Connecting the Dots: Leadership Lessons in a Start-up World

Connecting the Dots: Leadership Lessons in a Start-up World
John Chambers

Legendary Silicon Valley visionary and one of the world's greatest business leaders, John Chambers shares the playbook and philosophy that transformed Cisco into a global tech titan and now inspire a new generation of leaders.

With numerous start-ups moving from zero to a billion to bankruptcy in a matter of years, it’s clear that sustaining a business in the digital age is no walk in the park. Over 20 years, John Chambers transformed a company with 400 employees and one toaster-sized product (a router) into a tech giant that's the backbone of the Internet. Along the way, he's outlasted and outmaneuvered practically every rival that ever tried to take Cisco on-Nortel, Lucent, Alcatel, IBM, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard, to name a few-and turned more than 10,000 employees into millionaires, more than any company in history. When Chambers stepped down as executive chairman in December of 2017, he left a company that didn't just shape the first Internet era but is leading the next wave of innovation in areas from cyber-security to self-driving cars.

Now, in collaboration with award-winning journalist Diane Brady, Chambers shares the stories and strategies that helped his company win again and again through multiple market shifts. Posing a unique mode of thought proven to attain success, the message of this book is clear; it is not the biggest or the richest players who win, but the ones who are able to stay ahead of the trend by connecting the dots.

Both enlightening and practical, this is essential reading to inspire a new generation of leaders.

Copyright (#u619fc447-1b55-5315-b003-e71858c6f92f)

HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

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First published in the US by Hachette Books 2018

This UK edition published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2018

FIRST EDITION

© John Chambers 2018

Cover layout design © HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 2018

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

John Chambers asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

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Source ISBN: 9780008297039

Ebook Edition © October 2018 ISBN: 9780008297060

Version 2018-09-13

Cover (#u19898b68-420e-5d85-8711-2c453972bbc3)

Title Page (#u88701718-5032-50ed-9f8b-56cdd68ad809)

Copyright (#u16f9b407-ebbb-583d-8873-863b68161303)

Dedication (#ud96311fe-13eb-5b2d-92ef-1c651194d891)

Introduction (#u94651889-aec6-5e8b-8441-06a9d56455bb)

I The Connected Leader (The Mindset for Leadership Success) (#ub12e86f0-17e2-52ea-9c8d-6fa38be2bee2)

Chapter One The Lessons of West Virginia (Disrupt, or Be Disrupted) (#u5c80dd3d-18cf-52a3-bc14-35ebe6acabb3)

Chapter Two Act Like a Teenager and Think Like a Dyslexic (How to Spot Market Transitions) (#u65300b51-bf69-5366-a13c-031886383081)

Chapter Three Dream Big and Be Bold…Focus on the Outcome (Play out the Entire Chess Game Before You Make the First Move) (#ub1280e29-f2d6-55be-8d55-b6d226914811)

II The Connected Company (The Playbook for Corporate Success) (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Four Embrace Your Purpose, Not Your Products (How Cisco Beat Its Competitors) (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Five After Disaster Strikes (Setbacks Can Make You Stronger) (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Six My Buyer’s Guide to Successful Acquisitions (Based on 180 Personal Experiences) (#litres_trial_promo)

III Connecting with Customers (The Playbook for Shared Success) (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Seven Build Relationships for Life (Sell People Only What They Need) (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eight How to Build a Winning Team (Focus on Culture, Diversity, and Results) (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Nine Get Your Message Out (With or Without the Media) (#litres_trial_promo)

IV Connecting Beyond Borders (The Playbook for a Startup World) (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Ten Bet on Innovative Leadership (How to Partner with Great Leaders) (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Eleven What Entrepreneurs Want to Know (13 Typical Questions) (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Twelve It’s All About Startups, Startup Nations, and a Startup World (My Next Chapter and Changing the World…JC2 Ventures) (#litres_trial_promo)

Chapter Thirteen Reinvent Yourself (What’s Next for Me—and All of Us) (#litres_trial_promo)

Acknowledgments (#litres_trial_promo)

Praise for Connecting the Dots (#litres_trial_promo)

List of Searchable Terms (#litres_trial_promo)

About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)

To my family:

For Jack and June Chambers, whose lessons shaped me

For Elaine, whose love sustains me

For John and Lindsay, who inspire me