Chuck Patrick, Head of Strategic Program Management at Axis Capital - Mobilizing Great Ideas

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): I'm Tracy Lovejoy.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: And I'm Shannon, Lucas. We are the co-ceos of catalyst constellations which is dedicated to empowering catalyst to create bold, powerful change in the world.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): This is our podcast move, fast, break ship burnout, where we speak with catalyst executives about ways to successfully lead transformation in large organizations. And today Shannon and I are incredibly excited to welcome Chuck Patrick. He is currently the head of strategic program management at access capital. But he has spent 30 years doing a variety of roles, very catalytic of him.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): working for computer manufacturer.com technology startup, running your own management and technology, consulting business and several positions at the commercial insurance industry, where you have been an innovative change and impact agent across that time. I am sure I missed a ton chuck. It is a delight to have you with us today.

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Chuck Patrick: Well, thank you. Thank you very much for having me. I'm really looking forward to the conversation.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): Good. So, because I know I missed so much, would love to invite you to tell us about your catalytic journey.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): How would you connect the dots across your beautiful career. And what are you most proud of in your catalyst nature?

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah, it's a it's a great question. I I actually kind of go back to my college days a little bit and and sort of the seeds of how I think I got into the roles that I got into, and and ultimately pursued change, management and and sort of the catalyst mindset.

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Chuck Patrick: I was an electrical engineer and English major.

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Chuck Patrick: And it was this really weird dichotomy of

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Chuck Patrick: technology. And then language skills. And that has always sort of followed me throughout my career. I've always been at that juncture between tech and you know, change. And but but also the people and the you know how to work with executives and how to work with everyone in the organization to get something done.

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Chuck Patrick: being able to understand the sort of technology basis was a was a key to that but being able to communicate about it was even more important.

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Chuck Patrick: So I I think that was sort of my the Genesis in a way of the career that then followed.

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Chuck Patrick: I think you know one of the one of the 1st times I saw a catalyst in action. So it wasn't me. I was just learning

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Chuck Patrick: I was part of a small company, very small. I think it was 6 people when I joined it was above a pizza place. It was a a really unique experience, as I think it was my second job out of school.

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Chuck Patrick: and we had an individual there who

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Chuck Patrick: who went to a demo that Steve Jobs gave when he was running next computer. If you remember, he left Apple for a brief period of time and went to next.

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Chuck Patrick: and this gentleman that I worked with saw that Demo, and made an instant connection

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Chuck Patrick: to products that we also sold, and that we could basically do some of the things that Steve Jobs was talking about.

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Chuck Patrick: And that was the 1st time that I I saw someone sort of just like connecting 2 dots that you wouldn't have thought were connected.

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Chuck Patrick: That same person later took that same idea. And it was, you know, sort of a technology, you know, back in those days how to connect to databases and have a user interface to them.

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Chuck Patrick: When the Internet started, he made that same connection. He said, Hey, all this technology we've been using in these.

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Chuck Patrick: you know, personal computers.

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Chuck Patrick: we can move to the Internet with it, and that idea totally transformed our company. We went from, you know, a hundred person company into a dotcom startup that got funding went public.

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Chuck Patrick: rode the whole roller coaster up and down. But it was all because of that one person who made those connections and then excited everyone about them.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): And what would you pick out for yourself across your career that you feel like have been your catalyst moments?

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah, it's it

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Chuck Patrick: again. I guess that's a also a bit of a journey. So the 1st phase of my career was really, I would say, on the cell side of things.

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Chuck Patrick: So I was in that startup I was in consulting. I started my own business trying to sell management.

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Chuck Patrick: and technology services.

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Chuck Patrick: And

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Chuck Patrick: that was difficult, I would say, to be on the cell side and to try to understand. How do? How do you

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Chuck Patrick: sell something to organizations?

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): And.

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Chuck Patrick: Which always seemed. You know, they love the ideas, but they were never able to actually, you know, execute upon them, or it's tough. It was always hard to find the person who could say Yes, so then the second phase of my career, I kind of

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Chuck Patrick: switched into the buy side. I went into corporate. America for the 1st time. I'd always been in small companies, sort of like, you know, services based but I went to work for a very traditional insurance company, which was ace at the time. Now Chubb

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Chuck Patrick: and I started to understand why things were so difficult. When I was on the other side of things.

