Three Fearless Leaders, Three Guiding Values

Fearless leaders act when others hesitate. But the resolve to make tough choices doesn’t come in the moment of crisis. Fearless leaders set their values beforehand during periods of quiet reflection, and then align their behavior to their beliefs.

Three friends of the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business show how this pattern works on the front lines of business and public service. They each have led large organizations with diverse missions, but they share the same core values that drive Smith: We do the right things, the right way. We embrace challenges and opportunities. And we have a collective passion for excellence.

Winning the right way

SAP CEOBill McDermott has come a long way since buying a Long Island deli to put himself through college. But he has never exploited others to get ahead. “You gotta win, but you gotta win the right way,” he told a Smith School audience during a 2016 campus visit.

For Bill that means building up the people around him. This was his approach early in his career, when he moved to Puerto Rico and turned around a failing Xerox branch.

Instead of starting fresh with a new team, Bill found ways to motivate the employees he inherited. “It wasn’t about being No. 1,” he said. “It was what it meant to the women and men who became winners and never forgot it.”

Embracing challenges

PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi met resistance in the 1990s when she led the company’s expansion into the health and wellness space. Sales of traditional soft drinks and snacks remained steady, so shareholders saw little need for change. “They were quite happy with the status quo,” Indra said during a 2015 campus visit.

Selling a new strategy is easy after the old one falls apart, but Indra didn’t want to wait. She looked at the competitive environment and saw an opportunity to get ahead.

“You have to be willing to be bold,” Indra said. “You’ve got to have the courage of your convictions.”

Pursuing excellence

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina, MBA ’80, spoke often about the pursuit of excellence during her 2016 presidential campaign. “We have so much creativity, so much potential, so many great ideas here in this country,” she said. “All of it can be unlocked.”

Former dean Rudy Lamonesaw Carly’s potential during her time at Smith. He appointed her as his graduate assistant and steered her toward a management trainee position at AT&T.

That was enough to unlock Carly’s potential as the first woman CEO of a Fortune 100 company. “Once I dive in, I dive in all the way,” she said.

Leaders like Bill, Indra and Carly do more than make tough choices. They put Smith values into action. So do you and many others in the Smith community.

Our fearless leaders campaign, launched in spring 2016, channels this spirit in radio spots and outdoor ads across the Baltimore-Washington region. Thank you for the inspiration you provide.

Alex Triantis
Dean