Profile
First Name
Tobias
Last Name
Musser
Professions
IT Managed Services & Solutions
Industry
IT & Technology
Chapter
B2B GovCon
Member Role
B2B Member
Member Bio
Never stop learning. Whether you are an entry-level employee fresh from college or a CEO, you don’t know it all. Admitting this is not a sign of weakness. The strongest leaders are those who are lifelong students.”
– Former Pepsico CEO Indra Nooyi
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, relearn and unlearn.
– Alvin Toffler
More than a handful of credits shy of completing an associate degree at a community college, Toby Musser dropped out to work; the lure of business was too strong. “As I took business courses, I couldn’t stop asking about the ‘why’ and how every business defines itself.” He wanted to learn more in the field, and the classroom didn’t provide the opportunity that the workplace did.
Today, a serial entrepreneur who has owned or partnered in 17 companies over two decades, Musser is CEO of MNS Group, an IT service provider based in Bel Air. Despite his success, he recognizes, “Not having a degree did come with a cost: Access and audiences. It would have made it easier to build my career in the early stages.”
Perhaps Musser is more of a trail guide than he imagines. While a bachelor’s degree once provided enough intellectual heft to last a career, that’s no longer true. Skills that graduates acquire during college have an expected shelf life of only five years according to research by the Harvard Business Review and Deloitte.
In other words, it’s not about the framed degree on a wall; it’s about steps one takes to continue learning after – or instead of – graduation. For Musser, this 21st century take on continued learning and growth isn’t new. It’s exactly how he’s built his career and life.
Read to Learn and Challenge the Self
“I began reading the Harvard Business Review in the late 1990s. I read every article to answer the how and why of business,” he says. Twenty years later, his reading investment has grown to 2 ½ hours daily with four more resources: Financial Times, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Al Jazeera and Haaretz. Multiple viewpoints inform his philosophy. Working alongside people who have different cultures, backgrounds and experiences means a worldview is paramount. “As leaders, we need to be aware of the geopolitical implications of technology. We need to understand the varied cultural sensitivities of customers, engineers and support staff.”
One of his favorite and most surprising finds is the journal, Lapham’s Quarterly. Each themed edition draws upon writings by authors as diverse as Aristotle, Shakespeare and Virginia Wolfe blended with works of art, song and theater. Historic perspectives resonate strongly with today’s events. For example, the fall 2019 edition addresses the climate. “Reading it gives me prescient insight into current events with historical perspective.”
Pause to Ask, Listen and Learn
If you were wrong, would you want to know? It’s a tough question, but one Musser asks of himself and others. “In practice, this can be hard. It’s important to be open to corrections and suggestions.”
“Internally, introspection and a philosophical focus improve a company’s bottom line,” he says. Any business suggestion is a good suggestion until there is a counterargument. “We are paid to have effective, shared conversations. Our job is to focus on real, adult conversations among employees, clients and sales team. We work to make sure conversations are generative and creative.
“Even if a client says, ‘Did the last guy do this wrong?’ we are careful to explain that there are a number of ways to get to a solution. We focus on saying that there might be a better way to improve where we are now. It’s not about denigrating what happened before,” he says.
“Internally, businesses become stronger when employees learn about the why,” he says. Case in point: The difference between how one answers a phone call can change a client’s perspective of the firm. Answer with a smile and it becomes a good experience; answer in a curt tone, and the client will know. That small action can ripple across the relationship, affecting retention and referrals.
As a member of the national mentoring network group, Vistage, he finds it useful to gain perspectives from CEOs in other industries, applying lessons learned to his company. “If employees do not know implications of the process, they will not care and will not be invested. Give reasons. Teach the why.”
Inspire Learning at Work
“At work, during our daily huddle, we talk about how anyone can hire an IT company to do the work. What we do is provide the human impact when technology is failing someone and not working the way it needs to be,” Musser says.
“Technology often focuses on profits and the shiny new thing, but there is a gap in understanding the human aspect of work. Emotional intelligence is not often on the list of what companies seek in employees.” Over the years, Musser has found that his work must go beyond that next shiny new thing to help employees appreciate their value. “I tell them they are working to live, not living to work.” He encourages employees to take personal time, even sending people home if they have worked excessive hours.
