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Two Styles

Chanced upon this article about Indra Nooyi while reading The Man who Destroyed Capitalism. Interesting contrast of style between two CEOs of globally recognized brands. Nooyi's advice on how to move up the food chain is perfect:

“One is to always put your hand up for the toughest jobs.” She added, “It will set you apart from the crowd and contribute to your learning.”

The second is: the politics of your organization, but don’t play in them. And the last is: focus on doing your best work in the role you have. If you focus too much on what’s ahead, you get distracted. Be present."

A person who is able to do all three as she suggests while having a strong anchor in their personal life is likely to see results. Maybe not as spectacular as hers but still good enough results. Her background and culture shines through her wisdom as it does with that of Welch.

Having spent some time in GE right after the Welch years and knowing first hand how larger than life his stature was in the company, I was very curious about David Gelles’s book.

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