Featured Instigator: David Greer

This month we are featuring Instigator David Greer. Known as "Coach Greer," David previously served as co-owner and president of Robelle, where he traveled the world giving a new presentation every year, building Robelle into the world’s leading provider of HP (Hewlett-Packard) 3000 solutions. He is a co-author of The IMAGE/3000 Handbook, the reference work for the HP 3000 IMAGE database management system.

David, who has a Bsc in Computer Science from the University of British Columbia, says his first jobs involved running shipping, receiving, and warehousing for sporting goods wholesalers. While still at university, he joined a young software startup as the first employee after the founders. He spent 20 years building that company, Robelle, into a global software powerhouse. Subsequently, he has been an angel investor, executive, marketer, coach and facilitator, always working with entrepreneurs to help them and their business grow to the next level.

When David reflects on his best professional moments, he cites creating thousands of happy customers who in turn have had massive impact on their organizations and constituents, including their customers. Maybe that drive to create happy customers is why an interviewer once said to him "Are you sure you want this role? You really could be running the place."

When asked about a leadership lesson he learned from her first job, David replies concisely: "Do what is expected of you."

The best advice David has ever been given was: Ahead of time, think about an issue, lose sleep about it, do whatever you have to do. Once you've made your decision, never look back. Trust your decision and go with it.

On the topic of the most important qualities in leaders, David believes that leaders should focus on helping people to grow into their potential.

When asked about a subject that is not currently taught universally in school but should be, David commented on the importance of education about mindfulness.

Responding to a question about books he has found most helpful for his professional life, David praised In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, Jr.

One of David's favorite quotes is "Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability" from Edsger W. Dijkstra.

In response to the question "if money were no object, what would you do all day?" David responded, "What I'm doing now." As a few examples of David's adventures, check this post about his life history, including what he is doing now and this one about one of his many sailing adventures.

When asked what hashtag he would apply to his life, David shared #LiveTheAdventureNow

Only one of our questions, "What is the most creative solution you've ever seen to a problem in life or work?" stumped David. He said, "I've lived my life creatively and yet this one stumped me!"

We can relate, David. Rest assured your creativity adds life to the Lead Change Group and we are not stumped if asked, "What does David Greer contribute to Lead Change?"!

Editor's Note - You may ask, “How does one get chosen to be a featured Instigator?” The answer is simple. If you are already an Instigator, fill out this form and continue to engage with the Lead Change Group on a regular basis. If you are not yet an Instigator, sign up. There are many benefits to being an Instigator – email us if you want more information.