Global Payments provides the technology plumbing for a lot of digital commerce. That means when life moved largely online for many in 2020, the company's bottom line benefited. And while pandemic restrictions have eased, CEO Jeff Sloan says consumers will likely continue to order dinner, buy shoes and visit the doctor online.

"Cash and check is the enemy. And the pandemic has accelerated the decline of cash and check," Sloan tells Leadership Next. "As long as you as a consumer are paying for something other than in cash and check, we ultimately are going to get paid."

That extends to cryptocurrency as well. But Sloan feels strongly nobody is going to be buying groceries with crypto any time soon. Instead, he expects to see the introduction of a U.S. stable coin in the near future.

Also in the conversation: how Sloan see corporations benefiting from cryptocurrency today, the importance of empathy in leadership, and why Sloan aims to surround himself with people who disagree with him.