Microsoft
—Satya Nadella
“It’s a lonely place. You’ve got to be the one to take some risk, and that emanates from your world view. As a CEO, you have to have an absolute first-class view of where the world is going.”
Lockheed Martin
—Marillyn Hewson
“For the big decisions you have to make, you’re never going to have all of the information or consensus you want. If you get hung up waiting for more data, you may lose the opportunity. You trust in your team and the experience they have, and you pull the trigger and make decisions.”
Mastercard
—Ajay Banga
“My biggest advice to CEOs is to start early with the attributes of what you believe will make a successful CEO when you’re gone. Don’t be nervous about discussing that with the board. Take their feedback. It’s actually a way for you to get an appraisal of how you’re doing.”
Adidas
—Herbert Hainer
“You can’t play with only 11 strikers or 11 goalkeepers. You need an excellent goalkeeper, an excellent striker, and excellent supporting players. One of the most important tasks for a CEO is to build a team around them that they can rely on, where there’s trust and synergy.”
Esquel
—Marjorie Yang
“My job is to drive away fear and frustration. Fear is the worst enemy of any business. If I come into the office with a positive spirit, it uplifts everyone else. As a leader, my job is to maintain confidence in the future and radiate that confidence.”
