John and I discuss the progression of his career from breaking into financial services in accounting through leading high performing sales organizations. We explore his early family life and how that shaped him, his career and how he discovered what he was good at and enjoyed, how he hires and leads and how he mentors and gives back.
Episode 11: A Career in Full: John McCombe on taking career risks, leadership, mentorship and giving back
• Early family life influence: delving into John’s early life and how that played a pivotal role in shaping his career
• Entry into financial services: John's journey into the financial services sector, including his early experiences at Merrill
Lynch
• Navigating corporate terrain: how to successfully navigate within a large firm to identify and pursue a career path
• Career decision making: The art of assessing career moves and taking calculated risks
• “Finding one’s lane”: Insights into finding and thriving within your chosen career path
• Transition to entrepreneurial opportunities: The challenges and rewards of leaving a comfortable position at a large firm to
join a small entrepreneurial venture
• Talent assessment and hiring: Best practices for hiring key talent in an organization
• Interview preparation: Tips and advice on how to be prepared for an interview
• Importance of “coachability”: Discussing the significance of being open to coaching and learning from others
• Seeking and offering feedback: The value of actively seeking and providing constructive feedback in personal and
professional growth
• Self-awareness: Understanding the importance and knowing where you stand at your organization
• Sales personality: exploring the traits of great salespeople
• Managing and motivating sales teams: Strategies for effectively managing and motivating sales teams to achieve their best
performance
• Learn-Earn-Return: John's perspective on giving back to education and philanthropy through the "Learn-Earn-Return"
approach
Episode contributor bios: