Every day, 2 billion people across the globe use Otis elevators. The machines have been around for more than 165 years and are ripe with potential for innovative updates. In the future, elevators could use AI to better manage the flow of passengers and be connected to the Internet of Things for remote maintenance and self-reported repair checks.
Have you ever had a great mentor? Someone who guided your career, helped you learn and grow, acted as a sounding board, or helped you transition to various stages of work and life?
Unfortunately, I never had a mentor or a coach at any of the organizations I worked for. I suppose that’s one of the reasons why I went off on my own 15 years ago. I never really felt that anyone had my back, was willing to guide me, or help me grow personally and professionally, and that’s a bit sad.
COVID-19 has put a lot of stress on businesses and individuals around the world. It has undoubtedly changed how billions of people around the world live. But at the same time, it has also changed how we work and is causing us to rethink “the future of work.”
Arthur Blank is the co-founder of The Home Depot, a home improvement retail chain which today has a market capitalization of over 300 billion and over 400,000 employees. Arthur is also the author of the new book, Good Company, which comes out on September 15. Arthur has been named one of the world’s 100 greatest living business minds by Forbes in 2017, Executive of the Year 2018 by Sports Business Journal, and one of the 50 most influential people in Sports 2016, 2017, and 2018 by Sports Business Journal.
I’ve said this many times here…leadership is changing and as a leader you have two choices, you adapt or you get replaced.
I interviewed over 140 of the world’s top CEOs for my new book, The Future Leader: 9 Skills and Mindsets to Succeed in the Next Decade, and this was the general consensus.
Mark Smucker understands the need for leaders to look to the future. Growing up in the Smuckers family, becoming a leader in the family-owned company wasn’t a guarantee. To even be considered for the top role, Mark had to go to college and get experience working in other companies. He spent years getting degrees in international business and working around the world before becoming CEO of The J.M. Smucker Company in 2016. It’s those experiences that taught him the value of leading with a sense of purpose and creating powerful experiences for customers and employees.
Javed Khan is SVP and GM at Cisco Collaboration, a multi-billion dollar division inside of Cisco, a worldwide leader in IT, networking, and cybersecurity solutions. Prior to his current role, Javed ran Cisco’s Cloud Calling business as the VP and General Manager and before that he led the Webex Meetings business unit.
Costco warehouses are for more than just bulk goods and samples—they’re also home to happy employees. Costco is regularly ranked a top place to work and a company with the happiest employees, largely due to a culture that values employees and treats them fairly with good benefits and wages. Setting the tone for that culture is CEO Craig Jelinek. Craig follows in the footsteps of previous Costco leaders to put his people first and continue a legacy of engaged employees.
How a company responds during a crisis can speak volumes about its culture and character and of course the experience it wants to create for its people. Does it rush to sell its product and boost sales? Does it reach out to customers? Does it protect its management and lay off entry-level employees? Treating people well during times of prosperity is easy, but treating people well during times of stress and tension is what really matters.
Gary Hamel is the author of five books including bestsellers What Matters Now and The Future of Management. His upcoming book is called Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them, which comes out in August.
Gary has been on the faculty of the London Business School for more than 30 years and he is the director of the Management Lab. He has been named “The World’s leading expert on business strategy” by Fortune magazine, “the management innovator without peer” by the Financial Times, and he has been ranked by The Wall Street Journal as the world’s most influential business thinker. He is also a fellow of The Strategic Management Society and the World Economic Forum.