This session was a one-on-one interview with Carly Fiorina with Bill Hybels interviewing. In my opinion it was more of a “story” driven session than an actual teaching session. This by no means lessened the opportunities to learn, though.

Carly has an intriguing story, whether you love her or hate her, she is an engaging personality, and we can all learn from her experiences. Even the fact that she was hired by HP as CEO speaks to the talent and leadership skills she possesses.

In her own words she described the atmosphere at HP as resistant to change. “[HP] had once been radicals and pioneers. Now, I’d seen too many instances where a new idea was quickly dismissed with the comment: ‘We don’t do it that way. It’s not the HP Way.’ The HP Way was being used as a shield against change.”

She felt it her role, as the CEO, to inspire change and innovation in the HP culture. Some loved her, others hated her, many misunderstood her. Regardless, she was the leading force in the HP/Compaq merger in 2001.

Her persistent leadership style and dedication to integrity was definitely observable in the interview. In her words, she was fired from HP and they wanted her to “resign” of her own accord to spin it positively in the media for both HP and herself. She refused to, and the resulting media smear has been tough for her, but she said that she is stronger for it.

One of the big ideas that jumped out at me during her interview was her commitment to crediting almost all of her “wisdom” to her parents. “…The older I get, the more I realize that the most important wisdom I’ve learned in life has come from my mother and my father.” (taken from a commencement address in 2005).

This spoke volumes to me, because I understand exactly where she’s coming from. I’m no CEO or world leader, but I do have a circle of influence and I know how to act properly and have a lot of sense because of the way my parents poured their lives into me as I was growing up. Good leadership skills are developed early in a person’s life. Let us all remember that whether we have kids of our own or whether we are around kids, that we can help shape their lives.

Overall, I was very impressed with Carly’s interview. She appeared to be a very thoughtful, composed, and driven person. But one of the things that impressed me the most was when she talked about what was “next” for her. She conveyed that she wasn’t jumping on the next big thing, or rushing into another CEO job. She is waiting for the next “right” thing. You know, the one thing that pulls at her heart strings. Something she is passionate about. That impressed me.

So, whether you agree with her moves as CEO at HP or not, or if you think she is a brilliant leader or not, or if you’ve never heard of her, just a few moments listening to her talk about life, work, and leadership is enough to inspire you to be a better leader. Good leaders are open minded to learning regardless of the source.

May we all be better leaders by opening our hearts and minds to learn from those who have stories to tell and songs to sing.