WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.470 --> 00:00:03.320 line:15%
Hi, everyone, this is Miki Tsusaka from Davos.
2
00:00:03.320 --> 00:00:07.850 line:15%
I'm here today with Ruba Borno, a fabulous alum of BCG.
3
00:00:07.850 --> 00:00:10.570 line:15%
Hi, and so glad to see you today.
4
00:00:10.570 --> 00:00:11.610
Good to see you as well, Miki.
5
00:00:11.610 --> 00:00:13.320
It's really exciting to be here.
6
00:00:13.320 --> 00:00:15.620
You may have noticed with BCG this year,
7
00:00:15.620 --> 00:00:17.370
we're talking about Winning the '20s,
8
00:00:17.370 --> 00:00:20.660
as now, we've entered the next decade to come.
9
00:00:20.660 --> 00:00:23.030
I wondered if you had any of your favorites
10
00:00:23.030 --> 00:00:26.070
in terms of our writings and the things we're talking about
11
00:00:26.070 --> 00:00:28.680
that are requirements for Winning the '20s.
12
00:00:28.680 --> 00:00:30.660
So, the one that resonates the most with me
13
00:00:30.660 --> 00:00:34.790
and also happens to coincide with the theme at Davos,
14
00:00:34.790 --> 00:00:36.670
which is about stakeholder capitalism,
15
00:00:36.670 --> 00:00:38.100
but the way that I think you phrased it
16
00:00:38.100 --> 00:00:41.233
is "sustainable value for business and society."
17
00:00:41.233 --> 00:00:43.210
Indeed.
And that, to me, has been
18
00:00:43.210 --> 00:00:45.250
really powerful in the last few days,
19
00:00:45.250 --> 00:00:47.130
because every single leader here
20
00:00:47.130 --> 00:00:49.610
has taken that message of responsible leadership
21
00:00:49.610 --> 00:00:51.280
and how do we create business value
22
00:00:51.280 --> 00:00:53.900
while at the same time improving society?
23
00:00:53.900 --> 00:00:55.510
They've taken it to heart, and they're talking
24
00:00:55.510 --> 00:00:58.140
about how businesses are going to work
25
00:00:58.140 --> 00:01:00.320
with the public sector and nonprofits
26
00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:02.240
in order to drive change and improve
27
00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:04.580
the collective benefit to society,
28
00:01:04.580 --> 00:01:07.550
and that's just been an incredible shift to see.
29
00:01:07.550 --> 00:01:09.170
You know, previous themes have focused
30
00:01:09.170 --> 00:01:11.260
on industrial revolution and other kind
31
00:01:11.260 --> 00:01:12.750
of big industry trends.
32
00:01:12.750 --> 00:01:14.830
This one's really focusing on personal leadership
33
00:01:14.830 --> 00:01:16.950
and how does business actually mobilize
34
00:01:16.950 --> 00:01:20.830
and change the world to develop progress on the SDGs.
35
00:01:20.830 --> 00:01:22.610
Yes, I've been here a few times,
36
00:01:22.610 --> 00:01:25.290
and I do think that this year feels very special
37
00:01:25.290 --> 00:01:27.940
in that regard, but one of my favorite pillars
38
00:01:27.940 --> 00:01:31.490
in Winning the '20s is also on the topic of diversity
39
00:01:31.490 --> 00:01:34.120
and how that drives innovation and resilience.
40
00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:36.740
I know you've done a lot of work on that in your company.
41
00:01:36.740 --> 00:01:38.290
There's a lot of it at Davos.
42
00:01:38.290 --> 00:01:40.320
Any thoughts you'd like to share about that?
43
00:01:40.320 --> 00:01:43.690
It's a great topic of passion for me as well,
44
00:01:43.690 --> 00:01:45.410
and it was something that I did get a chance
45
00:01:45.410 --> 00:01:47.120
to work on at BCG and also something
46
00:01:47.120 --> 00:01:50.260
that we're carrying forward at Cisco quite a bit.
47
00:01:50.260 --> 00:01:53.260
If we, the way that we think about diversity at Cisco
48
00:01:53.260 --> 00:01:54.720
is actually full-spectrum diversity,
49
00:01:54.720 --> 00:01:57.240
so it's not just gender, it's also ethnic.
50
00:01:57.240 --> 00:01:58.370
It's also ability.
51
00:01:58.370 --> 00:02:02.230
For example, 15% of the world's population is disabled.
52
00:02:02.230 --> 00:02:04.160
That's probably one of the largest minority groups
53
00:02:04.160 --> 00:02:06.930
on the planet, so thinking about full-spectrum diversity
54
00:02:06.930 --> 00:02:08.550
and enabling all of those people
55
00:02:08.550 --> 00:02:10.610
to bring their best selves to work.
56
00:02:10.610 --> 00:02:12.310
Now, in order to do that,
57
00:02:12.310 --> 00:02:15.030
you can't just let momentum take its course.
58
00:02:15.030 --> 00:02:17.830
You really have to do things in a deliberate way
59
00:02:17.830 --> 00:02:20.420
and ensure that we are actually actively recruiting
60
00:02:20.420 --> 00:02:23.210
that talent and making sure we're cultivating them
61
00:02:23.210 --> 00:02:26.400
on their journey with sponsorship, not just mentorship,
62
00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:28.630
but actual sponsorship throughout their career.
63
00:02:28.630 --> 00:02:30.880
So, if you think more broadly about leadership
64
00:02:30.880 --> 00:02:33.230
in the '20s, any thoughts on, you know,
65
00:02:33.230 --> 00:02:35.570
maybe beyond diversity, what leaders need to do
66
00:02:35.570 --> 00:02:36.720
to lead from the front?
