
Shantanu Narayen
Plant the Vision
Today’s guest is Shantanu Narayen, the Chairman and CEO of Adobe.
It’s the leader’s job to communicate the vision of the company in a way that ignites the hearts and minds of the people they lead and plant the flag of a big idea. Our teams don’t show up simply for the paycheck. They want something bigger to be a part of, a compelling vision to get behind that infuses all kinds of meaning and passion into their day to day.
Since 2018, Adobe’s valuation has tripled and is now at 300 billion dollars. That type of growth is possible because of the work Shantanu has done to lead his team toward a compelling vision. Adobe is a team of innovators and they’re chasing a vision they believe in, one their team is pursuing together, and with passion. There’s a lot we can learn from Shantanu and how he’s igniting the hearts and minds of the people he leads.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How a software engineer becomes a CEO, and what roads and flags have to do with it
- How to prioritize long-term innovation AND short-term execution
- How to disrupt your own company in order to stay ahead of competitors
- Why having data AND a narrative matters in an Adobe performance review
- Why this year’s stock price is not a good indicator of current performance
- PLUS, Why your vision may not yet be aspirational ENOUGH
Take your learning further. Get proven leadership advice from these (free!) resources:
The How Leaders Lead App: A vast library of 90-second leadership lessons to stay sharp on the go
Daily Insight Emails: One small (but powerful!) leadership principle to focus on each day
Whichever you choose, you can be sure you’ll get the trusted leadership advice you need to advance your career, develop your team, and grow your business.
More from Shantanu Narayen
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Clips
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Be a flag planterShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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Celebrate failures that led to a successShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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This CEO's advice to his childrenShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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Plan for the updside; react to the downsideShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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Balance innovation with predictabilityShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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Show initiative that you can take on more responsibilityShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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Don't resort to letting people go when times get toughShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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Prioritize what's important during times of crisisShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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"Look around the corners" during product developmentShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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Constantly disrupt yourselfShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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Think with a portfolio approachShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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Create a common vocabulary to use for business reviewsShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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Create an open data initiative to paint the full picture of productsShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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Stay innovative by having unreasonable expectationsShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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Use failure as learning and motivationShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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Challenge your team to set more aspirational goalsShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO
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Spend a disproportionate amount on high impact activitiesShantanu NarayenAdobe, Chairman and CEO