Five Business Lessons From Oracle's Mark Sunday

I recently had lunch with Mark Sunday, Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President at Oracle Corporation.  We met at a recent technology event, and he was gracious enough to meet me for lunch. This technology giant rubs shoulders with the leading minds of the 21^st century and is highly influential in his field—so when I arrived at the restaurant, I was excited. Not only is Mark an impressive mind, but he is also a down-to-earth guy who is reluctant to capitalize on his celebrity status. So while casually eating a lunch of hamburgers and salad, the CIO of a multi-billion dollar corporation described his career and the fundamental business philosophy that has sustained him as he worked with one computer technology titan to the next. Here are five key things that I learned.

1.   Don’t give anyone a reason to question your motives.

One of the first things you may notice about Mark Sunday, aside from his intelligence, is his company loyalty. Early in his career, Mark made the decision never to place his own interests before the interests of the company or his department, and he has never wavered in that commitment. In fact, he makes decisions that benefit the company as a whole, even if they don’t benefit his own department.   Academicians call this “organizational identification” at its best. Part of his success with this strategy is his ability to align his business plans with those of his boss. When he understands the motives and long-term plans designed by the CEO or president of a company, Sunday is better able to mirror and implement them.

2.   Stay accessible to your customers.

Mark possesses a real interest in his customers and makes a point to be accessible to them as much as possible. Staying in touch with customers provides valuable feedback about the company’s products, services, and overall performance.

That opinion is supported in an article titled, Tips To Go Above and Beyond With Customer Service, from Entrepreneur.com: “Being accessible also wins loyalty. Customer loyalty is hard to win and easy to lose. But by going above and beyond with your customer service, you'll soon see your sales going above and beyond those of your competitors. Excellent customer service is more than what you say and do for the customer.  It also means giving customers a chance to make their feelings known.”

Keeping in touch with your customers, regardless of your management level, will keep you in tune with what works within your company and what may need to be readjusted.

3.   Hire employees who know more than you do.

Mark attributes much of his success to his ability to develop the skills of employees that can complement his own.  Mark’s team is comprised of people from several different countries, so he takes a global perspective when it comes to finding and investing in talent. The ability of an entrepreneur to recognize his or her own limitations and hire people whose strengths augment the company as a whole is a rare quality — and requires a degree of humility. Entrepreneurs who are able to do this successfully create synergy and a stronger overall business.

4.   Be prepared for the opportunity.

Mark believes that a major component of success is being prepared when opportunity arises. Sunday is well aware of the amazing opportunities that have come his way, and he feels a huge sense of gratitude for the career he has enjoyed.  Yet, much of that success comes from seizing the opportunity in all facets of one’s life. In fact, Mark once stopped talking to a colleague mid-sentence  in order to walk over and introduce himself to a beautiful woman—who became his wife. He said, “I now have an incredible wife because I seized the opportunity at the right time and place.”

5. Always keep your eye on the big picture.

It is tempting to get distracted by the immediate circumstances surrounding a business. Financial strains, employee relations, and an uncertain future for a company all may affect immediate business decisions. It’s wise to avoid that temptation and focus instead on the big picture.

Author Amanda Setili agrees.  In her book, The Agility Advantage: How to Identify and Act on Opportunities in a Fast-Changing World, she writes, “Leaders become wrapped up in daily challenges and business as usual, which keeps them from investing time in imagining what the future might hold or how they might take advantage of coming changes.”

Mark has been able to effectively bridge corporate silos and encourage real communication about long-term strategy. Entrepreneurs who follow suit can focus on the big picture and not be alarmed by things that may happen on a daily basis.

Mark Sunday's business practices have enabled him to be one of the most successful CIO’s in the industry—and a very interesting man to take to lunch. By thinking in terms of what’s best for the organization, staying accessible to customers, hiring the right people, being grateful for opportunities, and staying focused on the big picture, entrepreneurs can follow Mark’s good business sense and build a productive, positive and profitable business.