By Carolyn Gray Anderson
On Monday night, Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, executive chairman of Qualcomm Inc., was awarded the 2014 John Wooden Global Leadership Award in recognition of his exceptional leadership at the helm of what has become one of the telecommunications industry’s great start-up success stories. The ceremony was held at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, where Jacobs was honored by a full house that included Anderson faculty, students, alumni and guests, along with members of Coach John Wooden’s family.
Jacobs is the seventh recipient of the annual John Wooden Leadership Award. Each year, when choosing a new recipient, UCLA Anderson looks for leaders who embody John Wooden’s humility and his capacity to inspire; who focus on process while achieving remarkable results; and who show steadfast commitment to improving the community.
As Dean Judy Olian said in her introduction, “When he was leading the handset division of Qualcomm Dr. Jacobs adopted the slogan, ‘Lead through vision, not division.’ He focused on what brought people together. That’s a play right out of Coach’s playbook. Coach liked to say, ‘Much can be accomplished by teamwork when no one is concerned about who gets credit.’”
As a child Jacobs had gone to a Wooden camp where legendary UCLA basketball player and Wooden prodigy Bill Walton was a counselor. He says that back then and much later at Qualcomm, Wooden’s Pyramid of Success was always a guide to form and advance the company — whether by design or by some kindred understanding of the value of teamwork and relationships. “When you’re a company doing what no one else has done,” said Jacobs, “you only can be motivated being your best, not by beating someone else.”
“Underlying Coach Wooden’s definition of success was a sense of pride, a commitment to ethics and a respect for teamwork,” said Olian. “These fundamental principles translate seamlessly from the sports arena to the realms of business, management and leadership. And they provide the cornerstone on which the John Wooden Global Leadership Program is built at UCLA Anderson.”
Highlights of the ceremony included a tribute to John Wooden by sports broadcaster Dick Enberg (who called UCLA games during the Wooden era) and videotaped remarks by Walton. “It’s been a humbling privilege to know the entire Jacobs family literally all my life,” Walton said.
At the center of the evening was a discussion between Jacobs and Re/code’s Kara Swisher. It was a familiar and at times playful conversation, Swisher ribbing Jacobs when he ventured, nerd-like, into tech-speak when describing new Qualcomm products. Asked what he’s most convinced is the next major technology wave, Jacobs answered unhesitatingly that personal devices linked to our health care are going to be big. Qualcomm is developing a sensor, for instance, that will be implanted in the body to warn of a heart attack two weeks in advance, thereby increasing chances of early detection and prevention.
Swisher also probed Jacobs for thoughts on leadership style. He regrets having seen his share of divisiveness in business, even within the same organization. “It was sort of fractal,” he says when remembering his early days in business. But he has worked to combat an “us vs. them” approach, and he observed when he took over that the company didn’t need top-down direction. “They knew where the compass was pointed,” he says of the Qualcomm team.
Jacobs told Swisher that he might have been regarded as a “knucklehead kid” in his dad’s shadow. But, he laughed, “You have a great advantage when people underestimate you!”
Past recipients of the John Wooden Global Leadership Award include Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of The Walt Disney Company (2013); Indra Nooyi, chairman and CEO of PepsiCo (2012); Peter Ueberroth, managing director of Contrarian Group (2011); Frederick W. Smith, chairman, president and CEO of FedEx (2010); Kenneth Chenault, chairman and CEO of American Express (2009); and Howard Schultz, chairman, president and CEO of Starbucks (2008).
Proceeds from the dinner fund three $25,000 John Wooden Leadership Fellowships, given to deserving UCLA Anderson students based on their exceptional leadership, academic merit and financial need. This year’s recipients are Nicole áBeckett (FEMBA ’15), Derek Herrera (EMBA ’15) and Elizabeth Pratt (MBA/MPP ’16).
“Double Bruin” áBeckett (who earned her undergraduate degree at UCLA in 2003) founded her international trade company Mercatura Global following stints in China and with two Los Angeles mayors’ cabinets. Taking a page out of Coach Wooden’s book, áBeckett said, “Confidence is paramount to being a leader. But as a leader you have to know how to absorb other people’s opinions and objectives and work them into how you’ll accomplish your goals.” Accepting her fellowship, she related that her parents had told her when she was young, “You will succeed because you’ve challenged yourself, because you’ve educated yourself.” And she implored the audience — a room full of successful, educated peers and elders: “Find one person who may not be able to see the best in themselves and give them confidence.”
Derek Herrera is a highly decorated active-duty Marine captain who also recently took the reins of RuckPack® Inc., a company that provides healthy caffeine-free alternatives to energy drinks. He said his favorite Coach Wooden aphorism is “Adversity is your asset.” Accepting challenges to overcome adversity led him to UCLA Anderson, he says, just as it did to his responsibilities in far-flung places like Haiti and Afghanistan. He’s committed to filling positions at RuckPack with veterans because he knows he can rely on them for teamwork, among other valuable virtues. He says of the teams he leads, “They are experts in their realm, I just make sure they have the tools to be successful. I'm able to lend support, but I'll let them fight their own fight.”
A strong work ethic comes naturally to Elizabeth Pratt, who hopes to apply 21st-century business savvy to the realms of nonprofit and NGO. An effective leader, she says, “tries to listen first.” She adds, “Don't be afraid to make a decision and own a decision — one you can live with and defend.” Pratt began her career in education, teaching overseas in China, Peru, and Tanzania, affording her special insights into markedly different cultural approaches to organizations.
Past fellowship recipients include Elliot Ling (MBA ’14), Jordanna Mora (FEMBA ’15), Aviva Altmann (MBA '13), Juan Rose (EMBA '13), Karla Sarni (FEMBA '13), Valerie Sun (FEMBA '13), Russell Altenburg (MBA '12), Archana Rajan (EMBA '11), Joanna Schochet (MBA '11), Shahrouz Golshani (FEMBA '11), Dana Taylor (MBA '10), Andrea Swanson (FEMBA '09) and Christopher Schnakenberg (MBA '09).
Check out highlights from the evening's celebration!
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