#006 - The Secret Ingredient of Visionary Leaders: Serving Others with Daryl Hammett

I approached Daryl Hammett , GM of Global Demand and Operations at AWS, after reading an interview of him.  Once I read it, I knew I wanted to have a conversation and learn from him. We never met nor worked together before. What Daryl shared in this paper resonated with me so strongly, that I had to talk to him, it was a no-brainer. And this discussion was trully mind blowing!🤯

Daryl has accumulated profound leadership wisdom over his 30+ year career spanning technology, sales, and global business. A core theme is that exemplary leaders focus outward, not inward. As Daryl learned in the Navy, leadership is not about the leader but about serving others.

Listening is critical for understanding people’s needs. Daryl stresses being fully present, asking thoughtful questions, and actively listening without judgement. This builds connection and helps match the support to the individual. Leaders must also be self-aware and authentic. Knowing one’s values prevents compromising them when pressured.

Daryl explains that diversity and inclusion create space for people to belong as their authentic selves. Leaders should hire for cognitive diversity and remain open to input. He provides the metaphor of a team with expertise in various sports - by teaching each other, all become more versatile.

Interrogating reality before acting is another key. Identify obstacles so they can be addressed. Daryl advocates simplification, prioritization and intentionality. Leaders should be accountable through modeling desired behaviors. Overall, Daryl Hammett emphasizes that exceptional leaders uplift others. They build inclusive, authentic cultures where people feel valued, inspired and empowered to do their best work.

We talked about Disc assessment and Hermann Whole Brain assessment.

Daryl also referred to the book The CEO Paradox.

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