Leadership Lessons From Anne Mulcahy

Anne Mulcahy - former President and CEO responsible for the dramatic turnaround of Xerox Corporation - took the stage at Boston's World Trade Center to kick off Simmons Leadership Conference. Her humility and authenticity shone through a tale of just how the company surprised everyone on Wall Street.  Here are some of her thoughts which resonated to my leadership mindset:

• Don't mistake optimism for satisfaction. Keep at it.

• Crisis is a motivator. You can't get out of it - you move through it.

• Timeliness trumps perfection.

• Just do itTake the long view.

• Really listen. Great leaders pay close attention to employees at ALL levels and to customers.

• People need hope. Create a picture of five years' down the line and write the story in present tense. Give it to everyone to read.

She now fills her days in towns and villages through the world but not in a glamorous gown and hotel suite. Au contraire.

This buy-my-shoes-at-Banana Republic executive chairs the efforts of Save the Children. From Ethiopia to the Appalachian hamlets, Save the Children works for a vision of a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation.