Thunderbird Global Business Dialogue Insights

Last week Thunderbird School of Global Management hosted a Global Business Dialogue, bringing together business, government, and NGO leaders from around the world to discuss today’s most pressing topics in global business.

The dialogue was amazing! There were so many great insights that I thought I would share some of my favorite takeaways with you:

Leaders need to surround themselves with committed and positive people . . . they need to listen to the quietest voice in the room . . . in a crisis you often have to reach within and lead with your own values. – Bob Dudley, CEO of BP

Social media is about building relationships . . . we need to replace B2B and B2C with P2P, people to people. – Ekaterina Walter, Social Media Strategist for Intel

Today’s leaders need to be listeners and learners . . . their responsibility is to serve. – Katherine Garrett-Cox, CEO of Alliance Trust

Delete “personal branding” from your vocabulary . . . just be authentic. –  Brad Feld, Foundry Group Managing Director

The world has been built on financial leverage, now it will be built on social leverage. – Howard Lindzon, Founder and CEO of StockTwits

If you aren’t passionate about what you’re doing you need to stop . . . you aren’t living your truth. – John Hope Bryant, Founder and CEO of Operation HOPE

We need values based leadership. – Manuel Sánchez, U.S. Country Manager of BBVA Compass

True leaders remove the barriers to success for their people. – Marty Evans, Retired Rear Admiral of the U.S. Navy

Labels are for jam jars, not for people . . . remove labels to help people from all backgrounds succeed. – Caroline Casey, Founder of Kanchi

1) the world will always accept talent with open arms, 2) you cannot win unless you choose to compete, and 3) a small deed done is better than a great deed planned  . . . encourage innovation by hiring the best-educated, most creative people you can find and getting the hell out of the way. – Craig Barrett, Retired CEO and Chairman of Intel

We must move toward a low carbon economy because there is no planet B. – José María Figueres, Former President of Costa Rica

I loved hearing so many world leaders espouse the importance of positive topics such as relationships, values, being authentic, and pursuing profitability with a purpose. It was a truly wonderful event!