67
00:02:36.720 --> 00:02:39.960
We've recently become a key sponsor for Global Citizen,
68
00:02:39.960 --> 00:02:41.730
which is hoping to eradicate poverty.
69
00:02:41.730 --> 00:02:44.670
The goal is to eradicate poverty by the year 2030.
70
00:02:44.670 --> 00:02:47.410
We're also taking an active role in homelessness.
71
00:02:47.410 --> 00:02:50.350
So, San Jose, which is where Cisco's headquarters are,
72
00:02:50.350 --> 00:02:52.830
Santa Clara County has one of the largest
73
00:02:52.830 --> 00:02:56.040
homelessness rates in the United States,
74
00:02:56.040 --> 00:02:59.190
which is really unfortunate for a tech hub,
75
00:02:59.190 --> 00:03:01.360
and so we're actively supporting that.
76
00:03:01.360 --> 00:03:04.570
In India, and tied to disability, for example,
77
00:03:04.570 --> 00:03:06.800
we are continuously promoting
78
00:03:06.800 --> 00:03:08.540
not only education initiatives,
79
00:03:08.540 --> 00:03:10.340
but also connectivity initiatives.
80
00:03:10.340 --> 00:03:12.520
One thing that we found is that there's one
81
00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:14.190
and a half billion people across the world
82
00:03:14.190 --> 00:03:15.970
that are not connected to the internet.
83
00:03:15.970 --> 00:03:19.090
If you bring those people that are offline online,
84
00:03:19.090 --> 00:03:24.090
it can promote the world GDP by $6.7 trillion.
85
00:03:24.150 --> 00:03:26.790
That is where good for the world and communities
86
00:03:26.790 --> 00:03:28.100
actually does good for business,
87
00:03:28.100 --> 00:03:30.900
and that's the cycle we hope to see and hope to support.
88
00:03:30.900 --> 00:03:32.220
And on a personal level,
89
00:03:32.220 --> 00:03:36.320
any specific leadership resolutions or personal resolutions
90
00:03:36.320 --> 00:03:38.450
in terms of Winning the '20s?
91
00:03:38.450 --> 00:03:40.330
My biggest resolution personally
92
00:03:40.330 --> 00:03:42.700
is actually getting back to the human.
93
00:03:42.700 --> 00:03:44.450
I feel like we are so focused
94
00:03:44.450 --> 00:03:47.640
on operational effectiveness, driving efficiency.
95
00:03:47.640 --> 00:03:50.830
I'm a tech optimist, and I can't wait for the next phase
96
00:03:50.830 --> 00:03:54.380
of innovation to come in and for technology revolutions,
97
00:03:54.380 --> 00:03:56.750
but we also have to think about the individual,
98
00:03:56.750 --> 00:03:59.690
and so my personal goal is to make sure
99
00:03:59.690 --> 00:04:03.320
that I'm thinking about myself and having some sort
100
00:04:03.320 --> 00:04:06.790
of work/life blend, and the reason that that's important
101
00:04:06.790 --> 00:04:09.700
for a leader is that your teammates look up to you
102
00:04:09.700 --> 00:04:12.617
and think, "Do I need to actually give up myself
103
00:04:12.617 --> 00:04:13.450
to be in that role?"
104
00:04:13.450 --> 00:04:14.330
And the answer is no.
105
00:04:14.330 --> 00:04:15.470
You can be yourself.
106
00:04:15.470 --> 00:04:17.750
You can bring your best self while at the same time
107
00:04:17.750 --> 00:04:20.510
not just being a singular-dimension person
108
00:04:20.510 --> 00:04:22.030
who is just working all of the time.
109
00:04:22.030 --> 00:04:23.810
Any special memories about BCG?
110
00:04:23.810 --> 00:04:25.310
I know you've left a few years ago,
111
00:04:25.310 --> 00:04:27.650
but you were saying it feels like a long time ago,
112
00:04:27.650 --> 00:04:29.930
but it's been about five years, I guess.
113
00:04:29.930 --> 00:04:31.010
Any stories to share?
114
00:04:31.010 --> 00:04:34.250
So many, I mean, some of my best friends are still at BCG,
115
00:04:34.250 --> 00:04:36.990
and it continuously will hold a wonderful place
116
00:04:36.990 --> 00:04:37.823
in my heart because--
117
00:04:37.823 --> 00:04:39.410
You can come back anytime.
(Miki and Ruba laughing)
118
00:04:39.410 --> 00:04:41.910
You've got amazing, ambitious people
119
00:04:41.910 --> 00:04:44.630
who are so intellectually curious, and that environment
120
00:04:44.630 --> 00:04:46.440
is probably one of the most stimulating environments
121
00:04:46.440 --> 00:04:49.300
I've ever been in, but I will say something that ties
122
00:04:49.300 --> 00:04:52.630
to my personal goals is, that holds a special place
123
00:04:52.630 --> 00:04:55.520
in my heart for BCG, is that my father was sick
124
00:04:55.520 --> 00:04:59.090
for a few months, and BCG supported me during that time,
125
00:04:59.090 --> 00:05:02.090
allowed me to do my work and client-facing work
126
00:05:02.090 --> 00:05:05.400
all using videoconferencing technology from the hospital.
127
00:05:05.400 --> 00:05:08.680
So, I was able to be there for my family but also continue
128
00:05:08.680 --> 00:05:11.500
to do intellectually stimulating work and also continue
129
00:05:11.500 --> 00:05:14.570
to add value to the firm, and that support is so invaluable,
130
00:05:14.570 --> 00:05:17.020
and it's something that I will always remember and hope
131
00:05:17.020 --> 00:05:19.520
to extend no matter what team I'm leading.
132
00:05:19.520 --> 00:05:20.810
Well, thank you for sharing that,
133
00:05:20.810 --> 00:05:23.260
and thank you so much for chatting with us today.