Thinking Like a CEO with Dan Slagen

Dan Slagen and Joe Lynch discuss thinking like a CEO and why it is so important these days for every employee regardless of their job function. Dan is currently the Chief Marketing Officer at Tomorrow.io and the author of Understanding Start-Up CEOs: And the Mindset You Need to Successfully Work For One.

About Dan Slagen

Dan Slagen is currently the Chief Marketing Officer at Tomorrow.io, and a 4-time start-up executive specializing in scaling global go-to-market functions from early stage to $100M+ in annual revenue. With experience in both private and public companies such as HubSpot and Wayfair, Dan has built teams across marketing, growth, sales, customer success, business development, and founded and sold a video technology startup of his own. A frequent speaker and advisor, Dan has spoken at more than 50 conferences and has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, CNBC, TechCrunch, and Bloomberg TV amongst others. Above all else, Dan believes in creativity, drive, and a people first mentality. Dan graduated from Endicott College with a degree in international business and marketing, and currently lives with his family in Boston, Massachusetts.

About Understanding Start-Up CEOs: And the Mindset You Need to Successfully Work For One

Do you ever wonder what goes on in the mind of a CEO?

What are they thinking?

What motivates them?

How can I be successful working for one?

These are all common questions that if go unanswered make it seem like CEOs are impossible to understand.

To successfully work with the CEO at any organization, you need to perform at a level you might not be used to from past positions, company cultures, or expectations. In addition, expect your relationship with the CEO to present both unique career-building opportunities as well as daunting and over-whelming challenges at times. Above all else though, remember that one of your CEO’s core functions is to make sure the right people are in the right positions at all times, which means your boss will be looking at you more times than you might think and asking whether you’re still the right fit given the needs of the company.

This book, purposefully conversational in tone, focuses on how you can do 10x better in your role by thinking like a CEO.

About Tomorrow.io

Tomorrow.io is The World’s Weather and Climate Security Platform, helping countries, businesses, and individuals manage their weather and climate security challenges. Fully customizable to any industry impacted by the weather, customers around the world including ITS ConGlobal, Uber, Delta, Ford, National Grid, and more use Tomorrow.io to dramatically improve operational efficiency. Tomorrow.io was built from the ground up to help teams prepare for the business impact of weather by automating decision-making and enabling climate adaptation at scale.

Key Takeaways: Thinking Like a CEO

Dan Slagen is the CMO of Tomorrow.io and the author of Understanding Start-Up CEOs: And the Mindset You Need to Successfully Work For One.
Dan has led teams at both private and public companies, with significant experience reporting to the CEO.
In the podcast interview, Dan shares the how to think like a CEO – see his insights below:
The CEO Mindset
- They know it’s broken/take it off their plate – bring solutions!
- CEO’s hear everything going on in the organization so conduct yourself properly especially when “nobody is watching.”
- Predictive adaptation/phase planning/anticipate
- CEOs are successful because they don’t quit or accept no for an answer.
Performance and Leadership
- Use story-telling to describe the problem and your recommended solution.
- Be a daily active user of the services or tech that your company sells.
- Raise the bar/hire owners.
Managing Yourself
- CEOs generally take care of themselves and you should too.
- Manage your energy (energize, don’t lose steam, mental challenges).
- Don’t ignore your life (stay in shape, hobbies, family, friends…etc).
- Believe in the mission, show up and compete.
- Be grateful, positive, and expect good things to happen.