Optimism through adversity: the true measure of winners

Through an unimaginable 2020, so many summoned the courage to rise. In my first year as ServiceNow CEO, I feel honored to have experienced the power of our employees firsthand who stepped up to demonstrate what our rallying cry of #ServiceNowStrong truly means.

I couldn’t let 2020 come to a close without acknowledging these and other achievements in the face of adversity. Through it all, our teams never wavered; we got tougher. That’s what winners do.

As we look ahead to a new year, let’s collectively move forward together. Here are three truths I’ve shared with ServiceNow employees over this year.

Conviction to the mission

A strong purpose builds a strong company. Purpose-driven companies innovate and prosper while others falter. They stand for something larger than themselves and they have unmatched conviction to their mission.

Our purpose at ServiceNow is to make the world of work, work better for people. Early on in the pandemic, we put that purpose to the test – What could we do with our platform to help? In just a month, we were ready to roll! We launched emergency response apps to help organizations manage essential needs for employee health and safety. Four weeks later, we updated those Safe Workplace apps to make going back to the workplace work for everyone. Today, we continue to launch new features and support nearly 1,000 organizations around the world who rely on these apps.

In February and even early March, none of this had been on anyone’s mind. And yet, guided by our purpose, we wanted to be the catalyst of action to fundamentally change the lives of people. Purpose brings people together to get the job done. To get over the finish line strong.

 It’s all about people

There is no stopping us when we stick together. 2020 proved that was true, even when we were physically distant.

As protests this summer opened our eyes to a global racial reckoning, my leadership team and I heard from our ServiceNow colleagues loud and clear. Some shared stories of the injustices they’d experienced as people of color. Others expressed fear for what could happen to their kids. They asked for ServiceNow’s support.

As a company, we listened. And then, we acted. We had tough conversations that led to new understandings. We rolled out a 5-point plan to drive meaningful, sustainable change. We stuck together and it made us stronger.

People will always be at the core of what we do. ServiceNow operates at the intersection of technology and great experiences – we make work flow better for people in ways they can’t see or quantify. 2020 pushed companies to operate in new and faster ways, pivoting their business models. Everyone had to adapt to new employee and customer expectations. These are workflow problems. That’s our business! We stepped up to lead this once-in-a-generation opportunity to make work, work better for people and solve these tough challenges – on behalf of the customers, partners, and employees we serve.

Like any company, we have revenue targets and financial goals. We publicly share them. But those are far from our only ambitions.

Deloitte was kind enough to ask me to contribute to their 2021 Global Human Capital Trends report. I noted that we’re in a human moment where any connection that doesn’t absolutely lean into people won’t go anywhere. Empathy for people makes the difference in whether you’ll come out better and whether you’ll come out different. Our ambitions must be so much greater.

 Believe big time

As we look forward to 2021, I couldn’t be more optimistic. The world will look very different. The pandemic put a spotlight on enterprise-level agility, resilience, speed, and value. There isn’t an industry around the world that hasn’t had to adjust.

We’re in an experience economy. We have to see the world through our customers’ eyes. We have to have empathy for the experiences they create for the people they serve.

Winners dream big. We have to set bold goals this year. We have to go after those goals with a mix of hunger and humility. We have to see openings and take the shot. We have to work together.

Optimism is the only free stimulus. As we leave 2020 behind, let us not forget the power of humanity, even during the toughest of battles. As this video shows, ServiceNow employees will start 2021 stronger than ever before. On behalf of our 13,000+ people around the world, we’re sending warm holiday wishes to you and your loved ones. Stay well.