John T. Chambers Quotes

John T. Chambers

Profession : Businessman

Birth : August 23, 1949

We'll have a sales leader go run engineering. A lawyer go run business development. A business development leader go run our consumer operations. We're going to train a generalist group of leaders who know how to learn and operate in collaboration teamwork. I think that's the future of leadership.

John T. Chambers

There are two types of companies: those that have been hacked, and those who don't know they have been hacked.

John T. Chambers

Never ask your employees to do something you wouldn't be willing to do yourself.

John T. Chambers

Since I became CEO, 87 percent of the companies in the Fortune 500 are off the list. What that says is that companies that don't reinvent themselves will be left behind. I also think that's true of people. And I think it's true of countries.

John T. Chambers

The Internet will change the way we work, live, learn, and play.

John T. Chambers

Digital is going to have five times the impact than the information era. Just because you led the first transition as a company or country, that doesn't mean you will lead in this one.

John T. Chambers

If every company becomes a technology company, business models and transitions are going to occur. From a CEO's perspective, this is going to be the biggest technology transition of all times.

John T. Chambers

If you asked would I have done a startup in India, the answer is yes.

John T. Chambers

I think Mr Trump is going to be a good president.

John T. Chambers

We don't go into a market without a chance of a 40 percent share and sustainable differentiation. We wouldn't get into wiring oil rigs if we didn't believe we could get 40 percent.

John T. Chambers

Our success at Cisco has been defined by how we anticipate, capture, and lead through market transitions. Over the years, I've watched iconic companies disappear - Compaq, Sun Microsystems, Wang, Digital Equipment - as they failed to anticipate where the market was heading.

John T. Chambers

As a leader, you don't get too high on the highs or let the bumps balance down. Every leader over time has probably equal amount of good luck or bad luck - or, you could argue, has good opportunities or challenges.

John T. Chambers

You've got to really enable the next generation of start-ups.

John T. Chambers

We're living through the second Industrial Revolution.

John T. Chambers

A well-run organization turns over 10% of their organizations, including senior leadership. I don't have the heart to do that.

John T. Chambers

When a leader doesn't do his or her job, it isn't just a problem with the person. They take their whole organization down.

John T. Chambers

Often, what I tell a new CEO asking for advice, or one of my own new leaders, is the two most important decisions that your team is going to watch is the first person you hire and the first person you promote - because you are saying that's the type of person I want.

John T. Chambers

I had two parents who were doctors, and my mom was valedictorian in multiple classes.

John T. Chambers

I don't make fun of people. I call people by what they want to be called. What does your best friend call you? What does your spouse call you? It helps you emotionally connect to people.

John T. Chambers

It would surprise you how many government and business leaders with dyslexia. Some people view it as a weakness, and maybe it is. What dyslexia forces you to do, you don't go A, B, C, D, E... to Z. I can go A, B... Z with speed.

John T. Chambers