I had the pleasure to attend University of Washington's first Redefining Leadership seminar which featured Carol Bartz, CEO Yahoo and was moderated by Robert Herbold former COO Microsoft.  Among the panelists were Dorrit Bern former CEO, Charming Shoppes and Charles Hill, one of my proessors at the Foster School of Business.  Below are some of my notes from yesterday's event.

1. Listen Better - Most of the natural problem solvers are quick to assume a resolution.  The reality is that most of the peple do not give out all the details at once or atleast the first time.  It requires a lot of poking around to nail the actual problem.
2. Hire for the Talent, Fire for the Fit - A common mistake made by most of the leaders is that they tend to hang on to the superstars from the startup days.  However, once the organization matures same superstars may become a drag. 
3. Learn about Personal Lives - The management wisdom says that you don't need to learn about people's personal lives.  All you should care about is the performance.  This is so not true.  If a leader knows about his/her employees personal lives he or she might be able to get more out of them.
4. Honesty - Honesty is absolutely critical. It allows you to have an objective perspective on your business.
5. Competence Level - Most of the managers tend to hire employees for a particular job function based on the competence level.  While it serves the purpose in the short term it can harm the business in the long term.  You should look beyond the competence level.  For example, if she cannot go through a dinner with a candidate then she will not hire the individual.  Also, the individual shall be hungry to learn new things and take on new challenges.
6. Teams Work is Overrated - While team work is necessary it is overrated.  End of the day an individual matter and individuals should be given the credit they deserve.
7. Mentors - Instead of having a mentor, follow a bunch of people you may hold in a high regard.  That will allow you to absorb the best of their strengths.  
8. Turnaround - When engaging in a turnaround don't just rely on your direct reports.  Dig deeper and talk to individuals who are several levels below than you are. 
9. Strategic and Tactical - Be both strategic and tactical at the same time.  This will allow you to think long term. 

PS:  I just heard that she will be in New York at TechCrunch Disrupt next week.