The Leadership Blog Interview: Guy Kawasaki

Guy Kawasaki

Bio: Guy Kawasaki is a managing director of Garage Technology Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm and a columnist for Forbes.com. Previously, he was an Apple Fellow at Apple Computer, Inc. where he was one of the individuals responsible for the success of the Macintosh computer.

Guy is the author of eight books including The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, How to Drive Your Competition Crazy, Selling the Dream, and The Macintosh Way. He has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College.

Site: guykawasaki.com/

The Leadership Blog Interview
1. Guy, what gives you the greatest joy in being a leader?
Guy: "Seeing younger people develop and succeed. At this point in my career, I don't care much about my career. My role is to help others, not myself."

2. What is your biggest pet peeve as a leader?
Guy: "Shoddy work--particularly first drafts of documents and PowerPoints. I have zero patience for crappy work."

3. Who made the biggest influence in your life as a leader?
Guy: "My father and mother. My father because he taught me to be fair,understanding, and the concept of noblesse oblige. My mother because shetaught me not to take any crap from anyone."

4. What books have changed your life?
Guy: "You mean because of the royalty stream or what I learned from them? :-) I assume the latter. Then the books would be: In Search of Excellence, The Effective Executive, If You Want to Write, Uncommon Genius, Crossing the Chasm, and The Innnovator's Dilemma."

5. What's your biggest challenge as a leader?
Guy: "I don't consider myself a leader--not anymore anyway. When I was a leader, Iwas terrible at the touchy feely stuff about helping people understand themselves and realize their goals. This is why I wrote The Art of the Start."

6. What goals do you have as a leader?
Guy: "Right now, I have no goals as a leader because I don't want to be one. I want to find leaders and fund them. And help them become great leaders, butI don't want to be one myself."

7. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
Guy: "I'd like to staying at home, raising children, writing a book every 3 yearsor so, making 25 speeches/year, and playing hockey every day."

Guy, Thanks for taking time for the interview. After, reading where you've influenced so many leaders, "The Art of the Start" will be added to my library very soon!