Key Leadership and Development Insights for Professionals
Leadership Development Insights from Industry Executives: we talked to many industry executives from the startup ecosystem and big corporations in the past year as part of Silicon Valley Tech Talks. During these conversations, these leaders often shared priceless tips on leadership and organizational behaviors that can tremendously help professionals excel in their careers. This post summarizes some of these insights in increasing order of dates when these were shared. Especially for young professionals in the early leadership development phase they can set their leadership development goals, these insights can boost their journey to becoming great leaders of the future.
Dr. Sheena Menezes, CEO of Simple HealthKit
(1) You can do anything if you work hard and put your mind to it; the right things will happen, and the right doors will open.
Eugina Jordan, CMO of Telecom Infra Project
(2) Build your support circle and network. Don’t wait until mid-career; start building your network now in the early stage of your career.
(3) If you have a seat at the table, even if you were the first one, don’t be the last one.
(Eugina Jordan, CMO Telecom Infra Project, August 2023)
Pankaj Kedia, Founder of 2468 Ventures
(4) Don’t take no for an answer, especially from someone who does not have the authority to say yes. Sometimes, people give up because someone says no while they do not have the authority to say yes—never do that.
(Pankaj Kedia, Founder 2468 Ventures, August 2023)
(5) Develop your own point of view. Have a strong belief in what the future can be. Know that you can make it so.
(Pankaj Kedia, Founder 2468 Ventures, August 2023)
Rahul Patel, SVP & GM of Qualcomm
(6) Invest time in listening because most learning comes from that. Don’t discount anyone because everyone has a perspective that adds value to the bigger picture.
(Rahul Patel, SVP & GM Qualcomm, August 2023)
(7) For young professionals coming into large corporations, it’s not about your own goal; it’s about the team. See how you can align your goals to the team’s goals, and while you do that, continue dreaming big.
(Rahul Patel, SVP & GM Qualcomm, August 2023)
Vinay Ravuri, CEO of EdgeQ Inc.
(8) For people who want to start their ventures, start young. The younger you are, the more you are willing to take risks, and it’s easier to take them. Two quotes from Steve Jobs that have always inspired me: (1) Stay young and stay foolish, and (2) The world that has been created around you, the rules and what you follow, are created by people who are no smarter than you.
(Vinay Ravuri, CEO EdgeQ Inc., October 2023)
Kathleen Booth, SVP of Pavilion
(9) You might not lose your job to AI, but you might lose your job to someone who knows AI, so be that person who knows how to use AI.
(Kathleen Booth, SVP Pavilion, July 2024)
Dan Rabinovitsj, VP of Infrastructure at Meta
(10) For people to grow their careers, they must get out of their comfort zone. Particularly now, with the fast-moving pace of AI, adaptability and the ability to learn are more important than your degree or what you did in the last three years.
(Dan Rabinovitsj, VP of Infrastructure at Meta, August 2024)
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