Investing in employees includes helping them realize dreams outside of work. Using a concept called the Dream Box, Musser asks employees to share their dreams. When possible, he tries to bring such dreams to fruition. Musser called connections to help one employee build skills to become a stand-up comedian. He found another business owner to teach an employee about a dog grooming business. While deepening professional knowledge reaps rewards, broadening knowledge outside of one’s workday builds fresh connections and perspectives.
“It boils down to helping people do a better job as they continue to learn,” he says.
Refuel Your Tank
Musser, who plays the piano and mandolin, looks to music as his “healthy way to escape the stresses of the world. It allows you to enter a certain state of flow when you sit down to play.” As the board president of Harford County-based Maryland Center for the Arts, he champions arts in the community. While Musser enjoys connecting with people through his music, he also finds it essential to “refuel his tank.”
“If you are tired, you cannot learn well. It affects your ability to do what you need to do. You need mental space to learn and help others.”
Equally important is his commitment to faith. “As a devout person, I enjoy studying the Bible and learning about other faiths,” he says. “There is always a place for kindness and care in business.”
Evolve
Learning is hard but essential. Next on his list is learning Greek and Hebrew so he can read primary sources in their original languages, through which, he muses, he’ll gain a deeper understanding. That speaks to Musser’s goal of lifelong learning and growth, a philosophy he shares with family – including his eight children, friends and colleagues.
“If a version of me at 25 met a version of me at 45, we would disagree. I suspect the version of me at 65 would not agree with me today. And that’s OK.”
– Former Pepsico CEO Indra Nooyi
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, relearn and unlearn.
– Alvin Toffler
More than a handful of credits shy of completing an associate degree at a community college, Toby Musser dropped out to work; the lure of business was too strong. “As I took business courses, I couldn’t stop asking about the ‘why’ and how every business defines itself.” He wanted to learn more in the field, and the classroom didn’t provide the opportunity that the workplace did.
Today, a serial entrepreneur who has owned or partnered in 17 companies over two decades, Musser is CEO of MNS Group, an IT service provider based in Bel Air. Despite his success, he recognizes, “Not having a degree did come with a cost: Access and audiences. It would have made it easier to build my career in the early stages.”
Perhaps Musser is more of a trail guide than he imagines. While a bachelor’s degree once provided enough intellectual heft to last a career, that’s no longer true. Skills that graduates acquire during college have an expected shelf life of only five years according to research by the Harvard Business Review and Deloitte.
In other words, it’s not about the framed degree on a wall; it’s about steps one takes to continue learning after – or instead of – graduation. For Musser, this 21st century take on continued learning and growth isn’t new. It’s exactly how he’s built his career and life.
Read to Learn and Challenge the Self
“I began reading the Harvard Business Review in the late 1990s. I read every article to answer the how and why of business,” he says. Twenty years later, his reading investment has grown to 2 ½ hours daily with four more resources: Financial Times, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Al Jazeera and Haaretz. Multiple viewpoints inform his philosophy. Working alongside people who have different cultures, backgrounds and experiences means a worldview is paramount. “As leaders, we need to be aware of the geopolitical implications of technology. We need to understand the varied cultural sensitivities of customers, engineers and support staff.”
One of his favorite and most surprising finds is the journal, Lapham’s Quarterly. Each themed edition draws upon writings by authors as diverse as Aristotle, Shakespeare and Virginia Wolfe blended with works of art, song and theater. Historic perspectives resonate strongly with today’s events. For example, the fall 2019 edition addresses the climate. “Reading it gives me prescient insight into current events with historical perspective.”
Pause to Ask, Listen and Learn
If you were wrong, would you want to know? It’s a tough question, but one Musser asks of himself and others. “In practice, this can be hard. It’s important to be open to corrections and suggestions.”
“Internally, introspection and a philosophical focus improve a company’s bottom line,” he says. Any business suggestion is a good suggestion until there is a counterargument. “We are paid to have effective, shared conversations. Our job is to focus on real, adult conversations among employees, clients and sales team. We work to make sure conversations are generative and creative.
“Even if a client says, ‘Did the last guy do this wrong?’ we are careful to explain that there are a number of ways to get to a solution. We focus on saying that there might be a better way to improve where we are now. It’s not about denigrating what happened before,” he says.
