Leadership insights from NexTalk GM Travis Gollaher on growth, ownership, and building high-performing teams in today’s workplace.
We are honored to spotlight Travis Gollaher, General Manager of NexTalk. A results-driven executive, Travis brings a strong track record in setting strategic direction, building high-performing teams, and delivering meaningful outcomes for customers, employees, and investors. With experience across operations, sales leadership, and customer success, he offers a unique, end-to-end perspective on how revenue is built, retained, and scaled.
Throughout his career, Travis has led organizations through multiple stages of growth, from early-stage startups to $100M+ enterprises, driving revenue expansion, improving operational efficiency, and leading impactful strategic transformations. He has successfully built and scaled customer success teams, achieved exceptional revenue retention, and led go-to-market repositioning efforts in response to evolving market dynamics.
His leadership is defined by disciplined execution, purposeful growth, and a commitment to building teams that consistently deliver results. We asked Travis to share his insights on growth, leadership, and what it takes to succeed in today’s workplace.
In my experience, leadership starts long before someone is given a title. It begins when a person takes ownership, steps into uncertainty, and chooses to contribute beyond what's required. The people who grow into leadership the fastest aren't always the most polished or outspoken. They're the ones who raise their hand, solve problems, follow through, and earn trust over time.
For me, one of the biggest keys to growth has been a willingness to step outside my comfort zone and swing for the fences. Many of the most meaningful opportunities in my life came because I said yes before I felt fully ready. Growth rarely happens when everything feels safe. It happens when you're stretched, challenged, and forced to become more than you were before.
I've also learned that no one grows alone. I've been fortunate to have leaders in my life who saw potential in me that I didn't yet see in myself. That changed me, and it's why I try to do the same for others whenever I can.
If I could share one insight, it would be this: don't wait until you feel completely ready to grow into the next version of yourself. Some of the biggest breakthroughs in life and leadership happen when you're willing to take smart risks, trust that you can grow, and step into opportunities that feel bigger than your current confidence.
Success is rarely a solo story. Effort, discipline, and ownership matter. But when I look back on my own path, part of my success came from people who gave me a chance and helped me see more in myself than I could see at the time. That kind of leadership leaves a mark. My advice is simple. Be willing to stretch. Be willing to fail, learn, and keep going. Put yourself in rooms that challenge you. Stay humble enough to learn from others and grateful enough to recognize the people who helped you along the way.
Leadership isn't just about achievement. It's about becoming the kind of person who creates opportunity, builds trust, and makes others better.
Growing Into Leadership: A Research-Based Perspective on Ownership, Risk, and Development
Wu-Ting Alisa Chen
Travis’s insights align with research emphasizing that leadership development is shaped by proactive behavior, learning through challenge, growth mindset, and social learning rather than formal authority. His focus on taking ownership and stepping beyond formal roles closely reflects proactive personality theory (Crant, 2000), which highlights how individuals initiate change and influence their environment even before holding formal leadership positions.
Proactive behavior refers to taking initiative to create change and improve situations at work, driven by both individual traits and environmental factors, and is strongly associated with performance, career success, and organizational effectiveness (Crant, 2000). Seibert et al. (1999)further demonstrate that individuals with proactive personalities achieve higher career success because they actively shape opportunities and take initiative, even when accounting for factors
such as education and experience. This perspective is reflected in Travis’s emphasis that “leadership starts long before someone is given a title… when a person takes ownership, steps into uncertainty, and contributes beyond what is required.”
Travis also noted, “Growth rarely happens when everything feels safe. It happens when you're stretched, challenged, and forced to become more than you were before.” This aligns with research by DeRue and Wellman (2009), which highlights that leadership development occurs through on-the-job experiences involving developmental challenges. Tasks that require individuals to navigate unfamiliar situations, manage responsibility, and operate under pressure are key drivers of leadership growth. Similarly, Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning theory explains that learning is an active, continuous process in which knowledge is created through the transformation of experience.
Travis’s advice to “not wait until you feel ready” and to “take smart risks” reflects the principles of growth mindset theory. Dweck (2006) explains that mindset shapes how individuals respond to challenges, interpret failure, and engage in learning, factors that directly influence performance and long-term success. Building on this, Burnette et al. (2020) emphasize that achievement is not determined solely by talent, but by how individuals approach effort, learning, and setbacks. A growth mindset enables individuals to embrace challenges, persist through difficulty, and continue developing over time.
Additionally, Travis shared that “many of the most meaningful opportunities… came because [he] said yes before [he] felt fully ready,” reinforcing the importance of learning through experience. This aligns with McCauley et al. (2010), who emphasize that leadership is primarily developed through challenging experiences supported by reflection and feedback. Growth occurs when individuals step outside their comfort zones and engage in real-world learning opportunities rather than waiting for perfect readiness.
Finally, Travis highlighted the importance of learning from others, noting the value of staying humble and placing oneself in environments that foster growth. This perspective aligns with Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory, which explains that individuals learn by observing and interacting with others. Leadership development, therefore, is not only an individual process but also a social one, shaped by role models, relationships, and shared experiences.
Together, both foundational and contemporary research reinforce Travis’s central message: leadership development is not defined by titles, but by action, mindset, and relationships. Individuals who take initiative, embrace challenge, remain open to learning, and seek out environments that stretch their capabilities are more likely to grow into effective leaders over time. By stepping into uncertainty, learning from experience, and supporting the growth of others, individuals not only develop their own leadership capacity but also contribute to creating environments where leadership can emerge at every level.
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice Hall. https://www.asecib.ase.ro/mps/Bandura_SocialLearningTheory.pdf View Bandura's social learning theory
Burnette, J. L., O’Boyle, E. H., VanEpps, E. M., Pollack, J. M., & Finkel, E. J. (2020). A growth mindset intervention improves interest but not performance in leadership contexts. Journal of Applied Psychology, 105(6), 644–657. https://doi.org/10.1177/1042258719864293 View reference in the Journal of Applied Psychology
Crant, J. M. (2000). Proactive behavior in organizations. Journal of Management, 26(3), 435–462. https://doi.org/10.1177/014920630002600304 View Crant, J. M.'s Proactive behavior in organizations
DeRue, D. S., & Wellman, N. (2009). Developing leaders via experience: The role of developmental challenge. Academy of Management Journal, 52(5), 859–878. https://psycnet.apa.org/buy/2009-10167-012 View DeRue, D. S., & Wellman, N.'s. Developing leaders via experience
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House. https://mindsetonline.com/growth-mindset/
View Dweck, C. S.'s Mindset
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice Hall.
McCauley, C. D., Van Velsor, E., & Ruderman, M. N. (2010). Leader development in the workplace. In E. Van Velsor, C. D. McCauley, & M. N. Ruderman (Eds.), The Center for Creative Leadership handbook of leadership development (3rd ed., pp. 29–61). Jossey-Bass.
Seibert, S. E., Crant, J. M., & Kraimer, M. L. (1999). Proactive personality and career success. Journal of Applied Psychology, 84(3), 416–427. https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0021-9010.84.3.416 View Proactive personality and career success, Journal of Applied Psychology
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Upcoming Business Impact D.E.N. (Develop • Engage • Network) Event
Leading on the Edge: How Bold Leaders Create Extraordinary Impact
Zana Goic Petricevic, Bold Leadership Culture | Virtual –Teams Link| April 15th |12:00–1:00 PM | Register
Zana is a transformational keynote speaker, leadership expert, and bestselling author who helps leaders navigate uncertainty and develop bold mindsets; in this presentation, she explores how leaders can move beyond safe decisions to practice courageous leadership and turn vision into decisive action.
