Brainstorm Tech Spotlight: Tony Zingale, Chairman and CEO of Jive

What was the last book you read?

“Six Years” by Harlan Coben—I love everything he writes. I’m a huge fan and love a murder mystery with its suspense and surprise endings.

What would you say to a group of young people looking to enter the tough job market?

My father was a second-generation immigrant who didn’t graduate from high school.  He worked extremely hard for 50+ years as a bartender while my mother, also a second-generation immigrant, raised the kids.  They both always demanded that I get the best education possible, work harder than anyone else and then pursue my dreams—which for me was coming to Silicon Valley over 30+ years ago.  Although it may sound trite, it’s the truth. Anything is possible if you work hard and pursue your dreams.

What would you do if you weren’t working at your current job?

If I wasn’t running Jive I would still be sitting on Jive’s board of directors, as I was doing more than four years ago when I was asked to become CEO in advance of the company’s IPO. And if I wasn’t working at Jive, in addition to sitting on the board, I would spend as much time as I could on the golf course or ski slopes.

If I could have my dream job it would be the owner of the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, or the Golden State Warriors. I’m a massive Bay Area sports fan.

How do you get your news?

My iPhone, my iPad but also good old fashioned radio, TV, and print news. I still love the local newspaper with my coffee every morning.

What was the most important thing you learned in school?

That it’s never easy. I have two degrees—one in electrical engineering and one in business administration—because I realized there was more to technology than the technology itself.

What do you do for fun?

Golf, ski, watch sports, repeat… golf, ski, watch sports, repeat….

What business or technology person do you admire most? Why?

1. Andy Grove for his determination to not only invent technology but to build of the most lasting technology brands of all time.

2. Joe Costello, CEO of Cadence, for his unbelievable leadership ability... The master.

3. Steve Jobs for his unique ability to truly see around corners. No one told him to build the iPod or iPhone... He saw it.

What other companies do you admire? Why?

Intel, Apple, LinkedIn, Google – they all disrupted everything.

What do you do to live a balanced life?

I respect my team’s time, which in turn helps everyone respect my time. My family is very important to me and I have enough experience to know when it’s the right time to dedicate everything to work and when to completely shut down to be with my family and recharge my batteries. It’s also important to work hard and play as hard, my brother told me that line years ago and he had it right.

What is one characteristic that every leader should possess?

Communication is the foundation, but passion, energy, commitment, decisiveness are all important as well.