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

       Copyright

      HarperCollinsPublishers 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF

       www.harpercollins.co.uk

      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

       Title Page

       Copyright

       Dedication

       Introduction

       I The Connected Leader (The Mindset for Leadership Success)

       Chapter One The Lessons of West Virginia (Disrupt, or Be Disrupted)

       Chapter Two Act Like a Teenager and Think Like a Dyslexic (How to Spot Market Transitions)

       Chapter Three Dream Big and Be Bold…Focus on the Outcome (Play out the Entire Chess Game Before You Make the First Move)

       II The Connected Company (The Playbook for Corporate Success)

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

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

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

       III Connecting with Customers (The Playbook for Shared Success)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

       Acknowledgments

       Praise for Connecting the Dots

       List of Searchable Terms

       About the Publisher

      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 For Autumn and Jack, who fill me with joy

      And for the people who’ve become family along the way,

       from my daughter-in-law Ashley to the employees of Cisco and the startups in JC2. I’ve learned so much and love you all. —John

       INTRODUCTION

      I used to think the best time to have a book about yourself is after you’re dead. I don’t like to sing my own praises and I’m all too aware of my weaknesses. I also know that anything I have accomplished in my life, from overcoming dyslexia to building Cisco, has been because of the team of people around me. For 20 years, I had the incredible privilege to lead a company that connected people to the internet and changed the way we work, live, play, and learn. I view myself as a coach, as someone who builds great teams, and as an adviser. I love to teach. What changed my mind about writing a book wasn’t so much the lessons of the past as the opportunities of the future. We’re on the cusp of a revolution that will take the impact of the internet and not only multiply it but play out faster than any disruption we’ve ever seen. Within a decade, some 500 billion cars, fridges, phones, robots, and other devices will likely be communicating online. As an investor and adviser to startups worldwide, I’m incredibly excited by the potential for new technologies to foster longer lives, safer communities, and greater global prosperity, as well as to create hundreds of millions of new jobs. But I also now understand the fears because this disruption will be so brutal that 40-plus percent of businesses today won’t be here 10 years from now. We’re already seeing that impact