Getting comfortable being uncomfortable
Jack Molloy’s connection to Mizzou began not in a classroom, but through his family.
Two of Molloy’s sons attend the University of Missouri. Their enthusiasm for Mizzou drew him in, too, turning trips to Columbia and Tiger games into a connection with the university — and increasingly, with the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business.
Now, Molloy is deepening that relationship as a new member of the Trulaske Dean’s Advisory Board, where he will bring nearly three decades of experience at Motorola Solutions to a college preparing students to lead through a period of extraordinary change.
“Trulaske has a wealth of hardworking students from diverse backgrounds,” Molloy said. “I am looking forward to sharing my lessons learned to help them along their journey to success.”
For Dean Balaji Rajagopalan, bringing leaders like Molloy into the Trulaske community is an important part of preparing students for a business world that is changing rapidly.
“Our students benefit tremendously when they have access to leaders who are navigating transformation in real time,” said Balaji Rajagopalan, dean of the Trulaske College of Business. “Jack brings decades of experience leading through technological change, building teams and solving complex business problems. That perspective helps our students connect what they are learning at Trulaske with the challenges and opportunities they will encounter throughout their careers.”
Those lessons have been accumulated across a career defined by transformation.
Molloy is executive vice president and chief operating officer of Motorola Solutions, where he has managed and scaled global businesses, helped launch new technology and led acquisitions and integrations as the company evolved from a provider of mission-critical communications into a global leader in public safety and enterprise security.
But ask Molloy what matters most in leading through change and his answer starts not with technology or strategy.
It starts with people.
“Everything starts with building a world-class team,” he said. “Inspire them, hold them accountable and get out of their way.”
Learning for what comes next
That perspective aligns with Trulaske’s focus on preparing students not simply for their first job, but for a business world that will continue to evolve throughout their careers.
Molloy has seen that evolution firsthand.
During the past decade, Motorola Solutions has transformed significantly, with Molloy helping lead acquisitions into new markets and working alongside founder CEOs as businesses became part of a larger organization.
The technology will continue changing, he said, particularly as artificial intelligence reshapes businesses and industries.
The challenge for students is preparing for careers whose tools, opportunities and even job descriptions may look very different 10 or 20 years from now.
Molloy believes some of the most important preparation has little to do with mastering any one technology.
“Adaptability, intellectual curiosity and perpetual learning will continue to be skills in demand,” he said. “Stay nimble and be a problem solver.”
His advice for Trulaske students is to begin practicing that adaptability now.
“We often talk to our teams about ‘getting comfortable being uncomfortable,’” Molloy said. “I think our students and future leaders should embody that approach in their curriculum choices.”
It is the kind of perspective Trulaske students can gain when the classroom connects with leaders actively navigating the challenges they will encounter in their own careers.
Through the Dean’s Advisory Board and other connections with industry, Trulaske brings those voices into the student experience — giving students opportunities to learn not only business fundamentals, but how experienced leaders apply them when circumstances change.
Leadership with a purpose
For Molloy, leadership also has a deeply personal dimension.
He is the son of a police officer, and much of his career has been devoted to technology serving public safety agencies. He has served on the board of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation and supports organizations including Major Cities Chiefs Association and the Police Executive Research Forum.
“Our technology makes the world a safer place,” Molloy said. “Knowing what my dad and our global customer base combat daily has been a personal inspiration and driver for me.”
It’s another lesson he can bring to Trulaske: Business leadership isn’t only about what an organization accomplishes. It’s also about understanding who the work serves and why it matters.
As Molloy begins his work with the Dean’s Advisory Board, Trulaske students will gain access to another leader willing to share what he has learned — including the lessons that can only come from navigating decades of change.
And Molloy already knows the message he wants future business leaders to hear:
Stay curious. Keep learning. Solve problems.
And get comfortable being uncomfortable.