My Greatest Lesson

I've been at Microsoft for 12 years. In most businesses, that isn't a lot of time. But in this industry, it might as well be a million years. At 38 years old, I'm an old-timer. But age can provide a great vantage point. I often make decisions in part by remembering what I've lived through. In other cases, I draw on what I've read - whether it's about early Chinese civilization or the birth of the Renaissance in Italy.

It's unfortunate that the technology industry does not value history - not even its own history. Everyone thinks that the past is uninteresting: It's not hot, it's not new. I love the idea of the future. But the future isn't here yet - I can't learn much from it. If you want to make good decisions about what's to come, look behind you.

Nathan Myhrvold joined Microsoft in 1986. He is a member of Microsoft's Executive Committee, which is responsible for the company's strategic planning, and heads its Advanced Technology and Research Group, which invests more than $2 billion a year in R&D. In his spare time, Myhrvold works as an assistant chef at a French restaurant in Seattle.

Katherine Hudson
President and CEO
W.H. Brady Co.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

My father taught me everything that I know about taking risks. When he graduated from high school, he couldn't afford to go to college. He became a messenger boy at Eastman Kodak, running notes up and down the company's 19-story office tower. Part of his job was to clean and refill the inkwells in the executive offices. One Friday, his boss said, "Ed, can you type?" My father immediately said, "Yes!" - although he had never touched a typewriter before. That evening, he borrowed his sister's typewriter, and spent the entire weekend teaching himself how to type. He couldn't learn everything in a weekend, so he concentrated on learning the letters. But when he went in on Monday, the company put him in the billing department - typing numbers!

When someone offers you a challenge, don't think of all the reasons why you can't do it. Instead, say, "Yes!" Then figure out how you'll get it done. Early in my own career at Kodak, I was writing a report to explain a complicated reorganization process. At the end of the day, my boss asked me what I thought about the reorganization. I told him that I thought it was a good idea but that I felt sorry for the poor guy who had to run the instant-photography division - which had been losing several million dollars a year. He then asked, "Well, how would you like to be that poor guy?" It was like someone asking me, "Can you type?" I said, "Yes!"

I had no idea how to be a general manager. Was I taking a big risk? Absolutely. But my team and I turned the business around within 15 months. We developed new products and achieved excellent results. I wasn't going to let fear or doubt keep me from saying, "Yes, I can type."

Katherine Hudson was the top female executive at Kodak, where she worked for 24 years. W.H. Brady Co. is a $32 million manufacturer of coated films and industrial-identification products.

Anthony Robbins
President and CEO
Robbins Research International
San Diego, California

When I was a child, I woke up one Thanksgiving Day with a feeling of dread. I knew that my parents could scrape together just enough money for a meager meal - that is, if they were lucky. For my family, Thanksgiving was not a day of feasting and gratitude. It was a day that reminded us of what we did not have. Both my parents were frustrated and without hope. But in the middle of the day, a stranger knocked on our door. He held a huge basket brimming with turkey, stuffing, pies, and sweet potatoes - everything for a Thanksgiving Day feast! We were stunned. The man smiled and said, "This is from someone who knows that you're in need and wants you to know that you are loved and cared for." Being a proud man, my father at first refused the offering. But the man said, "I'm just a delivery person." Then he smiled, handed me the basket, and left.

That simple act of kindness changed my life. It taught me that hope is eternal. I was so deeply grateful that I swore to myself that someday I'd do the same thing for someone else. Years later, when I was 18, I found out about a woman in my neighborhood who needed food. She was the mother of six children, and her husband had just left her. With the little money that I had saved, I bought several bags of groceries and drove to her house. As I carried the bags into her house, she grabbed me by the arm and thanked me. I turned to her and told her that I was just the delivery boy - that these were gifts from a friend.

I had come full circle. To this day, I try to return the gift of kindness that was given to me and my family - and to remind people that there is always a way to turn things around. With simple steps, and a little understanding, every challenge can become an opportunity for personal growth.