Having had dozens of friends lose their job at HP during her tenure, this was the one I was quite skeptical about.  Perhaps because I was biased coming into it, my exceptions were met.

Some noteworthy items from the interview…

  • She is the only woman to have lead a Fortune 20 company.
  • Bill maintains that everyone should read her book, Tough Choices.
  • She had a diverse educational background and was able to learn and grow in cities all over the world.
  • One thing she said in answer to a question that was, in my opinion, right on.  It was that as a leader sometimes power comes not in the answer but in asking the right questions.  The right questions can cause people to search for answers and do away with preconceived notions and assumptions.
  • She also talked about the thrill she had when working as a secretary of being “on a winning team.”  (For me, this is why many people attend mega churches…to be a part of a winning team…something they feel good about.)
  • She will probably be the only speaker ever to admit to going to a strip club.  (The Slice crowd will have a field day with this one.) 
  • She talked about some of the emotion that came with being in her position and her decision to not cry over those things any more.  In some ways that seems to contradict what Bill had talked about in the morning session and being willing to do whatever it takes…being an owner vs. being a hired hand.  My gut reaction was that it was hardly a healthy emotional reaction.
  • She talked about how the difference between leadership and management was that leadership provides motivation.  Motivation is needed so people are willing to do the hard work.
  • Give people a vision that is more powerful then the things they are afraid of.  Help people see that the hard work is worth it.  Also, when giving people a vision, don’t try to pretend that things are going to be easy.
  • She talked about the way she was motivated as a employee was when people took chances on her and saw her potential.
  • Probably the insight that spoke most to me was that leadership requires both passion and dispassion.  That you need to be passionate about it your self and be passionate to get others excited, but you also need to be willing to face reality.  If you heart is not in it you will not be able to do the hard work, but the objectivity to see what needs to be done as to be present as well.

I guess one personal observation was how quickly things can change.  From her perspective, it just took one event and two weeks later she was fired.  That is a sobering reminder of the tenuous state of our jobs.

It kind of stuck me like sitting down with one person who is getting a divorce.  You only get one side of the story.

Looking forward to Floyd Flake.