Ursula Burns, former CEO, Xerox: "I struggled...with this idea that we run a mechanical structure, that people are just a cog in the wheel."

9 to 5ish with theSkimm

theSkimm

Entrepreneurship, Careers, Business

4.7 • 1.9K Ratings

🗓️ 23 June 2021

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Ursula Burns is one of the most notable business leaders in America. She ran Xerox from 2009 to 2016, and when she took the top job, she also became the first Black woman to run a Fortune 500 company. This week, Ursula sat down with us to share why leaders in 2021 can’t just be focused on profits or increasing a stock price - they have to be focused on people. In this episode, Ursula shares why being an executive assistant changed her life, how she created accountability on her leadership team, and why companies have to prioritize the wellbeing of their employees.

Transcript

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0:00.0	In the past, we had a job to increase total shareholder return or to make the stock price
0:07.2	the highest possible in a period.
0:09.9	It was always a struggle for me.
0:11.6	And I tell you what, some people think I failed and they call me a failure.
0:15.2	I struggled from my first network to the last network with this idea that we run a mechanical
0:24.0	structure that people are just a cog in the wheel.
0:32.5	I'm Carly Zaken, I'm Danielle Weisberg, welcome to Schim from the couch.
0:36.3	This podcast is where we go deep on career advice from women who have lived it, from the
0:40.0	good stuff like hiring and growing a team to the rough stuff like negotiating your salary
0:45.2	and giving or getting hard feedback.
0:48.1	We started the Schim from a couch, so what better place to talk at all out than where
0:52.2	it began on a couch.
0:59.9	Hey everyone, our guest today is Ursula Burns.
1:02.6	Ursula is a business woman who is most known for being the former CEO of Xerox, which she
1:09.0	ran from 2009 to 2016.
1:12.8	When she took the top job at Xerox after decades working her way up at the company, Ursula
1:18.5	became the first black woman ever to run a Fortune 500 company.
1:23.7	She has also served on the board of some of the biggest companies in the world, including
1:29.5	Uber, Exxon Mobile and Nestle.
1:32.4	Her memoir where you are is not who you are is in stores now.
1:38.3	Ursula, thanks so much for joining us, welcome to Schim from the couch.
1:42.8	Thank you very much for having me, Danielle and Carly, I'm happy to be here.
	...

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