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Chuck Patrick: Getting change to happen within companies was really difficult.

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Chuck Patrick: There was just so much invested interest

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Chuck Patrick: in how things were. Money. There was so much invested in past decisions

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Chuck Patrick: the systems that you had bought the amortization expense that you had incurred. Now, hamstring, hamstrung you. Your ability to to change, to anticipate, to develop new ideas and innovations.

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Chuck Patrick: So I kind of endured that for a while, and then really started to get active about it in my current role. So sort of the 3rd phase of my career, I would say, is, Okay, how do I change that? How do I?

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Chuck Patrick: How do I influence the culture of company? How it operates to actually, you know, use change to its advantage, and use the dynamics of change to its advantage.

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Chuck Patrick: So

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Chuck Patrick: you know, finding that secret sauce that that

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Chuck Patrick: that you know the building it into the company. DNA, that's that's really what I'm after now. In this sort of a 3rd phase of my career. I don't know if there'll be a 4th phase. But that's that's kind of where I am now.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): My guess is hearing about your journey, that you're gonna see that next opportunity. And for sure pivot. That's my my hypothesis. I'm laying it down. Now, are you gonna share with us today? Chuck what the secret sauce is, or

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): is that still secret.

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Chuck Patrick: No, i i i do have some ideas. I I think, as a acting as an individual. Catalyst in a way, is

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Chuck Patrick: the easy part. But the secret sauce to me is, how do you actually.

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Chuck Patrick: fundamentally change the organization?

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Chuck Patrick: So you turn it into? And and you know, as an individual. I probably can't do this by myself.

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Chuck Patrick: but if you.

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Chuck Patrick: if you put the ideas out there and get other like minded people involved, maybe you can over time. So how does a company you know.

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Chuck Patrick: be able to anticipate to welcome change, to not be afraid of it, to to see the risk of not embracing change.

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Chuck Patrick: I was actually I was thinking about this this call, and I was happening to read about Intel corporation

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Chuck Patrick: in morning brew actually, yesterday, and this, the missteps that they have taken. So when I was in college, Intel was like this brand new company it was. It was conquering the world, and for years it was this, the heart of everything Microsoft did

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Chuck Patrick: huge success. And then they got they kind of missed the whole move to mobile devices, and they lost huge market share and missed out on a

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Chuck Patrick: you know, a massive opportunity that obviously Apple and Samsung and others capitalized on.

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Chuck Patrick: So but then, rather than learning from that.

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Chuck Patrick: they've more recently missed the whole move to AI,

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Chuck Patrick: so they didn't somehow see that opportunity coming and exploit it right. They lost lost out to Nvidia and other companies like that.

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Chuck Patrick: And it's really ironic, because one of the 1st things I knew about Intel was a book that one of their founders wrote Andy Grove called. I think it's only the, you know, only the paranoid survive?

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Chuck Patrick: And it's a book about, you know. You have to be sort of on the lookout for change and embracing it, but somehow they had failed to do that.

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Chuck Patrick: So

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Chuck Patrick: you know, looking for how a company avoids those kind of pitfalls is, I think, part of the secret sauce, too. Like, what, what do you have to put into place? So that you have people who are not only recognizing trends and change that's necessary, but being able to influence everyone in the organization to actually execute upon it.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): I I love this so much, and already you've been sharing with us, you know, kind of some hints at my next question, which is

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): for you. How do you relate to this concept of catalyst? You know? How do you define this.

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah.

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Chuck Patrick: So I think it starts.

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Chuck Patrick: I mean, obviously as a in an individual, you have to be really interested in, you know, achieving change, achieving a goal and objective right. You have to be personally invested and sort of like the foundational layers. You have to be accountable to that and and always be an authentic person about that. And that's sort of the 1st Level, just from a personal perspective.

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Chuck Patrick: What I think is super important. Most important probably, is just then the relationships that you form

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Chuck Patrick: within the company within the ecosystem that you're working within

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Chuck Patrick: and it's got to be one that's just completely based on on trust.

