Tom LeNoble on Risk, Resilience, and Human-Centered Leadership | Ep 1091

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Digital Executive

Episode: Tom LeNoble on Risk, Resilience, and Human-Centered Leadership | Ep 1091
Date: July 30, 2025
Host: Brian Thomas (Coruzant Technologies)
Guest: Tom LeNoble, International Speaker, Resilience Coach, and Executive Leader

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Overview

This episode features Tom LeNoble sharing deep insights on leadership in times of change, the importance of resilience, human-centered decision-making, and the practical application of his trademarked “Riskability Factor.” Drawing from a distinguished career that spans Fortune 500 giants, high-growth startups, and social impact ventures, Tom offers actionable advice and memorable anecdotes from his time at companies like Facebook, Walmart, and Palm. The conversation centers on leading with empathy, adapting through uncertainty, and fostering genuine human connection at work.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Common Thread in Leadership Across Organizations

Time: 01:38

• People at the Core: No matter the size or type of organization—be it a Fortune 500, startup, or mission-driven venture—the fundamental challenge remains working with people and building together.
• Scale Changes, Fundamentals Don’t: Challenges may manifest on different scales, but fundamentally, “the common thing I see is people and how people work together… to either build something or maintain something or even create something new.”
  — Tom LeNoble, 01:38

2. The Riskability Factor and the Haystack Method

Time: 02:37

• Riskability Factor (Trademarked):
  • A proprietary 20-question instrument created to help individuals assess their relationship with risk: “just exactly how much risk you take and what it means to you.”
• The Haystack Method:
  • A metaphorical approach to problem-solving—removing the “hay” to reveal the “needle.”
  • Tom’s role: Guide others to find their own answers by “helping them get the hay out of the way.”

“You hear people talking about it’s like finding a needle in a haystack. Well, to me it’s quite simple. You just remove the hay.”
— Tom LeNoble, 03:05

3. Lessons from High-Impact Environments (Facebook, Walmart, Palm)

Time: 03:49

• Open-Minded Adaptability:
  • Arriving at Facebook, Tom was interviewed by a young Mark Zuckerberg and worked with a mostly younger team. He chose to learn from them instead of relying solely on experience.
• Respect for Diverse Cultures
  • At Walmart.com, split between Silicon Valley and Bentonville, Tom learned to bridge different worlds by sharing, teaching, and mutual respect.
  • At Palm, global operations underscored how respecting and adapting to other cultures is essential.

“Bringing it all back down to people, respecting others’ ideas, being able to share yours and an awareness of an open mind and being willing to learn.”
— Tom LeNoble, 05:23

4. Reconnecting with Purpose as a Leader

Time: 06:12

• The CEO Office Example:
  • Leaders often believe they’re approachable, but visible presence matters. Tom recounts advising a CEO to get out of his office to truly connect.
• Active, Empathic Listening:
  • Effective leadership involves “listening for what’s being said and not for what’s going on in your head about how you might respond.”
  • The authenticity of listening is felt; people know if leaders aren’t truly present.

“People still identify with people. And being human and meeting people where they are is how you can build and grow and make people respect you and understand what your leadership is about.”
— Tom LeNoble, 06:42

• On Listening:

  “The important part of listening is listening for what’s being said and not for what’s going on in your head about how you might respond.”
  — Tom LeNoble, 07:12

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On People Being the Unchanging Constant:

  “The challenges are not that different. They may be on a different scale… The common thing I see is people and how people work together.”
  — Tom LeNoble, 01:43

• On the Riskability Factor:

  “I created the riskability factor because… to give people a way to look at that.”
  — Tom LeNoble, 02:42

• On Adaptability in Tech:

  “I could have gone in and been very much about my corporate experience… but instead I was willing to learn from them as we started building the customer operations of Facebook.”
  — Tom LeNoble, 04:14

• Advice for Leaders:

  “You’re creating an environment, but you’re not participating in it.”
  — Tom LeNoble, 06:30

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:38 — Common leadership threads across varying organizations
• 02:37 — Explaining the Riskability Factor and the Haystack Method
• 03:49 — Key lessons from Facebook, Walmart, and Palm, including embracing youth, adapting across cultures, and humility
• 06:12 — How leaders can reconnect with purpose—CEO anecdote and the necessity of genuine visibility and listening
• 07:12 — The vital art of listening as leadership

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Final Thoughts

Tom LeNoble’s approach centers on humanizing leadership, embracing open-mindedness, and fostering resilience by being present, respectful, and willing to learn from all levels within an organization. His anecdotes and trademark tools (Riskability Factor, Haystack Method) provide actionable frameworks for leaders to not only survive change but thrive through it, cultivating stronger teams and deeper personal purpose.

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Transcript

[A]

Foreign welcome to Coruscant Technologies, home of the Digital Executive Podcast. Welcome to the Digital Executive. Today's guest is Tom Lenoble. Tom Lenoble is an international speaker, resilience coach and executive leader who equips organizations and individuals to thrive through change. With a dynamic career spanning Fortune 500 companies, high growth startups and mission driven ventures, Tom brings a rare blend of strategic insight and human centered leadership to every stage, boardroom and coaching engagement. A former executive at companies like Facebook, Walmart, Palm, Verizon, Tom also played pivotal roles in successful startups including support space, IPrint and speed date. Tom's commitment to impact extends beyond the workplace. He is deeply engaged in philanthropic efforts that support underserved communities, women, youth and education. His own journey through life threatening illness and personal loss has made him a powerful advocate for resilience, presence and purpose. His life and work are a testament to the mantra he lives by. I am still here. Well, good afternoon Tom. Welcome to the show.

