The Servant CEO: Bold Leadership Lessons with Mike Plaia

In this episode of CEOs Unscripted, host Jane Gentry sits down with Mike Plaia, CEO of PharmaPoint, for an unscripted masterclass on building culture, embracing servant leadership, and staying bold in the face of adversity.  

(05:34)  The GE program that fast-tracked Mike’s business instincts
 (07:25)  Why Mike tells young professionals to start with structured training
 (10:26) "Don't be Snapple"—and why
 (12:31)  A powerful philosophy on servant leadership—and what it really means to serve your team.
(15:51)  Defining a vision and adapting it as your business grows

(18:46). The role adversity plays in building company culture

(21:01)  Jane discusses hiring "climbers" and the  Adversity Quotient by Paul Stoltz
(24:45)  Creating a culture where bold ideas—and mistakes—are welcome
(30:35)  Why companies can't "camp" and what CEOs miss when they don’t learn from others
(35:07)  Redefining hustle—why family-first doesn’t mean less ambition
(37:09)  The importance of having a truth-teller by your side.
(39:19)  The four-part execution framework (K-O-D-A) Mike used to embed accountability into his culture.
 (41:33)  Operationalizing ideas; defining the ambiguous to create behavior change
(44:31)  Why shared purpose is at the heart of high-performing teams
(51:57)  Why humility, mentorship, and vulnerability are essential for growth—especially for CEOs.

From personal growth to organizational execution, this conversation goes deep on what it really takes to lead a purpose-driven business in a fast-changing world.