It’s now just over a month until John Chambers steps down after 20 years heading up US networking giant Cisco. In one of the last interviews he will give as CEO, Chambers told CBR about his career and his expectations for the future.
1. Leadership is about reinvention
Leadership means different things to different people, but it has nothing to do with age.
"Innovation and leadership is about a company’s ability to reinvent themselves, reinvent their leadership team and to reinvent their CEO."
2. Take risks
You have to allow yourself to make mistakes if you’re going to make money.
"You’ve got to have the courage as a leader to create a culture where people take risk and are periodically not successful, that’s what makes your children stronger and that’s what makes your company stronger."
3. More revenue streams will collapse
Now that operators don’t make money from voice, surely data is a safe cash cow for the future. Wrong.
"It wasn’t just voice that will commoditise and be free. Data transport will commoditise and be free and then video will commoditise and be free."
4. Technology can level out the world playing field
As globalisation gathers pace due to increasing connectivity, business won’t be about where you are any more.
"It will create a much more level playing field on a global basis; you don’t have to be in a given country or a given city to participate as the market goes forward."
Read the full interview here.
