Eric Stine: The Power of Saying Yes

In a world obsessed with speed, optimization, certainty, and AI-driven answers, this episode of Gratitude Through Hard Times offers a necessary pause. Chris Schembra sits down with Eric Stine, CEO of Sitecore, for a deeply human conversation about leadership, belonging, gratitude, and the courage to say yes before you feel ready. This is not a tactical episode about growth metrics or technology stacks—it’s an exploration of what it means to lead, live, and connect in a time when instinct is being outsourced and humanity is at risk of being optimized away.

Eric reflects on a 25-year career across some of the world’s most influential enterprise technology companies, but reframes success through a different lens. Rather than crediting restraint or perfection, he points to saying yes as the defining strategy of his life, yes to unfamiliar roles, yes to reinvention, yes to creativity, fatherhood, philanthropy, and Broadway. Along the way, he opens up about imposter syndrome, those quiet moments of doubt that surface even at the highest levels of leadership, and why authenticity—not certainty—is what ultimately creates trust and psychological safety for teams.

The conversation reaches back to Eric’s eighth-grade years, when he felt like an outsider searching for his people. Theater became the place where he learned that difference wasn’t something to hide, but something to bring forward, a lesson that continues to shape how he builds culture today. That theme of belonging becomes especially resonant in today’s age of fragmentation and loneliness, where many people feel disconnected not because they lack opportunity, but because they lack spaces where they can show up fully as themselves.

Midway through the episode, Eric answers the signature gratitude question, offering heartfelt thanks to his father, Mark, whose belief in living authentically influenced everything from Eric’s leadership philosophy to a Tony Award win on Father’s Day. The moment grounds the conversation in gratitude, not as sentiment, but as a force that shapes identity, values, and legacy across generations.

This episode is especially important now because it confronts a growing cultural tension: while AI can deliver answers at unprecedented speed, it cannot deliver wisdom, belonging, or meaning. Eric draws a clear distinction between systems of record and systems of engagement, arguing that the future belongs to leaders and organizations that pair data with instinct, scale with empathy, and efficiency with humanity. In an era where people are burning out not just from work, but from hiding who they are, this conversation offers a different model, one rooted in community, peer-driven recognition, and shared accountability rather than control.

Ultimately, The Power of Saying Yes is a reminder that culture cannot be engineered from the top down and growth cannot be achieved through optimization alone. Culture comes from community. Belonging comes from permission. And the most meaningful paths in life are rarely the safest ones. This episode invites listeners to slow down, embrace impermanence, and choose the more interesting path, not because it’s easy, but because it’s human.

10 Key Takeaways

1. Saying yes creates momentum.
   Progress, growth, and meaning often come from leaning in before you feel ready—not from waiting for certainty.
    
2. Authenticity is a leadership advantage, not a liability.
   When leaders model vulnerability, they unlock psychological safety and better performance across teams.
    
3. Imposter syndrome doesn’t disappear—it becomes a compass.
   Doubt is often a signal that you’re stretching into something meaningful.
    
4. Finding “your people” changes everything.
   Belonging fuels confidence, creativity, and resilience—whether in theater, business, or family.
    
5. Gratitude is a strategic tool, not a soft one.
   Recognizing people for their impact on others builds trust, loyalty, and culture at scale.
    
6. Culture cannot be built top-down.
   Leaders can only create the conditions; community does the building.
    
7. AI needs humans in the loop.
   Data delivers insight, but instinct and empathy deliver relevance.
    
8. Impermanence creates meaning.
   Moments matter more when we know they won’t last—whether on stage, at work, or around the dinner table.
    
9. Accountability is empowering when framed as ownership.
   We don’t work in isolation—we work in ecosystems where shared responsibility drives excellence.
    
10. The best life is an AND life, not an OR life.
    Passion and profit. Speed and care. Technology and humanity. Both can be true.

Eric Stine Bio

Eric Stine is the Chief Executive Officer of Sitecore, driving the company's vision and strategy to unlock business value for clients by empowering them to create compelling digital experiences. Eric was previously Chief Operating Officer, where he led all customer-facing functions.

Before Sitecore, Eric was Chief Executive Officer of Elemica. Previously, he was Chief Commercial Officer of Skillsoft and Chief Revenue Officer of Qualtrics. Eric has also held executive roles at companies such as SAP, Ciber, and Blackboard.

Eric earned a law degree at Boston University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts at Northwestern University, where he and his husband are the founders of the Eric and Neil Stine-Markman Scholarships. They are the first permanent endowments at either institution directing funds toward LGBTQ+ students.

He is based near New York City.