Brian McCarthy, CRO of Rubrik, on Hard Work and Authenticity

Brian McCarthy, Chief Revenue Officer of Rubrik, has reached incredible heights in his career by working hard and surrounding himself with talented, smart people. And he traces his success to his parents.Though his father died when Brian was just six years old, he left a lasting legacy. “He said, ‘Brian, always be willing to put your name on your work. If you have integrity and character, you’re a wealthy man.”As Brian’s family pulled together in the wake of this tragedy, his mother gave him another life-changing gift: a strong sense of being safe and loved. “That security and confidence have been real differentiators, allowing me to hire people who are better than me.”Brian is the first to tell you he cares about the people who work for him, but it’s not just a romanticized vision of company camaraderie. “I believe people excel when they’re in an environment where people care about them, have their back, and want what’s best for them.”

I learned into a process called the Three Whys. ‘Why would the prospect do anything? Why would they choose our company? Why now?

That belief underpins Brian’s philosophy when it comes to leading teams, which he has done as VP of Sales and President at Qlik, as VP of Sales at AppDynamics, and most recently as CRO at ThoughtSpot. “I’m not coaching someone to help myself. I’m coaching and developing them because I want to help them.”But Brian isn’t just about the soft skills. He has developed proven strategies and processes when it comes to sales success. In fact, he unlocked a key ingredient as a sales rep straight out of college: leading indicators. “Ninety days in, I reverse engineered my activities and metrics to ensure I was top rep every month.”Brian further refined his approach to sales success at AppDynamics. “I learned into a process called the Three Whys. ‘Why would the prospect do anything? Why would they choose our company? Why now?’ ”While serving as Chief Revenue Officer at ThoughtSpot, he continued fine-tuning his formula for success . “Our sales process was not about winning deals; it was about winning stages. It was about helping the customer get through each stage successfully. And each stage is rooted in value for the customer.”Now at Rubrik, Brian will be calling on his playbook to propel the company’s rapid expansion. Don’t let his caring nature make you underestimate Brian’s desire to dominate the market. “I’m a pretty demanding person. I want to be the best. I want to create the greatest enterprise software company of all time.”Some of Brian’s other keys to success:

• Analyzing leading indicators. Brian believes in identifying the inputs and foundational elements that will virtually ensure his team’s success.
• Developing champions. According to Brian, sales’ job isn’t to sell or prove something to prospects but to develop and enable champions to sell the value to their own organizations.
• Being consciously competent. Brian knows coaching and developing someone – and multiplying the effect of his skills as a leader – hinges on knowing why they’re achieving outcomes and the inputs that yield those results.