The Reeducation of Silicon Valley

By: George AndersWed Dec 19, 2007 at 12:34 AM

There's much going wrong in the land of silicon and software. But there's one important thing going right.

Morgridge has become a billionaire, with a street named after him in San Jose. As chairman of Cisco, he helps steer a global company with more than 30,000 employees. He also remains an informal mentor to John Chambers, his former lieutenant, who is now Cisco's CEO. Yet Morgridge's face lights up when he discusses his interaction with the gritty elementary school and its determined principal.

"I talk to Marty Hargrove the exact same way I talk to John Chambers," Morgridge says. "She tracked me down in New Hampshire a little while ago because she wanted to talk. She's one of the few people who can call me at any time for any reason -- and expect to get through."

George Anders (ganders@fastcompany.com) runs Fast Company's West Coast bureau from San Francisco.