![]() “I’m constantly reminding folks that it’s OK to be looking at your role and saying, ‘Do I have the skills and ability to step into this? It’s healthy to be stretched like that.’” Jim Collins, and the importance of talentĪs Kirk grew into her leadership role at CSC, she had what she considered a truly formative experience. In many ways, being humble and honest about your current skill set-and where you can grow-shows a level of emotional intelligence reserved only for the best of the best.Īs a current lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Kirk often talks to her students about the value of self-awareness. That initial hesitancy is a natural feeling among leaders. I learned a lot, very quickly, and I benefited from really great mentors.” She continued, “I was stretched beyond comprehension. When asked what it was like to take charge of a division that, at the time, was 4,000-plus employees strong, Kirk replied matter-of-factly. By then, at the age of 38, she was tapped to run a billion-dollar division of Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), an international company dealing in IT services and consulting. She continued on, into the computer science sector. Some of your best talent development opportunities are when you’re in a company that’s struggling.” And, a year in, they actually shuttered the company. “I stepped out of IBM and into a startup that was struggling. ![]() That drive led to her next engagement-and some immediate headwinds. When Kirk left IBM, she felt empowered to strike out on bigger, more daring adventures. For Kirk, the experience had an indelible impact, inspiring both her leadership philosophy and her current outlook on organizational design. That kind of talent-first mindset was rare then-and many would argue it’s still rare now. Every time I gained mastery in one job, I got a new one,” she recalled. Her story is one of constant development, frequent promotions, and opportunities seized. “I learned what it could mean as an employee to get that kind of investment,” she said.Īs Kirk dedicated her talent to IBM, her loyalty was reciprocated throughout her tenure. According to Kirk, that included something previously unheard of: a full year of training to ensure she was set up for success. “There wasn’t, in 1981, a huge supply of folks who wanted to go build and sell the enterprise technology they were selling.”Įn route to becoming an industry juggernaut on par with modern-day Apple, IBM committed early on to the learning and development of its people. “IBM knew they had to develop lots of people to go out and drive market growth,” she explained. There, she learned firsthand what a “talent investment” could help an organization achieve. A Dartmouth graduate, she spent the first 11 years of her career at IBM. Kirk knew talent was a competitive differentiator from the moment she entered the workforce. Along the way, we talked about her path to becoming an executive, her mentorship under the great Jim Collins, and how Ingersoll Rand is making talent its competitive advantage. I sat down with Kirk to discuss the importance of people to business success. Yet if there’s one throughline to her storied career, it’s this: Talent is everything. With an industry-spanning resume that includes leadership roles in technology, education, energy, and financial services, Kirk is no stranger to managing successful businesses. As CEO of PI, I have the distinct pleasure of working with Kirk, and consider her both a mentor and friend. She also serves as a board member for a variety of businesses, including Ingersoll Rand, Thomson Reuters, and The Predictive Index. Kirk Arnold is a three-time CEO, a lecturer at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, and an Executive in Residence at General Catalyst.
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