Patricia Hatter

CIO & COO of McAfee

During this episode, Patty challenged us to take what I called, “the curvy path.” To be unafraid of having a career path that doesn’t look like a straight line. But the curvy path can be scary, right? The trick is in how you approach it.

Wasn’t it fun to hang out with Patty? What I love about her is that she is a no-nonsense, get-it-done executive who makes big things happen. But she also refuses to accept the status quo, is easy to talk to and she’s just a lot of fun to be with. What a powerful combination.

And as I was talking to her, I couldn’t help but think that her own “curvy path” is a lot of the reason why.

As she explained during the interview, she is able to relate to all of her counterparts because she has been in their shoes, at least in part, at different times in her career. I think that kind of depth and breadth of experience gives you an inner confidence that allows you to drop your guard a bit. I think that inner confidence – and the easy manner it engenders – came through loud and clear when I was talking with Patty.

So her challenge to each of us was to be unafraid of our own curvy path. To be willing to step off the safe, straight and narrow career path that most of us have been on, and to be willing to try something completely new and different.

It’s scary. It’s risky. But it’s what will give you the depth of experience that you need to have that kind of inner confidence in almost any situation.

About The TransformIT Show

Each episode explores the questions:

What does the future hold for IT organizations?
And what will that mean for their future leaders?

Host Charles Araujo interviews business executives, IT leaders, futurists and industry experts to understand how their career and experiences shed light on what the future holds for business and the IT organizations that power them. Most importantly, our guests share their advice for all future leaders about how to survive and thrive in the Digital Era.

NOTE:  Shows were filmed when we were know as the IT Transformation Institute. The series is available on our YouTube channel.

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