Chambers Talks: A Podcast Series with John Chambers

Tech has the power to solve market problems – but CEOs need to ensure they identify the appropriate and realistic product market fits and not get distracted by hype cycles. For episode 28 of Chambers Talks, John speaks with someone who has done this incredibly well in the world of augmented reality: Peggy Johnson, CEO of Magic Leap. Through her unique expertise in engineering and passion for explaining technical topics to non-technical business leaders, Peggy and her team successfully shifted business models and are leading the future of AR for the enterprise. Peggy shares predictions for what comes next, actionable insights, leadership lessons, and more with John and his listeners.

Over the past five years, big changes have taken place at IBM. Under the leadership of Chairman & CEO, Arvind Krishna, IBM has renewed its approach to innovation with acquisitions, investments in emerging tech, and ultimately ignited an exciting new energy throughout the organization. IBM is no stranger to reinvention and in the next episode of Chambers Talks, Arvind talks with John about his advice for navigating current disruptions, the remarkable potential of new technologies, and more.

Dr. Lisa Su, Chair and CEO of AMD, joins John on the podcast to discuss what “tech for good” truly means in practice. With a solid internal innovation engine, a knack for executing strategic acquisitions, and a plan for engaging in more public-private partnerships, Dr. Su and her team are hyper-focused on finding opportunities to use emerging technologies, like AI, to tackle the world’s toughest challenges. Dr. Su highlights the importance of communication, describes how she really feels about feedback, and outlines exactly how organizations can do their part to address the issues of diversity and inclusion in all industries, including the tech industry.

John invites Börje Ekholm, CEO of Ericsson, on the podcast for a discussion about the future of connectivity and how 5G will change the world. By staying close to customers, employees, and stakeholders, Börje and his team are executing a long-term vision to develop digital infrastructure that will “make the unimaginable possible”. Börje emphasizes the importance of remaining flexible and pivoting in the short-term, along with other valuable leadership lessons, like reinventing a company again and again, and how to work with startups and other external partners to drive innovation.

In episode 20 of “Chambers Talks: A Podcast Series with John Chambers”, CEO of Deutsche Telekom, Tim Höttges, joins John to chat about the always leading mentality that helped position Deutsche Telekom as the leading telecommunications company in Europe. Tim and John share the belief that agility in today’s business environment is key to survival. That willingness to adapt and undergo significant transformation has allowed Deutsche Telekom to become one of the top German brands worldwide and achieve a market capitalization of $95 billion. By eliminating ambiguity from decision-making and acting as the “Chief Ambiguity Officer” – something other CEOs should try – to prioritizing digitization and focusing on what Tim calls the “four pillars of transformation”, Deutsche Telekom is not only optimizing value for its customers but engineering success for the future. A tech visionary, Tim reveals his recipe for success on Chambers Talks.

John and Hans Vestberg talk about the unique challenge Hans faced when he first took the helm as Chairman and CEO of Verizon in 2018 on the 18th episode of “Chambers Talks: A Podcast Series with John Chambers”. Hans describes lessons learned from taking over an already successful company – he did not have to fix the ship, but he also recognized the importance of disruption. He developed a three-pronged plan to focus resource and investment allocations on the current business, future business, and emerging business. What’s more, he sat down with hundreds of employees 1:1 to understand how this vision aligned with theirs. Hans’ insights about the importance of continuous buy-in and communication with stakeholders will leave listeners taking notes for their next leadership meeting.

John hosts a discussion with another West Virginian native on Episode 16 of “Chambers Talks: A Podcast Series with John Chambers.” Senator Joe Manchin has long been known for his bipartisanship approach to politics. The American people and government have never been more divided and having the courage to lead “down the middle” is what will lead to stability and long-term success. Senator Manchin shares his advice with listeners on leadership, how to anticipate change, and why West Virginia is a model for other States looking to bring government, business, and citizens together for the greater good.