Propensity for Action with Ted Clark – Episode 14

“Natural leaders are prepared to take action, good leaders take the right action.”

Listen Here:

Episode Summary

In this conversation I have the pleasure of speaking with Ted Clark. Ted has 35 years of leadership experience across all aspects of mobile computing. He was the Senior Vice President and General Manager of HP’s Notebook PC division from 2004 to 2012. In this capacity, he was able to deliver 165 million Notebook PC’s and 125 billion dollars in revenue.

Ted has a deep understanding of what it takes to build empowered and flexible teams and win in the hyper-growth technology space. He currently consults companies focused on building a winning market position by helping leadership teams drive execution that delivers results. In this episode, Ted reflects on his leadership learning and what enabled him to achieve with his organization the remarkable success milestones they experienced.

Essential Learning Points:

• The most difficult thing in the world is to get all the right ingredients in the right place, at the right time.
• Develop a team that understands and believes in a story and you can become a winning leader.
• Define where you’re going, have your objectives and strategies in place, then act and course correct along the way.
• Be as much a part of your team as well as leading your team.
• Don’t forget to celebrate your wins and show appreciation to your team members.
• You need to have a basic knowledge of what customers want and ask yourself if your product makes sense.
• Use good judgment, listen to your gut, and don’t launch a product that you feel isn’t good enough.
• Don’t be afraid to take more risks.
• What really matters are the people that you are leading.
• Have open, trusting communication with your team. Encourage free thinking and debate.
• Develop a propensity for action – fire, ready, and aim. Natural leaders are prepared to take action, good leaders take the right action.
• Thoughtfully set up your people to succeed; promotion is only half the battle.
• Be enthusiastic. Find enthusiasm about your work, your team, and be enthusiastic about your life.

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