Quotes by Padmasree Warrior

“If its just delivering email, its not really allowing you to be productive. Its slowing you down, because all youre doing is looking at your email and moving -- you are not being any more productive with it. The evolution is going to involve how you develop an enterprise device that allows you to be more productive.”

“When you are moving around, you cant pay as much attention and you would want the device to know that, and help you deal with it.”

“With this enhanced wireless and video capability, patrons will experience Leonardo s genius through the juxtaposition of the old and the new - using the latest and greatest wireless technology. As an organization that thrives on innovation, it is our humble way of giving back to the community and paying respect to an inventor and scientist whose astounding creations have had an immeasurable impact on the technology we have today.”

Padmasree Warrior, Ciscos chief technology officer, was asked by The Huffington Post, Whats the most important lesson youve learned from a mistake youve made in the past?I said no to a lot of opportunities when I was just starting out because I thought, Thats not what my degree is in or I dont know about that domain. In retrospect, at a certain point its your ability to learn quickly and contribute quickly that matters. One of the things I tell people these days is that there is no perfect fit when youre looking for the next big thing to do. You have to take opportunities and make an opportunity fit for you, rather than the other way around. The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.

My mom taught me the power of love. I learned to focus on the long-term big picture from my father. His sense of humor and light-hearted approach always make me smile. My husband is a pivotal anchor in my life. His influence encourages me to be independent and take risks.

When I took my first job, I was among only a handful of women. It was isolating at times. My love for technology kept me going, and I got to where I am today driven by my passion and self confidence.

You go to a technology conference or an engineering conference, there are very few women there. At the same time its a blessing in the fact that you do get noticed. People tend to remember you as the only woman in the room who said that, or the only woman in the room who was an engineer.

I think one challenge is that having few women in your work environment makes you feel a little isolated and alone. Im an extrovert; I like talking to people, and I make friends easily, but if your personality is somewhat different, I think you would struggle to connect with people.