Al Rosabal joins the show to share his thoughts on leadership, bettering yourself and overcoming C-suite challenges. Join us for an in depth on the working a the C-level in a variety of industries and how a skillset can really be agnostic.
ABOUT OUR GUEST
Al Rosabal is an accomplished CXO who has served in 4 distinct sectors moving up with each change. CTO for a joint venture with Ford Europe, CTO for the city of Denver, CTO and COO for National Cinemedia and COO for Galvanize.
GET IN TOUCH WITH AL ROSABAL ON LINKEDIN
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
Podfly Productions: Podfly.net
Veterans of Foreign Wars: VFWpost1.org
KEY TAKEAWAYS
[1:52] Michael introduces Al Rosabal and asks his to share an interesting tidbit about himself — a month off riding his bike in Patagonia!
TAKING CHANCES [4:44] Al shares his experience diving into an opportunity at Ford in europe and chalks this opportunity up to good relationships, good timing, taking chances and a bit of luck. He touches on having maybe gone rogue to drive change and make some exciting things happen!
SOLUTIONS AND CHALLENGES [9:09] The Jaguar X Type launch is one of the use cases that Al looks back to in terms of finding gaps and establishing agile solutions to fill them. Al also speaks to some of the challenges he faced dealing with such a complex organisation in a different culture (not only in a new country but in a new company!).
A GOOD LEADER IS A GOOD FOLLOWER [13:22] Al’s work in the C-suite has taught him that even at the highest levels, you always are accountable to someone. He shares his experience COO and CTO at National Cinemedia, and touches on what it takes to be a strong leader as well as how important it is to be surrounded with people whose values align with yours.
CORPORATE VS PUBLIC [19:08] Al has worked at the C-level in corporations but also for a municipality and he details the similarities and differences you’ll find between both as well as the primary drivers that propel them into the future.
ANY SECTOR WORKS [24:02] Having worked in a multitude of sectors ranging from media to automotive, Al speaks to the importance of choosing a job for the role and opportunity for growth, learning and developing your intellectual flexibility. Additionally, he highlights that there is a core set of skills to any c-level job, independent of sector.
PREPARING FOR A CEO ROLE [25:54] Al’s attraction to the CEO role is intimately linked to wanting to have a deeper impact on the company and putting his skills to good use. He also touches on the preparation for a CEO role: it is not a finite endeavour, no one is ever fully prepared — it’s a difficult role. Al shares how he studies success and tries to palliate his weaknesses as well as the importance of the people that surround you.
PIVOTAL MOMENTS [30:07] Al shares a few key moments — or stretch roles — in his career that marked a substantial change in how he perceived his role and helped him grow.
CHALLENGES AND REWARDS [33:14] Al speaks of his experience as a CEO, the challenges, rewards and things he’s proud of. He also touches on his management style: accountability, transparency, integrity, people.
TIPS FOR ASPIRING C’S [40:49] Al shares key tips for people looking to reach the C-level: get exposure, find and grab opportunities and find a coach.
BEST WORST JOB AL EVER HAD [44:02] Al doesn’t find he ever had a ‘worst’ job, only more or less challenging roles. He shares how each of them have contributed to him learning more about himself and bettering his skillset.
[48:49] Michael thanks Al Rosabal for coming on the podcast to share his insight and closes out the podcast with his favorite takeaways.
We hope you learned something today and enjoyed the conversation. Please gives us 5 stars on iTunes and share your comments so we can improve and ask the questions you want to hear.
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari
Extreme Survival, by JG Press
DisneyWar, by James B. Stewart
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Jalan Crossland for the music
Angela Johnson at OC Executive Search
Joseph Batty at Podfly
Corey Coates at Podfly
ABOUT YOUR HOST
For the past 20 years, Michael Mitchel, B.A., has been interviewing leaders in their fields. He started his career recruiting for United Parcel Service in Seattle, where he implemented the company's Welfare to Work program for the Washington State District. He has recruited for Federal agencies and U.S. Department of Defense contractors for classified programs internationally. He Founded OC Executive Search in 2001 to serve companies ranging from startups to Global F10.
Michael is an honorably discharged veteran of the U.S. Navy and enjoys skiing, cycling, traveling, photography as well as hiking in the Colorado Rockies with his cattle dog, Kala the Wunderdawg.
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