Some of you may have already heard that Meg Whitman, the former CEO of eBay, has thrown her hat into the ring as a hopeful gubernatorial contender in California. I had the pleasure this evening (only a couple hours ago, actually) of hearing her speak at the school just across the street, Scripps College.
During her tenure at eBay, Ms. Whitman led the company from a small startup with $4 million in revenue to the world-class enterprise it is today. She emphasized doing the right thing, even if it cost the company money in the short run, as well as building trust and relationships. She raised an important question for all entrepreneurs and senior managers: what kind of company do you want to run?
Now I'm not sure that I'd endorse her quite yet, although I was as impressed by her as by anyone who I've ever seen speak. Her experience, intelligence, and poise appear almost peerless. Her name was previously mentioned as a possible running mate for John McCain. Let me tell you as a former eBay shareholder (through the CMC Student Investment Fund), if she had been on the ticket, I would certainly not have written him off. She was also mentioned as a potential Secretary of the Treasury, a position for which she may have lacked some of the complex financial experience. As a manager and leader, she's world class, but I'm not completely sold on her understanding of the intricacies and nuances of the capital markets. Whether she is the right person to lead California out of its current mess, I'm still not sure. But she is an astoundingly impressive person.
Perhaps most importantly to me, she reminded me what type of leader I hope to be someday...
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