Rutherford J. Pascal is a Senior Sales Executive with over 30 years of experience driving sales growth and building high-performing teams across three Fortune 100 companies. As Founder and CEO of Glass Walls Leadership, he helps good leaders become great and great leaders become better through coaching, group training, and keynote presentations. He previously led the Dupixent sales team at Genzyme/Sanofi, overseeing over 400 field representatives and achieving the most successful dermatology and respiratory launch in 20 years. He has held leadership roles at Bone Care International, Novartis, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Scott Paper, and serves on the boards of organizations including the 1st Veterans Bank of Arizona and the Vacaville Neighborhoods Boys and Girls Club.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rutherford-pascal-42381b3
Website: glasswallsleadership.com
Host: Richard Lowe | Guest: Rutherford Pascal
Summary of Transcript
Richard Lowe: Hello, this is Richard Lowe, and you’re on the Leaders and Their Stories podcast. Thank you for joining us. I’m here today with Rutherford Pascal, and he’s going to tell us all about himself.
Rutherford Pascal: Thanks, Richard. I appreciate the opportunity. My name is Rutherford Pascal, and I run a company called Glass Walls Leadership. Our focus is helping good leaders become great, and great leaders become even better.
I spent over 30 years in leadership within the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. I started as a sales rep and moved up through every level: sales training, first-line leader, second, third, fourth line, and eventually head of sales. I bring all that experience to Glass Walls Leadership. We help people who want to grow and elevate themselves. Good isn’t good enough anymore. Greatness is what creates impact.
Richard Lowe: Especially in a world that changes so fast. You have to stay ahead.
Rutherford Pascal: You need to differentiate yourself if you want to grow your culture, revenue, and results. That means constantly evolving and working on yourself. The best leaders invest in their own growth.
The Book: Being Overlooked at Work
Richard Lowe: Speaking of growth, you’ve got a new book coming out, right?
Rutherford Pascal: Yes! When I launched my company, people often asked how I advanced in my career, getting promoted eight times. When I started coaching, I’d suggest one or two simple actions for people to take. The response was always the same: “Wow, that’s so simple, why didn’t I think of that?”
That’s when I realized I needed to write a book. It’s about how to elevate yourself and stand out in a positive way. If I add value to myself, the company, and the customer through just one or two key actions, I grow, the business grows, and everyone wins.
Richard Lowe: Sounds like a book I want to read. When does it launch?
Rutherford Pascal: Mid-April, just around the same time as your book!
Richard Lowe: A little friendly competition. Mine’s called The Ghostwriting Advantage, a comprehensive guide to hiring a ghostwriter. It’s nearly 400 pages long.
Rutherford Pascal: Mine’s the opposite, just 43 to 45 pages. More of a workbook than a traditional book. I wanted something people could read quickly and immediately act on. No fluff, just “do this and grow.”
Richard Lowe: I’m doing a Cliff Notes version of mine too, about 40 to 50 pages. The full version has exercises and case studies, but I love your direct approach.
Rutherford Pascal: Thanks. I don’t consider myself a writer. It took a lot of weekends, writing and rewriting. I sent it to five people for critical feedback, and after the final tweaks, I’ll publish it soon.
Leadership in Action
Richard Lowe: Your background is impressive, pulmonology, gastroenterology, and more. Speaking of gastro, I’ve had both ends scoped. Not fun.
Rutherford Pascal: Thankfully, our product goes down the throat, not the other end! But you’re right, the prep and experience matter.
Richard Lowe: I’ve never smoked or drank, so I was cautious not to drive after the procedure. Didn’t want to explain that to the police.
Rutherford Pascal: That would be an awkward conversation! Leadership ties into all of this. Great communities and organizations thrive because of great leadership. You can see the difference, whether it’s police departments, companies, or sports teams.
Richard Lowe: A bad apple at the top can ruin the whole orchard.
Rutherford Pascal: I love that. I’m stealing it, with credit! But you’re right. Look at the pandemic. Two companies in the same industry, one thrived, the other folded. The difference? Leadership.
Leadership Lessons from Business History
Richard Lowe: One of my favorite books is The Other Guy Blinked, about the Pepsi CEO during the Coke vs. Pepsi wars. It shows what real leadership looks like, especially how quickly they reacted when Michael Jackson had that accident during a shoot.
Rutherford Pascal: Yeah, that New Coke fiasco? It taught Coke to double down on their core value. The leadership move was realizing they misunderstood their customers and pulling back. That takes humility and wisdom.
Richard Lowe: Same with how Microsoft shifted under Satya Nadella. He invested in the cloud, and their market cap jumped from $400 billion to $2.7 trillion.
Rutherford Pascal: Three CEOs in nearly 50 years: Gates, Ballmer, Nadella. That speaks volumes. Nadella focused, executed, and iterated. Like football, sometimes it’s just blocking and tackling better than the other team.
Richard Lowe: Same story with companies like Snapchat. Late to market, but they knew their audience and executed better. Leadership is about staying obsessed with your customers, not your competition.
Rutherford Pascal: That’s how Amazon won. Customer obsession over competition obsession.
Final Thoughts
Richard Lowe: Any final thoughts?
Rutherford Pascal: Invest in yourself. That’s the greatest return. You might double your skills by investing in tools, but if you invest in yourself, you grow 10x. You bring more value to your team, your company, and your life.
Richard Lowe: And I’d add, don’t say “I’m not a leader.” You probably are. If you’re in a family, a team, or a friend group, you lead in some way. Thanks for being here, Rutherford.
Rutherford Pascal: Thanks, Richard. You can find me at glasswallsleadership.com or on LinkedIn. I’m the only Rutherford Pascal on there!
Richard Lowe is a ghostwriter and the host of Leaders and Their Stories, helping thought leaders and executives turn their experiences into powerful books. Visit TheWritingKing.com or schedule a free book discovery call.