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Chuck Patrick: and

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Chuck Patrick: the catalyst

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Chuck Patrick: doesn't always have the best ideas. I I don't. I don't necessarily see those things coming. I did. I didn't make the connection to the Internet that this guy I knew did. But if you're if you're surrounded by people who do have that insight. Who do think in different ways.

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Chuck Patrick: I think the the catalyst is able to.

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Chuck Patrick: you know. Gather that and do something with it.

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Chuck Patrick: and for me.

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Chuck Patrick: It's all about the, you know, leveraging those relationships

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Chuck Patrick: so that when you do have an idea, you essentially have a platform to stand on, you've got support. And I. When I say leverage relationships, I mean all levels of an organization. You know, I I go out of my way to make sure I know who the executive assistants are. I know all the it help desk guys. I. But I also foster relationships with senior executives, other departments, and so on.

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Chuck Patrick: because it gives you a basis for moving forward when you want to or when you need to.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): Shannon and I continue to learn with folks like you in our catalyst Leadership Trust. We have done a series of research over this last year, and part of what you're pointing to is what we're hearing, that it absolutely takes to move to the executive level as a catalyst, that all the brilliant ideas are, you know, take you so far, but it is about that network. And the way you show up with folks and the trust you can build that really, really are going to be the litmus test of how successful you can personally be.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Yeah. And sorry. Go ahead. Chuck.

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Chuck Patrick: No, no, yeah. I was just gonna pile on to the executive point. That that is so critical. You, if if you you have to establish credibility.

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Chuck Patrick: And so that means always being accountable, always delivering what you said you were going to deliver. And if you can't, being accountable to it

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Chuck Patrick: that builds credibility with executives, and then those executive executives will listen to you when you, when you have the right idea and the way to to go after it.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Yeah, I'm gonna pile on, too, just to say, it's so funny. There's kind of 2 flavors of catalyst sometimes at the leadership level, and one, and they often will be like, Am I the catalyst? Because some people are the dot connectors who are still activating other people to get stuff done. And then some people are the catalysts who are like catching some of the ideas and activating the network to get it across the finish line. And they both look at each other like.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Well, did I have enough ideas, or did I do enough action? But I like sort of that. You're calling out. It's like, it takes this part for us to take it across the finish line. And it's skills that you have to

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: that most people cultivate over, you know a career in terms of learning both that accountability and the influence and the nuance that you need to show up with, to to bring the executives along.

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah, and I it. It's probably something. When I was younger in my career I probably would have been like, Hey, I've got to be more of the idea, Guy. I've got to find the insights I've got to, you know, and

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Chuck Patrick: you know, I I know a lot of people like that, like, I know, in in our company now exactly who they are. And

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Chuck Patrick: but it's it's only part of the equation, right? It's only, you know, the idea is just the start of things. It's what you do with it, and how you influence people along the way to make it happen. That really matters. In my opinion.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: 100%, which is a great pivot. And I'd love to understand maybe one or 2 of the challenges that you faced as a catalyst executive, and maybe a little bit of understanding about what helped you overcome those challenges.

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah, I I think one of the, you know.

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Chuck Patrick: there's sort of like a a series of transformations. It always feels like if I look back over the last 15 years of my career. It's sort of been like one transformation followed by another. You know, transformation of some kind. It could be organizational. It could be technology. It could be you know, processes. Things like that, new products, new innovations.

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Chuck Patrick: and I I think one of the one of the main challenges to achieving those is the energy level and being able to maintain

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Chuck Patrick: that energy level not only personally, but for the people who are also part of that change.

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Chuck Patrick: Very often there will be a you know. There's always a kick off. It's almost like when you buy a new car, and it's at its maximum value the second, and but the second you drive off the lot, it starts losing value. It's almost like at that. Kick off. You've got maximum, you know, sort of momentum. People are excited, and then it it can start degrading from there over time.

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Chuck Patrick: People get tired. They get tired of the program. Things change, new problems emerge. And seeing something through the end. And I've had several transformations along the way that that don't make it to the end. They just sort of like Peter out. And people are what whatever happened to that, you know.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Yeah.

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Chuck Patrick: It's I, I find, maintaining that that energy level personally and with with your team is is really tough.

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Chuck Patrick: And so it's it's a constant reminder. You know the way to combat, that is, you know, constant reminder of the goals.

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Chuck Patrick: Frequent measurement along the way. Like we are progressing. We are starting to see change or impact from what we're doing.

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Chuck Patrick: and just trying to give people a constant feedback loop of why you're doing this and reinforce the original reasons for it. And and ultimately celebrating. Of course, you know, as you achieve those things right, give energy back.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Are there things that you do outside of work? I love all of the like super concrete things to do in the organization are there. I mean, it sounds like as you're describing. You're sort of the the font of energy to maintain the movement of change internally. Are there things that you do in your personal life that help support you in that way as well.

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Chuck Patrick: Well, I don't know if I feel like the font of energy all the time. But

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Chuck Patrick: I I mean I definitely I I try to. I I do work from home. And so this is difficult to do sometimes, but I really do try to separate out my personal life from work.

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Chuck Patrick: Have a hard stop to the day. Have a hard start to the day. Sort of the same. You know, as if I were commuting have have the same rituals, if you will, to draw the line between and so when I'm when I'm in my personal life, it's just full of you know other interests that I think recharge me so I you know I will read a lot. I will exercise a lot. I, you know I do all kinds of different exercises

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Chuck Patrick: whether it's weightlifting or running, or biking or playing soccer.

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Chuck Patrick: Just a rotation of that. And I think those are the things that you know. Keep me sane, but then also give me energy. Once I return to the, to the work.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Nice. Are there other challenges that you've encountered along the way.

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Chuck Patrick: I guess another tough one always, you know. It's it's nice to think of change as always super positive. And we're going towards something new. We're building the new iphone or something, you know, revolutionizing the world. But a lot of times change has sort of a dark side to it, because often involves cost cutting and efficiency.

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Chuck Patrick: I think that's 1 of the hardest

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Chuck Patrick: challenges. It's like an part of the part of the game of of driving change is you. You know the reality is you have to save money ultimately, or make money.

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Chuck Patrick: And so that comes with a human cost. So I, personally, I find that really difficult to square those 2 things like to basically be saying, Hey.

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Chuck Patrick: we all have to do this. It's for the good of the company. We can all achieve what we want to achieve. But there's going to be some people who are not going to be part of that journey anymore.

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Chuck Patrick: And that's always that's always very difficult to to kind of square up and and to and to get others to to be okay with that so.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: And have you? How have you figured? I mean, like, it's so spot on in terms of what everyone is experiencing today, and like what we've been hearing again, going back to the catalyst Leadership trust, and all of our customers is like the do more with less, as if that's a thing, and we're not gonna burn people out and all of this stuff. But I'd love to. I'd love to hear your thoughts like, how have you navigated that because that fear is real. And we're talking about AI. And people perceived or not, or like my job's gonna get replaced.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: How do you stay? Maybe not the fount of energy, but, you know, maintain some positive energy, and bring people along, and all that fear.

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Chuck Patrick: I I guess, part of me feel well. So one I've got personal experience with not being part of the journey.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Wow!

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Chuck Patrick: I've it's it's happened to me a couple of times in my career.

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Chuck Patrick: And it's been painful I've felt just terrible at those moments. But in both situations I found a better place. So I really believe, wow! You know, I that was

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Chuck Patrick: that was painful to leave that company. But I've got this new thing. That's that's better. And there's different opportunities. And so I I take comfort in that lesson. My personal lesson

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Chuck Patrick: when I see it happening to other people. That I know that they're good people. I know that they'll be okay. I try to, you know, for people I know. I try to personally help them as much as possible if they're being, if they're being let go.

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Chuck Patrick: You know, with whatever I can references, ideas, whatever I I can do to help them. I will. So. But it's a it's something that you know. A lot of people have to go through and

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Chuck Patrick: maintaining the focus on why you're there. It it is the good of the the organization

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Chuck Patrick: that you're working for, and you have to believe in sort of a greater good that you're providing, even if it's painful in parts.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: It's so hard because our I mean certainly for me it can speak for me, and I'm I know the data is out there, like so many of us, identify like our our personal identify, is so tied to our job and our definition and our role, and what we spend the majority of our waking hours doing. And yet, even if we're in the positive realm of creating change, one of the keys to unlocking the ups and downs of change is to not so personally identify

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: with that role. So I'm wondering how you might help mentor or coach people around that in either context, really.

