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The Age of Womenomics and the Qualities of a Successful Leader
A lecture by Carleton S. Fiorina at the Inchon Memorial Hall, Korea University on May 30, 2014
A lecture by Carleton S. Fiorina at the Inchon Memorial Hall, Korea University on May 30, 2014
KUBS Dean Doo-Hee Lee remarked, “Following the special lecture by world-renowned investment expert Jim Rogers last year, we were able to hold a special lecture by world-renowned female CEO Carly Fiorina this year” and “this lecture will be a good opportunity to learn and consider the Age of Womenomics and entrepreneurial spirit and leadership.”
Carly Fiorina is considered ‘the most powerful woman CEO’ in American business who broke the glass ceiling. She is known especially for being the first female CEO to be appointed to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 1999 and leading the company to success in times of trouble by demonstrating strong leadership through initiatives such as a successful merger with Compaq and a large-scale internal reform of the company. In addition, she was named Fortune’s ‘Most Powerful Female CEO’ for 6 consecutive years. The detailed information of her lecture is described as follows.
>> Brief Explanation of Carly Fiorina’s Special Lecture
At the special lecture with the theme of ‘The Age of Womenomics and the Qualities of a Successful Leader,’ Carly Fiorina encouraged students who desire to be future leaders by saying, “Choose to be a leader. You are the person who can make changes.” Emphasizing that “The greatest freedom of young people in their twenties is that they can make mistakes,” she advised, “Trust you have unlimited potentials and see the bright future.”
Leaders appear in an unexpected place. When I was young, I was an obedient child and thought that I lacked courage and imagination. I regarded people around me as those having more talents than I did. When I was fourteen years old, I went to Africa with my parents, which became my enlightening experience. At that time, my father was in charge of delivering a lecture at the Law School in Ghana, and we lived in the school’s campus. I did my homework looking at the backyard every night and noticed that a black boy passed by every day. Taking his courage in both hands, he said hello to me. That was the beginning of our friendship. Although he was poor and could not receive an education, he was very clever and understood how to think strategically. I could realize through our friendship that people have their own talents even if not all of them can find theirs.
Afterwards, I majored in the medieval history and philosophy at Stanford University. When I was about to graduate, there came an economic depression into the U.S. economy. No company would hire a young female. I went to Law School, but I really hated attending school. After completing only one semester and noticing that ‘I could not use my talent God gave me to the maximum’ if I continued to attend Law School at this rate, I finally left school.
I started my career as a secretary in society. I answered the phone, used a typewriter and arranged document files every day. There were two important things I learned from the company. First, I experienced how it would be to live as an entry-level member of the group. Second, I found even the entry-level member of the group can bring a considerable and wonderful change to the group. What I sincerely learned from the experience from the entry-level to the highest level is that ‘Everyone has a talent.’
The leadership at ‘The Age of Womenomics’ according to Carly Fiorina
When I started to work, I regarded those having a big office as leaders. However, as a matter of fact, there was no need to have a title or an office to be a leader. Leadership is not referred to as just doing one’s best, but a leader should tell people there are much better things. A leader sees potentials, and all of the leaders have something in common. They discover others’ potentials and help them to develop. A person who makes people show their potentials to achieve a common goal is the leader.
One day while working as a secretary, my boss offered me a new position. It was my first time I took the step upon business. As he saw my potential inside me, I could find it as well. That is the exact role of a leader. A leader should lead people to a better place. Change is difficult. People who have already attained success do not want to go another place, so a leader should fight against the resistance. This is because seeing the potential also means other people have different perspectives.
Leadership is a kind of choice. In fact, all of us can be leaders, but most people try to find other leaders rather than trying to be true leaders themselves. The first advice Carly Fiorina gives to students is that ‘Find your own talent.’ Even if you do not have a perfect job, do not worry about this, but you should do your best at the moment. If you do well in your job, the chance of getting whatever position will come. And, when you have the opportunity, take courage to seize it. Choose the way to be a leader. You are the person who can make changes. With my favorite quotation from the ancient China, I hope to finish my lecture.
“A great leader is a person who makes people believe that they've done everything.”
Carly Fiorina is considered ‘the most powerful woman CEO’ in American business who broke the glass ceiling. She is known especially for being the first female CEO to be appointed to Hewlett-Packard (HP) in 1999 and leading the company to success in times of trouble by demonstrating strong leadership through initiatives such as a successful merger with Compaq and a large-scale internal reform of the company. In addition, she was named Fortune’s ‘Most Powerful Female CEO’ for 6 consecutive years. The detailed information of her lecture is described as follows.
>> Brief Explanation of Carly Fiorina’s Special Lecture
At the special lecture with the theme of ‘The Age of Womenomics and the Qualities of a Successful Leader,’ Carly Fiorina encouraged students who desire to be future leaders by saying, “Choose to be a leader. You are the person who can make changes.” Emphasizing that “The greatest freedom of young people in their twenties is that they can make mistakes,” she advised, “Trust you have unlimited potentials and see the bright future.”
Leaders appear in an unexpected place. When I was young, I was an obedient child and thought that I lacked courage and imagination. I regarded people around me as those having more talents than I did. When I was fourteen years old, I went to Africa with my parents, which became my enlightening experience. At that time, my father was in charge of delivering a lecture at the Law School in Ghana, and we lived in the school’s campus. I did my homework looking at the backyard every night and noticed that a black boy passed by every day. Taking his courage in both hands, he said hello to me. That was the beginning of our friendship. Although he was poor and could not receive an education, he was very clever and understood how to think strategically. I could realize through our friendship that people have their own talents even if not all of them can find theirs.
Afterwards, I majored in the medieval history and philosophy at Stanford University. When I was about to graduate, there came an economic depression into the U.S. economy. No company would hire a young female. I went to Law School, but I really hated attending school. After completing only one semester and noticing that ‘I could not use my talent God gave me to the maximum’ if I continued to attend Law School at this rate, I finally left school.
I started my career as a secretary in society. I answered the phone, used a typewriter and arranged document files every day. There were two important things I learned from the company. First, I experienced how it would be to live as an entry-level member of the group. Second, I found even the entry-level member of the group can bring a considerable and wonderful change to the group. What I sincerely learned from the experience from the entry-level to the highest level is that ‘Everyone has a talent.’
The leadership at ‘The Age of Womenomics’ according to Carly Fiorina
When I started to work, I regarded those having a big office as leaders. However, as a matter of fact, there was no need to have a title or an office to be a leader. Leadership is not referred to as just doing one’s best, but a leader should tell people there are much better things. A leader sees potentials, and all of the leaders have something in common. They discover others’ potentials and help them to develop. A person who makes people show their potentials to achieve a common goal is the leader.
One day while working as a secretary, my boss offered me a new position. It was my first time I took the step upon business. As he saw my potential inside me, I could find it as well. That is the exact role of a leader. A leader should lead people to a better place. Change is difficult. People who have already attained success do not want to go another place, so a leader should fight against the resistance. This is because seeing the potential also means other people have different perspectives.
Leadership is a kind of choice. In fact, all of us can be leaders, but most people try to find other leaders rather than trying to be true leaders themselves. The first advice Carly Fiorina gives to students is that ‘Find your own talent.’ Even if you do not have a perfect job, do not worry about this, but you should do your best at the moment. If you do well in your job, the chance of getting whatever position will come. And, when you have the opportunity, take courage to seize it. Choose the way to be a leader. You are the person who can make changes. With my favorite quotation from the ancient China, I hope to finish my lecture.
“A great leader is a person who makes people believe that they've done everything.”