By Rob Evans
If there’s one thing for certain in life, it’s this: Nothing ever stays the same. Change happens. Each one of us is constantly having to adapt and pivot in our personal lives.
And for all of us in the Boomi community, change is in the wind.
Dell Technologies recently announced the sale of Boomi later this year to Francisco Partners and TPG Capital, a pair of highly regarded private equity companies. It’s a fantastic development for Boomi, for our customers, and our partners. We’re beyond excited about the potential and possibilities of what comes next for an integration platform that continues to fuel digital transformation for businesses worldwide.
And yet, even when you’re sure that the impact of a change will be positive, it’s human nature to feel a quickening of your pulse rate. After all, change pushes us out of our comfort zone and routine. We wonder how things will be different in the future as we try to process the unknowns.
For me, a background as a Naval officer has helped me prepare for the inevitable uncertainty that we all face from time to time. What my Navy experience taught me was to see change as an opportunity. I know that probably sounds like a cliché. But here’s a real-world example to help explain what I mean.
As a junior officer on the battleship USS New Jersey, I served under a captain who was good at his job. I respected how he kept the vessel shipshape. I learned a lot during his command.
Then, he got promoted. Suddenly, we had a new captain. Just like that, we had to adjust to an entirely new routine. He had his own way of operating a ship, managing people, and maintaining training regimens. So when our battleship was underway in the middle of the ocean, it was just different.
But here’s what I did personally and what our crew did collectively: We embraced a new way of doing things.
The crew discovered how much we could learn from him – and help us improve. It turned out to be an incredible experience, and I came to admire our new captain greatly. He had a completely different style of leadership. For one thing, he allowed younger officers the chance to prove themselves and earn significantly higher levels of responsibility. For me, that included serving as “Officer of the Deck” in charge of the entire vessel.
Here’s my take-home message. When you welcome change with an open mind and an eagerness to learn, amazing things can happen.
Boomi has accomplished amazing things under the stewardship of Dell. But now, we’re experiencing change. The leadership team that has built Boomi into a global powerhouse with more than 15,000 customers isn’t going anywhere. Yet our soon-to-be owners also will put their imprint on Boomi. Both firms have well-earned reputations for growing their portfolio companies – fast. It’s a golden opportunity for us to catapult Boomi to the next level.
I can’t stress enough how much I think one of the central values of this ownership change is imparting new thoughts and strategies on Boomi. Francisco Partners and TPG have a wealth of experience in cultivating companies to become their absolute best.
As we prepare for this change, I’ve been so impressed with how my colleagues approach their day-to-day work. It’s very much like what I saw with the change in captains on my battleship. Simply put, they continue to do their jobs well. They’re paying attention to the smallest of details that add up in big ways. They’re making the best, data-supported decisions that create pathways to success for our customers.
As they stay true to the Boomi vision that has made us the industry leader in enterprise integration, they’re also open to the insights that will come with new ideas.
They’re embracing the adventure.
So, yes, change will always happen. But great things can also occur when you’re ready for it.
For more of Rob Evans’ perspective, read “Sales Leadership in Challenging Times“, and join him for Boomi’s Integrated Experiences podcast — register here.