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah. And I, I see this in in some of my kids. They get so wrapped up in their jobs and their performance and the worry that they have on it, just, you know, every day. I I've always been able to separate it. Pretty well. I I don't really consider, you know, like I don't identify myself, as you know, my job like. That's not how I introduce myself. I'm a i'm a family person. I'm a father. Those are the things that I identify the most with.

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Chuck Patrick: so I've always been able to sort of hold it at arm's length. I'm all in when I am working, but I can. I can separate it, and I guess that would be the advice to just try to get to that

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Chuck Patrick: point where you can separate it. And

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Chuck Patrick: and you know a lot of times you worry that, hey? Am I performing well enough with, you know, are they? Are, are they, gonna you know, like me, or keep me, especially if you're in a you know situation where people are being let go or whatever I I think you just have to, you know. Say, I'm gonna do the best I can. I'm gonna be the real me.

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Chuck Patrick: And if that means it doesn't work out at this place. Then that's that's what it means, and I will find a better, a better place to go next.

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Chuck Patrick: So yeah, I think if you buffer yourself sort of again, you know.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: That's it. Yeah.

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Chuck Patrick: Can sort of hold that anxiety off.

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Chuck Patrick: least, that's what my advice would be to to my kids. They don't. They don't usually listen, though, so.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: All right. I'm taking up too much time. But you said one other thing that I want your advice on.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: You were talking about like. You know how how you've been able to lead change, and when you see, like bringing it into the DNA and everything. And you had a great list like you want a organization that can anticipate change, welcome, change not be afraid of it. But one thing you said is, help them see the risk of not embracing the change. Yeah, and helping an organization. See? Like a negative that doesn't exist in their mind. Like, How do you do that? How do you get the executives to lean into that.

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah, and it's and it's tricky. And and the Andy Grove example comes to mind because only the you know. So so you do need sort of a a dose of paranoia like what could go wrong, you know, which is, which is kind of a pessimistic way to think all the time.

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Chuck Patrick: And you and you don't want to be the person who you know who cries Wolf! Right? You don't want to be constantly

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Chuck Patrick: doom doom glooming, whatever the word.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Totally.

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah, yeah, so I would.

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Chuck Patrick: I think that when I

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Chuck Patrick: that it's got to be factual.

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Chuck Patrick: you know, I I think there's always an emotional element you need to kind of

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Chuck Patrick: infuse the you know some anxiety into a conversation sometimes to motivate.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Yeah, yeah.

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Chuck Patrick: But the the real foundation of it is is having some facts. A sound argument, and a getting people to understand this is a reasonable risk.

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Chuck Patrick: And for coming from a, you know kind of a project management and program management. Perspective, I I tend to think of things in a very risk, based way, like what could go wrong? And what's the pro? And and if it went wrong like, how bad would it be? And what's the probability of that happening? And those 2 elements together, sort of probability and impact

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Chuck Patrick: give you a sense of risk. And so if you can make a case for hey? This is

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Chuck Patrick: possible, probable, and if it is, if it does happen, the impact could be really great, or you know, it could be negative for us, or if we do this great thing, it could be very positive for us.

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Chuck Patrick: But being very deliberate about how you make that argument, and backing it up with as much data and other kinds of analysis as you can.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Yeah, I love the data that triggers the emotion. It's such a powerful duo there, right? It's like speaking to the head and the heart, so that just is unambiguous when they walk out of the room. Thanks for.

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah, yeah. And you know, I yeah, I guess the other thing that that you want to do as a catalyst. I like, I always felt like, you know, when I think about a job I want to be inspired. I want to wake up every day.

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Chuck Patrick: and I want to feel like I'm doing good in some way. I'm I'm I'm feeling personally into it, satisfied. I I understand what I'm doing, and I want to be inspired and want to get out of it and and start working.

