Hank Williams
CEO, Platform
Please describe your leadership style.
I’m really focused on excellence, everybody thinks that, but what that means varies from person to person. Details are of the utmost importance to me.
What is your mission statement?
Platform’s mission is to diversify the innovation economy. Outside of Platform, I am an entrepreneur; so the two jobs are very different.
What three skills are critical for the future executive that you hire for your organization?
–Ability to understand and master details.
–Understanding the big picture as well as the short term.
–Having a strong sense of humanity; actually caring about people, being a good person.
How does having an advanced degree benefit you and your clients?
I don’t have an advanced degree. I dropped out of UPenn!
How do you utilize technology to benefit your organization?
Every aspect of what we do is based around technology. From communication to organization, there is nothing that we do that isn’t really done technically.
Finish the sentences …
Teamwork is important because … without a team you can’t get any work done! Organizations that work in silos are vastly less [efficient].
The best way to recruit great talent is … to do great work. People want to work with other great people.
Speaking a second language is important because … critically important because at a young age learning different languages has a great value for brain development and your capacity to look at things in a different perspective.
What social media platforms do you engage in the most?
Twitter, Twitter and more Twitter. I like it because it’s like blogging. You are writing for a large audience, which has always appealed to me. I sort of see it as a micro version of publishing in a newspaper.
What professional organizations do you support?
I tend to be pretty focused, given the amount of time that I focus on Platform, I would rather spend 10 dollars in one place rather than 1 dollar in 10 places.
Describe your networking style.
You know it’s funny, I wouldn’t say that I am a great networker. I have friends who are phenomenal networkers where it just comes natural to them. I would say I’m a reluctant networker, I have a big network but it’s not because I’m great at it.
If you were giving a graduation speech to college students, what would the title of your speech be and give three reasons.
The title of the speech would be, “Don’t Forget What’s in Your Hand,” which was drawn from a speech by Adam Clayton Powell.
–One reason is life is all about taking advantage of the assets that you have. Whether they are traditional or one’s that most wouldn’t perceive as assets, it’s really important to recognize why that is
–The second reason is a lot of people don’t recognize the power they have
–The third reason is that I believe in the human capacity and the human spirit
Name your two favorite vacation destinations to relax and recharge tell us why they appeal to you.
Florida in the wintertime because when it is so miserable in NY, it’s great to go some place that is better.
Las Vegas because of the architecture. This is a city in my opinion that truly shows human capacity at its greatest.
What are you reading and your two favorite books?
I’m not reading much these days. I consider myself to be a computer historian, I’m extremely fascinated with the computer industry.
My first favorite book is Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.
My second favorite book is The Second Machine Age by Erik Brynjolfsson because it’s a cautionary tale of the role technology will play in our society and it’s not all a pretty picture.
Name three business leaders and political leaders who inspire you.
Business:
Robert Smith – Vista Equity
Marc Benioff – Salesforce
Oprah Winfrey
Political:
Adam Clayton Powell
Barack Obama
Jimmy Carter
Favorite sports team and hobbies?
1977 New York Yankees
My hobbies are my products and my work. I get the greatest joy out of creating things and making a difference in people’s lives and so that is what I spend my time doing.
Two favorite quotes that motivate you?
“What is that in your hand?” Bible Exodus 4:2
“I’m gonna make it do what it do, baby.” Ray Charles/Jamie Foxx in movie Ray
