Name: NetApp's CEO Credits His Family for His Leadership Skills
Uploaded: 2020-01-03
Duration: 3 min 46 s
Description: George Kurian explains.

 George, you became CEO nearly a year ago of NetApp. This was the first time you became CEO of any company. What have you learned in the past year about leadership and what it takes to be a successful leader? I think being a first time CEO, you are more aware of the fact that you need an effective team at the top to help a business succeed, because there are so many aspects of the business that you're not an expert at or have had the privilege of supervising before. And so, it was a concerted effort by me to bring on a really capable, well integrated team at the top, and I'm proud of our team. Is there one leadership lesson that you wish you knew from day one when you took this job? I think continue to be decisive about the need for change is something that I think, perhaps, if you asked me what's the one thing I could have done quicker, better, faster, I think continue to push for change. We made a lot of changes this past year, but I always feel when I look back on it, maybe we could have done a few more. I understand you have an identical twin brother, Thomas Kurian, who, like you, is in the tech industry. He works at Oracle. At any point, did you seek his advice? Did you turn to him and say, help? Yeah. We've always, Thomas and I, have grown up for almost 50 years together. And we've had very similar careers, and he is one of my most trusted friends and advisors. And so, I often bounce things off of him. I think he said, go hire the people to lead the functions that you are not the expert at, George. You'll never be an expert at everything as a CEO. So just go get great people around you, and that convinced me to get off, and just get on with hiring awesome talent. And we're really proud of the talent that we've hired this past year. Well, you are taking NetApp into a lot of different directions, and you are making dramatic changes. I mean, what are you doing to make sure that your best employees don't leave? The first and most important role of the leader is to explain the situation we're in, and the reason for change. And I think the second, and equally important role of the leader is to paint the picture of the destination. And one of the challenges in particular when the industry is changing quickly is that you've got to be humble enough to create an adaptable vision so that it's not prescribed in stone. Because you really don't know where, other than broad brush strokes, where you are. And I think the combination of being clear about the need for change and painting a compelling vision of where you're headed gets people in the boat and helps them be part of the solution. George, you've worked at so many big blue chip companies in your career, Oracle, McKinsey Consulting, Cisco, and now, NetApp. And all of those years, I'm sure there was a lot of mentorship. What was the best leadership advice you ever got? The best leadership advice I've gotten is watching my mother, and she was an incredibly important role model for the four of us boys. She was a progressive, forward thinking, independent woman in India at a time when tradition ruled. And it was her courage to take on tradition and the old ways of thinking that shaped us and gave us the platform to be who we are. And her leadership advice about the need to be persistent, to be personally accountable, and have the courage to take on the hard stuff has been something that I always carry with me. 

NetApp's CEO Credits His Family for His Leadership Skills

Leadership

George, you became CEO nearly a year ago of net app, and this is the first time you became CEO of any company. What have you learned in the past year about leadership and what it takes to be a successful leader? I think being a first time CEO you arm or aware of the fact that you need an effective team at the top to help a business succeed because there are so many aspects of the business that you're not an expert at or have had the privilege of supervising before. And so it's a ticket. It was a concerted effort by me to bring on a really capable, well integrated team at the top. And I'm proud of our team. Is there one leadership lesson that you wish you knew from Day One when you took this job, I think continued to be decisive about the need for change. Uh, it's something that I think perhaps if you ask me, what's the one thing I could have done? Quicker, Better, faster, I think, continue to push for change. We made a lot of changes this past year, but I always feel that I look back on it Maybe you could have done a few more. I understand you have an identical twin brother, Thomas Korean, who, like you, is in the tech industry. He works at Oracle at any point. Did you seek his advice? Did you turn to him as they help? Yeah, we've always. Thomas and I have grown up for almost 50 years together, and we've had very similar careers, and he is one of my most trusted friends and advisers. And so I often bounce things off of him. I think he said, Go hire the people to leave the functions that you're not the expert at George. You'll never be an expert at everything as a seal. So just go get great people around you. And that convinced me to get off and just get on with hiring awesome talent. And we're really proud of the talent that he fired the last year. Well, you are taking that app into a lot of different directions, and you are making dramatic changes. What are you doing to make sure that your best employees don't leave? The first and most important role of the leader is too Splain. The situation we're in and the reason for change. And I think the second and equally important ah role of the leader is to paint the picture of the destination. And one of the challenges in particular when the industry's changing quickly, is that you've got to be humble enough to create an adaptable vision so that it's not prescribed in stone because you really don't know where your you know other than broad brushstrokes the way you are. And I think the combination of being clear about the need for change and painting a compelling vision of where you're headed get people in the boat and helps them, Ah, be part of the solution. George, you worked at so many big blue chip companies in your career. Oracle, McKinsey Consulting, Cisco and now net app. In all of those years, I'm sure there was a lot of mentorship. What was the best leadership advice you forgot? The best leadership advice have gotten watching my mother, and she was an incredibly important role model for the four of us boys. She was the progressive forward thinking independent woman in India at a time when tradition ruled and it was so courage to take on tradition and the old ways of thinking that shaped us and gave us the platform to be who we are. And her leadership advice about the need to be persistent, to be personally accountable and have the courage to take on the hard stuff has been something that I always carry with me.