The Best Leadership Advice I’ve Ever Gotten
But then, once upon a cloudy Seattle day, you talk to someone who gives you some of the best advice you’ve gotten in your life.
But then, once upon a cloudy Seattle day, you talk to someone who gives you some of the best advice you’ve gotten in your life.
What a few months! Vittana has been racing forward (10,000 students!), but there’s something even more special—
A new CEO! After reviewing hundreds of candidates, doing dozens of interviews, and spending many hours together, I’m excited to announce today that Robin Wolaner is taking the helm of Vittana.
What an adventure, guys.
And like the best adventures, sometimes you have to be bold. I’m announcing today that I’m stepping down as the CEO of Vittana.
I’m moving upstairs and becoming Co-Chairman of Vittana’s Board of Directors. The reason? It’s simple. Given Vittana’s growth and impact, it’s time for a new generation of leadership. My commitment to Vittana hasn’t changed — I’ll still be very involved, albeit in a slightly different role.
Thanks to you, Vittana grew 4X, expanded in Africa, reached 8,000 students in 12 countries & had our first $1 million month!
Even this past week has been incredible!
Four years ago, I walked away from Amazon and a million dollars — thousands of stock options. I was a twenty-something kid running a billion-dollar team but I wanted more.
Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about Vittana’s values. What do we stand for? What kind of organization are we trying to build?
There is one quote that was on our first business plan, strategic plan & every other document since founding:
Ridiculing idealism is shortsighted, but idealism without the rigors of pessimism is misleading.
We need very hard-headed idealists who can look into the worst and best of humanity and can create and implement strategies of success.
— State of the Future 2007, Millennium Project
These days, I spend a lot of my time traveling. Fundraising, speaking, sure — but the best kind of travel is visiting Vittana youth in countries all around the world.
I always ask what we’re doing right, how we’ve screwed up, and whether we’re living up to their hopes and dreams. Trust me, they don’t hold back — I’ve gotten an earful a few times!
In the past few months, I’ve been through Rwanda, Jordan and the Philippines. They always remind me of growing up in India — countries of deep contradiction, with pockets of very real opportunity amidst extreme, palpable poverty.
Take Rwanda for instance. What do you think of first when you hear Rwanda? The genocide, right?