“Your first and foremost job as a leader is to take charge of your own energy and then help to orchestrate the energy of those around you.”
Gabe Rogol is the Chief Executive Officer of Demandbase. In his role, Rogol is responsible for fulfilling the company’s mission of transforming how B2B companies go-to-market. Since joining Demandbase in 2012, Rogol has been integral in setting the product and corporate strategy for the company. Rogol has led Demandbase through three acquisitions and the launch of Demandbase One, the most complete suite of B2B go-to-market solutions. Under Rogol’s leadership, Demandbase has more than doubled revenue in two years and has won multiple awards including Inc. 5000, the San Francisco Business Times Best Places to Work, JMP Securities list “The Hot 100: The Best Privately Held Software Companies,” the Deloitte Fast 500 and Gartner’s Cool Vendor for Tech Go-To-Market. Throughout his two-plus decade career, Rogol has held numerous leadership positions, including managing world-class customer service and sales teams at IDG and other leading publishers.
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Can you tell us a story about the hard times that you faced when you first started your journey? Did you ever consider giving up?
Gabe Rogol: I would say that the hardest times for me were when I was my own worst critic. I have always been the one to push myself to do what’s most challenging. It keeps me on the path of improvement. What’s been most difficult for me on this journey is when I feel that there’s not a lot I can do to change macro conditions. I’d be lying if I said my journey to becoming CEO was quick and straightforward. At times it felt like I was stuck, but I was glad I was patient during the process and continued to challenge and encourage myself. As for giving up, that was never an option. I love challenges too much.
Often leaders are asked to share the best advice they received. But let’s reverse the question. What’s the worst advice you received?
Gabe Rogol: That’s a tough one. I’d hate to throw anyone under the bus if they were to read this and say, “hey, I gave him that advice!” Instead, I’ll share advice I’ve gotten that I don’t believe to be true, which is that people are who they are and can’t change. I honestly believe that people can change. This is so important, too, when it comes to judging talent. There’s this school of thought that a lot of industry people have where you know what you’re getting, especially later in people’s careers. But I don’t believe that. I think no matter where you are in your career path, there is always room to learn, grow and even pivot.
Resilience is critical in critical times like the ones we are going through now. How would you define resilience?
Gabe Rogol: Resilience is a mindset that enables you to view every challenge or seeming setback as an opportunity to learn and grow.
What is most important to your organization—mission, vision or values?
Gabe Rogol: I don’t think you can really have one without the others, if you want your business to be successful. They all really tie together to create the foundation of any business. Your mission has to be consistent and reinforced, your vision must be continually refined and your values have to be authentic.
Delegating is part of being a great leader, but what have you found helpful to get your managers to become valiant leaders as well?
Gabe Rogol: It’s all about setting clear expectations on what a leader is and what their role is in the company. For example, we made the decision that vice president is the level where you become an executive at the company. In doing so, we’ve become very intentional about hiring VPs and also promoting the key characteristics that are expected of them when they join. In creating those expectations, you need to also offer the tools to make them achievable. For example, our vice presidents get placed in cohort groups and are given coaches for six months at a time. It’s about being super intentional regarding expectations and the areas that need to be improved. They own the business challenges of both their teams and the whole business, which enables us to scale.
Being a CEO of the company, do you think that your personal brand reflects your company’s values?
Gabe Rogol: Definitely; there’s a big overlap. Your personal brand has to reflect the company’s authenticity and, in doing so, the company will inevitably reflect your personal brand as well. If you don’t live your personal life in accordance with the values you set for your company, it’ll eventually become obvious – and vice versa. At the same time, though, it’s important to remember you are not the company. So you must be vigilant in maintaining your personal life and identity, or you’ll be at risk for getting completely burned out. As cliche as it sounds, having a healthy work-life balance is immensely important.
How would you define “leadership”?
Gabe Rogol: For me, being a leader is about having a vision that people believe in and empowering those you lead to achieve beyond what they thought was possible.
What would you say is the main difference between starting a business at the time you started yours and starting the business in today’s age?
Gabe Rogol: I would say that the environment in which we work has dramatically changed. Nine years ago when I started my journey with Demandbase, working from home was never even an option. So, the flexibility of remote work and the expectations around where and how people work has changed substantially. The technology we have now has changed the way businesses start, and has given entrepreneurs a leg up. Everything can be done from an app or a phone and promoted on social media. We have far more resources available for people who want to start a business, which is really exciting.
What’s your favorite “leadership” quote and how has it affected the way you implement your leadership style?
Gabe Rogol: “Your first and foremost job as a leader is to take charge of your own energy and then help to orchestrate the energy of those around you.” ― Peter F. Drucker
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Gabe Rogol for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Gabe Rogol or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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