Nate’s Notes 280: If You’re Doing My Job, Who’s Doing Yours? | Carlos Gutierrez, U.S. Secretary of Commerce and CEO of Kellogg

Carlos shared a few lessons that seem different but are closely connected.

First, we probably have more skills than we realize. Carlos discovered his ability to speak in a community-college class, and that skill eventually helped him sell, lead, connect with employees, become a CEO, serve in government, and deliver more than 900 speeches.

Second, leadership requires us to stop doing work that belongs to someone else. Carlos never forgot the employee who asked him, “If you’re doing my job, who’s doing yours?” Micromanagement both frustrates employees and prevents leaders from doing the work that only they can do.

And finally, I appreciated Carlos’ advice to not sit around and think about our failure but learn from our successes.

In summary, pay attention to what you do well. And spend more of your time doing the work that only you can do.

It’s a simple idea. Please take it seriously.

Carlos Gutierrez Bio:

Carlos Gutierrez is a Cuban immigrant who rose from selling cereal out of a Kellogg’s van to become the youngest CEO in the company’s history. He later served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce under President George W. Bush and as Vice Chairman of Citigroup.

Over the course of his career, Carlos has served on the boards of organizations including Occidental Petroleum, Corning, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center. He also founded and chaired Global Political Strategies, co-founded EmPath, and is a regular commentator on CNBC.

His career has spanned business, government, international affairs, and entrepreneurship, giving him a distinctive perspective on leadership, communication, and the lessons people learn over the course of a career.