Not everyone in C-suite understands what it means to serve. Yet true service – the kind that puts users first – remains rare in today’s tech landscape. Drawing from his military background and a steep climb through corporate ranks, one tech executive is reshaping how organizations approach digital services. Through a combination of hard-earned wisdom and unwavering work ethic, Derrick Pledger has made it his mission to ensure technology truly serves people, whether they’re veterans seeking benefits or citizens needing government services.

Focusing on Service-Driven Leadership

Derrick says, “I develop experiences for people.” He wants technology to work better for everyone, from army veterans to citizens signing for Medicaid or Medicare. He is focused on deploying digital systems that enable people to consume services without friction or extra costs. Even though he knows a lot about technology, Derrick says that his real goal is to help people, “even though I am technologist, I am very aware that positive consumer and digital experiences  are most important. There is a human element that is sometimes missed when more focus is applied to leveraging specific technology versus the experience it provides to an individual who must use it.” 

Derrick’s path to becoming a tech leader commenced with enlisting in the US Army. After he had to medically retire from service, he then moved to the corporate world, with a continued focus on national security. He says, “After I left the army to transition into a corporate job, my main mission was to put as much capability into the hands of our warfighters as possible.”

Learning from Early Challenges

Growing up with one parent influenced how Derrick works and how he thinks about success. His mother typically had three jobs – a full-time government job and part-time roles as an administrative assistant and bartender. “Watching my mother work three jobs was a normal thing for me,” he remembers. Though he spent less time with his mother due to this, this taught him the importance of work ethic, which helped him quickly assume more senior roles in the corporate world.  

Derrick says, “there is no traffic on the extra mile” and because he was ready to do more than others, he moved up through the ranks quite swiftly. He reached the position of Chief Information Officer in 13 and a half years after starting his career as a field service engineer. This determination helped him in achieving other successes, such as writing a book with 50 Cent titled “The Diamond District” back in 2008. Derrick sees failure differently – he thinks failure is the most critical component of achieving success. “People who are very successful, they are also the very best at failure”. He goes on to say, “Whenever you fail, you learn things that you should not do. If I do not fail at something daily, then I am not trying hard enough.”

Keys to Corporate Leadership

For people who want to grow in their careers, Derrick gives great tips:

• Run Toward Failure: he says, “you cannot avoid failure but when you run toward it, you end up winning”. He makes it clear that each failure provides experience for future challenges.
• Articulate Your Impact: Even though humility is important, Derrick believes that it’s vital to show your work. “If you are unable to show your value and what you did for your organization, then nobody else will notice it.”
• Volunteer for Tough Problems: Derrick shared, “I was someone who always wanted to help, and I would always volunteer for complex projects”. This eagerness helped him grow in his previous roles.

Strengthening Mental Discipline

Derrick’s new book, “Your Brain Weighs 500 Pounds” talks about how tough it is to pay attention in today’s world where there is a lot of information (and disinformation). He says, “we always have nonsense around us everyday”. The book outlines simple ways in which to improve your focus and reach your personal commitments, often through discipline, positive habits, and preventing “self-sabotage”.

Now, Derrick is using his platform to inspire other people to achieve their goals. He adds, “Success isn’t about just you. What will you do with your platform? How will you help others?”. He currently speaks at corporations and universities on topics of technology, personal resilience, and the keys to high-performance in the digital world. 

To learn more about mental discipline and how to reach your goals, find Derrick’s book “Your Brain Weighs 500 Pounds” on Amazon or check out his LinkedIn profile.

Published by Iris S.