Building Culture, Focus, and AI Readiness - Matt Waxman - Shift & Thrive - Episode # 068
What does it take to lead a company through transformation while keeping people motivated, curious, and focused on the future? In this episode of Shift & Thrive, Natalie sits down with Matt Waxman, Chief Product Officer at Arctera, a data management company reimagining how enterprises handle compliance, resilience, and lifecycle governance. From making people “comfortably uncomfortable” to creating a culture that embraces experimentation, Matt explores how leaders can align teams around a shared strategy, harness AI as an accelerator (not a replacement), and keep transformation human-centered.
Takeaways:
- Culture drives transformation. Change only sticks when people feel safe to take risks and fail forward, creating an environment where learning and experimentation are rewarded.
- Make people uncomfortably comfortable. Growth requires disruption; leaders must push teams to think differently while maintaining psychological safety and trust.
- Lead with clarity, not chaos. Aligning on strategy first, why and what success looks like, sets the foundation before diving into structure, goals, or execution.
- Focus is your growth engine. Narrowing your go-to-market efforts, customer touchpoints, and messaging allows for deeper impact and more meaningful relationships.
- AI should eliminate “soul-crushing work.” Use AI to remove repetitive tasks, accelerate creativity, and empower teams to focus on strategic thinking.
- Adapt your leadership to the moment. Situational leadership, balancing consistency in values with flexibility in approach, is key to thriving through any transformation.
Links:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-waxman-9a2411/
- Website: https://www.arctera.io/
Ways to Tune In:
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2D1YbT2QhKxIwbREpU7EMb
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shift-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change/id1740828813
- Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fa60b654-1955-4055-93df-fdd40c2a5c8f/shift-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change
- iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-shift-thrive-ceo-insights-166792501
- Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/shift-and-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change/PC:1001086797
This show is sponsored by Magnetude Consulting, bringing you the thinking-Power of a Growth Consultancy and the Getting-It-Done Power of a full-service B2B Marketing Agency.
Learn more at: https://www.magnetudeconsulting.com
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