Kate Johnson, the President and CEO of Lumen Technologies, thinks we need fewer know-it-alls and more learn-it-alls leading businesses. Leaders owe it to their teams to get past thinking of themselves as the smartest people in the room, Johnson explained.
Where did Johnson develop her leadership theory? On the tennis court, of course! “Just as you acquire new shots and approaches to tennis, you have to be constantly looking for new ideas and wanting to learn everything you can in business,” she said in the podcast. “You have to be nimble and agile enough to respond to any new situation or challenge.”
The key to corporate agility, Johnson emphasized, involves getting past thinking of yourself as the smartest person in the room. “Being curious and thinking through it collaboratively, that is the difference between ‘know it all’ and ‘learn it all,’” she said.
It may seem like a stretch to try to apply the same mindset on the tennis court to the corner office of one of the world’s biggest, most connected fiber networks and one of the largest providers of digital connectivity to businesses and the government. But Johnson insists the “thinking game” is the same. Listeners will learn the principles Johnson champions in the workplace including:
"Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill – storytelling – that will last you a lifetime.”
“The ability for athletes to get hired is carried on through you because you are putting out the message that lessons learned from sports are important in life. It is embedded in this podcast, what you’re doing is significant.”
We speak the same language. I am inspired by the stories you tell, the people you have met, and the things you’ve done. Those of us that are competitors like to follow others that have been down that journey, so it is always fun talking to you!”
“Many of the leaders I have worked with were excellent athletes, and I think there is a direct correlation. You’re one of the few people that really has pursued this study, Don. Keep up the great work. What you are doing really makes a difference.”
“Don, you have mastered the skill of interviewing and asking great questions. That is a great skill all leaders need in order to understand their team members’ thought processes.”
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