Limitless Leadership Starts With “I Don’t Know”

I have had a wonderful time recharging and spending time with friends and family over the holidays, and I hope that you have too. While I had a lot of fun, I have also spent time reflecting on the events of the past few years, and on my hopes for #2023. We have all been exhausted by three unrelenting years of pandemic, inflation, and political crises. I am hopeful, as I am sure you are too, that 2023 will be brighter.

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No matter what 2023 brings, and how unpredictable life is, I like to focus on the things that are within my control and my main priority is to focus on being the best leader I can be, a Limitless Leader. This kind of leadership isn’t about my expertise or my experience, it’s about my ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn from my team. I learn every day from my colleagues, my clients, my work, and even from my family.?

Limitless Leadership starts with, “I don’t know” and “I want to learn”.

Curiosity kills the cat – or does it?

Unlike the old cliché about curiosity killing the cat, curious people are the ones thinking about the future and constantly generating new ideas. A curious leader is always looking to innovate for growth. This was an epiphany I had when I first stepped into a role leading an entire geography a few years ago. I was overseeing multiple business groups and the careers of thousands of employees. I knew I had to develop a strong personal leadership style and that I wanted to be the kind of leader that inspires his colleagues. That’s why curiosity is the driving force behind everything I do and what I stand for as a leader.

Nowhere is curiosity more important than the technology business where we face an unmatchable, blinding pace of change. We must constantly challenge the status quo and create something new or be left behind. That is why I’m not shy to say, “I don’t know”. This philosophy has stood me in good stead and is vital as Lenovo transforms from a device provider to a solutions and services provider. I have been privileged to lead Lenovo’s Solutions and Services Group for the past 20 months, a business we are building from the ground up across 180 markets.

3 things I want to learn more about in the new year.

As I look to the new year, in 2023, here are three things I am deeply curious about, and which will continue to motivate me to learn:

1.?The endless possibilities and value that having a diverse team adds to the business – I had a choice when Lenovo’s Solutions and Services Group (SSG) was being formed - I could either build a team around me based in Asia, or I could choose a diverse team in terms of nationality, location, culture, and curiosity. Naturally, I chose the latter and I’ve never regretted this despite the challenges - I have never met a third of my leadership team or my direct reports in person. This year, I’m excited to continue learning how my colleagues who come from different backgrounds contribute to the synergies of a truly global team and co-create new breakthroughs that we can take to market together. Having a diversified team is crucial for Lenovo to transform itself from a pure-play hardware company into a credible contender in global IT solutions.

2. Our clients’ rapidly evolving business needs – Our portfolio of solutions leveraging technologies in particular around #IoT, cloud, and #AI were developed specifically to bring key outcomes for our clients and help them thrive. But in terms of what’s needed next, no one knows! While we can take an educated guess, it’s vital to maintain deep and trusting relationships with our clients that will help us to build solutions and services that continue to meet their needs. For instance, no one would have predicted that sustainability would be top of the boardroom agenda today. The metaverse is another great example – no one has yet cracked the code and figured out the mainstream use case that will really make the metaverse take off commercially. But by continuing the conversation with our customers we’re well-positioned to deliver metaverse solutions despite this uncertainty – utilizing our strong heritage in PCs and devices including VR/AR headsets, an extensive global footprint, strong application development, and an ecosystem of partners.

3.?Keeping up with current and emerging technology – One of my favorite things to do is to stay up late with my 16-year-old son and work on various technological skills. Before it was programming and we’ve now moved on to blockchain, in particular, discussing its practical applications. With technology rapidly evolving, it’s ever so important to keep up, especially since I work for a tech company. I’m also constantly amazed at how much my teenage son knows about new technology!

The more I progress in my career, the more I realize that there is so much that I don’t know, and so much that I have to learn. But learning is what makes me excited every day, particularly when I can learn from colleagues and clients (and children) who are also intellectually curious.

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Change in the technology industry is lightning fast and the opportunities are endless. I can’t wait to see what’s just around the corner and discover new, emerging trends. I’m privileged to be doing this leading SSG at #Lenovo as we transform from a device provider to a solutions and services company. Who knows what is yet to come!