Today we celebrate Read Across America Day, a day established to get kids (and adults) excited about reading and to come together to share the joy of reading with one another. The day was established by the National Education Association (NEA) in 1998; today, the NEA encourages a year-round approach to diverse readers around the nation, while providing 12 months of recommended books, authors, and teaching resources that promote diversity and inclusion.
Celebrating a Legendary Author: Playful Poetry for the IT Ecosystem
That Sam I am, that Sam I am…
I do not like a single-vendor plan
I would not like them without multi-vendor orchestration
I would not like them without solution aggregation
I would not like them without bundling end-to-end servicing
I would not like them without flexible IT financing
I would not like them without passing a cloud and cybersecurity exam
No, I do not like a single-vendor plan
The Client Executive paused her Zoom meeting, started her routine,
“I’m pulling up some slides now… caaaaaannnnnn you see my screen?”
“In this deck are two options, Solution 1 and Solution 2,
these solutions are good solutions, for both your customer and for you.”
She plugged in some numbers, and out popped a report
Like a prophet of profits, the projected earnings weren’t short
The partners thought and they thought, then said to the CE,
“We don’t want one solution… instead, we’ll take three.”
One Cloud.
Private Cloud.
Public Cloud.
Hybrid Cloud.
This one has a robust IoT strategy.
Say, this one has an end-to-end cybersecurity stack.
From there to here and here to there, next-gen tech is everywhere.
Literary Love: Channel Chiefs Identify their Most Impactful Books
We recently reached out to the ten TD SYNNEX representatives from the prestigious 2022 CRN Channel Chiefs list to get some perspective on their favorite or most influential books that have been impactful in their personal or professional lives.
Francisco Criado: “The Servant” by James C. Hunter
“The Servant was an impactful book that tells the story of a successful business man who’s life is spiraling out of control. He attends a retreat and that gives him the framework to become a better leader in business and life. This book helped me improve and re-enforce my leadership skills. It’s a great reminder that our job as leaders is to serve our employees, and if the team wins…everyone wins! One of the concepts that really resonated with me was the difference between authority and power. Any leader can use power to force someone to do something. A servant leader has authority, and can lead teams to action through goodwill and influence. Some examples of behaviors on how a leader can earn authority are by being honest, setting a good example, knowing when to listen, being positive, trustful and respectful. None of us are perfect, but I try my best everyday to embrace and exemplify these behaviors with the team that I have the honor and much gratitude to lead.”
Steve Jow: “His Excellency” by Joseph J. Ellis and “The President’s Club” by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy
“I don’t necessarily read business books; rather I like to find a good book and take what I can from it, whether that be personal or professional development.
I have two history books that can check off that box. One has been on my shelf since Bob Huang, Synnex’s founder recommended it. “His Excellency”, by Joseph Ellis tells the story of George Washington and I’ve always taken away the duty he felt to lead and the passion that this transpired to. Also how he dealt with adversity always was a great perspective.
Another one was given to me, and I’ve enjoyed is “The President’s Club”, by Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy. It tells how ex-Presidents, even if they didn’t share common backgrounds or political beliefs would come to each other’s aid and offer perspectives during crisis. I was always inspired by the collaborative spirit to solve an issue.”
Stacy Nethercoat: “Ten Types of Innovation” by Larry Keeley
“Keeley’s 10 Types of Innovation is a book that has impacted my view of business the most in recent years as leaders are tasked increasingly to transform their organizations and drive innovation. The book reveals it’s not the product innovation that drives the most impact but rather all the innovation surrounding the product. How a company operates and how it creates differentiated customer experiences are more meaningful and TD SYNNEX plays a crucial role in these areas.”
Joe Pittillo: “Selling the Invisible” by Harry Beckwith
Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith places emphasis on how selling Service/Service related goods requires a different approach.
Jessica Yeck: “Shantaram” by Gregory David Roberts and “The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women” by Valerie Young
I absolutely love reading! I will confess, however, I do not read many professional related books (unless required). I’m providing two of my favorite books…the 1st is one of my all time personal favorite books & the 2nd is one of my favorite professional books that I often give to people I mentor that need a little confidence boost.
1. Personal favorite: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
2. Professional favorite: The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women- Why Capable People Suffer from the Imposter Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It, by Valerie Young
Congratulations to all ten leaders that were recognized by CRN:
- Francisco Criado — VP, cloud, data and IoT
- Eddie Franklin — SVP, public sector
- Steve Jow — EVP, US sales
- Sammy Kinlaw — SVP, North America communities
- Marc McClure — SVP, enterprise and midmarket sales
- Stacy Nethercoat — SVP, Advanced Solutions
- Joe Pittillo — SVP, services
- Bob Stegner — SVP, North America marketing
- Reyna Thompson — SVP, product management
- Jessica Yeck — VP, vendor solutions
