Wisdom From The Top with Guy Raz

Why to Put a Chink in Your Own Armor: Brad Smith (Intuit)

Jul 10, 2024

Former Intuit CEO Brad Smith shares how vulnerability and failure are key to leadership. He transformed Intuit into a cloud-based platform, emphasized a startup culture, and learned from a $40 million mistake. Smith navigated tough decisions with compassion, evolving the company culture and emphasizing transparency in performance reviews.

47:37

Episode guests

Brad Smith

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

Embrace vulnerability to inspire others in leadership roles.

Foster innovation by empowering employees to think and act like entrepreneurs.

Prioritize customer support and transparency during challenging times for successful leadership.

Deep dives

Brad Smith's Leadership Principles

Brad Smith emphasizes the importance of core leadership principles such as working hard, being kind, and taking pride. He believes in not mistaking kindness for weakness and strives to maintain a leadership style that fosters kindness and respect within his team, ensuring that he is remembered as someone who was always kind and respectful.

Intro

2min

Brad Smith's Leadership and Upbringing

2min

Journey of Leadership and Career Decisions

13min

Exploring Fate and Unpredictability in Life

2min

Lessons from a $40 Million Mistake and Navigating Industry Disruption

11min

Navigating Tough Decisions and Company Transformations

11min

Evolution and Emotional Aspects of Decision Making

10min

Brad Smith, the former CEO and now Chairman of the Board at Intuit, knows first hand why vulnerability and failure are intrinsic to good leadership. At one point in his career he lost $40 million for a company and then...got promoted. Smith, heavily influenced by his father's wisdom (i.e. "put a chink in your own armor") leaned into the power of authenticity, humility, and vulnerability to inspire others. At Intuit, Smith led the company through one of its most significant transformations, reinventing it into a high-powered cloud-based platform and reigniting a startup culture within a decades-old software firm. In this 2019 conversation, leadership principles meet real-world application. The watchwords? Authenticity and vision.

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