Tom is an executive in Professional Services and Software Sales with over 25 years of business and technology experience. He is currently serving as Senior Principal, Change Management and Transformation, Thought Leadership, and Advisory Services. 

Tom spent a significant part of his career at Oracle Corporation, 19 years to be exact. He was the Senior Director of the Sales Performance Group in Oracle’s Global Sales Academy. He has also served in various leadership roles at Oracle in both Sales and Consulting, across midsize and enterprise customers, in North America and globally.

He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Regent University (Virginia Beach, VA) and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership, with honors, with a focus on Leadership and Management from Regis University (Denver, CO). Tom has also received multiple business certifications and is an award-winning researcher and author.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Tom Tonkin discuss:

• Leveling the playing field
• Sitting in the discomfort of the unknown 
• Trusting your convictions 
• Boldness contains fear 

Key Takeaways:

• When somebody from the lower hierarchy contradicts or speaks an idea that isn’t aligned with someone from the upper hierarchy, it tends to create a lot of discomfort. It’s essential for good leaders to hear people out and ask questions, no matter what their position is. 
• Give yourself and your team the opportunity to sit in the discomfort of brainstorming in the unknown, of figuring out something that’s beyond what they know and are comfortable with. 
• Guarantee your work. Be bold and trust your convictions no matter how you got there, whether through data or intuition. 
• Boldness always contains fear and just making the difference of being bold won’t guarantee that all your ideas will take off. Still, you’ve got to keep trying. 

“Everyone will get this feeling of ‘what have I done that has lasted or has made a difference?’ Somewhere along your career, you’re gonna want to point back to something. ” —  Tom Tonkin

See Dean’s TedTalk “Why Business Needs Intuition” here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEq9IYvgV7I

Connect with Tom Tonkin:  

Website: https://salesconservatory.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtomtonkin/

Connect with Dean:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqRK8GC8jBIFYPmECUCMkw

Website: https://www.mfileadership.com/

The Mission Statement E-Newsletter: https://www.mfileadership.com/blog/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/deannewlund

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators/

Email: dean.newlund@mfileadership.com

Phone: 1-800-926-7370

Show notes by Podcastologist: Justine Talla

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You’re the expert. Your podcast will prove it.