The Power of Calm: GuideCX COO Harris Clarke on Building Trust and Systems That Hold

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This week on Between Two COOs, Michael sits down with Harris Clarke, COO at GuideCX, to talk about what steady leadership actually looks like inside fast-changing companies.

Harris started his career in protocol and operations for the U.S. Department of State, where “process” wasn’t just a buzzword — it was survival. He shares how those lessons translate to running a modern SaaS organization and why purpose, process, and payoff are the anchors of any good meeting.

They dig into:

• How government discipline shaped Harris’s operating style
• The “three P’s” framework for productive meetings
• Why decision speed is overrated — and what Harris means by “Did anyone die or go to jail?”
• What he learned from executive coaching and board feedback
• How GuideCX built a new product category around customer onboarding
• How AI is quietly reshaping how he manages teams and prepares communications
• Why calm is a competitive advantage during crisis moments like SVB

Michael also gives context at the top: this episode was recorded across two sessions, after a recording issue mid-interview (and yes, he’s now officially a Riverside convert).

It’s a conversation about building trust, running tight systems, and keeping your head when everything around you is changing.

Harris Clarke on LinkedIn
GuideCX

Michael Koenig on LinkedIn

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