On Being a Leader with George Conrades

George Conrades, the Former CEO of Akamai Technologies and Current member of Oracle’s Board of Directors joins John Kaplan and John McMahon for a conversation on leadership. Conrades is the author of ‘On Being a Leader’ where he shares how to inspire and guide others toward a common purpose.  He’s mentored countless leaders at all levels and across diverse industries, experiences and backgrounds. He shares his experience in this candid conversation.  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Connect and learn more about George Conrades: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgeconrades/ Be sure to check out his book, On Being A Leader. All the proceeds go to the Akamai Foundation that supports STEM education in grades K-12. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DF6NVQ3V Enjoying the podcast? Sign up to receive new episodes straight to your inbox: https://hubs.li/Q02R10xN0 HERE ARE SOME KEY SECTIONS TO CHECK OUT [00:02:06] Insights on Leadership from George's Book [00:04:13] The Power of Effective Listening [00:08:38] Inclusiveness and Team Building [00:17:08] Navigating Change as a Leader [00:20:05] Transactional vs. Transformational Leadership [00:22:55] Balancing Management and Leadership [00:24:28] Understanding Competence and Commitment [00:28:09] The Importance of Being Present [00:29:02] Leveraging Team Strengths [00:33:54] Loving People: The Heart of Leadership [00:37:16] Leadership Development Insights [00:38:23] The Power of Authenticity [00:39:03] Self-Awareness in Leadership [00:39:36] The Impact of Words and Actions [00:44:38] Recruiting the Right People [00:50:55] Creating Clarity and Setting Goals [00:52:53] Accountability and Team Dynamics [01:00:04] Guiding Principles and Urgency [01:01:35] The Importance of Humility HIGHLIGHT QUOTES [00:02:10] "Leadership is not about your title. Leadership is about your intention and actions." [00:02:35] "Absorb uncertainty. Great teams, full of wonderful people, can't stand ambiguity." [00:06:42] "To be present shows that you care, and that's a big emotion." [00:34:19] "Your whole job as a leader is to inspire others to do their very best. The measure of your personal leadership success is leaving behind even better leaders." [00:35:04] "You need to be vulnerable because you're going to ask questions that will expose you as a leader who doesn't know the answer." [00:36:41] "Great leaders are made, not born."