CEO Rapidfire: NinjaOne CEO Sal Sferlazza On Why Your Word Is Your Most Valuable Asset
Welcome to CEO Rapidfire, a series of fast-paced Q&As with some of today's most successful founders and CEOs. Look for these special editions of my newsletter, where I'll share insights from leaders in my network.
My guest, Sal Sferlazza, isn't wasting his time with the latest leadership bestseller. To find out why, read on below.
Sal is the co-founder and CEO of NinjaOne, a platform for IT professionals to manage and monitor their organization's computers, servers and other network devices. With NinjaOne, tasks like software updates, security patches, remote support and device troubleshooting are simplified and even automated. Valued at more than $5 billion, the company has 30,000 customers in more than 130 countries. These include NVIDIA, PwC, Nissan, the PGA Tour and the Detroit Pistons.
Sal is a relentless innovator (just ask him about the “patent-pending” calendaring system he’s developed to manage his workdays). Over the years, he’s built and exited a series of successful companies, including Realm Interactive, Lasso Logic, PacketTrap and Anchor. Recently, he co-founded Boostlingo, a language interpretation technology company where he also serves on the Board of Directors.
Despite his success, he strives to lead without ego and, above all, prioritizes staying true to his word. As he puts it: “I always say that I’ll chew my own arm off before I break my word. How you carry yourself is everything; it matters enormously in business and in life.
I disagree with a lot of popular leadership advice. I’m a big believer in constantly challenging conventional wisdom.
Here’s what Sal shared in our CEO Rapidfire interview:
The one secret to succeeding as a leader, in 5 words or less. The only constant is change.
What was the most exciting “minute” of your leadership journey? Watching individuals at NinjaOne successfully manage large teams; watching them grow into amazing leaders.
One truth you wish you knew about leadership before starting? In hypergrowth, constant calibrations are the name of the game. Adaptability and agility are keys to long-term success.
If you had to do battle with a giant, what weapon would you use? A rocket launcher.
What you’ve learned from your biggest mistakes: Learn from past experiences but don’t be governed by them.
Top 3 websites, blogs or podcasts you can’t imagine your day without: The Wall Street Journal, the American History Hit Podcast and the All-In Podcast.
What popular leadership advice do you disagree with? I disagree with a lot of popular leadership advice. I’m a big believer in constantly challenging conventional wisdom.
One life hack you can’t live without: My calendar system. I have a very intricate (and proprietary) calendaring system. Patent pending.
One soft skill that you’ve realized is supremely important: There are a few: kindness, empathy, pragmatism, the ability to ask good questions and being a thoughtful listener. As a leader, feedback from your team and customers will tell you how to continue to be successful. You should listen.
The one thing that makes a good leader great is: Checking your ego at the door
Your secret to building a great team is: Hire exceptional people (no a**holes!). When you find those people, ask them who the most talented people they know are and recruit those people to your organization.
The key to navigating hypergrowth is: Great leadership is driven by thousands of micro-calibrations, not just a great vision. The ability to embrace change is essential.
Every leader must read… Don't worry about the next book you’re supposed to read as a leader. The best entrepreneurs don’t always follow conventional wisdom — they find ways to break it.
What are you most excited about at work right now? Continuous innovation and the ability to bring new products to market for our customers. As a product-focused CEO, building and constantly iterating on our existing platform are what I find most exciting.
Your one “non-negotiable” in business (or life) is… Your brand (both your personal brand and your company’s) is everything. It takes years to build a brand and a day to break it. I always say that I’ll chew my own arm off before I break my word. How you carry yourself is everything; it matters enormously in business and in life.
Thank you, Sal, for sharing your leadership thoughts! To learn more, follow Sal on LinkedIn.
Thank you for reading! I'm interested in hearing your thoughts in the comments below. For more insights from my experience as a serial entrepreneur and how we can harness the power of software to change the world, be sure to subscribe to Entrepreneurship and Leadership.
Absolutely fascinating insights from Sal! I love his emphasis on micro-calibrations, adaptability, and leading without ego, it’s a blueprint for sustaining hypergrowth while staying human. What really stands out to me, though, is how much of leadership success boils down to systems and environments, not just people or vision. From my perspective, the truly underrated aspect of leadership is designing your organization to think and act like an extension of your best self. Sal talks about building exceptional teams and iterating constantly, but I would add that creating a culture where every process, tool, and workflow reflects the principles you value, integrity, curiosity, and empathy, can amplify those micro-calibrations exponentially. Leadership isn’t just what you do in meetings; it’s what you bake into the everyday mechanics of the company. It’s inspiring to see leaders like Sal push boundaries, but I also see enormous potential in systematic, culture-driven leverage, which can scale impact far beyond individual heroics.
It’s always great to hear Sal’s insights, and I especially enjoyed his perspective on soft skills. They are just as important as hard skills, and both are invaluable to develop as effective leaders.
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Zero ego, constant innovation. That combination is rare and powerful
You are a man of your word Sal Sferlazza ! Inspirational!