Who and What is Inspiring Me?

Fall is such an amazing time of the year. The weather is changing, the leaves are turning different colors, and the frost is starting to come out on the trail as I take my early morning run around the lake nearby my house. As I embrace thankfulness from our Canadian celebration and get ready for U.S. Thanksgiving, and the holiday season shortly after, we have a true sense of confidence that we are “back to normal” for the first time in years. However, we face new obstacles as a collective economy that will bring different forms of pressure from the boardroom to the home front–rising inflation, increasing interest rates, and a higher standard of living.

Amongst all this turbulence is optimism. We may have faced the most challenging moment in our lifetime, working our way through the pandemic, but we have now built a societal mindset and resilience that allows us to put the economic downturn into perspective with a simple question: Who and what is inspiring me? ?

For me, it is always family and good friendships, a passion for work, living a purpose-driven life, and the opportunity to make a difference through technology to those less fortunate by breaking down barriers and the digital divide.?

It is always amazing watching my 10-year-old daughter face adversity with laughter and a personal confidence that everything will be okay. I suppose our children can see the world so clearly without any filters or biases that change as we get older through our learned experiences. There is such beauty in seeing the world through these different lenses over time, and I believe we as leaders can improve by heightening our focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the workplace. These vantage points can provide us with the answers to unstick roadblocks. It is through someone else’s lens, regardless of age, gender, or ethnicity, that the greatest answers to a difficult problem may exist. ?

I am a big believer in “reverse mentoring”. The art of building a multi-generational group of talent that you meet with constantly to get sound advice, candid commentary, and direct feedback. Too often, we of a certain age think that our role is to give advice; provide direction. But now more than ever, we must listen to our staff, and our children, as their wisdom and optimism for the future will be key to bringing those ideals to reality. For instance, a focus on a circular economy and a planet-over-profit mindset.?

My parents have always been another grounding force in my life. They inspire me and remind me that we are a proud immigrant family with my sister and I being first-generation. They have shown us what hard work means, the value of earning a dollar and the importance of kindness. Generational wealth and the growth in materiality can skew where our priorities sit and what is a “need-versus-a-want”. ?

Our good friend Maslow had a Hierarchy of Needs that begins with the importance of Food and Water as the foundation for an individual to eventually grow into the highest achievement in Self-Actualization. We cannot forget these fundamentals. Changes like we are seeing now in the economy, are going to force us to make tough decisions. I would encourage each of us to take that extra moment to enjoy the basics as our parents or grandparents might have; the beauty of just sitting and enjoying a great cup of coffee in the morning prior to a day filled with in-person meetings or video calls. A nice family breakfast all together without a mobile phone in your hands or the TV on in the background. A day out shopping for groceries together with a coupon, even though UBER Eats is more convenient.

The key is balance, not compromise. Moderation; not one or the other.?

For over 23 years, there has been one constant for the better part of my career as a tech leader and almost half of my life. My wife. All the miles travelled, difficult decisions made, and success achieved would not have been possible without her unwavering support. When we first met, she bought me a goldfish and made me laugh, reciting some lines from the movie Jerry Maguire. ?

To this day, whenever I have felt overwhelmed or have faced a challenging decision, my wife will make me laugh with a Jerry Maguire quote like, “I am out here for you. You don’t know what it’s like to be me out here for you.” Or Rod Tidwell, “Anyone else would have left you by now, but I am sticking with you.” And the famous Laurel, “I’m incapable of small talk.” I think we all need that supportive coach—the person who both inspires and hold us accountable to our commitments as a leader, a parent, a citizen, and whatever other roles we play.

Who is in your support system? Your coach? Your rock??

At CSI we are creating an environment that is working towards a different way to measure Best Places to Work. It combines the concept of Culture, DEI, and Support. We call it the Team Member Journey. From the moment you start your career, we welcome you in a personalized way and leverage a combination of buddy programs, peer-to-peer recognitions, wellness initiatives, podcast talks, and giving back to foster a “smart and healthy” organizational behavior. Similar to the lifelong affiliation we might have with an alum of a College or University, we want all Compugen Team Members to feel part of building this great company together.

For those of us in technology, the market projection is very sound as we look forward to 2023. Organizations as well as consumers have embraced our craft to support their daily lives. We now have a higher calling in our role to level up our contribution. From helping organizations improve their business results in the face of the economic downturn, to access to education, health, and work for those less fortunate by donating a laptop and bandwidth.??

The challenge is on as the leaves continue to transform the landscape around them. Let’s see if we can be that company, that person, that helps answer someone else’s question: Who and What is Inspiring Me?