“Padmasree Warrior, Cisco's chief technology officer, was asked by The Huffington Post, "What's the most important lesson you've learned from a mistake you've made in the past?" "I said no to a lot of opportunities when I was just starting out because I thought, 'That's not what my degree is in' or 'I don't know about that domain.' In retrospect, at a certain point it's your ability to learn quickly and contribute quickly that matters. One of the things I tell people these days is that there is no perfect fit when you're looking for the next big thing to do. You have to take opportunities and make an opportunity fit for you, rather than the other way around. The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.” OpportunityMistakes Author:Padmasree Warrior
“It's your ability to learn quickly and contribute quickly that matters. One of the things I tell people these days is that there is no perfect fit when you're looking for the next big thing to do. You have to take opportunities and make an opportunity fit for you, rather than the other way around. The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.” PeopleWayImportantMatterBigsNextOpportunityAbilityPerfectQualityLeaderFitThese DaysThings To DoBig ThingsLeaning InPerfect Fit Author:Padmasree Warrior
“Ive taken Saturdays to be the day I pull back completely. I do things that are more creative, and Ive actually found that helps me when I get back into work to be more thoughtful, and I truly believe that feeding your creative soul is really important to being more analytical.” BelieveImportantSoulHelpingFoundCreativeTakenThoughtfulHelp MeGet BackSaturdayFeeding Author:Padmasree Warrior
“When I took my first job, I was among only a handful of women. It was isolating at times. My love for technology kept me going, and I got to where I am today driven by my passion and self confidence.” FirstsSelfTodayJobsPassionTechnologyDrivenSelf ConfidenceHandfulMy Passion Author:Padmasree Warrior
“My mom taught me the power of love. I learned to focus on the long-term big picture from my father. His sense of humor and light-hearted approach always make me smile. My husband is a pivotal anchor in my life. His influence encourages me to be independent and take risks.” LongBigsLightFatherTermFocusRiskInfluenceTaughtMomHusbandApproachIndependentMy MomLong TermMy HusbandSense Of HumorHeartedAnchorsPower Of LoveBig PicturePivotalMake Me SmileLight Hearted Author:Padmasree Warrior
“Most emerging markets are skipping web based technology and go straight to mobile” TechnologyMobileEmergingEmerging Markets Author:Padmasree Warrior
“If I had to pick three of my favorite magazines, they would be 'Fast Company', 'Silicon India', and 'Smithsonian.'” IfsWould BeThreeCompanyPicksIndiaMy FavoriteMagazinesSiliconSmithsonian Author:Padmasree Warrior
“Tech is all about building human connections.” HumansBuildingConnectionsHuman Connection Author:Padmasree Warrior
“You go to a technology conference or an engineering conference, there are very few women there. At the same time it's a blessing in the fact that you do get noticed. People tend to remember you as the only woman in the room 'who said that', or the only woman in the room who was an engineer.” PeopleSaidFactsRememberRoomsTechnologyBlessingEngineeringEngineersConferencesRemember YouRemembers You Author:Padmasree Warrior
“When I present or speak, I write the slides myself. And regarding time, I would like to be able to publish more than I do.” WritingAbleSpeakPublishSlides Author:Padmasree Warrior
“For the user, it doesn't matter whether he is getting access on Wi-Fi, 3G or 2G networks. What matters is good connectivity, and as a technology provider, our job is to hide the complexity of the technology.” MatterJobsTechnologyAccessComplexityUsersWhat MattersProviders Author:Padmasree Warrior
“I always tell women that the fact that you're different and that you're noticed, because there are few of us in the tech industry, is something you can leverage as an advantage.” DifferentFactsIndustryAdvantage Author:Padmasree Warrior
“I always tell women to use the fact that we offer a different point of view in a room full of men, to their advantage. Because we often stand out, we gain a unique platform to demonstrate our knowledge and capabilities.” MenDifferentFactsUseRoomsViewsOffersUniqueGainsAdvantagePoint Of ViewCapabilityPlatformsStanding OutDifferent Points Of View Author:Padmasree Warrior
“I don't like the word 'balance.' To me, that somehow conjures up conflict between work and family... as long as we think of these things as conflicting, we will never have happiness. True happiness comes from integration... of work, family, self, community.” ThinkingLongSelfCommunityBalanceConflictIntegrationTrue HappinessWork FamilyConflicting Ideas Author:Padmasree Warrior
“I'm thrilled to be joining Gap Inc., a company that understands the importance of integrating technology and retail in ways that improve the lives of its customers.” WayCompanyTechnologyImportanceCustomersGapsJoiningIntegratingRetail Author:Padmasree Warrior
“It makes me so much calmer when I’m responding to e-mails later.” MailRespondingCalmer Author:Padmasree Warrior
“The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.” ImportantAbilityQualityLeaderLeaning In Author:Padmasree Warrior
“Today, we need to listen more carefully. I read what people say on Twitter, my friends on Path, in addition to formal media. I look for patterns, and then I post questions back to my network.” PeopleNeedsLooksTodayPathMediaMy FriendsPatternsPostsFormal Author:Padmasree Warrior
“As IT enters the mobile-cloud era, IT providers need to be more innovative about addressing customers' fast changing needs. Over the past two years, Cisco and Citrix have collaborated to deliver significant innovation into the market. Now we are excited to accelerate our partnership into cloud, networking and mobility.” NeedsYearsTwoPastInnovationCloudsExcitedCustomersSignificantErasTwo YearsPartnershipInnovativeMobileNetworkingOver The PastProvidersMobilityAccelerateCisco Author:Padmasree Warrior
“The important thing to remember is it's not about balance; it's about integration... to really focus on making sure you're integrating all four aspects of your work, your family, your community and yourself. And it's not about trying to spend equal amounts of time on everything you do each day on each of these things, but making sure you're paying attention to all the things that make it up as a whole human being.” TryingHumansImportantWholeRememberCommunityHuman BeingsAttentionFocusFourAmountBalanceEqualAspectImportant ThingsPay AttentionOur FamilyEach DayIntegrationIntegrating Author:Padmasree Warrior
