Inside the Mind of the World’s Most Optimistic CEO
Show notes
For Bill McDermott, work has never been just a job. On this Labor Day rerun of Grit, first published Jan 9, 2023, the ServiceNow CEO reflects on what he learned from his earliest jobs and how he carried those lessons from a deli counter in Long Island to the boardroom of an $80B software company. We cover: Why Bill bought a deli when he was in high school — and how he competed against 7-Eleven (04:00) Interviewing at Xerox and wanting it more than anyone else (08:17) Unwavering optimism and being a source of strength for others (12:34) How a love of work has shaped Bill as a person (16:44) Facing challenges and keeping a promise to his father (22:00) Enjoying the present and keeping an eye on the future (30:01) Leaving Xerox for Gartner and learning from a tough experience (33:29) Sloan Kettering and Father Michael Judge (39:22) Following the “original dream” vs. building something new at ServiceNow (44:59) Losing an eye and getting a pep talk from two Medal of Honor winners (51:15) Why Bill started and ended his book with quotes from two Kennedys (01:01:21) Connect with Bill X LinkedIn Connect with Joubin X LinkedIn Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner Perkins
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