[B]

Hello Brian. It's great to be with you.

[A]

Absolutely, my friend. I appreciate it and really making the time. Normally I know you're on the west coast, but today you're in Maui, out in Hawaii and I'm here in Kansas City. Boring and hot here. So I just appreciate you making the time. Tom, if I could, let's jump into your first question. You've worked across Fortune 500s startups and mission driven ventures. What common thread do you see when it comes to leadership in times of change?

[B]

I think that one thing that's common across all those forums, which I get, the question which do you like best, the big one or the startup? And my answer is always yes, is it still involves people, it still involves some of the things that we have to do working with one another. The challenges are not that different. They may be on a different scale. So the common thing I see is people and how people work together and how we come together to either build something or maintain something or even create something new.

[A]

Thank you, I appreciate that. And you get at the end of the day, I think we talked a little bit about humans before we hit record, but absolutely right. Challenges are the same across the spectrum of companies, size or not. The scale might be a little different or the projects or the resources as far as funding, but I certainly appreciate that. Tom, tell us about the riskability factor that's trademarked with what inspired its creation and how can leaders apply it in uncertain or high stakes environments?

[B]

Well, my business is primarily based on risk and resilience and I created the riskability Factor, because it's a 20 question instrument you can do to find out just exactly how much risk you take and what it means to you. And that's how it got formed, was to give people a way to look at that. I have a few things that I do in my business. The riskability factor is one of them. I also have something called the haystack method, where you hear people, people talking about it's like finding a needle in a haystack. Well, to me it's quite simple. You just remove the hay and I hold the space for people to see their own answers by helping them get the hay out of the way.

[A]

Wow, I like that analogy. Removing the hay. Obviously a needle in the haystack. That is, that's amazing. But I like that you created this riskability factor, that 20 point evaluation or checklist, and that kind of takes some of the, as I call it, the hay or the BS out of it all. And you get right down to foundational leadership principles that you can help big environments, especially those high stake environments. So I appreciate that. Tom, you've held leadership roles at companies like Facebook, Walmart and Palm. What were some of the key lessons you took from these fast paced, high.

[B]

Impact environments to go in with an open mind to adapt to the environment. As you can imagine, when I went to Facebook, I interviewed with Mark Zuckerberg when he was 19. And when I showed up for that interview, everyone that was there was young enough to be my child. And as I started working at Facebook, because I ultimately went there after being really intrigued with the product and the willingness to share information, everyone that worked with me and on my team was fresh out of school, deferring law school, business school from the top universities. And I could have gone in and been very much about my corporate experience or the things I'd learned at startups, but instead I was willing to learn from them as we started building, building the customer operations of Facebook. Very similarly going into Walmart, I was [e-mail], which was a very different environment than Walmart, but I spent about 70% of my time in Bentonville, Arkansas. Two worlds that could have collided. And once again I realized we're all people. And bridging that and being willing to learn and teach and share was what brought the success. And at Palm, I was responsible for global service operations, traveling around the world and working in other countries as we worked on our service offering and through the trio. If any one of your viewers remembers that at that time, and even the challenge there of other Cultures and how you respect them and look at them and have an open mind that your culture may not be the only or the best and to respect what you see and what you're working on. So I bring it all back down to people respecting others ideas, being able to share yours and an awareness of an open mind and being willing to learn.

[A]

That's awesome. Thank you so much. Just love to hear people's stories. Going into these environments with an open mind is what I heard. And I really particularly love the story about you interviewing with Mark Zuckerberg when he was starting out there. Appreciate that learning from others, even younger generations. I took away a couple things is respect what you see. The cultures, the environment, learning, teach and share. At the end of it, people are the heart of everything that we do in this world. Tom, the last question of the day I have for you. You often speak on purpose driven leadership. In your view, how can today's leaders reconnect with their purpose amidst relentless change and noise?

[B]

You know, I'll give you a great example of somebody I'm working with. And the CEO came to me and was sharing with me how he has done everything in his organization to build an open environment where people could talk to each and then shared with me that. But no one ever comes to see me in my office. And the more we talk, the more I learned. I looked at him and I said, you know, this is very, very simple. Have you ever thought about getting out of your office? You're the CEO, you have a title, it's very intimidating to people. You're creating an environment, but you're not participating in it. So I think that I use that example to share with you how important is for us to remember in the fast driven pace today and all the things that are going on in our world, that people still identify with people. And being human and meeting people where they are is how you can build and grow and make people respect you and understand what your leadership is about. And then you add into that a little listening. The important part of listening is listening for what's being said and not for what's going on in your head about how you might respond. The person listening to you knows you're not listening to them fully and you're missing out on some important information. So I think this idea of not only being visible, interacting, being human, but being willing to listen to others.

[A]

Awesome. Thank you. And I highlight a few things. I like the story about the CEO really trying to, you know, make it in an open environment, make it where it's approachable. Maybe he left his door open, but until he as you said, get out of your office and start meeting with folks, people aren't just going to come to you. You've got to meet them at least halfway. People still need people in that connection and listening. Of course, as you probably heard this throughout life is God gave us two ears and one mouth. And I totally agree with the listening factor as you make human connections. So thank you so much, Tom. It was such a pleasure having you on today and I look forward to speaking with you real soon.

[B]

Thank you, Brian. I enjoy being here and I appreciate you having me.

[A]

Bye for now.