In this candid leadership conversation John LaMancuso explains how resilience begins with people first decisions. He shares lessons from revenue shocks career setbacks and the daily discipline of communicating early. His experience shows how clear systems and steady judgment can turn uncertainty into durable organizational strength.
John LaMancuso is the CEO of K1x, trusted by over 40,000 organizations using the company’s patented AI tax automation of K-1s, 1099s, W-2s, and 990s. John is a global operating executive with a passion for growing companies through contemporary operational and commercial transformations with a people-first approach. He has held CEO, CRO, CMO, and strategy roles for ADP, a Fortune 200 public company, four private equity-owned companies, and served on two private boards.
Company: K1x Inc.
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
John LaMancuso: I’m John LaMancuso, CEO of K1x, where we’re transforming how firms handle some of the most complex, time-consuming tax documentation in the industry. Today, over 40,000 organizations rely on our patented AI automation for forms like K-1s, 1099s, W-2s, and 990s—freeing up their teams to focus on strategy, service, and results.
Before K1x, I spent decades leading growth and operational transformation across a range of companies—from Fortune 200 giants like ADP to private equity-backed firms. I’ve served as CEO, CRO, CMO, and strategy lead, and I’ve learned that sustainable growth always comes down to two things: putting people first and building systems that scale.
At K1x, we take that same people-first approach. We’re not just automating paperwork—we’re helping firms modernize their client experience, reduce compliance risk, and empower professionals to do their best work. It’s been incredibly rewarding to lead a team that’s solving real problems with technology that’s practical, secure, and built for the future.
Can you share a time when your business faced a significant challenge? How did you navigate through it?
John LaMancuso: While leading a division of a large public company, we faced a sudden and significant revenue shortfall when an impactful economic recession hit. It was a gut punch, and the easy reaction would have been to go into defensive mode. Instead, I gathered my leadership team that week and reframed the situation: it was an opportunity to build resilience and diversify our go-to-market and product approach.
We made three quick decisions: first, we identified revenue opportunities in our client base that were quick wins. Second, we accelerated product enhancements that had been on the back burner, making our offering more attractive to a recessionary market. Third, we changed the marketing position of our existing products to increase their value during a recession. Within six months, we were back on our revenue plan. The experience taught me—and my team—the value of turning setbacks into catalysts for long-term strength.
How has a failure or apparent failure set you up for later success?
John LaMancuso: Years ago, I was turned down for a promotion because a more qualified executive was awarded the role. The rejection was intense because at the time, like most executives, you see your professional future rapidly changing, becoming capped, and that uncertainty drives negative thinking.
I had two options: 1) stay the course in my current role and report to the executive who won the promotion, or 2) reinvent myself and take an entirely different role, which required a significant relocation to corporate headquarters.
Reinventing myself at HQ was the best thing for my career because it opened opportunities that I never would have been exposed to. Over the next 5 years, I was promoted twice and eventually was promoted to SVP of the entire division
How do you build a resilient team? What qualities do you look for in your team members?
John LaMancuso: Think of managers vs builders. Managers maintain and grow by leaning on existing relationships, existing systems, existing products, and existing brands. That’s great and admirable. Contrast that with builders. My startups require that builder mentality, which by its nature, implies the stress of creating something from nothing. Everything needs to be produced from scratch. If a need arises, someone somewhere needs to build it. So I seek teams that have been through those stresses before–people who have a track record of creating and who have done so while maintaining a good humor about them.
How do you maintain your personal resilience during tough times?
John LaMancuso: When times are great, most everyone is at their best. But you learn a lot about a person’s character when they are chips are down. As a leader, I know that people look not only at my solutions to problems but how I handle that stress and how I treat people along the way. Part of leadership is knowing that those eyes are on me. I simply cannot afford to take my personal resilience for granted. It’s not an afterthought. It’s a priority.
What strategies do you use to manage stress and maintain focus during a crisis?
John LaMancuso: I have to be of two minds when faced with a challenge. One, how do we solve the problem? Two, what precedent would we be setting by solving this problem this way? That short-term/ long-term view is essential.
How do you communicate with your team during a crisis?
John LaMancuso: Early, straightforward communication is best. “Here’s what we know. Here’s what we don’t. Here’s what we are doing about it. Here are the folks tasked with the various elements of bringing this crisis to a close. Here’s when you will hear back from me with an update.”
What advice would you give to other CEOs on building resilience in their organizations?
John LaMancuso: Build repeatable systems. Heroics are great in the moment, but one-off solutions to recurring problems tend to lead to chaos. Yes, solve the immediate problem, but also build systems that either prevent the recurrence or deliver a repeatable response.
How do you prepare your business for potential future crises?
John LaMancuso: You cannot prevent every crisis, but I feel like we scan the environment every day for anything worrisome and are prepared. You cannot run a growing, successful business with your head in the sand. You need to anticipate challenges and create contingency plans along the way. A single data point is interesting, but two data points can indicate an emerging problem–and we try to address those early wherever possible and then activate the contingency plan. It’s the constant exercise of zooming out and zooming in where we identify troubling trends or capitalize on opportunities.
What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned about leadership in times of crisis?
John LaMancuso: The most important lesson I’ve learned about leadership in times of crisis is that people don’t just need answers — they need clarity, steadiness, and trust. When uncertainty is high, leaders have to over-communicate, even when they don’t have all the solutions. I’ve found that acknowledging the reality of the situation, being transparent about what you know and what you don’t, and outlining the immediate next steps helps align and calm the organization.
Equally important is focusing on people first. In a software company, it’s tempting to concentrate on technology and product fixes during tough times, but crises are really about humans. If your team feels supported, informed, and valued, they’ll find ways to adapt and solve problems.
Finally, I’ve learned to keep perspective. Every crisis feels existential in the moment, but the companies that emerge stronger are the ones that treat it as a test of resilience and adaptability, not just survival. A crisis forces focus on what truly matters to customers, employees, and the business, and that clarity can actually become a catalyst for long-term growth
