Wisdom for CEOs:
   • The value of CEO peer groups and masterminds for continuous improvement.
   • Balancing confidence and vulnerability as a leader.
   • The importance of maintaining close contact with customers and the frontline team.

Quotes:

“Value has to be created for everybody in the equation, everybody in the ecosystem. It obviously has to be created for your customers or they’re not going to pay you and you’re not going to have a business. It has to be created for your investors because otherwise they’re not going to fund you. It also has to be created for your employees and your team, all of your stakeholders.”

“People want connection. Business is done between people, and that is a very easy thing to miss sometimes. The human contact and the human connection and the growth opportunities that your team gets through your organization and through interactions with you as a leader, that is absolutely critical to their perception of value within the organization.”

“In startups, there is a very natural constriction of resources, and therefore when you’re trying to accomplish something, it’s almost always with a resource constraint around it. People get creative in how they solve those problems and they test and learn quickly because they don’t have the time or the money to test deeply and broadly. That mindset is critical to startup success but can also be emulated in large companies.”

Guest Bio: Gary Arnold is an experienced leader in both startups and large corporations. He has led the formative stages of Amazon Pay, scaled Hu’s digital division, and built the merchant product marketing organization at PayPal. Beyond his corporate achievements, Gary has held various roles, including charter boat captain, ski instructor, and more, which have enriched his perspective on leadership and value creation.

Connect with Gary:

• LinkedIn
• EXECUTE MasterMIND™

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