“In human affairs of danger and delicacy successful conclusion is sharply limited by hurry. So often men trip by being in a rush. If one were properly to perform a difficult and subtle act, he should first inspect the end to be achieved and then, once he had accepted the end as desirable, he should forget it completely and concentrate solely on the means. By this method he would not be moved to false action by anxiety or hurry or fear. Very few people learn this.” - John Steinbeck, Nobel Prize, 1962.
John Chambers has given the business equivalent of that thought. “Write the press release for the results you want before your start the project.” He then goes on to stress how maniacal focus to execution is the key to success.
His sound bites or distilled wisdom are striking. Some of
them here:
- Dream big: Be bold again and again.
- You compete against market transitions – not against competition.
- Better to stumble first than arrive last.
- In any setback, determine how much is self-inflicted and how much is market driven. If it is mostly the latter, don’t alter the strategy too much. (To me, it is one of the clearest recommendations. Easy-to-understand but hard to implement.)
- Sell people only what they really need.
- Move on when the outcome can no longer be achieved.
- My favorite: Worst mistake you can do is to do the right thing for too long.
He adduces each point with at least one convincing example. The
thought momentum he progressively builds is unmistakable.
Author’s proclivity for West Virginia area is clear but is
not surprising. Wherever you have spent the childhood, one has a deep emotive connection.
Author enlists 7 attributes that he looks for in a leader.
He has made the job very easy for recruitment agencies.
One interesting counter-intuitive point he makes while
recalling Cisco<>Huawei lawsuit. Key is to focus on what the other player
is likely to do – and not what you would do in that situation – understand the
other side’s mindset is the main message.
Cisco has mastered the art-n-science of acquisitions. His
narrative on this is a very compelling read.
He has great sense of humor. When a meeting is over,
mentally summarize before you head to the next. For that take small break. To
make that point he quotes a quip from one of his friends: “Never pass up a bath room on your way to
meeting. It becomes even more important as you grow older”.
His meeting anecdotes with Henry Kissinger, Shimon Peres and
other stalwarts are very interesting to read. Also, his comparisons between
India and France was the one I enjoyed the most.
Book’s Chapter 11 is about Entrepreneurship and that has 13
Questions. While it is one of the best chapters, it is clear John does not
believe in numerology 😊.
They say, Pearl is Oyster’s biography. Connecting the dots
should you consider it as a nuanced biography, you can walk a with a couple
pearls for sure.
Thanks for reading this far.
Regards,
madhu
