With the passing of my dear
friend Stephen R. Covey,
I have been taking some time to consider many of the greatest business leaders
who are wielding strong influence on the business world we live in today.
I’d like to present my
personal top 10 list of the people I consider most influential in terms of
innovative thinking, focus on customers, and their desire to serve the
less-fortunate, which is a strong and continual interest of mine.
Without further ado and in no
particular order, I present to you my personal Top 10:
1. Jeff Bezos, Amazon– Jeff Bezos is a pioneer in world of internet
commerce, and was instrumental in defining this space that is now defining many
aspects of the internet world. It is Jeff Bezos who innovated the concept of
“predictive analytics”–recommending products to customers based on search
history and buying habits. Whether you like the concept or you hate it, the
idea has made online commerce more profit rich and efficient, and is making
online shopping a better experience for consumers throughout the world.
2. Anne Mulcahy, Xerox –
Anne turned things around when her company faced a financial crisis. Yes, I can
directly relate. You can read about some of my adventures at Fishbowl here. Anne
never aspired to the role of CEO, but neither did she shy away from the
opportunity to lead when elected by the board of Xerox XRX +0.00% in 2001. During her tenure
she was required to reduce the company’s workforce by 30% and later eliminated
the entire desktop portion of Xerox. For her courageous execution in the face
of adversity Chief Executive Magazine
named her CEO of the Year in 2008 and U.S. News & World Report named her one of
America’s Best Leaders. Forbes acknowledged Anne as one of the world’s
most influential women in 2005 and 2009.
3. Brad Smith, Intuit –
Intuit is one of the world’s largest and most successful financial software
companies. It is the maker of the QuickBooks accounting software we have
integrated with our Fishbowl Inventorysoftware. Even as a company of
nearly $4B in revenue with a market cap of approximately $16.5B, Intuit INTU +0.00% continues to operate like
a collection of startups. Brad has fostered a culture where nearly 8,000
employees are allowed to take risks and to grow by learning from success and
failure.
4. Howard Schultz, Starbucks –
From his upbringing in a poor family in the Bronx to an athletic scholarship
and eventually the head of Starbucks SBUX -1.79%, Howard Schultz is a
consummate example of courage, hard work, and the ability to achieve the
American dream. Even in the glow of his own successes, Howard is also
interested in investing in others’ success and continues to invest actively in
other business ventures, such as eBay.
5. Larry Page, Google – Larry
Page is another example of a businessperson who can persevere any challenge.
Larry and his company have faced much criticism and received ample praise over
the years for his company’s actions. But in the midst of the storm, he has
never let what others think sway him from pursuing the course for his company
that he considers the best.
6. Tim Cook, Apple –
Steve Jobs is a hard act to follow, but thus far, Tim Cook is doing a
tremendous job. Rather than attempt to match the consumer-facing innovations
Steve Jobs had been known for, Tim Cook is forging into the future with his own
new advances, such as Apple’s newest innovative inventory management techniques.
7. Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo –
Indra Nooyi, another of Forbes 100
Most Powerful Women, has not only led her company to record financial results
but is making strides to move PepsiCo in a healthier direction, leading the
courageous charge to shed traditional fast food properties and to replace them
with initiatives to supply healthier foods. She is deeply caring and committed
as a senior executive. She is a fun-loving executive as well—she played lead
guitar for an all-woman rock band in college, loved to play cricket, and is
known to sing karaoke and perform at corporate gatherings to this day. Yes, I
have been known to relate to her fun-loving spirit as a senior executive as
well.
8. Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway –
He is a deeply conservative trader during the times that everyone around him is
moving from one extreme to the other to the tune of huge losses and gains.
Warren Buffett is a perfect example of patience, proving that slow and steady
generally wins the business race. (Although I continue to press my own desire
to spur Fishbowl’s inventory software business to race!)
9. Sir Richard Branson, Virgin Group –
Anyone who owns more than 400 companies and is worth billions of dollars is
clearly doing many things right. I admire Richard Branson’s tenacity, and I
admire his personal brand—so much so, that when my paired leadership partner, Mary Michelle Scott, and I recently traveled to
Australia with several of our team in our launch of Fishbowl Australia, we made
the effort and kept the commitment to fly with Virgin Airlines every step of
the way.
10. Rupert Murdoch, News Corporation –
Rupert Murdoch is a self-made and hard driven Australia-born head of an
American publishing dynasty, as the founder, chairman and CEO of News
Corporation. He continues to work unbelievably hard at an age when most would
have retired long ago. In the midst of accusation and scandal he’s needed to
find new strength to face the accusation of bribery, corruption and hacking by
subsidiary firms. This news is still breaking, as Rupert resigns from the
boards of several of the subsidiary companies involved. Regardless of the
outcome, the work ethic and sheer tenacity Rupert Murdoch has shown in the face
of adversity continues to serve as an example to all.
Collectively, these 10
individuals are my own “living legends” who exemplify leadership strength. Who
are your examples, and why? I look forward to hearing your additions and your
feedback on this illustrious list.
source: www.forbes.com
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