An interview with David Hughes, CEO of Silver Peak Systems, which provides networking acceleration.
The Enterprisers Project (TEP): We've seen many cases where a technical expert who founded a company transitions to a CTO role as the company grows. You did that, but then you transitioned back to become CEO. How did that come about?
HUGHES: Shortly after I launched Silver Peak in 2004, I brought in a CEO so I could focus on establishing a solid technical base for the company. In recent years, I've watched our industry evolve. Technologies such as virtualization, software-defined networking and cloud services have changed the way we think about enterprise networking and IT in general. While I loved my role as CTO, I felt it was time to step back up as CEO to take advantage of these new opportunities. With the direction that our industry is headed, my technical background gives me a unique perspective that provides Silver Peak with a competitive advantage for navigating this new landscape.
TEP: Technologist founders often lack key skills in areas such as marketing and finance. Have you focused on non-tech areas as part of your transition to CEO?
HUGHES: Since I have an engineering background, I am very comfortable with the technology side of the business. When I stepped up as CEO, I spent almost all my time in the first few months with sales and marketing, and very little time with engineering. I needed to get up to speed with the aspects of the business that I had been less involved with during my time as CTO.
I also realized that it wasn't necessary for me to acquire every single skill related to each aspect of the business. I recognized that while I didn't need to be good at everything, my team needed to be great at everything. Being able to attract and nurture talent is critical. As a leader, it's often more important to ask your team the right questions than provide all the answers yourself.
TEP: What advice would you pass along to other CTOs or CIOs hoping to become CEOs?
If you are a CIO or CTO, you're already in a leadership position that you can build upon to establish yourself as a candidate for CEO, especially if you're working in the tech industry where technical expertise is a prized quality for executives. That being said, one pitfall to avoid is focusing solely on the technology and getting stuck in the technical aspects of your job. Aspiring leaders should seek out and take advantage of opportunities to learn about other functions of the business. For instance, take an interest in what your peers in other departments are working on or attend panels focused on subjects outside of your specialty at industry conferences to broaden your knowledge base. Ask questions.
Finally, establish a rapport with your company's board members. You might not always have this opportunity, but building a good relationship with each member of the board will allow them all to become familiar with your leadership style and unique skill set.
Minda Zetlin is a business technology writer and columnist for Inc.com. She is co-author of "The Geek Gap: Why Business and Technology Professionals Don't Understand Each Other and Why They Need Each Other to Survive," as well as several other books. She lives in Snohomish, Washington.