Breathe, Investigate and Think: Interview with Greg Peters, CEO of Zilliant

Read the full interview on the Adam Mendler Leadership Blog. 

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth? 

Greg: I tend to refer to myself as the “accidental CEO.” I grew up playing sports which certainly taught me teamwork and leadership skills, but I never aspired to be CEO of a software company. I attended a small liberal arts college where I played sports and upon taking my first college exam, I failed. I learned at that moment that nothing is ever handed to you. My business career started in public accounting, and then I briefly worked in sports marketing. From there, I entered the world of tech. This led me to move to New Jersey where I became CFO of a tech company. One day they called and told me they were letting the current CEO go and wanted me to be the acting CEO. Not wanting to pass up an incredible opportunity, I took the role, and ultimately threw my name in the hat for the role permanently. From there, I got involved with a tech company in Austin, and took that one public. The investors at that company were also investors at Zilliant, where I am in my current role as CEO. I have always felt that at its core, software is really about people and so is sports – so the role of a tech CEO always made sense for me.

Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business? 

Greg: A company needs capital. Any CEOs first job is to know that. Next, you must have a plan and understand your own business model. In my experience, knowing when to scale and when to wait is key.

Greg: I believe in servant leadership. I don’t want to ─ and I can’t ─ make every decision inside the company. Do we have the right culture? The right people? The right processes? Those are the decisions I focus on. Ultimately, I strive to empower my employees.

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level? 

Greg: There are leaders throughout an organization. Truly, leadership and leaders have nothing to do with job titles… read the full interview on the Adam Mendler Leadership Blog.