Business Lessons from sucessful entrepreneurs and business leaders: LunchLearning.com

Reading time: 2 - 4 minutes

Video Time: 1 hour 7 minutes 45 seconds****Q&A begins at 41:53****

I absolutely love what John Chambers and his team at Cisco are doing with regard to involving the whole of Cisco in its communications and collaboration strategy. And what I really like is that they’re a “big” company doing things that are often perceived as possible only for SMBs. Cisco has tossed that bias out the window and is reaping the massive rewards of a highly collaborative environment. They’re even early adopters of Twitter and blogging in-house! AND, if you haven’t seen Cisco’s Digital Cribs. . .then, wow. .you should check it out.

This talk might seem long at the outset, but he spends a considerable amount of time addressing questions (this was a talk at MIT. . .the beauty of any talk like this. . .so, enjoy. John hits on our economy (before it hit the fan), education, collaboration and communications at Cisco. He’s an engaging speaker, and it’s no wonder he, along with the team at Cisco has taken the company from 70 million to 40 billion in just over a decade. Not bad…perhaps he’s worth a listen?!

Reading time: 2 - 4 minutes

Video Time: 56 minutes 17 seconds
****Q&A starts at about 25 minutes (some good ones in there too…)****

Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer, is a giant ball of fire. Just watch the first video to get a mere glimpse of what I’m talking about. I’ve heard a lot about Steve, as perhaps many of you have as well. . .some of it glowing, some of it not so. If you’ve read “Leaving Microsoft to Change the World,” by John Wood, founder of Room to Read, you’ve no doubt read about a side of Steve you don’t know. Read that book. . .it’s a wonderful read and worth your time.

I enjoyed this short talk by Steve as he’s talking about maximizing downturns to turn your entrepreneurial dreams into reality.

He sheds a little light on his own entreprenurial adventures early on after leaving Stanford as he talks with a Standford entrepreneurship group.

Short and sweet, but a good chat that just might getcha’ thinking about starting your own business today.

Neat thing about Steve’s presentation style. . .to me, at least, he always seems like he’s on the edge of a joke, which makes listening to him really fun.

If you’re an entrepreneur, you’ll benefit from checking out Microsoft’s BizSpark program, that allows for a host of opportunities, among them free software for some qualified companies.

Reading time: 3 - 4 minutes

Video Time: 57 minutes 37 seconds

As the owner of a creative business, I’ve always been interested and (of course support in spirit and in action) Richard Florida’s (@Richard_Florida on Twitter) argument that “where we choose to live is the single most important decision that we can make.” And part of the reason why I call Chicago, a richly creative city, my home.

This lunch learning episode is from Richards visit to what I’m finding is a great repository of superb lectures: the Authors @Google series. Check it out if you have the time.

Today, though, enjoy Richard’s talk. And if you’re in a city where rents are high, and from where the “creative class” is migrating, you might want to listen carefully to his advice!

P.S. Is it me, or does Richard Florida look a heck of a lot like Daniel Hugh Kelly??

From Richard’s bio: “In his City talks, Florida draws on ideas in the book, but also inserts prominent new examples and theories, which are popping up every day; it’s an exciting time to be studying human behavior and economic growth. He tells us that globalization has not made the world flat; the world, on the contrary, is spiky — and place is becoming more relevant to the global economy and our individual lives than almost anything else. A brilliant speaker, recently named one of the best and brightest by Esquire, Richard Florida combines in-depth analysis, cutting-edge trends, and fascinating personal stories to show us where the world is headed. He doesn’t just tap into hot topics, he generates them.

Richard Florida’s ideas on the “creative class” and on cities have been featured in major ad campaigns including BMW and are being used globally to change the way companies and regions compete in the creative age. A Professor of Business and Creativity at the Rotman School of Management, in Toronto, Florida is on the cutting-edge of research and innovation that drives the 21st century world economy.”

Reading time: 2 - 3 minutes

Video Time: 1 hour 11 minutes 48 seconds
***This one is a wee bit longer than our traditional sessions, but he’s got a Q&A at the end. And, heck, it’s Friday anyway, right?!

Garr Reynolds (@prezentationzen on Twitter) runs the hugely popular Presentation Zen website which aims to teach all of us how to give more meaningful and “fun to watch” presentations. We’re often *reading* Garr’s advice on presentation. . .this lecture will give you a great feel on exactly how he puts his own advice into motion. Listen carefully to HOW Garr speaks as he gives his talk. . .what he focuses on and, in particular how he rolls with his commentary. At times it can feel a bit quick, I think, but that’s precisely the momentum he’s trying to build. Also pay attention to his use of visual stimuli, and frequent questioning to engage the audience.

