Alok Sama, former CFO of SoftBank and managing director at Morgan Stanley, shares fascinating insights into high-stakes corporate finance and technology investing. He discusses working with Masayoshi Son, including the $32 billion Arm acquisition. Alok also reflects on the qualities that distinguish founders from traditional leaders and his journey back to academia for an MFA. Additionally, he explores the transformative impact of AI on productivity and job markets, offering a glimpse into future investment strategies in the tech landscape.
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insights INSIGHT
Obsessive Founder Focus
Great founders show obsessive focus and 24-7 commitment to a vision.
This drives intense loyalty and personal commitment uncommon in professional managers.
insights INSIGHT
Founder and Manager Duo Power
Combining founder mode with corporate execution creates a powerful leadership duo.
Masa Son's visionary style complemented Nikesh Arora's execution expertise.
insights INSIGHT
Vision Inspires Commitment
Founders attract people with infectious idealism and a vision to improve the world.
Their demanding style inspires deep trust and commitment among key team members.
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Alok Sama's "The Money Trap: Lost Illusions Inside the Tech Bubble" offers an insider's perspective on his three decades in global finance and technology. The book details his experiences working alongside Masayoshi Son at SoftBank, navigating major tech deals, and witnessing the rise and fall of the tech bubble. Sama shares candid insights into the complexities of dealmaking, the challenges of working with larger-than-life personalities, and the lessons learned from both successes and failures. The narrative provides a unique blend of personal reflection and professional analysis, offering valuable lessons for aspiring leaders in the tech industry. The book's title reflects the author's disillusionment with certain aspects of the tech world, highlighting the risks and rewards of ambitious ventures.
CEO Excellence
The Six Disciplines for Leading Change and Achieving High Performance
Quinn, Robert E.
In "CEO Excellence," Robert E. Quinn explores the six disciplines that successful CEOs employ to lead change and achieve high performance. The book emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships, fostering a culture of innovation, and effectively managing organizational change. Quinn's framework provides a practical guide for CEOs to navigate the complexities of leadership in today's dynamic business environment. The book also delves into the personal qualities and skills necessary for effective leadership, highlighting the importance of self-awareness, adaptability, and resilience. Ultimately, "CEO Excellence" offers valuable insights for CEOs seeking to enhance their leadership capabilities and drive organizational success.
Alok Sama spent years in corporate finance and as a managing director at Morgan Stanley before joining Softbank as CFO and plunging into founder-CEO Masayoshi Son’s world of high-speed, high-risk decision making. For Sama, the shift involved many eye-opening experiences, which he later shared in a memoir, titled The Money Trap: Lost Illusions Inside the Tech Bubble (St. Martin’s Press, 2024).
In this episode, Sama speaks with McKinsey senior partner Vik Malhotra, who is based in our New York office, where he counsels CEOs and corporate boards and serves as our firm’s Chairman of the Americas. Vik is also a co-author of the New York Times bestseller, CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest. The two talked about what it was like to work with SoftBank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son, negotiating deals such as Softbank’s $32 billion acquisition of the British chip design company Arm Holdings, and why Alok decided to return to school in his 50s to earn a master’s degree in fine arts.
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