“Internally, businesses become stronger when employees learn about the why,” he says. Case in point: The difference between how one answers a phone call can change a client’s perspective of the firm. Answer with a smile and it becomes a good experience; answer in a curt tone, and the client will know. That small action can ripple across the relationship, affecting retention and referrals.
As a member of the national mentoring network group, Vistage, he finds it useful to gain perspectives from CEOs in other industries, applying lessons learned to his company. “If employees do not know implications of the process, they will not care and will not be invested. Give reasons. Teach the why.”
Inspire Learning at Work
“At work, during our daily huddle, we talk about how anyone can hire an IT company to do the work. What we do is provide the human impact when technology is failing someone and not working the way it needs to be,” Musser says.
“Technology often focuses on profits and the shiny new thing, but there is a gap in understanding the human aspect of work. Emotional intelligence is not often on the list of what companies seek in employees.” Over the years, Musser has found that his work must go beyond that next shiny new thing to help employees appreciate their value. “I tell them they are working to live, not living to work.” He encourages employees to take personal time, even sending people home if they have worked excessive hours.
Investing in employees includes helping them realize dreams outside of work. Using a concept called the Dream Box, Musser asks employees to share their dreams. When possible, he tries to bring such dreams to fruition. Musser called connections to help one employee build skills to become a stand-up comedian. He found another business owner to teach an employee about a dog grooming business. While deepening professional knowledge reaps rewards, broadening knowledge outside of one’s workday builds fresh connections and perspectives.
“It boils down to helping people do a better job as they continue to learn,” he says.
Refuel Your Tank
Musser, who plays the piano and mandolin, looks to music as his “healthy way to escape the stresses of the world. It allows you to enter a certain state of flow when you sit down to play.” As the board president of Harford County-based Maryland Center for the Arts, he champions arts in the community. While Musser enjoys connecting with people through his music, he also finds it essential to “refuel his tank.”
“If you are tired, you cannot learn well. It affects your ability to do what you need to do. You need mental space to learn and help others.”
Equally important is his commitment to faith. “As a devout person, I enjoy studying the Bible and learning about other faiths,” he says. “There is always a place for kindness and care in business.”
Evolve
Learning is hard but essential. Next on his list is learning Greek and Hebrew so he can read primary sources in their original languages, through which, he muses, he’ll gain a deeper understanding. That speaks to Musser’s goal of lifelong learning and growth, a philosophy he shares with family – including his eight children, friends and colleagues.
“If a version of me at 25 met a version of me at 45, we would disagree. I suspect the version of me at 65 would not agree with me today. And that’s OK.”
Contact Details
Website
https://www.mnsgroup.comCompany Details
Company Name
MNS Group
Job Title
Street:
4690 Millennium Drive, Suite 400
City:
Belcamp
State:
Maryland
Zip code:
21017
About Us
Since 1999, we have helped hundreds of companies streamline, strengthen, and enhance their support solutions. We began our services specifically focused on just a few IT industries, and have expanded to companies in healthcare, banking, education, accounting, communications, security, government, and legal services.
Services Provided
We know how hard it is to manage the costs and time involved in maintaining a quality IT department. Our services support companies with a wide range of outsourced business network management, process consulting, and workflow development. Our highly trained programmers and project managers understand that no problem is too big or too small to be fixed. They stand ready to find the best solution for all of your business concerns.
We provide a fully staffed help desk, network monitoring center, and administrative team. We supervise your network to ensure minimal problems occur. As partners we will keep your investments in technology aligned with your business goals. Your systems will run seamlessly with our trained professionals at the wheel.
We provide a fully staffed help desk, network monitoring center, and administrative team. We supervise your network to ensure minimal problems occur. As partners we will keep your investments in technology aligned with your business goals. Your systems will run seamlessly with our trained professionals at the wheel.
Ideal Customers
GOOD FIT
Our typical customers:
exploring cloud and hybrid services
value employee productivity
require security and compliance
business leaders wanting a long-term partner
Our typical customers:
exploring cloud and hybrid services
value employee productivity
require security and compliance
business leaders wanting a long-term partner
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Revenue Size of Clients