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Chuck Patrick: So that emotional aspect is really important. And so trying to inspire that and others to. You know what? What makes them inspired? What can they get behind? And sometimes it's yeah. It's the facts and the logic. But it's also okay. What's the urgency? What's the what's the emotional outcome? How, you know, we're all gonna be happy. We're all gonna be satisfied with something. That's really a super important part of it. Because that's really where the motivation comes from. I think for most people.

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Chuck Patrick: yeah.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): Coming back to your journey around this in your 3rd phase, right? And Shannon was just pulling the thread here of helping. You know organizations use change.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): What is it that you're doing right now in this realm? I'm hearing your wisdom of, you know. Help them see the risk. So what is this?

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): Surely look like an implementation these days?

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah, so and I'm in a relatively new role. Right now. So for and and so what I've taken on is several

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Chuck Patrick: portfolios of change change portfolios

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Chuck Patrick: for different functions and parts of the business.

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Chuck Patrick: so I've got

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Chuck Patrick: executive sponsors of each of these areas.

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Chuck Patrick: They are essentially all in charge of their own. Let's call it their own change plans.

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Chuck Patrick: What do they need to improve on? What do they need to do with systems? What do they need to do with process? What do they need to do with their culture, their people?

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Chuck Patrick: And each of them

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Chuck Patrick: has to be sort of you know. What I'm trying to do is lead them to a vision of what they want to accomplish

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Chuck Patrick: and put together. Essentially the the arguments.

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Chuck Patrick: the rationale, the business justification, the

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Chuck Patrick: the, you know, cost benefit analysis in some cases of of what that's going to take.

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Chuck Patrick: And so what I'm what I'm ultimately trying to do is give them the mechanism to achieve what they're trying to achieve as business leaders.

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Chuck Patrick: And and that to me is, you know, I've always tried to focus on

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Chuck Patrick: how you know. Who do I need? Who do? I need to make successful like I want to make you know, I want to make and empower people to be successful, because then I know I'm going to be successful if I do that

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Chuck Patrick: and so.

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Chuck Patrick: as I look at each of these business leaders, that's really my mission. Now

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Chuck Patrick: you know, how do I help each of them achieve what they're trying to achieve?

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Chuck Patrick: And sometimes those things are in conflict with each other. So that's where the interesting part comes in, I guess.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): You've helped me see something. I I think you probably know Shannon and I are both executive coaches. And within organizational context, it's not unusual for executives all to have a coach, but you're helping me see? Just a vital role in the future of a change coach.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: 100%.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): Right that you know there are organizational development departments that help, you know, kind of think about this. And how are we going to orchestrate it? And how do we work with communications? But you are this tactical bridge

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): for each leader to take what's coming down and what we're sensing into the future and assessing the risk, and actually do those basics of what's the vision?

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): How are you gonna be communicating that? How are you staying on top of what happens as you like. I just. I've never seen it before. Chuck.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: It's such a great role. I was thinking the same thing. And the last point that you ended on is so critical, because if you have all of these transformation or change initiatives with all of these executive sponsors, you'd think in theory that they would all know but the brass tacks of what that means from a resources perspective, or a culture perspective, or the kpis, like all of the the levers. Then there's the potential for conflict, and you can be like, hey guys, ladies like.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: we need to rectify this. Yeah, so interesting. They're lucky to have you and well done carving out that position like, how did that happen.

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah, I yeah, I don't know. I I seem to find my way into these kinds of positions for some reason. But I you know, it's but but it really is. In a way, it's simple. I mean, it's

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Chuck Patrick: it, it it really is just understanding kind of what their problem set is and what their opportunity set is. And then and then putting those things together into something that you can then execute, and the execution is a big part of it, too. So it's not just the idea. And hey, here's a great roadmap for the next 3 years. It's okay. Now, how do we actually execute on this deliver what we said we would deliver, and when

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Chuck Patrick: at the level of quality that you need to succeed.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): That you're.

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Chuck Patrick: And that's

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Chuck Patrick: you know, that's also difficult to do. And you really need a team around you to to do that. Well.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): Yeah, I my mind is exploding so happily. Really have never seen this role that is so incredibly obvious. Now that you have shared this. So thank you.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): So you have been a member of our catalyst Leadership Trust, which we mentioned earlier and would love to take a moment. Given that you've been sharing the power of building relationships. What role has the Clt the catalyst Leadership Trust played for you as an executive.

