SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Since 2010 Jack Zenger and Joe Folkman have interviewed various leaders, authors and academics in their Leadership Podcast Series. In celebration of their 50th episode, they interviewed John Sculley, the man who made a significant impact on the world of technology while serving for 10 years as CEO of Apple, increasing annual revenue from the millions to the billions. Zenger Folkman has also published an eBook based on this podcast sharing some of Sculley’s most valuable lessons in leadership.
“Our conversation was a vivid reminder that Sculley is a gifted marketer who truly understands how to focus on customers’ needs,” said Jack Zenger, CEO of Zenger Folkman. “Sculley has profound advice for those just beginning their careers and equally insightful wisdom for those of us at the opposite point in the age spectrum.”
In Sculley’s new book Moonshot, he shares a roadmap for building a transformative business that is customer focused. Sculley shared with Zenger Folkman that the traditional business-planning process doesn’t work very well. He said, “The great leaders—and I’ve seen this for over 40 years—always start with the big customer problem that needs solving and determine if there are better ways of accomplishing this than those which existed in the past. Great leaders understand that all organizations are in business to satisfy customers.”
In the interview, Sculley advises leaders to stay curious and develop a culture of high risk taking. In his words, “People need to learn how to fail fast, learn fast, and to always lean forward. People need to learn that it is okay to make mistakes and to learn from them. If we don’t change this simple cultural principle, people won’t take risks and they won’t try new things.” Sculley also compares the leadership traits of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Steve Wozniak.
To listen to the full interview with Sculley, visit Zenger Folkman’s Leadership Podcast Series. Once there you can also download an eBook version of the podcast as well.
To learn more about these leadership lessons attend Zenger Folkman’s free webinar on Oct. 28, The Fascinating Case of Steve Jobs—Can Profound Strengths Overcome Fatal Flaws? by registering at http://zengerfolkman.com/webinar/. For more information on these findings and how to incorporate them into a leadership development plan, visit www.zengerfolkman.com.
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Zenger Folkman delivers measurable business results. Using global data, we provide a proven, cross-training approach for developing leadership strengths. The end result is more effective leaders at every level of the organization.
