Beware of being blinded by your own success.
Edwin CatmullRead
We need business leaders who have a respect for technical issues even if they don't have technical backgrounds. In a lot of U.S. industries, including cars and even computers, many managers don't think of technology as a core competency, and this attitude leads them to farm out technical issues.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Business leaders should value technical knowledge even if they lack technical experience.
This quote emphasizes the importance of business leaders understanding and respecting technical issues in their fields, despite their own backgrounds. Edwin Catmull argues that when leaders overlook technical competency, they risk outsourcing crucial technology-related decisions, which can undermine the effectiveness and innovation of their organizations.
Themes
LeadershipTechnologyCompetencyBusinessManagement
In practice
Example use cases
A CEO giving a speech about the importance of technical literacy in leadership roles.
More from Edwin Catmull
All quotes →I started off life at Pixar with interesting technical problems. But as time has moved on, I found that the social and management problem was far more complex and interesting.
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We encourage our people to build their ideas from scratch, and we give them the resources - and, crucially, the candid feedback - that are required to transform the first wisps of a story into a truly compelling film.
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A hallmark of a healthy creative culture is that its people feel free to share ideas, opinions, and criticisms. Our decision-making is better when we draw on the collective knowledge and unvarnished opinions of the group.
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It is only by trying new things that we can hope to create products that are original. Don't just say those words; act like you believe them.
Edwin CatmullRead
The trick is, in everything we do, there are things we love. And sometimes the things we love get us stuck. And it's only if we let go of some of those things that we free the movie up to become greater.
Edwin CatmullRead
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