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Chuck Patrick: I think what it's done is really

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Chuck Patrick: sort of broaden my horizons a little bit. You know, and as I, you know, and I mentioned my career earlier. I've been, you know, sort of in

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Chuck Patrick: commercial insurance specialty insurance companies, you know. Many would argue that they are the laggards of technology innovation in in the world. Right? What could be more boring than an insurance company?

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Chuck Patrick: I don't think that's true. But when I engage with the, you know, with other catalysts. The diversity of experience and thought is really great, like, it's totally different in many cases. It's it's the same in in a lot of ways thematically, but just the the kinds of challenges that that I hear others have faced and how they've tackled those

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Chuck Patrick: be it very small companies, or very large ones, or totally different industries

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Chuck Patrick: that has been really interesting to me. Because I I can. I can draw ideas from that and and it really has helped me

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Chuck Patrick: trying to come up with my own strategies to apply within my own company.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): I love it. Are there challenges that you find are unique in in a catalyst group.

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Chuck Patrick: it is. I

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Chuck Patrick: probably the mobilization of good ideas.

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Chuck Patrick: though. There, there, you know, it's kind of gets back to that. Yeah, there's there's lots of great ideas. There may even be obvious ideas, you know, like in the in the Intel example, I'm sure somebody was saying.

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Chuck Patrick: hey, we should move to Mobile, or Hey, what about AI? Shouldn't we be focused on that? And they didn't listen to them for some reason. Right?

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Chuck Patrick: So.

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Chuck Patrick: yeah, the the ideas have to find legs and and go somewhere. And and that's a challenge I've heard from other catalysts.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): I love that just in our conversation with the catalyst Leadership Trust last month this was a huge Aha is, you know, someone literally said, it's not just innovation, it's not just transfer. It's not the great ideas. But how do we help spearhead the implementation.

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Chuck Patrick: What is.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): What does it mean to be dealing with your peer set through the resistance? What does it mean to actually educate layers of leadership and help understand exactly the way that you're helping. You know the folks that you're working with in their their portfolios. And again, it was such an obvious thing.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): It's something that's still kind of hit me in this really new way. So thank you. Thank you for framing that.

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah, yeah, definitely, and and it's it's really challenging to, yeah, I mean, just the the getting people to change en masse is really tough to do, because so there's so many intricacies and nuances and histories to everyone's little story and their how their group has always worked, or how that group has always worked or rivalries between people. I mean, there's a lot to unpack.

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Chuck Patrick: And it, you know, you really have to be thoughtful about it find the right levers to pull to do that and so that's you know. So the the great idea

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Chuck Patrick: is nice, but it it's just the starting point.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: It's spot on, someone said. Actually, in that conversation she was like, my peers are afraid of me, like I'm to create change, and my peers are afraid of me. So I love everything that you just said, because, like that intentionality and like the sensing like, Hey, let's let's pay attention to that. But then let's develop a strategy. Because without the strategy and the relentless focus on execution, it's not gonna matter. So okay, thanks for sharing. And I get the fun question today. So I would love to hear.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: maybe, who your favorite catalyst is, past or present, and why they inspire you.

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Chuck Patrick: So. So I actually had a couple of them. And this this one seems like a gimme, or you know. But so our current CEO at access. Capital

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Chuck Patrick: is fantastic. I've been there 11 years.

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Chuck Patrick: He took over as CEO about 18 months ago, I think.

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Chuck Patrick: and the amount of change that he has driven in just 18 months has been incredible.

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Chuck Patrick: And it was always a good company with great people and culture. But we were, you know, sort of in the

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Chuck Patrick: I don't know in the performance realm sort of middle of the pack

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Chuck Patrick: and we always felt like what is what is missing. What is this element that we can't quite get to the top

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Chuck Patrick: and our current? CEO Vince Tizio has found that somehow. And so I've but you know I've I've watched him just his style.

