Mary Barra: What Every B-School Graduate Should Know

It’s OK to admit what you don’t know. It’s OK to ask for help. And it’s more than OK to listen to the people you lead. In fact, it’s essential. It’s important to surround yourself with people who will challenge you and tell you when and why you are wrong. And the need to listen doesn’t diminish when you become general manager or CEO — it increases. Your company’s success depends on how well you satisfy your customers. When one day you are leading an organization, you should absolutely be concerned about the bottom line. But as a visionary leader, you should be thinking about more than just the next quarter. You should also be thinking about the next decade, and what your company’s reputation and place in the world will be after 40 quarterly results. More and more, today’s employees want to be connected to a broader purpose. They want their companies and institutions to make the world a better place.