14 Quotes & Sayings By John T Chambers

John T. Chambers was born in 1933 in Amarillo, Texas, and now resides with his wife in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. He is a graduate of Tech High School, Amarillo College, and Trinity University, where he received his Master's Degree in English and Philosophy. Mr Read more

Chambers has held various positions with the United States Army, including a tour as an instructor at Military Intelligence School (MI-8) and Director of the Army's Army Intelligence School (Airborne). He also served as a civilian employee of the Army Military Traffic Management Command. His military decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal, the Air Medal with Numeral "V" Device, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Army Achievement Medal.

He is also a Vietnam veteran having served as an infantry platoon leader during that conflict.

1
Widening the talent pipeline sufficiently will require a generational commitment to teaching math and science, providing technical training, and mentoring young people of all backgrounds so they understand the full range of possibilities that a career in technology affords. John T. Chambers
2
Today's world requires a different leadership style - more collaboration and teamwork, including using Web 2.0 technologies. If you had told me I'd be video blogging and blogging, I would have said, 'No way.' And yet our 20-somethings in the company really pushed me to use that more. John T. Chambers
3
We'll have a sales leader go run engineering. A lawyer go run business development. A business development leader go run our consumer operations. We're going to train a generalist group of leaders who know how to learn and operate in collaboration teamwork. I think that's the future of leadership. John T. Chambers
4
A well-run organization turns over 10% of their organizations, including senior leadership. I don't have the heart to do that. John T. Chambers
5
I think at least my philosophy of leadership is you focus more on the areas you have to improve or the mistakes than you do on your successes. And that's just how I am in real life. I don't want to let down my customers, my employees, my shareholders. John T. Chambers
6
You have venture capitalists. We view them as experts who also help finance your company and give directions and also some pretty candid discussions about what you have to do better. John T. Chambers
7
I wasn't always interested in technology. I had been a student for a long time - I'd earned a bachelor's degree, a law degree, and an MBA - and decided that I wanted to work in a large corporation, focusing on finance and law, in either New York or Chicago. John T. Chambers
8
At Cisco, we are moving to collaboration teams, groups coming together that represent sales, engineering, finance, legal, etc. And we're training leaders to think across silos. John T. Chambers
9
The window was open for us to play in the consumer as data, voice, video came together. This is where you have to have the courage to take good business risks because if you don't, you never win. John T. Chambers
10
In France, President Francois Hollande is leveraging the next wave of the Internet to jumpstart economic reforms and create jobs for hundreds of thousands of citizens. A historically socialist government, France has had the courage to quickly implement unique partnerships with the business community to drive entrepreneurial spirit and thinking. John T. Chambers
11
People who might normally have to travel hours to a distant city to see a cardiologist can now do so virtually, through Cisco technology, at their local hospital or health clinic. Clinicians use technology to share patient reports and diagnostic images and collaborate on cases. John T. Chambers
12
If every company becomes a technology company, business models and transitions are going to occur. From a CEO's perspective, this is going to be the biggest technology transition of all times. John T. Chambers
13
Wearable technology will tell us how well we are sleeping and whether we need to exercise. Sensors in the street will help us avoid traffic jams and find parking. Telemedicine applications will allow physicians to treat patients who are hundreds of miles away. John T. Chambers