Executive and entrepreneur Atif Rafiq suggests that, in his career, he’s often been at companies “too early.” For example, his foray into mobile applications actually pre-dated the iPhone. But is being ahead of your time ever really a bad thing? Atif certainly doesn’t think so—especially when it comes to rewriting the rules of leadership.

In his talk with Jesse, Atif reflects on his early roles as an executive at Audible (Amazon), as an entrepreneur at Covigna, and as the Chief Digital Officer at McDonald’s, a first-of-its-kind position for a Fortune 500 company. He describes the challenges of finding a balance between safety and profitability at MGM Resorts during the pandemic. And throughout the conversation, he reveals the most important things he’s learned about leadership (and the notions he’s left behind).

(4:23) How roles at Audible and Covigna taught Atif to ‘keep pivoting’ in new markets

(8:40) Focusing on the speed of learning at Amazon

(10:57) Helping McDonald’s reconnect with its heritage through new service models

(15:40) Why the role of the executive in problem solving is calibration

(19:09) Stewarding MGM Resorts through the pandemic

(20:53) It’s not just the decision: how you get there matters

(23:27) Authoring Re:Wire on LinkedIn to accelerate changes in how we lead

Guest Bio

Atif Rafiq is an executive, board member, social media influencer, and author. Atif has been part of the executive committee of 3 large cap global companies working directly for their CEOs and interacting with their boards on transformation and strategy. His C-suite roles at some of the world’s most recognized brands (McDonald’s, Volvo and MGM Resorts) followed a 15+ year career in Silicon Valley.

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Future Forum Exec Spotlight: Moving away from command and control

One of Atif’s innovations: McDonald’s Rolls Out Table Service (from Business Insider)

Atif on LinkedIn and Twitter

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