What does it take to lead a company through transformation while keeping people motivated, curious, and focused on the future? In this episode of Shift and Thrive, Natalie sits down with Matt Waxman, Chief Product Officer at Arctera, a data management company reimagining how enterprises handle compliance, resilience, and lifecycle governance. From making people “comfortably uncomfortable” to creating a culture that embraces experimentation, Matt explores how leaders can align teams around a shared strategy, harness AI as an accelerator (not a replacement), and keep transformation human-centered.

Takeaways:

• Culture drives transformation. Change only sticks when people feel safe to take risks and fail forward, creating an environment where learning and experimentation are rewarded.
• Make people uncomfortably comfortable. Growth requires disruption; leaders must push teams to think differently while maintaining psychological safety and trust.
• Lead with clarity, not chaos. Aligning on strategy first, why and what success looks like, sets the foundation before diving into structure, goals, or execution.
• Focus is your growth engine. Narrowing your go-to-market efforts, customer touchpoints, and messaging allows for deeper impact and more meaningful relationships.
• AI should eliminate “soul-crushing work.” Use AI to remove repetitive tasks, accelerate creativity, and empower teams to focus on strategic thinking.
• Adapt your leadership to the moment. Situational leadership, balancing consistency in values with flexibility in approach, is key to thriving through any transformation.

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-waxman-9a2411/
• Website: https://www.arctera.io/

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2D1YbT2QhKxIwbREpU7EMb
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shift-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change/id1740828813
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/fa60b654-1955-4055-93df-fdd40c2a5c8f/shift-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change
• iHeart Radio: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-shift-thrive-ceo-insights-166792501
• Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/podcast/shift-and-thrive-ceo-insights-on-driving-change/PC:1001086797

This show is sponsored by Magnetude Consulting, bringing you the thinking-Power of a Growth Consultancy and the Getting-It-Done Power of a full-service B2B Marketing Agency.

Learn more at: https://www.magnetudeconsulting.com