A nice treat over lunch, just as these Google folks enjoyed it as well!

From Garr’s bio: “Garr Reynolds is currently Associate Professor of Management at Kansai Gaidai University where he teaches Marketing, Global Marketing and Multimedia Presentation Design. Garr is active in the Japanese community and can often be found presenting on subjects concerning design, branding, and effective corporate communications.

Garr is the former Manager of Worldwide User Group Relations at Apple Computer, Inc. in Silicon Valley. With Apple, Garr worked with user groups (brand communities) in the U.S. and Japan and traveled extensively delivering presentations, software demos, and keynote addresses to the firm’s most loyal customers.”

Reading time: 3 - 5 minutes

Video Time: 48 minutes 21 seconds
***After the introduction, Ricardo begins speaking at about minute: 4:20***

This is yet another reason why I started LunchLearning.com…new ideas and new ways of thinking are so prevalent. . .so easy to grab and run with. . .IF we allow ourselves to live outside our own world. . .to experience and impact our lives and work lives through new learning and objectivity.

In this lecture at MIT, Ricardo Semler makes the argument that we should “Lead by Omission.” A method that posits we should look at managing our businesses essentially, without, management…that once you’re IN an organization or an industry, you become almost incapable of changing it through management. For entrepreneurs building companies, it’s almost a lesson in necessity, for well-established firms though, it’ll probably serve as a wake-up-call for what can be done with less.

It’s akin to a successful career or lifestyle: when we’re young we carry few lifestyle entrapments/bills, etc. Later in life as we add more “things” to our world, we also add entrapments, and more bills.

Think about it.

And the best part? This too, was a lunchtime lecture at MIT!

From Semler’s bio:
Known around the globe for his innovative, employee-centric management style, Ricardo Semler is a true visionary who advises businesses on how they can significantly improve performance by restructuring relationships with their people.

Ricardo Semler is president of Semco S/A, based in Brazil, and the author of two books: Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World’s Most Unusual Workplace and The Seven-Day Weekend: Changing the Way Work Works

Ricardo urges audiences to take a realistic look at what works, what’s possible, and what makes sense in today’s world, given our technologies, the rapid pace of change and the increasing failure of current practice to adapt. Technology that was supposed to make life easier—laptops, cell phones, e-mail, pagers—has stolen our free time instead and destroyed the traditional nine-to-five workday. Why, for instance, haven’t we learned to go golfing on Monday morning when we’ve learned to take our work home on Friday night?

Reading time: 2 - 3 minutes

Video Time: varies

Wow. I’m sure you thoroughly enjoyed the first installment of Mitch Thrower’s (@mitchthrower on Twitter) talk to a family entrepreneurship class at the University of San Diego. If you missed the first 4 parts, you can get ‘em here. Here are the rest! The tail end of part 7 starts Q&A, 8 wraps up the Q&A, and 9 is a “bonus” round of sorts with Internet tips and tricks, some of which may already be known to most. Either way, great stuff!

Reading time: 2 - 4 minutes

Video Time: 18 minutes 36 seconds

Daniel Pink (@danielpink on Twitter)  is not only the author of some great recent books including:  Free Agent Nation: The Future of Working for Yourself, A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future, The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need. He was also chief speechwriter to Vice President Al Gore (@AlGore on Twitter) from 1995 - 1997.

What you’ll learn in this video:

1. The right and wrong way (based on proven science) to motivate your employees
2. A glimpse into new “management” strategies like Google’s 20% model and Best Buy’s R.O.W.E approach
3. Why Microsoft’s Encarta failed miserably against the free, zero-reward model from Wikipedia

Enjoy this great super-quick  “Ted Talk” from Daniel Pink.  “No more carrots and sticks! and. . .maybe, maybe, maybe. . .we can change the world.”

Reading time: 2 - 2 minutes

Video Time: 21 minutes 59 seconds

I’m quite fascinated by the concept behind Tan Le’s “Mind Control” device — Emotiv, and if you’re even just a “wee bit” curious yourself, I’m pretty certain you’ll find it just as intriguing. The possibilities for the device are profound, and personally I look forward to seeing how the team supporting it’s development work toward it’s advantages in the field of medicine and patient care.

Here’s a great story from Inc. Magazine about Emotiv and Tan Le (her own story in an incredible journey!)

The demonstration of the device starts 10 minutes into her presentation.

Spend today in amazement at what is possible today and watch Tan Le.