What makes a successful leader?
Is it skill, luck, or pure determination? Perhaps a combination of all three?
Over the years, I’ve interviewed and worked with hundreds of the world’s top CEOs. I’ve learned that every single one of them has an amazing backstory of getting where they are today. In some cases, they overcame great obstacles. In other cases, they broke through with innovation or grit.
If you were to just read these stories, you would never guess that the people in them would one day lead a billion-dollar company. I don’t know about you, but I love that!
These two CEOs have incredible stories of what put them on the path to becoming great leaders. I had the chance to personally speak with both of them.
David Cote, CEO of Honeywell – Total Life Turnaround
David Cote’s path to becoming CEO of Honeywell was anything but traditional. He quit college before he started and went through a series of failed jobs because he wasn’t skilled or interested enough to continue. He signed up for the Navy thinking it could be the right fit. But the night before he was supposed to get sworn in, David called the chief petty officer and asked, “If I don’t show up tomorrow, can you send the cops to my house?” The officer said he couldn’t, so David didn’t show up and quit before he even started.
David eventually ended back up at school and had to camp out in the admissions office for hours before finally talking his way into being able to apply. But he quit again a few years later.
It wasn’t until his wife found out she was pregnant one month into their marriage that David really started focusing on his future. He says nothing in his life has motivated him more than the impending birth of his first son. He realized his blue-collar job wasn’t earning enough money for the family, so he went back to school, got a better job, fixed up their meager apartment, and committed himself to focus and move forward.
That focus and determination put David on a new path—one that led him to becoming CEO of a leading global company with 110,000 employees.
Jim Heppelmann, CEO of PTC – Lessons From The Dairy Farm
The CEO of a billion-dollar software company had his start in a unique place: on a dairy farm. And even with all of his success in the business and tech world, PTC CEO Jim Heppelmann still lives on a cattle ranch today.
It was on his parent’s Minnesota dairy farm that Jim was first introduced to engineering as he repaired and maintained the farm equipment. In fact, the first thing he ever bought with his own money was a set of socket wrenches. Those experiences as a boy sparked an interest that led Jim to get a degree in mechanical engineering. Jim’s older sister also pursued engineering and made more in her first job out of college than his parents’ current paycheck, which was another incentive. Jim’s sister paved the way and showed him the opportunities that came from engineering.
The dairy farm also taught Jim to work hard. Jim and his family worked long days every day, which instilled in him a strong work ethic. A farmer’s to-do list is never-ending. Simply putting hours in doesn’t lead to results, and Jim learned the value of being task-oriented and getting things done.
Today, as PTC CEO, Jim still likes to get his hands dirty and be on the front lines. He pushes through challenges and instills a strong work ethic in his employees.
Every leader has their own unique path to greatness and to unlock their potential, and so do you. We all deal with our own challenges and obstacles but it’s important to remember that where you are now does not dictate where you can go and what you can achieve.
I hope these two stories inspire and motivate you!
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