Infor Sales Manager, Stephen Dowling, celebrated his eighth anniversary at ALKU this past month. Described by his fellow ALKrew members as a “legend” (a statement he’s proven to be true), he was instrumental in the growth of ALKU’s Workday division back when it was a startup. There was no limit to the energy he put in to make Workday a success. Now, we’re seeing that play out again as he works to start up ALKU’s Infor group.
An ALKU Startup Veteran
For Stephen, the decision to move forward with the opportunity to startup ALKU’s Infor group was based on the people. He has been fortunate to work with some of ALKU’s most amazing employees and leaders while a part of our Workday group. Being able to try to recreate that in a startup with Kyra Anderson and Liz Barker was all he needed to hear to bootstrap ALKU’s Infor group.
The Principals
There are two principal factors in a successful startup: having a positive attitude and an unbreakable desire to improve. Every day requires an effort that might not guarantee the results or outcome Stephen wants. As they work to continue laying the foundation of Infor, Stephen focuses on progress rather than situational outcomes. He doesn’t beat himself up because, regardless of the outcome, he knows there will be room to improve and an opportunity to respond.
Nobody Is Perfect
When asked how he leads by example, Stephen said, “Let’s be clear: nobody is perfect.” He likes to own his mistakes and learn from them loudly for others to hear and learn from themselves. He enjoys outworking his competition, producing for the company, and taking his craft very seriously. All of this influences his actions and his choices to lead effectively. At the end of the day, Stephen says, “Great leaders are proud individuals who care.”
When we asked what the next step in his ALKU career is, Stephen’s reply was simply to continue. Continue taking steps, asking for help, supporting others, producing, and having fun with it! With Kyra Anderson and Stephen Dowling carving Infor’s path, we have no doubt that the group will continue succeeding!