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Chuck Patrick: He's he's incredibly down to earth and personable with people, but he's also incredibly

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Chuck Patrick: driven and tough in a really positive way. So there's there's a tone about achievement and accountability. But he's bringing people along emotionally.

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Chuck Patrick: So that's just been

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Chuck Patrick: really good to see. And I'm I'm I'm really.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Chuck, that must be awesome for you. Yeah.

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Chuck Patrick: I mean, yeah, our stock prices like, way up our performances. We just had our best cute, you know, quarterly results that I've ever seen in 11 years. I mean, it's just been great.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Excellent.

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Chuck Patrick: Great stuff.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: She's a catalyst.

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Chuck Patrick: I think he's.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: The favorite favorite catalyst. Sorry. Yeah.

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah, no, he's.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: He's.

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Chuck Patrick: He's definitely a catalyst, a different, different kind of catalyst.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Totally, totally.

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Chuck Patrick: It's a sort of a top down catalyst.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Yeah, you need those 2, though. Right? Yeah. Sorry I didn't cut you off. So you have more. I love the.

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Chuck Patrick: No, no. So the other one's a little more fun. Maybe so I mentioned I'm a huge soccer player and coach and fan

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Chuck Patrick: and I don't know if you're familiar with welcome to Wrexham.

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Chuck Patrick: So the the story of this so it's a it's a series. It's Docu series, I guess, and if you know

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Chuck Patrick: Rob Mcelhenney

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Chuck Patrick: and

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Chuck Patrick: she's I'm blanking

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah, Ryan Reynolds. I don't know how I forget Ryan Ryan Reynolds. So they're Hollywood actors, and they bought a soccer team in Wales called Wrexham. And this soccer team is like

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Chuck Patrick: pretty low in the in the scale of professional soccer

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Chuck Patrick: and these guys were total catalysts

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Chuck Patrick: to what you know, essentially said, we're going to take this low end soccer team, and we're going to make it into something. We're going to be. Make it a premier team in the in, you know, in the world.

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Chuck Patrick: And they've started that process, and they injected money, of course, but it's more about what they did with the with the team and the town that supports that team

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Chuck Patrick: and so the the Docu series is all about that, and and how they affected this change, how they excited people! How they just transformed the entire culture from, you know, sort of like a cynical we always lose. We've lost for a hundred years into something that's really turning it, I mean, and they're they're kind of like moving up the in the world over the last 3 years. So another one that's in process. But that's a that's a real fun one to watch, too, like.

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Chuck Patrick: you know.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: I'm excited to watch that now. So where is it on Netflix? Or where is it?

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Chuck Patrick: Yeah, it's on. I think it's on Netflix. Yeah. Well.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: So we'll have to put that in the show notes, too. What? I just like tying the thread between that the power of like one or 2 leaders to inspire and like, but have developed that culture of accountability like those 2 things, make people almost teams almost unstoppable. So I like that thread sort of through this whole conversation from you. Really, Chuck sounds like you embody that actually.

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Chuck Patrick: It. It really is that combination of, you know, sort of like. It's kind of like logic and objectives and being driven. But the whole emotional side of it which is really important to keep motivation going.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: You must be a great coach.

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Chuck Patrick: I try to be. I'm i i'm amazed. I've been coaching now for probably 30 years.

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Chuck Patrick: I feel like I don't know what I used to do. I I learn so much every year. It's like, Wow! How did I not know that before? You know, it's like, it's incredible. So. It's a i guess it's an evolution. But.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Of growth, mindset thanks for embodying that chuck. This has been a total joy and pleasure. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom with our with us and our audience.

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Chuck Patrick: Oh, absolutely welcome! Really enjoyed it!

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: So fun, and to our listening audience. Thank you so much for listening. If you'd like to learn more about how to create bold, powerful change in the world. Be sure to check out our book, move fast, break ship, burnout, or go to our website at catalyst constellations.com.

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Tracey Lovejoy (she, her): And if you enjoyed this episode like Shannon and I both did, please take 10 seconds to rate it on itunes. Spotify Stitcher wherever you listen to your podcast and if you have other catalysts in your life, hit the share button and send a link their way.

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Shannon Lucas - Catalyst Constellations: Again.