California has its share of famous streets: Sunset Strip, Rodeo Drive, Hollywood Boulevard. But for entrepreneurs, the real main drag is Sand Hill Road. Lining this stretch of asphalt outside Menlo Park are a who’s who of elite venture capital firms. Nearly every top Silicon Valley company has started here.
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The Perils of Using Dashboards to Drive a Company
IT “dashboards” have become highly seductive to CEOs of midsized companies. Who could resist up-to-date, easy-to-digest information on business performance, and how the team is performing? Not many CEOs. Yet if they knew how long and how much money it will take to install such systems – months and sometimes years – they might think twice. But whether or not companies implement them (and there are good reasons to implement them at the right time), these automated dashboards don't replace good old-fashioned management techniques.
Six things that make a good workplace great
A few weeks ago, I was in Silicon Valley where I spent time at Stanford, Cruise Automation and Lyft. I enjoyed delivering the commencement address at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business’ graduation, and it was exciting to meet the teams as we continue to redefine personal transportation.
The Secrets of Silicon Valley CEOs: 5 Big Lessons
“The world is going to take fundamental re-architecture for businesses to modernize”. Aaron Levie, CEO Box
The five things the next generation of female executives need to know
I am asked this a lot.
A close second is, “Do you ever grow tired of this question?”
In the automotive industry, we’re making progress to close the gender gap – at General Motors alone, we have women leading core areas such as: global manufacturing, electrification, car-sharing, tax and audit, marketing and communications. I’m also working with our most senior GM women to further build our bench-strength. And, I look forward to the day when women CEOs are the norm, not the exception. That will be real progress.
On this International Women’s Day, the theme is #BeBoldForChange. For me, that’s a reminder to mentor other women in their careers, support gender pay equality, and encourage our future generations to study STEM and follow their passion when working toward their career goals.
Today, some of my GM team members and I want to share our best career advice with you:
- “My mom grew up during the Great Depression. She taught my brother and me two lessons: There is no substitute for hard work. And work before you play.” – Mary Barra, chairman & CEO
- “Face your fears; you will grow tremendously and amazing things happen when you do.” – Alicia Boler Davis, executive vice president, global manufacturing
- “Get outside what feels comfortable. Sure it will be hard at first, but once you scale some feats that before seemed impossible, the self respect and confidence you will gain will propel you to take on greater challenges and do better things.”– Joanne Krell, executive director, corporate communications
- “Show up. Resist the temptation to dial-in to meetings or to communicate by email when you can attend in person. You’ll always get more out of the discussion, learn more, and build relationships that will be valuable in the future.” – Victoria McInnis, vice president, tax and audit
- “Don’t shy away from the difficult, tough or impossible. These are the moments which enable you to test your resolve and grow.” - Julia Steyn, vice president, urban mobility and Maven
Advice like this helped me get to where I am today, and I hope it will inspire you and those around you to pursue your dreams. I’d love to hear how you’re acting on some of the best advice you’ve ever received, and how you’ll #BeBoldForChange this year.
Originally published on Linkedin Pulse.
How to Create a Culture of Transparency
At Zillow Group, our entire business model is built around transparency. Real estate information that was buried behind desks in courthouses for years is now available instantly to all home shoppers and homeowners. That openness is ingrained in the foundation of our company’s culture and is something I take great pride in as a CEO.
Insight from a humble billionaires lunch table
I am not a Sir Richard Branson acolyte - lets get that one thing straight.
I am not.
But having spent some choice time with him this last May I can definitely say that I am a new fan. What I discovered was amazing, educating, inspiring and a source of deep reflection for myself.
“Ok, I’m starting a business.” – The very first three things an entrepreneur should do
Starting an own business is really something special and it should not remain an unfulfilled dream.
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