Here's How to Win the War for Talent

Bill McDermott’s been leading companies for many years – he spent 10 years as CEO of SAP, and in the fall of 2019, he took over as CEO at ServiceNow. But his approach to leadership is anything but old school. “The pendulum has really swung more towards a leader being absolutely in service to the employees and absolutely finding new ways to inspire them, new ways to innovate, new ways to bring out the best in them,” he tells Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt on this week’s Leadership Next. McDermott credits this shift to a war for talent. And, he points out that taking care of employees means taking a hard look at how people of color are advancing through your organization. “Put the cards on the table and take a look at the facts,” he advises. “The facts just don’t lie. … And by looking at the facts honestly and openly, you will open up a new gateway to innovation and opportunity within your company because that’s what people want.” Alan and Ellen also ask about ServiceNow’s response to COVID-19, the workplace of the future, and what brought McDermott to ServiceNow in the first place.