Snowflake's CRO survived multiple attempts by the board to replace him because he was highly coachable. He embraced a mindset of 'I don't know everything' and was willing to get 'punched in the mouth' with feedback. This openness to being told he was screwing up was essential for his evolution and tenure in the role.
Even after reaching the C-suite of a hyper-growth company, Chris Degnan maintained the mentality that he had to re-earn his job every quarter. This mindset, driven by a fear of failure, ensured he never became complacent and constantly adapted to the scaling demands of his role, which was key to his long tenure.
To transition from working 'in the business' to 'on the business,' Snowflake's CRO was told his hands-on, 'deal hound' approach wouldn't work at scale. The solution was to hire other capable 'drivers,' trust them to do their jobs, and hold them accountable. If a leader has to do their team's job, it's a problem with the team member.